Observations in Philippines

2024 April 08

Life circumstance have lead me to visit Philippines for 10 days recently. While I was expecting a degree of culture shock, on the simple basis that there is half a globe between there and my home, there were nonetheless quite a few details that took me by surprise. These kind of details seemed to be part of the zeitgeist of the place - the assumed knowledge and culture, that does not get mentioned when a Filipino person talks to someone outside of their country. Being an outsider to those islands, I have been entertained by these minutiae during my time there. In the rough order of me encountering them, here's the list:

• Most toilets have a bidet installed, in the form of a shower head that draw water from the same pipes as the toilet. Some of them have adjustable pressure that depends on how hard you pull the handle.
• Workers greeting you when you enter a place and wishing you a nice morning/day/evening.
• There are a lot of security guards, usually posted at the entrances of public area and amenities. Some of them, like malls and museums, also feature a bag check and a metal detector you have to walk through. I couldn't tell if the metal detector beeping you affected anything, as you would always have your bag checked anyway.
• The radio stations are dead silent on Good Friday.
• Some places in Manila show a stark contrast between the rich and the poor. To mind comes the imagery of a poverty-stricken home, on top of which there was an advertisement for cheap apartments. In the background, a high rise building.
• Some traffic rules feel more like traffic suggestions. I've seen motorcycles drive on the wrong way and on the dedicated, and physically separated, bus lane.
• The motorcycles are so numerous they feel like a colony of bees.
• Bikes with sidecars have a carrying capacity of up to six.
• You can eat rice every meal of the day.
• Cars don't have heating options.
• Slippers are a viable footwear option.
• Jeepneys.
• People sleeping in random places on the street.
• Loiterers.
• The default eating utensils are forks and spoons. You only get knives upon request.
• Buses honking constantly during their operation.
• Inside tunnels, everyone honks constantly.
• All billboard ads have to be passed by a council called Ads Standards Council, which then shows up as a reference code on the ad itself.
• A department store with currency exchange and banking services.
• Most cashiers say out loud how much money they receive when you pay them.
• A grocery store that plays house and techno music.