How "Hiya" Can Make or Break Your Business in the Philippines

The Philippines is geographically and culturally unique. Its placement between the Pacific and Indian Oceans make it perfect for shipping. This has led to major cultural blending. The Philippines has had its share of influences, including Spanish and American. As a result, the Philippine population is one of the most distinct in the Asia-Pacific region.

Some traits and attitudes of Filipinos share that same complexity. It’s important to understand the value system and communication style when visiting the archipelago nation. Doing so will verse you in the regional culture, and make travel and small business dealings much easier.

It’s important to understand the value system and communication style when visiting the archipelago nation.

The Philippine trait hiya can pose a particular challenge to visitors unaware of the local culture. We want to help broaden the scope of your small business, and international dealings are a sure-fire way to do that. With that in mind, we’re going to help you understand Philippine hiya and how it can make or break your business dealings. Whether you’re looking for a supplier or just taking in the sights, learning about Philippine culture is crucial.

What is Hiya?

In Philippine culture, hiya is generally defined and translated to mean “shyness” or “shame.” Hiya is also related to “pride” and is connected to self-esteem or self-image. It occurs in many instances, such as not being able to pay a bill, provide for one’s family, or being generally unreliable. The feeling is akin to embarrassment, and is avoided at all costs.

Yet, the fear of this form of hiya may be just as important as its actual occurrence. If a person feels slighted, it may be considered a feeling of hiya, even though it’s only perceived. For example, bringing a gift of food to a business lunch or dinner can be viewed as a slight against the host, as if they were unable to provide for their guests. This is also referred to as “losing face,” or losing respectability among peers. This form of hiya may be the most commonly known, and most feared form.

In Philippine culture, hiya is generally defined and translated to mean 'shyness' or 'shame.'

So, what does hiya have to do with small businesses and international trade?

Putting your potential partners into such a situation will greatly affect your success. This will all depend on the situation, but a good method is to avoid anything that may imply your Philippine partner is lesser, unreliable, or unable to perform a task. The above example of giving a gift of food is a great illustration of what we mean.

As well, especially in a business deal, hiya is directly related to pakikisama.

Pakikisama

Don’t worry, this one isn’t as complex as hiya. Pakikisama is the concept of a smooth relationship, and being non-confrontational. It’s important for Philippine business people to conduct a negotiation without conflict, and is related to saving face.

The best advice we can give to avoid conflict in Philippine business is to take things slow.

Generally, Philippine suppliers will do anything they can to avoid saying no. Refusal creates conflict in a negotiation, and causes one or both sides to lose face. This will generally put a halt to further negotiations, even if you get a “yes” out of them. Yes often means “perhaps,” and shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Avoiding conflict altogether is your best bet. Like with hiya, avoid any situation where your Philippine partner refuses an offer or displays excessive emotion. For example, “lowballing” or “highballing” aren’t useful tactics in Philippine business. These methods rely on an initial no and later compromise.

The best advice we can give to avoid conflict in Philippine business is to take things slow. Don’t be overly aggressive when negotiating. Don’t be frank, as you may come off as uncultured and will make people feel uncomfortable. Your best bet is to do what will irk most US small business people – beat around the bush.

Though it might be a culture shock, it’s even more important to avoid conflict with sensitive topics such as Philippine politics, and payment.

Play the game, engage in small talk, and build a relationship with your supplier. Allowing the practices to play out and respecting Philippine values will take you further in your negotiations than overly-forward tactics ever will. Though it might be a culture shock, it’s even more important to avoid conflict with sensitive topics such as Philippine politics, and payment.

(C) by VEEM. * This blog provides general information and discussion about global business payments and related subjects. The content provided in this blog ("Content”), should not be construed as and is not intended to constitute financial, legal or tax advice. You should seek the advice of professionals prior to acting upon any information contained in the Content. All Content is provided strictly “as is” and we make no warranty or representation of any kind regarding the Content.

Typical Filipino (XXIX) - Typisch Philippinisch (XXIX): Napasubo - Es gibt kein Zurück/There is no going back.

Napasubo can be translated as being drawn into, entangled, ensnared, embroiled or even forced into a situation which may have been beyond the person's control. It normally expresses an undesirable situation with which the person would rather not be involved. Nevertheless, the person's degree of responsibility in getting himself or herself involved in such an unwanted scenario is left to be determined.

Es gibt kein Zurück! 

HIYA und AMOR PROPIO führen gelegentlich zu Situationen, aus denen es ohne Gesichtsverlust kein Zurück gibt, weil man sich öffentlich auf eine Position festgelegt hat. Ein Filipino/eine Filipina wird dies dann eisern durchstehen, denn er/sie ist NAPASUBO-gebunden und kann es sich nicht leisten, sein Gesicht zu verlieren.

HIYA und AMOR PROPIO occasionally lead to situations in which there is no turning back without losing face because has publicly committed to a position. A Filipino/a Filipina will get through this because he/she is bound and cannot afford to lose face.

The arrival of Magellan in the Philippines

 

Dayang C Marikit

I’m a Philippine history professor. I'm mainly focused on promoting and educating people about the pre-colonial period. 

I would like to inform people that “nothing is set in stone” because we are constantly gathering information and learning about our history, somethings may change in the future, but for now the things that I publish are the things that we currently perceive to “know about.”

The arrival of Magellan in the Philippines marks not only a historic event in the country but also in the whole world. What do you think would have happened to the Filipino people, culture, economy, and politics if Magellan did not come?

On the macro level Magellan's expedition is important to global history, but on the micro level, he didn't have much of an effect on the locals. He came here, got to know some people and then he got killed, so he didn't affect much of the local politics and culture. He facilitated some religious conversations, but after he died, the expedition team left and the natives reverted back of their old spiritual beliefs… (They were just days into being Catholic, so I highly doubt that they truly understood how Catholicism was practiced… and not to mention the language barrier.)

If Magellan didn’t arrive, they would have most likely “stayed the way they were”… a society based on alliances.

---

• They ate pork, fish, chicken and vegetables on gold and porcelain platters… they also drank locally made wine.
• This self-proclaimed “Anglophile” is accusing others of “revisionism” when he is the only revisionist here, and on top of that, he can’t even spell “cannibalism” properly.

Philippinen: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (Teilreisewarnung und COVID-19-bedingte Reisewarnung)

 

01.09.2021

Letzte Änderung: Aktuelles (Einreise)


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Aktuelles

Die Ausbreitung von COVID-19 https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/gesundheit-fachinformationen/reisemedizinische-hinweise/Coronavirus/-/2309820 kann weiterhin zu Einschränkungen im internationalen Luft- und Reiseverkehr und Beeinträchtigungen des öffentlichen Lebens führen.

Vor nicht notwendigen, touristischen Reisen in die Philippinen wird derzeit gewarnt.

Epidemiologische Lage

Die Philippinen sind von COVID-19 stark betroffen, wobei von einer hohen Dunkelziffer bei den Infektionszahlen auszugehen ist. Das Gesundheitssystem ist sehr belastet. Regionaler Schwerpunkt ist die Hauptstadtregion Metro Manila. Die Philippinen sind als Hochrisikogebiet https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/InfAZ/N/Neuartiges_Coronavirus/Risikogebiete_neu.html eingestuft.

Aktuelle und detaillierte Zahlen bieten das philippinische Gesundheitsministerium https://www.doh.gov.ph/ und die Weltgesundheitsorganisation WHO https://covid19.who.int/.

Einreise

Bis auf weiteres ist Ausländern die Einreise für touristische Zwecke in die Philippinen verboten. Erteilte philippinische Einreise-Visa wurden für ungültig erklärt, neue touristische Visa werden derzeit grundsätzlich nicht ausgestellt. 

Ausnahmen gelten ausschließlich für Flugzeug- und Schiffsbesatzungen, für Familienangehörige (Ehegatten, Kinder, Eltern) von philippinischen Staatsangehörigen, für Diplomaten und Angehörige internationaler Organisationen, die in den Philippinen akkreditiert sind, sowie für Ausländer, die bereits im Besitz von Langzeitvisa sind. Reisende unterliegen nach Einreise einer 14-tägigen Quarantänepflicht, während derer am siebten Tag ein PCR-Test durchgeführt werden muss.

 Alle Einreisenden, mit Ausnahme von Diplomaten und Angehörigen internationaler Organisationen, müssen eine Buchung für eine akkreditierte Quarantäne-Einrichtung für mindestens 10 Tage vorlegen. Die Quarantäne wird auf 7 Tage verkürzt, wenn ein Impfnachweis über eine in den Philippinen erfolgte vollständige Impfung, oder bei im Ausland erfolgter Impfung, ein von den nationalen Gesundheitsbehörden ausgestellter Impfnachweis vorgelegt wird, der von den philippinischen Behörden überprüft und akzeptiert werden kann, und der Aufenthalt in den letzten 14 Tagen vor der Einreise in einem der vom Gesundheitsministerium definierten „Green Countries" https://iatf.doh.gov.ph/?page_id=77 war. 

Deutschland gehört bislang nicht zu diesen Ländern. 

Diplomaten und Angehörige internationaler Organisationen müssen bei Einreise einen negativen PCR-Test vorlegen, der nicht älter als 72 Stunden ist.

Reisende müssen sich vor Einreise über das Portal „One Health Pass https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/e-HDC/“ registrieren. Der Nachweis in Form eines QR Codes ist den Fluggesellschaften beim Einchecken vorzulegen.

Zur Eindämmung der Virusvariante B.1.617, die zuerst in Indien nachgewiesen wurde, wird bis auf weiteres Flugpassagieren, die aus Indien, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesch, Oman, den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten, Indonesien und aus Malaysia und Thailand kommen oder sich dort während der letzten 14 Tage aufgehalten haben, die Einreise in die Philippinen verweigert. Reisende, die ausschließlich Flugtransitpassagiere in diesen Ländern waren, sind von diesem Einreiseverbot ausgenommen. 

Durch- und Weiterreise

Reisen zwischen den Provinzen sind eingeschränkt möglich. Es müssen Gesundheitszeugnisse, gegebenenfalls ein negativer PCR-Test oder philippinische Impfnachweise vorgelegt und in der Zielprovinz im Einzelfall Quarantäne abgeleistet werden.

Die Ausreise ist Ausländern, die sich im Land aufhalten, jederzeit erlaubt. Viele Fluggesellschaften verlangen für den Reiseantritt in den Philippinen einen negativen PCR-Test oder einen Impfnachweis.

Reiseverbindungen

Für die Einreise über den Flughafen in Manila bestehen Kontingente. Fluggesellschaften erhalten ihre Kontingente mit geringem zeitlichen Vorlauf, was zu kurzfristigen Umbuchungen oder Flugstornierungen führen kann.

Beschränkungen im Land

Die Quarantänemaßnahmen sind regional unterschiedlich. Derzeit gilt im Großraum Manila eine Quarantänestufe mit umfangreichen Einschränkungen in der Versorgung und der Bewegungsfreiheit sowie eine nächtliche Ausgangssperre. Stadtbezirke können diese Einschränkungen eigenständig verschärfen.
Die zwischenzeitlich unterbrochenen regulären Verkehrsverbindungen zwischen den Inseln des Landes wurden wiederaufgenommen, können jedoch jederzeit kurzfristig wiedereingestellt werden. Inlandsflüge nach Manila finden nur unzuverlässig statt.

Die touristische Infrastruktur ist stark eingeschränkt, zahlreiche Hotels und Resorts sind geschlossen.

Why do you think so many Miss Universe winners come from the Philippines?

 

By: Bjorn Von Possel

As other answers have already noted, the Philippines is currently fourth in the number of Ms. Universe winners produced with the addition of Catriona Gray.

So just taking that contest alone, the country is in a pretty good position. But in the interest of expanding the discussion, we can consider all of the Big Four pageants and see the Philippines is in a very exclusive club.

After Megan Young won the Miss World title in 2013, the Philippines is only the third country to gain at least one crown in all four major competitions.

We also hold the longest streak of winning at least one title in the world. The Philippines had at least one crowned beauty queen in the Big Four from 2013 up to the present. (2013: 2, 2014: 1, 2015: 2, 2016: 1, 2017: 1, 2018: 1)

Finally, (my math could be wrong) the Philippines has the second most number of wins across all four competitions with 15. The US, even with the most Ms. Universe titles, just has 14 across the board, so thanks again Catriona :)

It’s an undeniable fact that the Philippines is a powerhouse in the world of pageants and the reason for that is training.

I elaborate a bit more in another answer

Bjorn Von Possel's answer to Why do Filipinos always win in beauty pageants, more than other Asian counterparts?

Prep is everything when it comes to pageants, and the longer our girls keep practicing their answers, their walks, their smiles, their bearing etc., expect them to keep winning for years to come.

EDIT:

Okay, so the comments insist that Filipinos win because their of mixed race of we have bias towards western standards of beauty aka white.

Let’s set the record straight. Of all the 15 winners the Philippines has had over the four Big Pageants only 5 have a foreigner parent.

Karla Henry (Miss Earth 2008)

Megan Young (Miss World 2013)

Jamie Herrell (Miss Earth 2014)

Pia Wurtzbach (Miss Universe 2015) and

Catriona Gray (Miss Universe 2018)

The rest of our beauty queens were born and raised here (with the exception of Bea Santiago and Precious Lara-Quigaman who both moved to other countries for studies) and Filipino parents.

Seriously, the “there aren’t any pure Pinays” in beauty pageants myth should die.

Women’s group in Monkayo receives BDP’s livelihood project worth P1M

Davao de Oro --- To provide and create income-generating opportunities, the Mt. Diwata Women’s Association in Monkayo received PHP1-million worth of livelihood project funded from the Local Government Support Fund-Barangay Development Program of the National Task Force ELCAC on August 27, 2021.

Governor Jayvee Tyron Uy led the turn-over ceremony represented by Vice-Governor Maria Carmen Zamora together with 1st District Congressman Manuel Zamora, Barangay Captain Pedro J. Samillano, LTC Elson G Ballena of 25th Infantry Battalion, and PCOL Leonard Luna of PNP-Davao de Oro.

 Barangay Mt. Diwata is one of the 65 identified barangays in the province that were cleared from the influence of New People’s Army (NPA) and is now entitled to P20 million funding under the BDP.

 The BDP is a hallmark initiative of the NTF-ELCAC which seeks to bring government programs and development in formerly identified as conflict-affected from the communist groups.

 Alma A. Avila, Barangay Human Rights Focal and Mt. Diwata Women’s Association Vice President thanked the government for helping them earn a steady and sufficient income through the livelihood project named “Table Egg Production Enterprise”.

“Sa ngalan sa grupo sa kababaehan, mapasalamaton kami tungod sa programa sa gobyerno nahimo kaming bulahan pinaagi sa gihatag nila nga proyekto (manokan) diin dako kining tabang sa amoang pang adlaw-adlaw nga kinahanglanon para sa amoang pamilya ug para sa kalamboan sa amoang asosasyon”, Avila said.

 She also encourage all the members to work together and properly manage the livelihood project. “Let us cherish the livelihood project given to us so that this will grow and help us improve our lives”, she added. (Rheafe Hortizano – Provincial Information Office, Photos by PSWDO-DdO)

Why do some people use the term Latinx?

Jean-Marie Valheur

Young, handsome and exceptionally well-endowed

I like to write. All answers I have written, you may copy, you may use any lines you enjoy, you may copy, paste, share, translate, publish at your leisure — just credit me by name, is all. It’s the bare minimum a decent person would do.

Who am I? Just, somebody who likes to write. It’s really not that complicated. I exist, you exist, we all exist. Just briefly. And my brief existence, I dedicate to writing enjoyable little things for no one in particular.

Question: I have been trying to add Spanish to the languages that I can speak and I don't understand why this term is used. Is it a real Spanish term?

My father-in-law at the time, Filipino, was reading an opinion piece in a ‘progressive’ online magazine once. Furiously, he closed his laptop. Then opened it again. Then motioned us to come and have a look. “Since when I am I no longer a Filipino, when did I become Filipinx? What is this madness? Who decides this for me?”

The writer opined that, since Filipina was a feminine form, and Filipino distinctly masculine, the default ought to be Filipinx. He was so mad.

“We fought the Spanish. We fought the Americans. We fought the Japanese. All so we can say with pride that we’re Filipino… now they want to take that from us and make us say we’re… Filipinx… like some sort of space aliens?”

There were a lot of curses. It was beautiful, furious, righteous anger and annoyance. Something tells me if Latinos are as open to the “X” as Filipinos, then this spastic, overly inclusive nonsense will soon be stopped in it’s tracked.

WITH BEETHOVEN UNDER PALMS (XXIX) : Back on air and first diplomatic impressions

A great day of honor awaited all of us: my mother became 90. She had "one more wish". "Let's go to the Waterfront Insular Hotel again", she asked Rossana and me. We went there. After that, she never left the house again. A year later, just four days after my birthday, she never woke up from her nap. In the morning, during breakfast, were her last words, "Those were the best 16 years in my life that I was  allowed to spend with you and our Filipino family".

Yes, that's so true:  the most important thing about having a Filipino family is that you will always have someplace to go, even if it’s your third or fourth cousin from your mom’s side whom you haven’t seen in fifteen years. For Filipinos, when a family shows up at your door, you let them in. Much like how Robert Frost’s famous poem goes, “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.”

For months I have received phone calls, emails and even letters telling me when I would finally be hosting a classical music show on the radio again. "And what do you want to do? Can you still manage of all this in addition to your teaching and other work"? Rossana asked me with a big frown. "If you help me, I can do anything", I answered her in a confident voice. The then 104.3 FM Edge Radio Davao gave me time-slots on Sundays: in the morning from 9 to 11 and as replay from 7 to 9 PM. Ludwig van Beethoven and all classic masters were back again. 

While Rossana kept our business in Davao City going, I traveled to Manila several times a year. For several years I have enjoyed speaking to the different ambassadors (photo with Ambassador Thomas Ossowski). Main topics were the situation in Mindanao and the Philippine-German relations. I had learned a lot on the latter subject from my mentor, Monsignore Hermogenes Bacareza, Father Gene. The former Philippine Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Minerva Jean A. Falcon mentioned it during on of her speeches: Philippine-German relations are built on the strong foundations that link the people and culture of two countries. Formal relations between the Philippines and Germany began only in the 1950's, but the social  and economic relations date back to the colonial times when Hamburg opened  a consulate in Manila. The Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, stayed in Germany from 1886 to 1887. It was in Berlin where he published his novel Noli Me Tangere.

Rossana and I were then invited to Manila: 60 years of Diplomatic Relations between Germany and the Philippines & 24 years of United Germany. A touching event, i.e. together with the Philippine Madrigal Singers and  an amazing violin soloist a la Vanessa Mae.

Back in Davao, I continued my German language teaching. In the meantime, I, as well as my students, had got used to a very special phenomenon: Filipino Time. Picture this: You turn up at an event 30 minutes late. You probably didn't mean to, but that's just how things turned out. When you get there, you realize you're not late at all because the organizers accounted for Filipino time and set the real start of the event an hour later than stated. But I could never imagine being late with my radio program as well as teacher at the university ... .

(To be continued!)

The "Great Resignation"

Unless you’re walking into a glossy, new, upgraded role, leaving a job to head in a different direction can be hard, upsetting and even leave people feeling like a failure. Faced with the prospect of quitting, Denver, Colorado-based organisational psychologist Melissa Doman, MA, says, “typically speaking, people still self-criticize. For many people, their job is heavily tied to their identity and their self-efficacy”.

 

When I blink back after almost 50 years of work, I've quit my job several times. Yes, quitting – particularly without a job to go to – can be emotionally challenging and carry stigma - as writer Joanna York got it to the point. Most of my colleagues  thought that I was rushing into a bad decision. I was already anxious about having quit and their remarks put more doubt in my head.

 

Still, despite these factors, indications are that many people want to leave their jobs. In fact, 41% of all workers are thinking about handing in their notice, according to a recent global survey by Microsoft. In the US, a record number of workers quit their jobs in April 2021, and similar waves are anticipated in nations including the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There’s even a name for it: the Great Resignation.

 

Joanna York describes it like this: There are multiple reasons for this trend, from people re-evaluating what they want from their careers during the pandemic, to the stress of juggling home and work life, or even discontent with employers. Whatever the motivator, many who choose to leave their current roles will find the process emotionally challenging. ‘Quitting’ often comes with negative connotations, both from the people around us and from ourselves, even if we have good cause.

But the upheaval caused by the pandemic – and the sheer number of potential quitters – could help us remove the stigma around resignation, and re-frame it as a more positive choice.  The negative feelings the brain can cycle through after quitting can be significant, with shame, guilt, fear and a sense of failure all common reactions.

 

Also important is asking for advice from the right people at the right time. When I moved to the Philippines for good in 1999, I got the right people at the right time at my side. I tried to temper the fear and the uncertainty. The fact that I made the decision that's right for my life and my career was a privilege. And an opportunity. Or even many opportunities... .

 

The Resiliency of a Filipino is Built into the Culture

 

A little-known fact about Filipinos is that a polite way of greeting someone is to invite them to share your food. When you approach Filipinos while they’re enjoying a meal, they will greet you with a cheery “Kain tayo or Kaon ta,” which translates to “Let’s eat.” Small gestures like this are built into the Filipino culture, one of which is the ironclad habit of helping your neighbours or giving food to those who don’t have it.

But more than generosity and innate friendliness, Filipinos are also some of the most practical people in the world. In the face of hardships, Filipinos are less likely to question why such difficulties could happen but are more likely to accept that bad things do happen. The real question for a Filipino is, what should we do next?

These can be seen during the corona pandemic when so many people lost their jobs. Instead of throwing their hands up, the resilience of the Filipino spirit showed in how most people adapted to their change in circumstances. Whether it’s to sell baked goods online or to learn to buy and sell items via popular eCommerce websites or to find work online, most people in the Philippines looked at what needed to be done and took the next step.

The Resiliency of the Filipino is finding strength in family. There are times when the Filipino culture of having a close-knit family can be a pain, like when your Auntie asks when you’re getting married, something that happens often enough during the holidays. But the great thing about having a close-knit family as most Filipinos do is that there’s always someone to lend you a sympathetic ear and even a helping hand when times get tough.

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