Participants in training
environments in the Philippines may exhibit some of the following behaviours:
- Instinctively call anyone in evident authority (inc. trainer) "Sir" or
"Ma'am"
- Politely listen -- will not interrupt
- Tend to raise hands when wanting to speak, even in response to a question
- Are comfortable with competition, but there must be safety
- Arriving on time is a matter of luck -- this is part attitude and partly the horrendous
traffic in the big cities, esp. Manila
Some of the core values and beliefs that may be 'running this behaviour' are:
- Marriage and Catholic family values are important
- One must not "lose face" before one's peers
- White European males will be assumed to want to meet Filipino women for sex -- expect
"nudge, nudge, wink, wink" comments
Some Do's may be:
- Ask for and use nicknames -- given names are rarely used
- Encourage co-operative team working (otherwise they'll assume any exercise is an exam!)
Some Don'ts may be:
- Give lavish prizes for team activities, which might offend. Cheap, token prizes will be
appreciated
- Make religious jokes
- Make anyone seem small or stupid, even mildly as a joke
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