CultureShock! Philippines (Culture Shock! A Survival Guide to Customs & Etiquette) by Alfredo Roces & Grace Roces

Author:Alfredo Roces & Grace Roces [Roces, Alfredo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9789814634908
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish international Asia Pte Ltd
Published: 2013-05-15T04:00:00+00:00

This dilemma is reported by Arce and Poblador in a study on Formal Organizations in the Philippines. Motivation, Behaviour, Structure and Change: ‘There seems to be a consensus that the company rule barring the employment of an individual who is already related to someone in the company is a good thing. Theoretically, even fictive kinship called kumpare is included in the prohibition. Among the workers, however, contracting fictive relationships with one another is much sought after. The managers frown on the practice but admit that there is not much that they can do to curb it.’

The kinship structure, furthermore, places group pressure not only on the individual but on those who may threaten the group by harming a member. In Understanding Filipino Values, Andres points out that ‘Each person is an outward extension of his family and kin group. If a worker is caught stealing, it is said, “Ang pamilya niya’y mahihiya sa lipunan” (“His family is shamed before society”). The ‘shame’ of the worker is the ‘shame’ of the family and kin group. Even when an individual has ignored a ‘shaming’ remark or situation, his family may take up the issue because the family position is involved. Criticism of a person is not as an individual qua individual, but as a representative of a family and kin group. There are cases in which incompetent schoolteachers were not fired because such an action would make both the dismissed person and his relatives kahiya-hiya. The supervisors themselves fear that the relatives of the dismissed person may do them actual physical harm, in addition to the inevitable threats and reprimands for the supervisors’ harsh and terrible treatment.’

Philippine society is a universe of kinship groups, each putting group pressure into play. What is improper for the rest of society is expected to be overlooked when it involves a member of the kinship group because to do otherwise is to embarrass the group who loses self-control once their amor-propio is damaged. Rivalry between kinship groups is the hallmark of Philippine society and politics. It has been observed that even among Filipino communities living abroad, there are invariably two or more rival organisations. The foreign visitor who may think he is finally considered part of a group may suddenly find he has also gained the animosity of a rival group.

It is important not to be too involved and committed to one given group, if one is to function in a larger social scheme. The person who manages to maintain the goodwill of as many groups as possible is master of the Philippine situation; the only other alternative is to belong to the biggest and most powerful kinship group with links to the nationwide power structure. A recent study by John F Doherrty, SJ entitled, Who Controls the Economy: Some Need Not Try As Hard As Others, claims that in the whole country, only 81 individuals control 453 major corporations all interlocked with one another with government sanction. This should give some insight into the dynamics of power of the kinship group carried to its very extreme.

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