OT Students Interaction Topic 4: Society's Take on Occupations

gvyrastorza

pdregalario wroteIn recent news, I think it should be unacceptable to elect racist and misogynistic oranges for any position of power.

What's your take on it? Should racist misogynistic oranges that constantly violate other people's rights through hateful words and actions be given their right to run for office and even, God forbid, run an entire country? Should misogynistic and racist people be allowed to vote for racist and misogynistic people? But that's democracy for you, I guess...

Update: Electing racist and misogynistic oranges is totally acceptable in USA. 🙂

In other news, how good is the OT practice in Canada?

Hello, Paulyn!

Although the topic seems rather interesting, I have to say that that should be a post for a separate topic which, to my knowledge, belongs on another board. You could try the board on working in another country. I cannot exactly find a board for talking about politics, however, but I may not have searched hard enough.

However, what I do want to note is that I believe that the changing reins of power in a country and the inevitable fluctuation of laws that will follow should be taken into account by all OTs, and it is within an OTs duties to step in and voice out when any of these changes hinder the abilities of people to perform occupations important to them. Not just this, but OTs must take into account these changes and adjust, and help their clients to adjust to these changes, adapt to them in order to perform important occupations despite such changes.

Changes in the social environment are inevitable, and it is part of the job of the OT to help the client adapt to these very changes - or adapt their very occupations, or even the environment - in the process.

Just my two cents.

gvyrastorza

My mother always believed that a person's upbringing could be seen clearly by the way they eat, so I've been taught at a young age different ways to eat in different situations.

In the Philippines, or at least in the provinces, one of the usual ways to eat is simply using the hands. Whether it's rice, meat, or vegetable, we use our hands, often picking from a communal plate (or rather, banana leaf). Utensils aren't used as often as they are in the cities. Eating also tends to be faster, as you have only your hands to eat, meaning there is no portioning of food, and everyone must race to get their fill. Eating is much slower in the cities where the fork and spoon rule over porcelain or paper plates with well-portioned meals given to everyone. No competition for more food, and no need to dirty your hands to eat.

The fork and spoon, I must say, seem to be remnants of Spanish influence. I come from Basque descent, and my family quite enjoys Spanish cuisine. Much of the cuisine is saucy and pre-cut, so forks and spoons would seem perfect for them. I cannot say for certain if this is how things go in Spain, but from what I know of my family, this seems the case.

Having a bit of Chinese (and apparently, Japanese) blood, my family is also well-versed with using chopsticks. These are very simple yet difficult to master instruments, and even until now I struggle to use them. Because my East-Asian blood is very dilute, I doubt much of what we do is proper for chopsticks, but the vast difference in the way they are used in comparison to the standard fork and spoon just shows how different cultures are.

Finally, for those countries which do not often eat rice or similar foods, spoons are often lacking, replaced with knives which, I know, stems all the way back to Medieval times, possibly further back. I only know that knives are more obvious choices for cutlery in places where the primary source of carbohydrates was wheat (which is used for making bread, to clarify). Other than that, I cannot say much else about this.

Overall, culture and history, as well as geography, plant distribution, and so many other factors, affect the way people eat all over the globe. I have to apologize if anything I said is wrong; all of this information I've deduced from personal experience. But I think I've proven my point that eating, as basic a need as it is, varies so widely from place to place. And this hasn't even gone to accounting for all those individual cases where a person cannot eat normally for any reason at all.

RichardIrvin

Hey Sam!

I must say, that is a good insight. It is sad that this is an evident problem and yet there is little we can do about it; it is already woven into the Filipino culture.
When a person chooses to pursue his passion, it is called dignity of labor and I'm sorry to say that some Filipinos don't have it. There is such a high premium placed on doctors, businessmen and engineers that it is difficult for any other profession to compete with the social standing these professions bring. Personally, I think doctors get way too much respect than they deserve. Sure, they can save your lives but in a country like the Philippines, they can just as easily take it away. With majority of the population struggling, I doubt they have enough money to buy the medicines needed to survive. The number of doctors who are in the pockets of pharmaceutical industries has been rising exponentially. It's a stigma and I hope that it will go away soon. The younger generation is already diversifying and bringing more to the plate. With role models who are not traditional doctors or businessmen, more kids will grow up thinking they could be the next Vincent van Gogh or something.

Furthermore, the fact that art courses still exist means that there is still hope. Arts and Humanities are not dead yet. We are future OTs. We should help our clients achieve a life worth living! And one way to do that is doing something he / she loves! This is one of the reasons why I love this program.

I truly believe that a fulfilling life is greater than money. Life isn't always about how fat one's wallet is, or how loaded his / her bank account is. It is doing something you really enjoy. And the sooner people in this world realize that, the better this place will be. Maybe even extend the life expectancy range 🙂

sagacho wroteHi Richard!

I totally agree with you. Some Filipinos have the tendency to choose profit over passion. They would prefer to get a job that has a higher salary than doing something they love. And I would also like to add that some Filipinos also have the attitude of looking down to art courses and they would always comment that "It's just a hobby". It's really sad to hear this kind of perspective. I also have very artistic friends in high school and they wanted to take arts and design courses but they would tell me, " walang pera sa art (there's no money in art)." Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." I guess a lot of people are working today because they chose what is more practical over passion. But I still understand this kind of attitude most people have. Filipinos are known for being family-oriented. They'll choose what's best for their family and that's why they choose jobs that are more profitable and they are willing to sacrifice their passions. I am very lucky that I'll be in a profession that I am very passionate about and can also help me provide enough for my family.

RichardIrvin wroteHi guys!
So just a short background: My family moved here to the Philippines to flee from the raging war in China back then. My grandparents arrived here with little money and scarce food. We struggled to survive here as we are not natives of this place. Now, we live in Binondo, a district in Manila referred to as the city's Chinatown, with other Chinese-Filipino people. I live in a society dominated by Chinese culture.

There is no society where all professions are taken equally. The Philippines has a slightly different set of concepts regarding different professions with reference to other countries of the world. For example, business and medicine are traditionally chosen in my society and rightly so because there is a demand for these occupations in the Philippine market. Now the question is not about the demand and economics about the labor market but the perception of these jobs. One thing is pretty clear, that the perception is closely linked with money, power and contribution to society. In the Philippines, jobs like business and medicine gives money or even hugely contributes to society than anything else, hence is encouraged and holds a higher degree of prestige. While in a more developed nation, mathematics and other liberal arts and sciences also have a decent demand and pays decently and the contribution to society by these field are large too. So overall, it is the relative importance by the society through money, power and in parts, the contribution one makes in the society that encourages or discourages certain occupations. We have an underdeveloped economy, but once the development takes a speed, more jobs will be created, a diversification will happen, urban population will increase and we will have demand for different professions and their relative importance will increase.

Since the Filipino family is very interdependent, a capable family member would want to land a high-paying job to help his/her parents, siblings and children. Many Filipino families are struggling and want the children to become rich, so the parents pressure their children to study hard and get good grades so that they can get a better profession and thus, more money. Then there is all this social competition among relatives and families. Children here study so much they forget to live. They wont be able to discover sports, cooking, music and what else. Its really tough. They wont even know what profession would suit them when they have to make the decision. However, some students are already trying to balance leisure and studies so I think this is a good start. Most Filipinos are also very practical and realistic. They overlook the value of meaning and satisfaction. They would choose a high-paying job rather than something they really want to do. Occupational deprivation is evident here as the person cannot do his valued occupation. And this is caused by a global problem: poverty. There are a lot of college students in the Philippines where they do not like the program they are in. An example would be a friend of mine, he wanted to study graphic design and cinematography; however, his parents disapproved and now, he is studying to get a degree in business management. As OTs, we know the concepts of occupational balance, occupational competence and other factors that affect a person's occupational engagement. I believe that we can and must help them compromise in the occupation they are in. We can help them feel competent in whatever they choose to do.

Disclaimer: I am not insinuating that parents are very controlling of their child's life and future.

RichardIrvin

gvyrastorza wroteMy mother always believed that a person's upbringing could be seen clearly by the way they eat, so I've been taught at a young age different ways to eat in different situations.

In the Philippines, or at least in the provinces, one of the usual ways to eat is simply using the hands. Whether it's rice, meat, or vegetable, we use our hands, often picking from a communal plate (or rather, banana leaf). Utensils aren't used as often as they are in the cities. Eating also tends to be faster, as you have only your hands to eat, meaning there is no portioning of food, and everyone must race to get their fill. Eating is much slower in the cities where the fork and spoon rule over porcelain or paper plates with well-portioned meals given to everyone. No competition for more food, and no need to dirty your hands to eat.

The fork and spoon, I must say, seem to be remnants of Spanish influence. I come from Basque descent, and my family quite enjoys Spanish cuisine. Much of the cuisine is saucy and pre-cut, so forks and spoons would seem perfect for them. I cannot say for certain if this is how things go in Spain, but from what I know of my family, this seems the case.

Having a bit of Chinese (and apparently, Japanese) blood, my family is also well-versed with using chopsticks. These are very simple yet difficult to master instruments, and even until now I struggle to use them. Because my East-Asian blood is very dilute, I doubt much of what we do is proper for chopsticks, but the vast difference in the way they are used in comparison to the standard fork and spoon just shows how different cultures are.

Finally, for those countries which do not often eat rice or similar foods, spoons are often lacking, replaced with knives which, I know, stems all the way back to Medieval times, possibly further back. I only know that knives are more obvious choices for cutlery in places where the primary source of carbohydrates was wheat (which is used for making bread, to clarify). Other than that, I cannot say much else about this.

Overall, culture and history, as well as geography, plant distribution, and so many other factors, affect the way people eat all over the globe. I have to apologize if anything I said is wrong; all of this information I've deduced from personal experience. But I think I've proven my point that eating, as basic a need as it is, varies so widely from place to place. And this hasn't even gone to accounting for all those individual cases where a person cannot eat normally for any reason at all.

Hello!

Your insights have surely piqued my interest. It is true that different cultures have different ways of eating. However, in our society, the Filipinos are "westernized." Filipinos like to copy American ways and abandon some of the Filipino traditions. It is a grievous misconception that has held the slowly-growing-Americano-urban society of the Philippines that eating with one's hands is unhygienic. I have seen it with my own eyes. A customer of a regular restaurant sat at the corner of the place by himself, he used his hands to eat and many of the other diners shot him dirty looks and took pictures of him (surely to post on social media). After a few moments, a waiter walked over and asked him to leave. He didn't even get to finish his meal.

How do you propose we address this problem as future OTs? Can we persuade the people of Manila, the capital of the Philippines, that eating with our hands is acceptable?

Maria Nicole Sombillo

Hello Sophie! How are you? I like this post very much as I extremely agree to you about this. We, Filipinos, value cleanliness. It is in our culture to take a bath atleast once a day. And yes, we are known to make use of a tabo and timba while bathing. I can remember my elementary teacher asking us this question in class: What household item makes the Filipinos distinct, that when you see this, you'll know right away that there is a Filipino living there? Yes, your answer is right: tabo. 🙂

spvillarama@up.edu.ph wroteFilipinos put a high value on cleanliness that taking a bath at least once or twice every day has been such an important part of everyday life. This habit may be attributed to the hot and humid climate in our country and the abundance of water seeing as we are surrounded by large bodies of water. We usually take a bath in the morning before leaving for work and one again in the evening before going to sleep. For some Filipinos who claim to only take a bath once a day, chances are they take what we call a “half bath” which involves cleaning the face, armpits, private parts and feet before sleeping.

http://i65.tinypic.com/5a5rmx.jpgg
The Philippines' famous tabo and timba

Unlike other countries, many Filipino households do not have overhead showers that is why the plastic tabo, pronounced as TAH-boh is an almost indispensable fixture in the Filipino home. Although it is most commonly found in the provinces, it is also widely used in the cities. The tabo and the timba, generally a plastic pail with a metal handle filled with water are the traditional Filipino hygiene tools used to clean the toilet floor, to get water to flush the toilet, and most importantly, to get water for personal cleanliness: for washing hands, for shampooing, and for bathing the whole body.

Also, not all toilets in the Philippines have a flush, so the tabo and the timba are also widely used for anal cleansing. Many Filipinos actually prefer this practice rather than using toilet paper since believe it or not, it will make you feel much cleaner and refreshed than using toilet paper alone. Worry not since Filipinos thoroughly wash their hands after going to the toilet using water and soap.

Click the YouTube link below if you want to learn more about the unique Filipino toilet practice of using tabo and timba.

Filipino CR Tutorial by Mikey Bustos

Maria Nicole Sombillo

Hi Sam! I just wanted to add a link to a song entitled "Harana" by Parokya ni Edgar. You may want to listen to this. This is a widely known song in the Philippines about serenading, and this is sung especially while courting 🙂 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T18gvfU2x3Q and an English translation -->
lyricstranslate.com/en/harna-serenade.html

Sam Agura wroteSam here~

One interesting I've seen in our culture that's pretty interesting is the courtship practices we have here in the Philippines. While we are already in the 21st century, most of our traditional courtship practices can still be seen in the rural areas and sometimes even in the big cities. While there are women who are okay with being the one to do the chasing after a guy, it is still preferred that it is the men who do the chasing after women.

One courtship practice that persists in some provinces in the country today is the "harana" or serenade where the man goes to the house of the woman with his friends to sing love songs to her in the hopes that they will be invited to the house and get an opportunity to express his intentions to the girl. Although it is seldom seen nowadays, it is still sometimes indulged in by the more old-fashioned menfolk. Since it is rather rare during these times, it elicits a lot of attention and gets a lot of brownie points for the man.

It is also a common practice to have a "tulay" or bridge, usually a close friend of the girl, whom the man approaches to ask for help in courting her.

It is also preferred by parents to have the men courting their daughters to come over to their house to visit and court, instead of doing it through text messages or going somewhere else. This is to ensure that the parents get to know who are interested in their daughters.

Ohhhh and I noticed someone posted a youtube link so I'll do the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WId8qkiEYw

Maria Nicole Sombillo

Hi Gale! I just want to emphasized that yes, Fiestas are celebrated in honor of a patron saint, but one you hear the word "Fiesta", food is the first one most Filipinos think of. In our province, one of my most awaited celebrations are Fiestas. In Fiestas, sumptuous and delicious foods are served. There is also kakanin or Native delicacies. Kakanin comes from the word kanin, meaning prepared rice. Kakanin or Native delicacies are integral part of the Filipino food culture. Uniquely Filipino, these are sweet munchies or sometimes desserts made from rice, sweet rice or root vegetables that are slow cooked and usually made with coconut or coconut milk. In every Fiesta, kakanin will always and will always be served.

As for your question, I believe that Fiestas in the Philippines should be still done and continued. It is one great way to get together and have reunions. It is also a way of establising camaraderie with neighbors, far-lived relatives, and friends.

etalas wroteHi guys! In the Philippines, aside from Christmas, New Year, and birthdays, citizens are also celebrating FIESTAS!!! Fiestas are held on the birthday of the patron saint and we have lots of saints here in our country so every town and city has a fiesta of its own. I've just realized that fiestas could fall under the category of birthdays hehe 🙂 Let's continue. Inside the churches, novenas and special prayers are to be spoken. But there's more! Fiestas are celebrated as lively as the people can!!! Parades full of efforts are always present. People joining the parades have extraordinary costumes, masks, make-ups, and head-dresses that were prepared couple of months before the fiesta. Combos (bands during fiestas) have this role of energizing the parade by loud sounds and hard beats. Fiestas are also considered a thanksgiving day that's why at homes, you would expect so much food and visitors from other towns.

Celebrating fiestas has its advantages and disadvantages. Any idea? Would you like to suggest any modification? Should we still continue it?

Maria Nicole Sombillo

Hi Sam! This is quite an interesting post for jeepneys are uniquely Filipinos. #OnlyInThePhilippines
I would just like to give some suggestions for modifications:
-Most of the jeepney drivers do not wear appropriate clothing when driving, some wear undershirt and shorts and slippers. I believe that for their safety, more appropriate and standard clothing should be worn, as most of them drive around whole day, may it be rain or shine.
-The no smoking policy in public transportations in this case should be more strictly implemented, and must start with the jeepney driver himself/herself.
-I favor the jeepneys having a toda or station where to start to lessen road congestion and heavy traffic. It is also for better designation of route.
-Even if it may be a nuisance to some passengers, jeepney drivers should strictly follow the proper loading and unloading places to ensure safety of passenger and to avoid building up of traffic.

These are some suggestions 🙂

sagacho wroteHi I'm Sam G from the Philippines!

There are a lot of unique ways on how we do occupations here in the Philippines but I'll share with you one of the most common occupations I do - commuting! Here in the Philippines the most popular means of public transportation is the Jeepney. It is really popular because it has a relatively cheap fare and we have lot of it here.The idea of jeepneys here in the Philippines originally came from the US. There were a lot of military jeepneys left after the World War II and they were sold and given to the local Filipinos. Filipinos then started to modify it such as adding roofs and painting it with vibrant colors and due to its seating design that can accommodate many people the jeepney became a common public transporting vehicle.

This is a picture of a military jeep during World War II
http://www.tourisminthephilippines.com/transport/jeepney/jeepney-history-pix/ww2%2001.jpg

This is picture of a typical jeep here in the Philippines today
http://www.filipiknow.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jeepney-in-the-Philippines.jpg

Commuting is a really important occupation for us Filipinos, especially now that the traffic here is really really heavy and we are discouraged to bring our own private vehicles to go to school or to work. I have to admit that some of our public vehicles are not accessible to persons with disabilities. And this is one of the many thoughts that I am bothered about when I am commuting. The jeepney is relatively crowded and it has a really low roof and a person with physical disability can not take this means of transportation and a PWD has no choice but to take another means of transportation. Another famous public transportation we have is our rail transits. Our rail transits have a specific area for PWDs, senior citizens and pregnant women but based on my observation this doesn't make sense. Around hundreds of thousands of riders everyday and also considering the few number of operational trains we have the rail transits are always congested and the special area for the PWDs is also jammed you can't even make a space to breathe what more for a wheel chair or crutches. You'll actually feel like a sardine inside the train for a moment.

Commuting is already a part of every Filipino's life and I am looking forward that soon we'll have more accessible and more inclusive transportation for the PWD commuters. As a future Occupational Therapist I would love to handle clients that would like to commute independently but I know this will be very very hard considering the system of our transportation here. I hope in the near future we can do something about this one step at a time. 🙂

Any commute stories you want to share guys? 🙂

Maria Nicole Sombillo

Hello Ito! I agree with you. As Filipinos, most of us were taught in an early age to eat using our hands and fingers or "pagkakamay" as we call it. I believe that in doing so, one important ADL should be mastered at a young age, which is handwashing. Handwashing is not only done after eating, but also after eating. As a child, I was always told by my parents to wash my hands first before eating to avoid the food being contaminated and for health reasons. In "pagkakamay", fine motor skills were also practiced and improved as foods have different sizes, textures, and shapes. To eat efficiently, we manipulate our fingers to grasp and press together the food and put it into our mouths. 🙂

gvyrastorza wroteMy mother always believed that a person's upbringing could be seen clearly by the way they eat, so I've been taught at a young age different ways to eat in different situations.

In the Philippines, or at least in the provinces, one of the usual ways to eat is simply using the hands. Whether it's rice, meat, or vegetable, we use our hands, often picking from a communal plate (or rather, banana leaf). Utensils aren't used as often as they are in the cities. Eating also tends to be faster, as you have only your hands to eat, meaning there is no portioning of food, and everyone must race to get their fill. Eating is much slower in the cities where the fork and spoon rule over porcelain or paper plates with well-portioned meals given to everyone. No competition for more food, and no need to dirty your hands to eat.

The fork and spoon, I must say, seem to be remnants of Spanish influence. I come from Basque descent, and my family quite enjoys Spanish cuisine. Much of the cuisine is saucy and pre-cut, so forks and spoons would seem perfect for them. I cannot say for certain if this is how things go in Spain, but from what I know of my family, this seems the case.

Having a bit of Chinese (and apparently, Japanese) blood, my family is also well-versed with using chopsticks. These are very simple yet difficult to master instruments, and even until now I struggle to use them. Because my East-Asian blood is very dilute, I doubt much of what we do is proper for chopsticks, but the vast difference in the way they are used in comparison to the standard fork and spoon just shows how different cultures are.

Finally, for those countries which do not often eat rice or similar foods, spoons are often lacking, replaced with knives which, I know, stems all the way back to Medieval times, possibly further back. I only know that knives are more obvious choices for cutlery in places where the primary source of carbohydrates was wheat (which is used for making bread, to clarify). Other than that, I cannot say much else about this.

Overall, culture and history, as well as geography, plant distribution, and so many other factors, affect the way people eat all over the globe. I have to apologize if anything I said is wrong; all of this information I've deduced from personal experience. But I think I've proven my point that eating, as basic a need as it is, varies so widely from place to place. And this hasn't even gone to accounting for all those individual cases where a person cannot eat normally for any reason at all.

Maria Nicole Sombillo

Hi Cathy! I believe that Filipinos being hospitable comes with Filipinos being unable to give criticism. Filipinos are very respectful and sensitive. For example, if one asked how's the taste of the food, a Filipino will answer that it tastes good even if he/she knows differently. If asked if a shirt looks good, a Filipino will answer yes even if he/she knows otherwise. We, Filipinos, do not want to hurt the feelings of others, may it be a friend, a family, or a stranger. A rare trait to us is being frank. And even in being frank means being honest, a lot of Filipinos still choose to be on the safe side, and will just use flowery words and will filter what will they say to avoid hurting other people.

Is this good or bad? 🙂 any thoughts about this?

cetalastas wroteHi! This is Cathy from the Philippines.

It has always been part of the Filipino culture to provide hospitality to everyone. Hospitality is the trait characterized by showing warmth and generosity towards visitors and guests no matter what nationality they have. Filipinos will provide the best food to the visitors and will assure that their guests will feel comfortable with their stay. This pleasant treatment is shown not only those who are affluent but also those who are the poorest in the country.

Based on the Philippine history, hospitality is already evident in Filipinos when they have shown cordial welcome to the Spaniards and other colonizers of the Philippines. Even though Filipinos, experienced a lot of suffering with the colonizers, their hospitality never faded away. With this. we could really see how Filipinos give importance to hospitality in which they don’t consider the nationality or the past that they have experienced.

Being hospitable is both a positive and negative trait. Positive because Filipinos exhibit friendly reception of guests and always assure that the guests are having a good time and happiness in their stay. However, it could be also negative. It is because sometimes Filipinos tend to spend lavishly just to provide the guest sumptuous meal even if sometimes the money that they have is just enough for their family’s needs.

These are some of the common treatment of Filipinos to guests:
-If you arrive at their home, they will ask you right away to enter and to make yourself feel comfortable.
-Filipinos will joyfully welcome you with big smiles on their faces.
-Filipinos will prepare a lot of food and will force you to eat.
-Filipinos will share a lot of stories during your stay at their place.
-At the end of your visit, they will ask you to come back and take home some foods.

Indeed, hospitality will always be a part of the Filipino culture.
Check this link to see a clipart that depicts hospitality of Filipinos- http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qqgmBvJl0us/UtDwNroYIKI/AAAAAAAAACw/Em4fJtCRsqI/s1600/HOSPITALITY_actual.jpg

Maria Nicole Sombillo

Besides the use of "tabo" or pail for bathing and hygiene, use of "harana" or serenade while courting, having jeepneys that are uniquely Filipinos, celebrating fiestas and having "kakanin" or native delicacies, practicing "pagkakamay" or use of hands and fingers for eating, and avoiding criticizing, what are the other occupations or things that we, Filipinos, do differently?

Check this site out: www.livinginthephilippines.com/culture-and-people/philippine-culture/culture-and-traditions/415-filipino-culture-customs-and-traditions

This site presents the Filipino culture and the occupations in great detail, e.g. how and why it was done 🙂

Maria Nicole Sombillo

As a Filipino, I also want to present a custom that goes on from generation to generation and that is unique to us. This is "pagmamano", asking for the hand of the elderly and putting it to one's forehead while bowing. This is done to ask for the elder's blessing. Almost involuntary and automatically done, when a Filipino sees an older person or relative e.g. parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, a Filipino raises his/her hand, says "Mano po" ("Your hand, please") to accept the blessing. This custom is also usually done after religious activities like Mass or prayers. This is also done during Christmas time to godparents an in turn may receive monetary gifts or presents. This custom has its roots from Filipinos showing their value of respect. Another custom to show respect is adding "po" or "opo" when talking to the elderly, and addressing an older female as "ate" or sister, and an older male as "kuya" or brother.

Here are pictures of pagmamano: https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=pagmamano&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiIpOG4o53QAhUGwbwKHVDaBJwQ_AUIBygB

Byeul

Hello, everyone!
When Filipino families get together, one thing can't be missed out: FOOD! One of the highlights of a Filipino family get together is having lots of food to share, which can also be simply referred to as "kainan". A unique and fun way of doing so is having a boodle fight, where food is placed on long tables on top of banana leaves, and people use their hands to dig in. Boodle fight is usually done from a military perspective; but here in the Philippines, it's a very enjoyable and hearty way of bringing people together and enjoy the meal prepared. The variety of food depends on whatever the people want - from seafood to adding fresh fruits on the table. Personally, I enjoy eating in a boodle fight haha. Here in our townhouse, we often have dinners with our neighbors and sometimes, we do it in a boodle fight way.
Although eating from a boodle can be messy, nothing beats the fun the people have when they enjoy the food with their loved ones, especially with a happy tummy!

Here are a few photos to give you guys an idea on what it looks like. Hoping to hear more from everyone!
- Byeul

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.riegoresorts.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fphoto-gallery%2FBoodle%2520Fight%25201.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.riegoresorts.com%2Fboodle-fight%2F&docid=no6C2AysRQ9U9M&tbnid=Gj3k1fLyJX8oZM%3A&vet=1&w=960&h=640&client=safari&bih=839&biw=1440&ved=0ahUKEwjB1Zq_q53QAhWIipQKHSEiC1oQMwhCKBEwEQ&iact=mrc&uact=8
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.riegoresorts.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fphoto-gallery%2FBoodle%2520Fight%25201.jpg&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.riegoresorts.com%2Fboodle-fight%2F&docid=no6C2AysRQ9U9M&tbnid=Gj3k1fLyJX8oZM%3A&vet=1&w=960&h=640&client=safari&bih=839&biw=1440&ved=0ahUKEwjB1Zq_q53QAhWIipQKHSEiC1oQMwhCKBEwEQ&iact=mrc&uact=8
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Byeul

Hi, Sophia!
The tabo is really one of the unique Filipino household items. More often than not, relatives from abroad ask their relatives from the Philippines to send them one haha. Culture really does play a very significant role on people's daily routines, especially since in our country where hygiene is an utmost priority. Being neat and tidy is essential for us everyday. Thanks for posting a photo so it's easier for our friends from abroad to visualize it!
- Byeul

spvillarama@up.edu.ph wroteFilipinos put a high value on cleanliness that taking a bath at least once or twice every day has been such an important part of everyday life. This habit may be attributed to the hot and humid climate in our country and the abundance of water seeing as we are surrounded by large bodies of water. We usually take a bath in the morning before leaving for work and one again in the evening before going to sleep. For some Filipinos who claim to only take a bath once a day, chances are they take what we call a “half bath” which involves cleaning the face, armpits, private parts and feet before sleeping.

http://i65.tinypic.com/5a5rmx.jpgg
The Philippines' famous tabo and timba

Unlike other countries, many Filipino households do not have overhead showers that is why the plastic tabo, pronounced as TAH-boh is an almost indispensable fixture in the Filipino home. Although it is most commonly found in the provinces, it is also widely used in the cities. The tabo and the timba, generally a plastic pail with a metal handle filled with water are the traditional Filipino hygiene tools used to clean the toilet floor, to get water to flush the toilet, and most importantly, to get water for personal cleanliness: for washing hands, for shampooing, and for bathing the whole body.

Also, not all toilets in the Philippines have a flush, so the tabo and the timba are also widely used for anal cleansing. Many Filipinos actually prefer this practice rather than using toilet paper since believe it or not, it will make you feel much cleaner and refreshed than using toilet paper alone. Worry not since Filipinos thoroughly wash their hands after going to the toilet using water and soap.

Click the YouTube link below if you want to learn more about the unique Filipino toilet practice of using tabo and timba.

Filipino CR Tutorial by Mikey Bustos

Byeul

Hi, Chewy!
I agree, pagmamano is one of the customs that show Filipino respect to the elders. In some families, the kids even automatically say "mano po" to the elderly in the house at around 6pm, if I'm not mistaken. And a proof of how significant of it in our culture is even as babies, pagmamano is already demonstrated to them to instill the value of respect for the elderly.
- Byeul

Maria Nicole Sombillo wroteAs a Filipino, I also want to present a custom that goes on from generation to generation and that is unique to us. This is "pagmamano", asking for the hand of the elderly and putting it to one's forehead while bowing. This is done to ask for the elder's blessing. Almost involuntary and automatically done, when a Filipino sees an older person or relative e.g. parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, a Filipino raises his/her hand, says "Mano po" ("Your hand, please") to accept the blessing. This custom is also usually done after religious activities like Mass or prayers. This is also done during Christmas time to godparents an in turn may receive monetary gifts or presents. This custom has its roots from Filipinos showing their value of respect. Another custom to show respect is adding "po" or "opo" when talking to the elderly, and addressing an older female as "ate" or sister, and an older male as "kuya" or brother.

Here are pictures of pagmamano: https://www.google.com.ph/search?q=pagmamano&prmd=ivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiIpOG4o53QAhUGwbwKHVDaBJwQ_AUIBygB

Byeul

Hi, Chewy and Sam!
I agree that jeepney drivers should follow the appropriate uniform and not just wear them whenever they see traffic enforcers on the road. As someone who uses the jeepney as a public transportation, I also agree that the drivers shouldn't smoke. There were many incidents wherein I experienced this, and it wasn't just me who was irritated but the other passangers as well. It's especially more difficult to breathe when you have colds or asthma, and the cigarette smoke adds up to the pollution you smell from being in an open vehicle. Hopefully improvements will be made soon so people will have better public transportation experience. 🙂
- Byeul

Maria Nicole Sombillo wroteHi Sam! This is quite an interesting post for jeepneys are uniquely Filipinos. #OnlyInThePhilippines
I would just like to give some suggestions for modifications:
-Most of the jeepney drivers do not wear appropriate clothing when driving, some wear undershirt and shorts and slippers. I believe that for their safety, more appropriate and standard clothing should be worn, as most of them drive around whole day, may it be rain or shine.
-The no smoking policy in public transportations in this case should be more strictly implemented, and must start with the jeepney driver himself/herself.
-I favor the jeepneys having a toda or station where to start to lessen road congestion and heavy traffic. It is also for better designation of route.
-Even if it may be a nuisance to some passengers, jeepney drivers should strictly follow the proper loading and unloading places to ensure safety of passenger and to avoid building up of traffic.

These are some suggestions 🙂

sagacho wroteHi I'm Sam G from the Philippines!

There are a lot of unique ways on how we do occupations here in the Philippines but I'll share with you one of the most common occupations I do - commuting! Here in the Philippines the most popular means of public transportation is the Jeepney. It is really popular because it has a relatively cheap fare and we have lot of it here.The idea of jeepneys here in the Philippines originally came from the US. There were a lot of military jeepneys left after the World War II and they were sold and given to the local Filipinos. Filipinos then started to modify it such as adding roofs and painting it with vibrant colors and due to its seating design that can accommodate many people the jeepney became a common public transporting vehicle.

This is a picture of a military jeep during World War II
http://www.tourisminthephilippines.com/transport/jeepney/jeepney-history-pix/ww2%2001.jpg

This is picture of a typical jeep here in the Philippines today
http://www.filipiknow.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Jeepney-in-the-Philippines.jpg

Commuting is a really important occupation for us Filipinos, especially now that the traffic here is really really heavy and we are discouraged to bring our own private vehicles to go to school or to work. I have to admit that some of our public vehicles are not accessible to persons with disabilities. And this is one of the many thoughts that I am bothered about when I am commuting. The jeepney is relatively crowded and it has a really low roof and a person with physical disability can not take this means of transportation and a PWD has no choice but to take another means of transportation. Another famous public transportation we have is our rail transits. Our rail transits have a specific area for PWDs, senior citizens and pregnant women but based on my observation this doesn't make sense. Around hundreds of thousands of riders everyday and also considering the few number of operational trains we have the rail transits are always congested and the special area for the PWDs is also jammed you can't even make a space to breathe what more for a wheel chair or crutches. You'll actually feel like a sardine inside the train for a moment.

Commuting is already a part of every Filipino's life and I am looking forward that soon we'll have more accessible and more inclusive transportation for the PWD commuters. As a future Occupational Therapist I would love to handle clients that would like to commute independently but I know this will be very very hard considering the system of our transportation here. I hope in the near future we can do something about this one step at a time. 🙂

Any commute stories you want to share guys? 🙂

pgcruz4

HI everyone! It’s me Phoebe 

What I admire most about my fellow countrymen is their unique character.
For example, Filipinos are still able to smile despite the struggles and problems they face every day. It is a contrast to what they are expected to show and it is what sets them apart from others. For me, Filipinos tend to be optimistic. They value happiness so much that they can find joy even from the smallest things. I think it’s really important that you enjoy whatever your occupation is, with such, one can attain fulfillment in their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGOPXkPrSGk

Through hardships, they still ought to help each other a lot, may it be a loved one or a complete stranger. This is what they call being “makabayan”. They set aside their desires just so they can help other people. This is why I have great respect for OFW workers. My father was once an engineer who travelled to different countries to work. I still remember the times when my mother would set a time schedule every night just so we can talk to our dad. I was once part of the many Filipino families left by one to work in abroad who would always patiently anticipate the return of their loved one. With the fact that Filipinos are optimistic and makabayan, it is also common to us that instead of just crying through the phone, they usually ask for “pasalubong”. And for me, engaging in occupations isn’t only satisfying oneself. Rather, it is better to engage in occupations that would give purpose to other people as well. As Filipinos, they greatly give importance to this practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_9fQEqZCWs

Lastly, what I like the most about our culture is our respect and great priority with the family. The family members are like puzzle pieces that are meant to be together and despite school, work any other distracting things; they would still yearn to get “home”.
Bonding with my family is one of my greatest occupations, may it be watching movies or just simply eating a meal together. We are eight in the family, and it is common for us to not be present in our house at the same time. One of my siblings even work in the province for four days a week and we barely spend time together because of our different, busy schedules. This is why whenever we have spare time, especially in holidays like Christmas, we usually dismiss the thought of going out with friends and instead, we stay home to spend our time together. Just like in a typical Filipino family, we also do things with utmost respect to what our elders want or to meet their expectations. Parent’s opinions matter the most that we almost always ask for permission from them. Being in this interdependence is not that bad for me. Personally, it is more of a guide so I can stop myself from doing things recklessly. Still, Filipino parents do not restrict you from having your freedom. Family traditions vary immensely that the amount of strictness varies as well. In my case, our parents’ are not that strict.

“My Family is like my occupations, they give meaning to my life.”

(Just to clear things out, I actually did not mention any tools or practices that are exclusive to our culture but I’d pointed out traits and characters of my fellowmen that I know are evident in every practices they do. I think it’s important that these are also mentioned so I can share what they usually feel or what values they usually hold in doing various occupations.)

K.V.Rivera

How’s it going?

I know that some people have already spoken about this, the Filipinos have a very interdependent culture. We value our family a lot and we put them and their advice at the top of our lists. We Filipinos also respect our elders greatly. The “mano” is something that we do quite frequently. We take the hand of the elder and we take it to our foreheads as a sign of respect. This actually came from our time under the Spanish rule, where mano translates to hand and po is a word we use as a sign of respect in referring to an elder person, so this roughly translates to ‘your hand please.’ This gesture is seen as the younger person accepting the blessing of wisdom from the elderly. Now while there is no age limit to who you show this gesture to, it is usually a difference of two generations (so a grandson to his grandparents) or when you meet an older family member during a family get together. This really shows how we Filipinos value the wisdom that an older generation can impart on us. My grandfather always used to say that “While they can teach you a lot in school, never forget the value of experience, and we older people really do have a lot of it (rough English translation of what he actually said)”.

Another common practice of Filipino families is the bonding time during a Sunday. The Philippines is a primarily catholic country, where around 80% of the population say that they are catholic (2010 survey). This is then no surprise that families take time out of their week during Sundays to go to church. What strikes me about this is that at the end of the mass, the priest would normally say to ‘have a great day with your families’. While this can be seen as them normally preaching about having a great time with your loved ones, it can also be seen as a sign that families typically spend the rest of the Sunday with each other. While a lot of families can boast that they spend dinner together and that is also a really common practice here, some families can’t do that whether it be because of time constraints with work or school. But it seems that even with all these hindrances, a Filipino family can find the time to give up Sunday for God and for their family.

There are many more and I hope that you get to read some of them from the different perspective of everyone in this thread. I would also like to read more about some practices from other countries, so don’t be afraid and post now 🙂

-Keith

K.V.Rivera

etalas wroteHi guys! In the Philippines, aside from Christmas, New Year, and birthdays, citizens are also celebrating FIESTAS!!! Fiestas are held on the birthday of the patron saint and we have lots of saints here in our country so every town and city has a fiesta of its own. I've just realized that fiestas could fall under the category of birthdays hehe 🙂 Let's continue. Inside the churches, novenas and special prayers are to be spoken. But there's more! Fiestas are celebrated as lively as the people can!!! Parades full of efforts are always present. People joining the parades have extraordinary costumes, masks, make-ups, and head-dresses that were prepared couple of months before the fiesta. Combos (bands during fiestas) have this role of energizing the parade by loud sounds and hard beats. Fiestas are also considered a thanksgiving day that's why at homes, you would expect so much food and visitors from other towns.

Celebrating fiestas has its advantages and disadvantages. Any idea? Would you like to suggest any modification? Should we still continue it?

Hi Gale!

I think that fiestas should be continued. It seems that with the busy schedules of everyone in the family, we sometimes take forget to take into consideration the need for a break. What better way than to spend it with fun and laughter by the entire family. With the fast pace of the city lifestyle, its nice to have a break, to spend a day playing games and eating food 🙂. It also gives us a chance to reconnect with our family members. The fiestas become a chance for us to get to talk with our family members which we may not have had the chance to speak with for a while. The only thing that seems to bug me after a huge party like this is the mess we make when we leave. That is the only gripe I have with the fiesta as we seem to forget the trash we leave when we finish. All the banners and the wrappers and plastic bags would be left on the street at the end. I think that this is a mentality among us Filipinos that we should change, the idea that 'someone' will do it for us. When we don't do and act on the change that we want, why do we expect others to do the change for us? Hope to hear your thoughts on this. 🙂

K.V.Rivera

kyla.rocafort wroteWhen asked to reminisce memories, a typical Filipino would automatically drift back to his childhood memories of playing indoors and outdoors. It is through play that Filipino children are first exposed to the world. Play is how they learn and establish social relationships.

Filipino games require only simple materials that can easily be found at one’s house. Some games are imitations of what adults do. These include lutu-lutuan and bahay-bahayan which the girls loved playing. Trumpo or top is a popular game to boys. The trumpo resembles the shape of a cone and is made up of wood from guava branches. Players would let their trumpo spin on its iron nail in the middle of a drawn circle, and whoever trumpo spins the longest would be declared the winner.

Tumbang preso (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1oK0Uh4a24), piko (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_mz04faqsY), patintero (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_jH_nir868), and luksong baka (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cic4ILX07hg) are just some examples of outdoor Filipino games. One can see children playing in an open space in their barrio at around 4pm as this is the habitually established time for outdoor games because the sun is not at its peak anymore. These type of games develop the child’s gross motor skills as you can see children running around, hopping and jumping.

Filipino indoor games include sungka, siklot and nanay-tatay. Sungka and siklot (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QFWpYS_pvM) uses shells or pebbles. These games develop one’s cognitive skills. Nanay-tatay also plays a role in developing cognitive skills but its developmental manifestation is seen in the hand-eye coordination. To know how nanay-tatay is played, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZarBmqbnMRI.

Both Filipino indoor and outdoor games are easy to play. Some games can be played individually but most games require participation from other people. Filipino games play a major role in the culture as this is where children learn through experience. Playing for Filipino children enables them to be flexible, creative, resourceful and active.

Hi Kyla!

I do agree that the Filipino game are really important to our culture. I have lots of fond memories playing with my friends on the streets, no matter how dangerous this may seem, and this was the time when I first got to make friends. It really did help me to grow as a person and this became a foundation for my social skills in the future. It seems really sad that this is slowly becoming an old practice. With the rise of electronics comes the fall of the need to go outside to play. While I believe that electronics also give rise to new opportunities to play with others, its really sad that something so evident in our culture would slowly fade away. I hope that this practice is one that many more generations experience.

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