Rest In Peace!

My column in Mindanao Daily News and BusinessWeek Mindanao

OPINION

By KLAUS DORING

 September 27, 2021

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Years ago, I was still a freshman, when it came to the Internet and blogging. When I started my first blog as a German expatriate living in the Philippines, a very special social network came across my path: Facebook! I started chatting with some media friends from all over the Philippines.

 

Actually I started with "Friendster". Friends from the whole globe! Facebook was introduced to me as a new site for college kids.

 

Nowadays, we're experiencing different headlines, when it comes to social media networks. Despite scandals over fake news and data privacy, one thing is for sure: the social network Facebook is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

 

Actually, during the first year, I found Facebook’s evolution and societal function both equally fascinating and disturbing.

 

The biggest question of all that gnaws at the back of my mind is whether there is any stopping Facebook in the future?  It looks increasingly like the answer is no.

 

“Friendster failed for simple reasons: the time wasn’t right,” says Bernie Hogan, senior research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute. “Not only is it about the readiness of people to participate in a social networking site, but it’s also just about the nuts and bolts.” Friendster and MySpace helped blaze the trail for Facebook's global popularity, but they failed to achieve even close to the same success as their successor.

 

The kind of engineering that allows Facebook to function every day simply wasn’t available back in the early days of the new millennium. But by 2004, internet speeds had increased and the coding that underpins websites had become more sophisticated. The technical limitations of earlier social networking sites like Friendster and Friends Reunited cleared the runway for Facebook.

 

But despite technical barriers, those other sites paved the way for Facebook at a time when people were still a little wary of putting too much of themselves out on the internet. In the 1990s, internet users were warned against even sharing their first name online, but now words like “oversharing” and “selfie” are so common they are recognised by the Oxford English Dictionary.

 

Facebook - bone or ban? Fact is, Facebook is becoming that de facto, online identity provider. I am on Twitter and LinkedIn. But bear with me, most of the time, I spend being online on Facebook.

 

Once the mid-2000s rolled around, Facebook was also able to hire a lot of talented engineers from Silicon Valley, which helped it put together the kind of website infrastructure that could scale-up with an exponentially growing user base. Your Newsfeed doesn’t curate and customise itself – its launch needed engineers to cook up algorithms that picked the most valuable updates from your friends’ updates.

 

But Hwang points to another serendipitous factor in Facebook’s global rise: mobile phones. In a lot of developing countries, people only have cheap mobiles to access the internet. In fact, a lot of these users think Facebook is the internet.

 

“We can’t discount the power of mobile,” says Hwang. It’s made “social networks much, much more pervasive. You have social media at all times in your pocket, which makes it this powerful platform for news and conversation that operated in a slower way in the desktop-only era.”

 

For starters, it has become so ingrained and intertwined in the digital ecosystem of the 21st Century that it is hard to now untangle it. Oxford’s Hogan points to a concept he calls “interoperability.” This is where a Facebook login is often required to use and operate other online services.

 

“Just today I went out to buy concert tickets,” Hogan says. “I had to log into Facebook. I don’t use Facebook, but I had to dust off my login. Facebook is becoming that de facto, online identity provider.” I am sure you experienced the same, my dear readers.

 

Facebook also taps into basic human needs, according to psychologists. Even with social media movements like #DeleteFacebook, mass privacy concerns or even just calls to leave the site on the back of pedestrian design tweaks, people just can’t stay away.

 

“Almost everybody comes back,” says Catalina Toma, associate professor of communication science at the University of Wisconsin. “Social networking sites tap into what makes us human: we like to connect with others.” Yes, we don't go out and meet friends somewhere for a chat or a beer or coffee. We are connected with them via Facebook. Especially since the pandemic didn't allow us to go out and meet people personally.

 

But there are tangible benefits beyond those that keep people hooked.

 

“Lots of studies show the more people use Facebook, the more social capital they derive – resources that we get from just being connected to other people,” says Toma. “There’s emotional support, asking for advice, asking for recommendations.”

 

For many Facebook users, the pros outweigh the cons: tracking down long-lost friends, getting leads to a job, expanding their business. They can deal with the glamorized glimpses. All this keeps people coming back for more, despite the onslaught of what Toma calls “glamorized glimpses”. These are the carefully curated peeks into the lives of everyone else, who all seem to be doing better than you. “They feel worse, but they cannot stop,” Toma says. I strongly have to agree!

 

Facebook is bound to have a grip on our lives. “Social media companies seek to exploit one’s attention for profit,” Hogan says. “It’s not even ambiguous. It’s exactly what Zuckerberg said in Congress: ‘Where do you get your money?’ ‘We get it from ads.’”

 

Right place, right time: the rise of internet-connected mobile devices in turn fueled the rise of Facebook.

 

“Facebook’s business is still going to accelerate,” says Scott Galloway, a professor of marketing at New York University who wrote The Big Four, a book about how powerful a tiny handful of technology companies are becoming. “Consumers talk a big game but where is the first place they go to express their rage? Facebook and Instagram. And with 2.2 billion monthly active users, advertisers have no choice but to be on Facebook.” That could change, though, as advertising dollars follow young users who abandon the platform.

 

Still, there’s plenty of stability with older people – even among senior citizens. The site’s true future could boil down to what world governments decide to do, if anything, about Facebook’s growing influence.

 

“I don’t think the question is [what is] ‘killing Facebook’,” says Sherry Turkle, professor of the social studies of science and technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “I think the question is what would get people to an appropriate use of Facebook. To the extent that we ‘knew’ about it before, we found ways to put it out of mind. Now, we can no longer do this.” We’re now all too familiar with the dangers of data leaks and fake news.

 

Let's face it: there’s also the simple fact that Facebook has a monopoly. “Facebook’s sheer size and cash on hand means that they can either acquire or effectively shut down any competition,” says Galloway, pointing to examples like WhatsApp and Instagram, which were eventually absorbed into the Facebook behemoth.

 

For now, Facebook is still so entrenched in our daily lives, there’s not going to be an immediate escape.“What’s more likely to happen is that people start to realize the markets and economy might be better off – by stimulating innovation, creating new jobs – if we were to break it up and have multiple firms instead of just one,” Galloway says. That’s the more likely outcome than Facebook just crashing, burning and disappearing altogether, according to the experts.

 

Rest in peace, Facebook? Surely a big NO!

What Filipino culture and values are now slowly fading?

 

By: Samuel Astacaan Escabarte

 What should be done to reserve this?

Unfortunately, there are Filipino culture that are no longer practiced or have lost their significance particularly among the new generation of Filipinos.

Below are just some of them:

Pagmamano or kissing the hands and forehead of the elders: parents and grandparents parents. Only few young Filipinos observed and practiced this particular tradition or values

Paninilbihan or servitude

This is one of the courtship customs that should not have been faded. This is particular tradition that Filipinos should be proud of. But unfortunately and for still unknown reasons, this tradition is seldom practice by the new generation of Filipino suitors.

These are just some of the long-established traditions/values that are slowly fading.

How to preserve these traditions/values?

To preserve these traditions, there must be collective efforts among the Filipinos like intensified awareness campaign of these traditions to be initiated by the government.

Another way of preserving these traditions is by teaching and practicing during school and community activities.

For more about Philippine Culture, you may visit my Facebook Page: Philippine Society and Culture.

Typisch Philippinisch (XXXI) - Typical Filipino (XXXI): Haben Sie schon gegessen? Kumain ka na ba?

"For Filipinos, feeding each other is a way we demonstrate love, and this particular way of eating, [is] a literal, tactile way of connecting with what nourishes us and the land it comes from," says Katherine Prince, an activist and organizer with the Portland, Oregon, chapter of GABRIELA, an organization for Filipina (Pinay) women. "To me, using my hands and seeing the banana leaves reminds me that even how we eat can be colonized, and my participation in this ancestral tradition is revolutionary in its own right.”

A mix of fried fish, longanisa, lumpia, pancit, and nilaga served with vinegar and onions, ketchup, banana ketchup, chopped tomatoes, and fresh mango over rice.

A mix of fried fish, longanisa, lumpia, pancit, and nilaga served with vinegar and onions, ketchup, banana ketchup, chopped tomatoes, and fresh mango over rice. 

The term kamayan can be used to describe the act of eating by hand, but a traditional kamayan meal is a feast served family style, usually over banana leaves. There’s no limit to what you can eat when hosting your own kamayan, but in general, grilled and fried things with rice are easier to eat sans utensils, because they aren’t as messy as soups and stews (though that didn’t stop my mom from serving soup in bowls at our last kamayan, so anything’s fair game).

Essen ist ungemein wichig für die Gemütsverfassung eines Filipinos/einer Filipina. Es scheint, als sitze ihnen stets die Angst im Nacken, Hunger leiden zu müssen. Wohin man auch geht, wird für ausreichend Proviant gesorgt. Selbst unterwegs muß noch an einigen Läden oder Obstständen noch etwas dazugekauft werden.Es gibt kein Treffen von Filipinos , an denen nicht Essen aufgetragen wird. Es gehört zur üblichen Gastfreundschaft, Besuchern nicht nur Getränke sondern auch Speisen anzubieten. Die übliche philippinische Begrüßung lautet: "Haben Sie schon gegessen?" - "Kumanin ka na ba?"

The great value of spiritual childhood

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          THE gospel of St. Luke 9,46-50, shows us how being childlike

in spirit would enable us to accept Christ as he is as well as to

accept everybody else irrespective of how they are. It’s a great

lesson we have to learn if we want to be truly Christian.

          In that gospel, Christ clarified how being simple and humble

like a little child would enable one to accept Christ. “Whoever

receives this child in my name receives me,” he said. “And whoever

receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least

among all of you is the one who is the greatest.”

          This clarification of Christ came as a consequence of the

apostles talking among themselves about who among them was the

greatest. It can be supposed that they must be feeling important since

they realized they had the fortune of knowing and being with Christ.

          But that was not enough. The gospel somehow links being

simple, humble and childlike with the capacity to be accepting and to

be able to have a good working relationship with everyone irrespective

of who and how they are, despite the unavoidable differences and

conflicts among them. This point Christ established when he said,

“Whoever is not against you is for you.”

          We have to realize that if we want to be with God always and

to know the fine points of his mysterious will and ways, we need to be

always simple and childlike. Christ may have told us also to be clever

and shrewd like serpents, but that quality which is also a necessity

in our life here on earth should never compromise our simplicity. In

fact, that cleverness should also spring from our simplicity.

          Christ is quite clear about this point. “I give praise to

you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” he said, “for although you

have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have

revealed them to the childlike.” (Mt 11,25)

          Christ reiterated this necessity of being childlike a number

of times during his preaching. “Unless you change and become like

little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt

18,3) “Let the children come to me. Do not prevent them, for the

Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mk 10,15) St. James, in his

letter, made the same affirmation. “God opposes the proud but shows

favor to the humble.” (4,6)

          We need to devise an interior mechanism, more spiritual than

material, to keep ourselves like children even as we grow in worldly

knowledge and skills, and prone to thinking that we can already live

by ourselves, independently of God.

          To be childlike would also enable us to be accepting of

everyone and to be able to work with everyone, irrespective of who and

how they are. The mere fact that everyone can be presumed to be

looking always for what is true and good, even if they are wrong in

their pursuit, can signify that we have a common bond. Those who

differ with us cannot really be against us. And so, we can always find

ways of how to deal with them in a charitable way.

          If we follow the example of Christ, we would know how to

live the truth in charity and charity in the truth. Somehow the

exclusivity of truth blends with the inclusivity of charity! How

important therefore to grow in spiritual childhood in our life!

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

A ridiculous fact

My column in Mindanao Daily News and BusinessWeek Mindanao

OPINION

By KLAUS DORING

 September 24, 2021

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A mistaken belief accompanies us each and every second of our life. Incorrect decisions and wrong doings are part of our daily life.

 

It is almost a ridiculous fact that man wants to know certain truths about mundane things. But really, he seems least interested in even mundane truths as can be read many times in our daily newspapers or online for example. There seem to be too many rash judgments, and the readers absorb these and make these their own. A fatal attraction!

 

This is sometimes referred to as journalistic mentality wherein accusations are generously made without proof. Evolution started this trend, when scientists stated for example that man evolved from the apes -  without proof. The only proof they had was the missing link, and, if I am not mistaken, it's still a missing proof until now.

 

To look for proofs is a mental activity, which is no longer a common thing nowadays, because it takes really time, effort and is too serious to think about. Yet in Christian education, thinking right is very important.That's why Philosophy is important in Christian life. To avoid error in thinking, the rules of right reasoning must be studied and mastered. Is it really totally neglected in today's modern education?

 

Thinking is actually an enjoyable activity but when one is pressured to get a good job for one's sustenance, then the other more mundane becomes attractive. After all, great thinkers often do not get (good?) jobs... .

 

Spiritual writers like the British Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) noticed that mankind had stopped thinking even two centuries ago. Wow. That was during his age.

 

Man probably stopped thinking even earlier. He has ceased many times to search for the truth. It's easier to listen to gossip and believe in it. What a sign of weak minds!

 

Too often we are blind to the truth. As a consequence, we easily believe in lies; we only have to like it. Too bad, if people always like to close their eyes and ears especially while experiencing the delusion of error. 

Truth in charity and universal outlook

 

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk 9,40) With these

words, Christ told his apostles, and is telling us now, that we should

have a universal regard for everyone, irrespective of the unavoidable

differences and conflicts we can have among ourselves.

          Especially when these differences and conflicts are just a

matter of personal preferences and opinion, we should not sacrifice

our good relations with others because of them.

          And even if these differences and conflicts concern serious

matters like our core beliefs and religion, we should see to it that

we don’t cut ourselves from the others. There will always be some good

and positive elements that we can see in these differences and

conflicts, and no matter how insignificant they are, we should take

advantage of them to maintain friendship.

          This is how truth is lived in charity, or the other way

around, how we can live charity in the truth. This point was

illustrated in that gospel episode where an apostle told Christ that

he forbade someone who was driving out demons in Christ’s name because

that someone did not follow them, the apostles. (cfr Mk 9,38)

          That’s when Christ told them, “Do not prevent him. There is

no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time

speak ill of me. For whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mk

9,38-40)

          We have to be wary of our tendency to fall into some kind of

exclusivistic mentality or lifestyle. We should be open to everyone.

As long as we can see that one has an earnest desire to know and

uphold the truth and what is good, no matter how different from our

way of knowing and upholding them or even how wrong, we should try our

best to maintain good relations, since only then can we be following

Christ’s example.

          This kind of attitude is most relevant in our effort at

ecumenism and the apostolate “ad fidem.” We have to learn how to be

open-minded, flexible, tolerant in the manner Christ spelled out for

us when he said, “Whoever is not against us is for us.”

          In this regard, we have to take extreme care in avoiding

causing scandal to others. This point was again highlighted by Christ

in the same gospel episode. He was quite strong in this regard.

          “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me

to sin,” he said, “it would be better for him if a great millstone

were put around his neck and he were thrown into the sea.”

          Scandal is when we lead others to sin. This can start with

our attitude itself and can worsen with our behavior. We have to see

to it that even in our internal forum, in the way we think, judge,

assess, reason, conclude, etc., the good things like charity,

compassion, understanding should be deliberately pursued.

          Then we can expect good actions to follow, for our thoughts,

desires and intentions are the mother of our actions. How important

therefore it is to keep our thoughts clean, our desires pure, and our

intentions full of love and compassion toward others! Our actions are

just expressions of our thoughts, desires and intentions.

          This is how we can live the truth in charity following the

teaching and example of Christ, and thereby attain a universal outlook

amid the complicated drama of our life here on earth.

 *Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Philippines youth join Grammy winner Kirk Franklin for song ‘Lean On Me’

 Kirk Franklin (center)

by Robert Requintina, Manila Bulletin

Six youth from the Philippines have been chosen as part of a global choir to join Grammy-winning music artist Kirk Franklin to re-release his single, “Lean on Me” on Friday, Sept. 24. 

The youth, who are part of Compassion International’s child development program, was chosen to join peers from 24 other countries to participate in the Compassion Youth Choir.

For the past several months, Franklin has been working with youth from all 25 countries in Compassion’s child development program. Through virtual auditions and rehearsals, the Compassion Youth Choir made up of more than 120 youth, ages 11-19, worked with the artist to record the song, which was originally released in 1998.

“It was an honor working with so many young, talented and gifted kids from across the globe!” Franklin emphasized. “I’m grateful to the team at Compassion International for giving me the opportunity to serve in this capacity.”

The six youth are Yshara, 11; Hannah, 12; Tessa, 15; John, 18; Kevinker, 18; and Catherine, 18. They came from poor families and auditioned online.

“I’m very excited to be part of the Youth Choir, to show everyone my talent in singing, and to be with other singers from different places as well. My favorite experience so far in working and meeting with Sir Kirk Franklin is when I met him in Zoom. I asked him a question that he answered, and we talked to each other. He gave me advice on how to sing a song well, and he shared his life’s experience to us,” says Yshara, 11, the youngest choir member from the Philippines. 

During the virtual sessions, Franklin provided vocal coaching, answered questions about his life and musical career, and even taught the group some dance moves.

The music video for the re-release of “Lean on Me,” featuring the Compassion Youth Choir, can be seen at compassion.com/kirkfranklin or on YouTube.

Franklin concludes, “It’s unbelievable that a song like this still resonates with so many people. I pray this version provides a little hope for the people across the globe.” 

Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records and Franklin will donate proceeds from the sales and streams of the song to Compassion.

How does music affect the culture of the Filipinos?

Bisaya

Barok and Takya Blog | Bisaya Podcast

Music as a whole can be used as an encouraging or depressing way to look at life. In this sense, it plays a big role in shaping the culture and values of people and the rest of the world. We see this through kundiman - it carries sentiments and emotions that evoke memories and images for Filipinos. These may clash with the outside world, but this clash gives us identity: these cultural imprints are then integrated back into society to create our metamorphosis into another era. So it's not just about tradition; it's also about forging new ground for generations to come.

This ever-evolving system creates such wonderful flavours that we're able to adapt ourselves better than ever before--we learn new things and explore different ways to make the best out of them. Music is one way we express ourselves, and through this method, we show our appreciation for humility and hard work, two values that shape our bustling nation into a happy place worth living in.

So what does music really mean to Filipinos? It simply tells us where we've been and where we could go. It tells a story that everyone can appreciate and relate to, which is why it's a big part of every Filipino culture.

When our death can lead to our resurrection

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

         THE secret, of course, of having our death as a way to our

resurrection is to die with Christ. Only with him can our

resurrection, our victory over sin and death, take place after our

death. St. Paul encapsulated this most wonderful truth of our faith

when he said, “For if we have been united with him in a death like

his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like

his.” (Rom 6,5)

          No wonder then that Christ culminated his redemptive work

with his passion and death on the cross. Only then would his own

resurrection take place. Christ made this point clear when after being

rightly identified by Peter as ‘the Christ of God,’ he proceeded to

talk about his passion, death and resurrection.

          “The Son of Man must suffer greatly,” he said, “and be

rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be

killed and on the third day be raised.” (Lk 9,22)

          We have to deepen our belief that with Christ’s

resurrection, sin and death have been definitively conquered, and a

new life in God is given to us. We are now a new creation, with the

power of Christ to conquer sin and death and everything else that

stands in the way of our becoming true children of God.

          And so we have every reason to think that we can live

forever in Christ over whom death no longer has dominion. In spite of

whatever, we have every reason to be happy and confident, as long as

we are faithful to Christ.

          We just need to realize more deeply that Christ is alive and

wants to live his life with us, because we are patterned after him.

Let us not miss this most golden opportunity.

          We therefore have to learn how to keep him alive in our

minds and hearts. We have to learn to feel in an abiding way the new

life, the new creation he has won for us through the cross.

          And this can mean that we have to go through the daily

process of dying and rising with Christ. In other words, our earthly

day-to-day life should be the precious time of rehearsal for the final

and crucial moment of our death. Our death should be a dying with

Christ so that we too can rise with him.

          We need to be aware of this very important significance and

purpose of our life here on earth, and to act on it accordingly.

Everything that happens in our life can and should be related to this

significance and purpose of our life. Nothing in our life, whether

humanly good or bad, right or wrong, is irrelevant to our life’s

purpose.

          We should be wary of our tendency to degrade our life’s true

and ultimate meaning and purpose. That happens when our understanding

of our life’s purpose and our reactions to the different events of our

life are derived simply from our human estimations of things, as from

our senses and emotions alone, or from some sciences or philosophies

or ideologies or superstitions.

          With these attitudes and frame of mind, we put ourselves

vulnerable to despair and helplessness, since we would not be able to

cope with all the trials and challenges of life. We would be tying the

hands of God who knows how to resolve even our most unsolvable

predicaments. We should go through our earthly suffering and death, so

that we can resurrect with Christ!

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

What is it like to live in Manila?

 

Zain Hoda

AlphaHat.com

In some ways this is a very difficult question to answer because your experience will differ drastically depending on how much money you have. I'll give you my experience with the caveat that it is by no means representative of most people who live there. Although if you're a foreigner who's coming to live in Manila, this probably is representative.

I was born in Manila in 1984 and lived there until I left for college. However, I am not Filipino. My family is Pakistani and I inherited their citizenship since the Philippines does not grant citizenship based on birth in their territory.

My father worked for the Asian Development Bank, which is headquartered in Manila.

These are some of my thoughts from living there. Some of these are not necessarily specific to Manila but the Philippines in general.

• Filipinos are some of the friendliest people in the world.
• Almost everyone speaks English, though to varying degrees. I lived there for 18 years and I only learned Filipino by watching local television (I still remember watching Noli De Castro saying "Magandang Gabi.... Bayan"). However, when we got cable TV in 1992, I stopped watching local channels and my knowledge of the language has steadily declined since. Talking to taxi drivers or going to local shops does not require knowledge of Filipino.
• The traffic is terrible. Home to school was only 12 km but it took 30-45 minutes by car. If there was heavy rain? Forget about it. It would sometimes take hours if there was flooding.
• There are various methods of transportation available. Taxis are quite common in the business districts. Buses are everywhere. There are also Jeepneys, which operate fixed routes like buses and usually have very cheap fares. There is a light rail system but it's not comprehensive. It only goes down a few of the main roads. You can rent a car and generally rental cars come with drivers. If you buy a car, be aware that to reduce traffic, based on your license plate number, you cannot drive on certain days of the week during rush hour. If you're renting a car, the rental car company will send you a car that has the correct license plate for that day.
• Malls are everywhere. Every few years it would seem that a gigantic new mall was built that would rival the last gigantic mall.
• These days electricity is very reliable. In the mid 90s brownouts were very common but these days brownouts are very rare.
• Compared to the US, the wealth disparity is very extreme. However, there is a much more robust middle class than what I saw in Pakistan.
• Poverty, however, is very visible and heartbreaking. If you drive around you will generally see street children begging or selling items on the road.
• If you have access to housing, generally you will either live in a "village" or a condominium. A "village" is perhaps most analogous to a "gated community" in the US. However, depending on which village you live in, there may be extremely heavy security. In order to get in to any of the villages, you need to have a sticker on your car that shows that you live in that village. If you don't, you have to stop at the gate and you have to tell the guard where you're going and leave your license at the gate. The exception is that if you live in one of the Makati villages that are part of the Makati Village Association, your sticker is interoperable with any other Makati Village.
• Foreigners cannot buy property in the Philippines. However, you can buy a condominium unit so long as Filipinos own at least 50% of the condominium units in the building.
• Armed security guards are everywhere. You'll find them at villages, offices, malls, and yes, at corner 7-11s. Most of this security is just a deterrent. You don't typically hear about security guards actually discharging their weapons. In fact, I'm pretty sure that many of the weapons aren't even loaded.
• Labor in the Philippines is relatively cheap so you'll see a lot of jobs done by people that would be mechanized elsewhere.
• If you live in a house in a village, generally you're going to have domestic helpers. In the first house we lived in, we had 3 maids, a driver, and a gardener. Our neighbors had 10 (10!) maids.
• When you go to a big department store like SM, the sales staff are friendly but not particularly useful. I'm not sure if there are perpetual supply chain issues or if this is just a cultural tendency but 90% of the responses I've gotten from sales staff are "Out of stock, sir."
• Expect to be called "Sir" if you're a man or "Ma'am" if you're a woman.
• Basketball is huge
• There is a lot of good food and good restaurants
• There's a ton of stuff to do at various price ranges so you can never really be bored.
• I loved the weather, about mid-80 degrees all year round. Not everyone finds this comfortable.
• Government services more or less work. If you need to get a driver's license or have some other interaction with the government it's possible to do so without having to pay any bribes. This is unlike a lot of other countries where it's necessary to pay bribes.
• Pretty much everything that is available in the US is available in the Philippines.
• BEWARE OF THE VOLTAGE! The Philippines plug system is very deceptive. Every outlet will have two types of plug points. It will have one flat plug point (that is 220 V) and it will have one round plug (that is 110 V). Beware of this because US appliances are 110 V and have the flat plug, so if you stick that into an outlet that fits in the Philippines, that appliance is going to go bust.
• Mosquitos are very common. All windows usually have screens on them so that you can open the window without letting bugs in.
• If you look like you're of Chinese origin, you have to be careful about kidnap-for-ransom. Just be sensible.
• I went to International School Manila, which is the main international school. The curriculum is American until high school and then you can pretty much choose to be on an AP track or an IB track. From what I've seen of US schools, ISM beats most of them.