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Sunday, October 21, 2012

The Filipino Way



I find it funny or perhaps interesting how Filipinos do things. For instance, when you take a ceres bus or any bus for that matter, you will see people rushing to the newly parked bus. Then immediately, you will see people crowding at the door and pushing each other just to get in first. Seeing how people are struggling really hard to get in while the others are blocking your way with their feet, arms and body, and anything else possible, you will obviously feel like doing the same thinking that you might run out of seats. Then eventually you get in. And once inside you realise that the bus is just half-full or half-empty depending on how you see things. Then on top of that, the moment you are in the bus, you are there sitting down and you still have to wait for a good 30 minutes or so before the bus eventually leaves for your destination. Then while sweating all the way for running, and rushing and muscling your way in, you come to think, what did I hasten to get in for, if after all we will still wait for this long under this heat and humidity?

Here is a good one, the moment you are on the bus you will really see that everybody ignores everybody. If you know someone among your fellow passengers, he or she will just say, “Hello? Where are you going?” And the rest, you act as if you don’t know each other. Otherwise you are good friends. But not quite on the bus.

Then we normally say that Filipinos are very courteous and respectful. But who will ever say good morning, good afternoon, good evening on the bus. Well, I haven’t heard any. Not even myself.

Here is what some people do on the bus. The moment you are inside, obviously, the first thing you do is to look around for a seat. Then you will find only one seat that is good for three passengers with two people sitting down comfortably on each end. Then you will see one person with big belly sitting down with his big legs widespread as if he is sitting down on his sofa drinking a bottle of beer watching television. What? You are doing this on a bus? Well, unfortunately, some people do. Then you have no choice. There is only one place left and you have to be seated especially if you are up for a long trip. So you put yourself next to that person and you spend the rest of your trip looking for an opportunity to move to another seat. And if you don’t find one, then you spend the rest of your trip regretting having seated next to the person who thinks that the whole bus is his.

What about respect? Our parents and elementary school teachers always reminded us to respect our elders and the elderly. I'm on a bus one day and an elderly woman comes in. My instinct immediately tells me to get up and give her my seat when I hear the conductor saying, “Naa ray manaog sa unahan, lola!” (Somebody will get down a little farther, grandmother!). Hearing that, I feel kind of assured. So I don't give her my seat. And it's true, somebody gets down a little father and another one a little farther and again another one a little farther away. But lola never gets a seat. Why? Because nobody cares. Every time somebody gets down, a stronger man or woman is there ready to take the seat before she could even come near. So what about respect for the elders and the elderly? It’s everybody’s guess.

Here is another one. A man with only one leg and a pair of crutches got into the bus. I was appalled that nobody really thought of helping him. I would have helped him myself, but unfortunately I was far behind. And it took a while for the bus conductor to realise that the man needed help. The moment he was on the bus, hardly anybody, moved to give him the way. Nobody really considered the fact that he is a handicapped person. Talking of respect, gallantry and kindness.

Somebody might think that I am so negative about Filipinos. Well, I’m a Filipino myself. So I have no to reason to undesirably criticize my own self. No. I’m not being negative. I’m simply reminding us of what we should be and that we are not and what we should do, that we don’t do.

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