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Published: July 19th 2012
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"Good morning, ma'am!" "Hello, ma'am!" "Hi ma'am!" Antiphonal choruses of "ma'am" follow every foreigner's step through the Philippines. An aesthetically beautiful country, with many wonderful landscapes and gorgeous coastlines to admire, it is overshadowed in every capacity by the even more beautiful, wonderful and gorgeous inhabitants. It's not for nothing that the Filipino people are world-renowned for their friendliness. It can be baffling at times. With a grandmother who is known for capturing any Tom, Dick or Harry off the street for a cup of tea and a slice of brown bread, generous hospitality is not alien to me. But the people of these 7,000 islands are indisputably the most welcoming race imaginable.
Landing in dusty Manila at 4am and being unable to crash on a bed until noon, optimism wasn't high for the upcoming eight-hour stroll around the city. Stepping over families in their cardboard beds on every street corner, and noticing the arsenal of guns attached to every security man's waist, we trod forebodingly. Watching scantily clad Filipinas trying to snare drunk Western men
on their return from evidently huge nights out didn't sit well in our tired minds. But reaching Rizal Park, a large grassy area dedicated to the Filipino Pádraig Pearse, it was difficult not to smile at the incessant cheerful greetings being shouted from every doorway and step.
Manila is a sprawling city with a population close to two million. American influences are obvious, with fast food chains and huge shopping centres plonked between crumbling buildings and vacant tower blocks. Paint is peeling on every wall, and the air is thick. U.S. military jeeps left behind after World War II have been modified to provide an innovative form of public transport on most of the islands, and now brightly-coloured jeepneys zoom through the streets.
Being Irish provokes one response everywhere we go: “Ah, Ireland, Catholic, yes?” They are delighted to find a sinner from a country deemed just as devout as theirs. Exchanges ensue whereby Filipinos tell us that God is in their hearts and is responsible for their life choices, and expect equally enthusiastic responses. Rosary beads dangle from every available spot, and statues adorn dashboards and tabletops. Most jeepneys display a religious slogan, and huge posters on
the tops of buildings declare “In God We Trust!” More imaginative messages appear outside churches. “God is sooo gooooooood!” “You’re always on my mind. -God” Visiting the huge cathedrals throughout the islands, it’s baffling to think that a Spanish invasion has created the third-largest Catholic state in the world, with over 73 million members.
Religious passion is matched by reggae passion. Bob Marley is the soundtrack to the Philippines. Another ‘r’ obsession can be added to those of religion and reggae, and that’s rum. Hugely proud of their national tipple, it’s offered in any establishment at any time of the day. It took a long round of questioning for us to eventually accept that while a single rum-and-coke costs 60 pesos (1 euro), a triple is 50 (80 cent). Here, Tanduay is cheaper than Coca Cola.
But the men of the Philippines don’t need any rum to turn on the charm. Western men downing pints to boost Dutch courage could take a few tips from the hilariously confident men of these islands. Inventive chat-up lines such as, "I really like your smile....can I taste it?" are abundant. I was also told, “Don’t panic, it’s organic” after declining an
offer of an evening with one long-haired, tattooed sailor. All of this is said jokingly though, and paints a stark contrast to the sad middle-aged Western men sitting alone at bars, scouring the place for a suitable young Filipina lady. Mostly American and British, they unashamedly announce that they are prowling for a girl aged 20 or so (about a third of their age), because they are sick of Western women their own age.
While there is enough to observe indoors, it must not be forgotten that the Philippines is a place of astonishing beauty. It’s a travel agent’s dream, with tropical paradise-esque beaches (white sand, turquoise water, palm trees, bamboo huts...), active volcanoes, lush jungles, tall forests and friendly sea life. Apart from well-known tourist haunts, much of the landscape remains refreshingly untouched. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the cuisine. In the cities, franchises dominate the scene. Attempting to immerse oneself in traditional dishes is difficult. The national dish, adobo, is rather bland and very vinegary. Despite our better intentions, the McDrought that was experienced in communist Vietnam was ended with a couple of trips through the golden arches.
As our taxi sits snookered diagonally in the middle of a crossroads on the way to the airport, the taxi driver doesn’t panic, singing along to his reggae, embodying the national adage "bahala na", which loosely translates as “go with the flow.” It comes from the phrase "bathalan na", which means “I will do my best, and God will take care of the rest.” Therefore most Filipinos believe that what will be will be, and in the meantime, there’s no use in worrying about it. I’ll temporarily adopt the psychology in the hope that I’ll return to explore their 7,107 isles again.
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Berni O'Donovan
non-member comment
What a lovely read Kate, everybit as enthralling as previous blogs. See you when you get home. Travel safely. Berni (O'Donovan)