When you get into a discussion with any expat here that comes from a Western Country, it is inevitable that you hear about how far “behind the times” the Phiippines is. Unfortunately, in most cases in my experience, that is probably true, but things are improving a lot too. I can remember, when I came to the Philippines for the first time in 1990, my impression was that the country was a good 50 years behind the USA in many areas.
Being 50 years behind was not bad in all instances either. On some things, being behind the times was actually a very good thing. For example, when it came to family values, the way that people treated each other and that sort of thing, being stuck 50 years behind the current situation in the USA and other developed countries was actually a really good place to be! It is, in fact, one of the reasons why I decided to move here to begin with!
In my years in the work force, I have had a very varied career. I have worked in Retail, in Store Management, Regional Project management, and I actually started out as a Stockboy when I was still in High School. I have worked as a Salesman. I have been self employed many times, and I have had a job in supervision in a Wafer Fab in the States. Overall, I am a retailer at heart, in addition to being an entrepreneur. I love working in retail, and I am good at it too. I left retailing because it is a high stress job. You have to work long, very long hours (100 hour weeks were not usuaual, 60 hours was a light week). But, in my heart I love retail.
From 1985 until around 1988, I was a Regional Project Coordinator for a major retail chainstore in the Southern US. Basically, our company had several thousand stores, and it was my job to travel around and remodel stores. I had to update these stores to meet with our current company marketing strategies and designs. In each store, I would have a staff of people who did the work, but I had to travel a lot and check that the progress in each store was happening, and that it was moving in the proper direction.
In the past few years, here in the Philippines, I am seeing some of the big retailers (SM, Robinson’s, Ayala) start to adopt design elements that we implemented at that time 20 to 25 years ago when it was my job to implement these things. Now, from what I have seen in the USA, the changes that we implemented in the stores that many years ago are still primarily in effect today, so the Philippine companies seem to be moving up to current standards in their retail efforts. It makes me happy to see this happen. Not only does it interest me bacause I have done these things myself, but as a customer I see things happening that I believe will benefit myself and my family. I see more modern stores moving in. I see a few stores that are entering the marketplace who are doing things like computerized inventory practices and such. So, it is my hope that the very common words that you hear in the stores: “No stock, sir” will be a thing of the past in years to come.
I think this is an exciting time in the Philippines. We are seeing progress in almost all aspects of life. It is fast progress too, where the country is leapfrogging technologies and moving from the “dark ages” to the most advanced at a single leap.
While progress is a great thing, there can be a downside to what we are seeing in the Philippines too. Will the current values go by the wayside too? Will people start treating their neighbors the same way that is so common in the USA, where it is uncommon to even know who your neighbor is? I hope not, although I see signs of that too.
Tomorrow, I’m going to look at what I think is the single biggest negative influence on Filipino Values. Can you guess what it is before I write the column tomorrow?
On a sidebar….
Over the weekend, Feyma and I had lunch at a new restaurant in Davao. Turns out, we both felt this is one of Davao’s best! If you want to read about it, head over to my WowDavao Portal and read the article! If you are in Davao, or coming here, you won’t want to miss the food at this place!
I am going to place my guess as materialism.
US ! (read as either "us" or as "USA" ) 😆
American TV & movies !!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Consumerism/commercialism?
Imported Media includes internet.
No Middle Class to support the retail stores.
INTERNET
I'm not trying to guess but being behind the times is exactly why I am moving to the Philippines. Anyway the Steelers are winning 13-7 at halftime.
Filipinos working overseas and the influences they bring home?
Human Resources !
"Manana" habit?
Your comment about many things being from the past compared to the USA are one of the very things that interested me in visiting the Philippines. As I viewed more and more pictures put on your and other websites it began to remind me of certain things I remember from when we went on family vacations when I was very young. Things like some of the roadside signs and attractions, independently owned and operated lodging facilities, restaurants and stores of all kinds. Iligan city is similar in size to a nearby city where I grew up and had many similarities before " urban renewal " came along and block by block the old were demolished and torn down and replaced with new. That was sometime in the 1960's if I remember correctly. Demolition of the old and replacing with new does have its positive points but at the same time I feel it also removes a lot of the character of a town or city.
When I actually got there to visit, a lot of what I had sensed in the pictures and videos I saw on the internet really did give me the impression of an earlier time here and really did in some ways bring back fond memories of when I was a kid on vacation. Of course there were many of todays things there as well right along with things from a past era here which made it a most enjoyable visit.
As there has been a lot of excitement in Iligan City about the recent construction and opening of a new, up to date style shopping mall one of my comments was , yes you certainly deserve to have a new and modern shopping mall but at the same time treasure some of the things you have today as some day they may all be gone. What has happened and continues to happen here in the USA is when the huge shopping malls and national chain stores move in ( and that is not always a bad thing ) many of the smaller independent stores can no longer compete and go out of business. In many ways those smaller independent businesses create the individuality and character of a city, town or locality that once gone, is seldom replaced.
Concerning your question of the single most negative influence on Philippine values, could be a combination of all of the items mentioned in the other comments although I know that is not the answer you are looking for.. I think with each new generation some values of the past fade away in just about any society. My guess would be more " instant availability " of many things such as Instant fast food, Instant communication such as cell phone and internet, in many cases Instant money at ATM's and the list could go on and on. These are not bad things really but when you get a certain percentage of " instant " you may unconciously want everything to be " instant " and it seems a disapointment when some things are not.
Kamusta ka Bob,
I have no guess, but look forward to reading it…whatever it may be.
Also, it is good that retail stores there are starting to catch up with the times. I guess it can be still a big problem at times keeping shelves stocked….since a good percentage of the goods are not made in Philippines..and are imported from other countries. I hear that the distribution system is not very good, and that I can understand. Unless you have a lot of buying power to import these goods, then you won't be able to keep up with it very well…all depends on the demand. Of course one of the first things you learn about in business class..is the "law of supply and demand".
Ok…I hope all have a great day….
Daghang salamat,
Danny 🙂
Bob I am glad you wrote about this topic, people ask me why i moved to the
philippines and my answer is becuase they are behind the times and sometimes
that is good things like family values, when I see kids in my province they are poor playing with verry simple things like a game with paper coins. Although they
are poor in some eyes they dont know it they are always smiling and seem happy.
I also embrace some advancements that I can get also,it gives me the best of both worlds
Take care
James
Hi Bob,
I agree that many stores are rapidly improving from the shadows. What I've noticed is that the pressure to take the plunge and adopt more global practices has come from above and below, not from the middle.
What I mean by this is that large, national chains and industry leaders like SM, Robinsons, etc are adopting more global methods in merchandising. They are bringing change from 'above'.
It is also coming from 'below'. A lot of small businesses are introducing advanced merchandising methods to help them build their brands. Most of these small businesses are championed by Filipinos who have gone abroad to study, or by OFW's who have come home and brought ideas with them. It's really exciting to see.
Is it OFW Bob Did I get it right 🙂 ??? Talk about being behind times ,seems I'm always 12 hours behind you now .. I have no quarrel with behind times and as far as living in the past ..it was a little slower and people would stop and smell the roses ..not import them instantly .You can instantly communicate with people all over the world instantly .. so I instantly sent this to you … Phil n Jess