Are we Pinoys in Pinas too arrogant to see we could be the problem?

**midinite** · July 31st, 2006 05:11 PM

Apologies if the title has come out too harsh. Just to see if you agree or not.

This is due to an article I read in Adobo Magazine (July - Aug 06 issue).

A profile of Paolo Mercado by Cynthia Dayco:

"...For starters, on his own the Filipino can excel in any endeavour overseas, even with nothing more than a local education. But here, among his own people, he wears blinders and imposes limits on his own potential.

'We have grown numbed to a lowering of quality over the years. And this mediocrity is wearing us down,' explains Mercado.

It's the 'pwede na' attitude that pervades the very asphalt of our roads, the classrooms and even the quality of advertising. Within the agency, for example, he has noticed that no one wants to take the responsibilty for something as basic as proofreading.

Since no one wants to take charge, no one gets upset when the typographical error occurs. No one wants to lay the blame on anyone's door, so no one get's penalized for the mistake. Thus no one learns his lesson: to do a better job next time.

...He also emphasizes our need to be more open to the idea or learning from other cultures, and not just that of the First World.

'The Filipino has an inferiority complex masquarading as a superiority complex...In a sense overcompensation. 'Akala mo, hindi mo na maturuan''

So he feels that the Filipino turns a deaf ear to best practices from Brazil, or ideas from the Middle East.

'It's not xenophobia,' Mercado clarifies. 'Simply a resistance to learning. And it keeps the Filipino from shining even more.

'We have to eat come humble pie and admit that we are being left behind at an embarrassingly rapid pace, by the most unexpected of countries and sectors...Vietnam, my God. We're being left behind by Vietnam."

Mercado's interview at Adobo Magazine

...Very interesting. When I left 10 years ago it is very different from when I returned last year to aid in what way I can. I can empathize with him...

What do you think?

**theveed** · July 31st, 2006 05:32 PM

'The Filipino has an inferiority complex masquarading as a superiority complex...In a sense overcompensation. 'Akala mo, hindi mo na maturuan''

Hence my repeated annoyance with threads or post that says "Pinoy yan" when it comes to foreigners who made it big tapos may ounce of Filipino blood lang aankinin na (Nicole of Pussycat Dolls, that American Idol Hawaiian girl, etc), unfounded claims like Flores (florescent light)... Everest climbers, BIG FRIGGIN DEAL!?

Ditto with Pacquiao bashers or critics about his personal life eh nung di sya sikat wala sila kapaki-paki sa kanya...

All the media hype with achievements that plays no moral or emotional gains for the country...

All the stupid names they give celebrities "Asian songbird" - SAYS WHO??? "Asia's Premier Band" WHA????

All the "glory" claims of Philippine basketball.. .WHERE??? SEA GAMES???

Parang "World Champions" ng NBA/NFL/MLB yan eh, ikaw lang ang "World".

Misplaced Pride sums it up for me.

**uls** · July 31st, 2006 05:33 PM

a pinoy will do good when he is in the company of world class people (like when the pinoy is abroad)

dito kasi, accepted na ang mediocrity. Like when there is wrong spelling or wrong grammar, ano sinasabi ng tao? Same sound naman e. pareho naman ung meaning diba? arte mo naman pareho lang yan...

So imbes na mag strive for perfection ang pinoy, nagiging way of life and mediocrity.

Like pag may pinakabit kang accessories sa car, ung tao na nag iinstall kelangan mo bantayan mabuti. Kung hinde, hindi nya gagawin ng maayos. Like screws that are left untightened, wires that are not connected properly, like sealant na kumalat sa paint etc

i think its coz pinoys here just think that kapwa pinoys don't deserve world class effort coz when a pinoy exerts world class effort here, he will just go unrewarded.

or something called "performing above and beyond the call of duty"... there's no such thing here. Kung ano trabaho ang binabayad sa kanya para gawin nya, yan lang ang gagawin nya.

We have company drivers who will not even change a busted signal light or headlight bulb coz he feels it isnt his job. trabaho daw ng electrician yan. the driver only drives.

Yan ang pinoy. bow.

**mazdamazda** · July 31st, 2006 05:44 PM

From my point of view...

Most Filipinos doesn't have that drive to go the extra mile in their work. A lot also doesn't want to improve beyond their current skills and/or conditions.

**midinite** · July 31st, 2006 05:49 PM

Originally Posted by uls

Like pag may pinakabit kang accessories sa car, ung tao na nag iinstall kelangan mo bantayan mabuti. Kung hinde, hindi nya gagawin ng maayos. Like screws that are left untightened, wires that are not connected properly, like sealant na kumalat sa paint etc

i think its coz pinoys here just think that kapwa pinoys don't deserve world class effort coz when a pinoy exerts world class effort here, he will just go unrewarded.

or something called "performing above and beyond the call of duty"... there's no such thing here. Kung ano trabaho ang binabayad sa kanya para gawin nya, yan lang ang gagawin nya.

We have company drivers who will not even change a busted signal light or headlight bulb coz he feels it isnt his job. trabaho daw ng electrician yan. the driver only drives.

And are there not the whiners? Anyway, kaya naman kasi we have export quality goods? Does the Pinoy do less for his kapwa Pinoy as opposed to a foreigner? Kasi if we made roads outside it would be good...pero dito? O kasalanan din ba ng supervisor?

**kevinp** · July 31st, 2006 05:52 PM

Agree ako kay theveed. People who make it big na may kaunting connection are always hyped up in the Philippines. Alex Pagulayan, Jasmine Trias, Rob Schneider, etc. I'll bet that these folks don't even care about the fact that they're Filipinos. Biruin mo, Pagulayan even gets an audience with the President of the country when, in fact, he's just an ordinary CANADIAN citizen.

In contrast, Roger Federer is an established superstar in the Tennis world, but nobody cares that he's "half-South African". He's got a Swiss passport and citizenship and people in both Switzerland and South Africa see him as a Swiss.

**nicolodeon** · July 31st, 2006 05:53 PM

Originally Posted by mazdamazda

From my point of view...

Most Filipinos doesn't have that drive to go the extra mile in their work. A lot also doesn't want to improve beyond their current skills and/or conditions.

In other words, a lot of Filipinos are complacent - tama na yan, pwede na yan, okay na yan..

Ano ba yan?!

Kaya nga ang tawag sa 'tin eh "The Sick Man of Asia." Biro nyo, 20+ years ago countries like Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea looked up to us as "models"?

As for the Vietnam, yes - napagiiwanan na tayo: by miles. I've travelled there a number of times and I tell you, within the next 5-10 years eh mapagiiiwanan na nila tayo ng husto. Vietnamese, like the Singaporeans, have the...intestinal fortutide to suck-it-up, hunker down and work their assess off collectively. Since these people are always afraid for their country and their race to loose face, they always try their darnest best that this does not happen.

**kevinp** · July 31st, 2006 05:57 PM

Sorry, when I proofread my previous post, parang OT yata.

Anyway, to stick to the topic, tama nga na there is an aura of mediocrity among pinoys. I think it's comparable to a person who's a guest at a friend's house. The guest would normally make an effort to keep things a bit cleaner and tidier than when he's at his own place, pero pag-uwi sa house, tatamarin na to be as clean as he was at the friend's place. To some degree, I think that's human nature, but the fact that there's no effort to change this behaviour is, I believe, a serious character flaw.

**caloyski5** · July 31st, 2006 06:00 PM

swak si theveed

**uls** · July 31st, 2006 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by mazdamazda

From my point of view...

Most Filipinos doesn't have that drive to go the extra mile in their work. A lot also doesn't want to improve beyond their current skills and/or conditions.

Coz they won't get paid more if they did better work.

I know a mechanic who is capable of doing high standard work. But he is only willing to give u high standard work if u pay him good money. pag binarat mo sya, gagawin parin nya, pero ibababa nya standard nya.

Like a pulis. kung sisitahin nya lahat ng naglilitter, hindi naman tataas sweldo nya. Kung huliin nya lahat ng jaywalker, hindi rin tataas ang sweldo nya. Kikilos lang sya pag alam nya may kikitain syang extra.

The pulis will give the public the kind of service only in proportion to the amount he is paid by the govt. So what kind of service is that? Umm... he will stand around (pulis presence) or sit around.