A few days ago, I posted an article that I wrote about the Philippine National Anthem, and I also posted the lyrics to the National Anthem. In a comment left on that post, reader “Bob NY USA” asked if I could provide an English translation of the lyrics. Thanks to another commenter, Jul, we were […]
Philippine National Anthem
How many readers here know the name of the Philippine National Anthem? Until recently I didn’t know what it was, I assumed the name was Bayang Magiliw, as those are the first words of the National Anthem, and I always remembered those words. So for me, that was the name! Recently, though, I was talking […]
You’ve been waiting….
A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog here about the fact that I had finally ordered a Barong Tagalog. I decided to get one because a young man who is close to me, a very good friend, was getting married. I wanted to honor him by wearing a Barong Tagalog to his wedding, […]
One of my last steps in acculturation
Ok, I’ve been here for a little more than 7 years already and in most ways, I have really adapted to the local culture. I will never be Filipino, but at least I can adapt to local customs as much as is comfortable for me. Today, I started down the road to one more move […]
It’s true! In the Philippines there are 13 months in a year!
If you read the title of this post, you are probably saying to yourself that “Bob must be drunk!” or something along those lines. But, I promise, I have not been drinking, and it really is true. In the Philippines, a year consists of 13 months, not 12. At least it is true if you […]
Labor costs
One thing that I get a lot of questions about is the cost of employing different types of workers in the Philippines. Well, any time that you talk about labor, salaries and such, there is always a range of costs involved. Not everybody pays the same wage for the same job. I live in Davao, […]