Almost every day someone comes or messages us asking for monetary help or trying to sell us something. Sometimes they also ask for favors, like free use of this and that, borrow this, borrow that. A good percentage also look for work. The problem is, they are either not qualified or known to be lazy. When we grant them interviews, they don’t show up, or they show up unprepared expecting that when they ask for favors, they shall be granted unconditionally. When we give them jobs, here comes the demand for higher pay, more benefits, but they don’t give us their worth. When we give them an opportunity to have a decent job, they steal from us. Even if they’ve been with us for a long time. They cheat. They steal. Sa isip namin, kami ay tumutulong sa kapwa. Sa isip nila, kami ay nakawan.
One example, we recently discovered that a worker Edmund has been employing on a regular basis for years, and painstakingly teaching him and training him on what to do, was all along stealing materials from our shops and recently from our farm. He places them in sacks and goes out the back gates, where a tricycle driver is waiting for him.
Entitlements. Nasanay na tayong mga Pilipino sa ganito klase ng pagkatao. Hindi mapagkakatiwalaan. This is not only applicable to people who are less educated. This is also true with people who are supposedly educated, affluent. People who are blessed, as we term it in our religious context. Pero mga manggagantso rin. Hindi nila alam, pero mga greedy rin sila.
Edmund and I were talking about this the other morning over breakfast. Ganyan talaga dito sa Pilipinas.
A—-“Mabait kasi tayo, kaya ganyan. People take advantage of us.”
Do you think this is something to do with our Roman Catholic religion teachings. We were trained to be compassionate, good, kind, forgiving. Ninakawan na tayo, kailangan patawarin natin, pasensyahan? Maging mapagbigay? Maawa sa kapwa?
Tingnan mo nga Miss Annie ang current government natin, dami nang pinatay, mga magnanakaw na pulitiko, anak ng diktador, pero binoboto pa din ng masa kasi “bigyan daw ng chance”. Could really have something to do with the church grooming the majority to be more compassionate and forgiving.
I grew up with my mom always reminding me to be forgiving, to be kind, generous, understanding of people who are less fortunate. I witnessed how my parents passively dealt with their workers, neighbors, stealing, duping, and taking advantage of them.
The colonizers and occupants of our country succeeded in inculcating in our minds traits that make us submissive, passive, kind, unconfrontational They wanted us to be forgiving so that we would always forgive any transgression we suffered.
The same experience in my businesses in Isabela especially in my new farm I am developing. Every body are cheaters once you catch their alibi: may pera naman kayo! They must thank our Catholic upbringings if not napatay ko na mga lintek! But sometimes we have to show them we are hard too by terminating them and never listen when they cries!
Hi Tony,
Ganyan nga ang iniisip nila, okay lang na lokohin tayo at nakawan kasi daw may pera naman tayo. Grabe.
Totoo yan. Kadalasan ang lagi pang dinadahilan sa tuwing gagawa ng kalokohan “mahirap lang po kami”
That is very true.
Hi Ms Annie, noong nakatira ako sa america, marami ako nadiskubre na kalokohan na kopya sa pilipinas. Kaya napaisip ako, kung natuto ba tayo doon o sila ang natuto sa atin. Ang kaibahan labg ang linis nila kasi they do after care.
Hi Joey, We also often ask ourselves, “Did we learn this from the Spaniards? From the Americans?
It’s really sad Annie . It’s the culture .
Raptured culture of Philippines society!
kc un mga nmana s mgulang ntin n mging mbuti s kapwa un ating pinapairal sukdulang niloloko n tau…en I believe ky Lord n cla mgsusulit.
Maybe yes or choices in life
I myself wonder Annie, could this be the Filipino culture, one thing I am sure of in this era ofcallouseness and political plunder is that i no longer know exactly what a Filipino really is.
I also feel the same way Pete.
i find the question unfair, annie. it is like passing the buck.
the church in all her faults and imperfections has what we call catholic social teachings on justice, restitution and reformation. your daughter should know, she is a product of fine Jesuit education.
ikaw nga 80% ng blogs mo puro reklamo. so kasalanan din ng simbahan to na reklamadora ka?
iba ka din.
eh kung sisihin ko mga katulad nyong mga car dealers na walang control sa supply and demand para kumita lang? aminin, isa kayo sa cause ng traffic.
Dear Puring,
Thanks for your comments.
1. Catholic teachings—- I posed a question. I did not pass judgment.
2. Reklamadora— that’s true, that’s my nature. No one to blame but my own life, that’s why the title of my blog is oh my buhay.
3. Iba ako — that’s also true. I am one unique individual. Matagal ko ng napansin, bata pa ako.
4. Car dealer—- there’s a lot that goes in being a car dealer that buyers don’t know and will never know unless they become one. I will not argue with you.
5. “Walang control sa supply and demand”—– Supply and demand are dictated by the market and the economy, not by the car dealers.
Kung ang ibig mong sabihin ay kontrolin namin na magbenta ng sasakyan, eh saan kami kukuha ng pambayad ng renta, tubig, kuryente, internet, at iba pa. Ang mga empleyado ay nangangilangan din ng pera pang sustento sa pamilya nila, sa tulong sa magulang nila. Pambayad sa teachers ng mga anak nila, etc.
6. “para kumita lang?” —– If our sole desire is to just keep on earning money, we will not choose to become a car dealer. We will probably do something else where earning big money could be easier. We will go into construction or real estate where the profit margin is greater. We all need money for whatever purpose, you and I are no different. Mere answering your comment already consumes electricity, and it’s not free. I need some money to pay for electricity, just like you.
7. “Isa kayo sa cause ng traffic”—- Siguro nga. Dumadami ang tao, dumadami ang nangangailangan ng sasakyan. Kulang ang kalye, kulang ang lugar na pwede tayong pumarada, maraming rason, hindi lang ang car dealers.
8. “aminin isa kami sa cause ng traffic” —- Isa rin kami bakit maraming pamilya ang nakakapasyal sa Tagaytay na sama-sama at comfortable sa byahe nila. Isa rin kami sa dahilan bakit tuwing umaga, libo-libong mga magulang ang naihahatid ang mga anak nila sa eskwela. Isa rin kami sa dahilan kung bakit ang mga magulang ng OFW ay nakakaranas ng maginhawang lakad at hindi kailangang maghintay ng oras-oras para pumunta sa kanilang paroroonan. Isa rin kami sa dahilan bakit ang mga pari ay nakaka punta sa kanilang mga parokya. Maraming kailangan tanggapin at aminin.
I can relate to ur post. My parents even had a driver locked up in jail. Very hard to find trustworthy household staff.
The reasoning and connection to religion doesnt make sense to me (?)
You said catholics are trained to be kind, compassionate, considerate, etc. thats why people steal from you and you choose to forgive anyway and whatnot. This reasoning should also/does remain true for others (i.e. people should choose to be kind and compassionate so they ideally would not to steal, not to take advantage of people — if they follow catholic teachings). I think, no matter how imperfect others perceive it to be, religion always gears towards doing and being good but the problem arises more with how people translate the teachings into action, or choose not to follow these teachings to begin with (as what your employees may have done before). It’s not the religion or its teachings per se but the person’s choice to not follow it that made it wrong and problematic.
Not invalidating your problem, and I emphatize with you but im just saying na it’s slightly faulty how you stated the connection to religion. Best regards, still, OMB!
Hi Andy,
I failed to elaborate on what I really meant. I posted that while I was half-asleep. I was too lazy to expound on what I wanted to say. Thanks, Andy for your comment.