Series: Being Filipino

Over the years, the Filipino has continued to evolve as a global citizen but he/she also continues to carry the traits and characteristics that have made every Filipino distinct and, sometimes, inscrutable. But there is no denying that the so-called “globalized Filipinos” are among the most valued workers in foreign lands.

For the last 60 years, the Philippines has had problems with modernity.
One of the reasons is the absence of modern political parties with well-defined constituencies, thereby allowing networks like kinship groups to continue to serve as vehicles of political power. Banning dynasties from politics by legislation is not going to work unless there is, at the same time, a concerted effort to nurture stable vehicles of interest aggregation. Our people are fed up with our political elite – that’s the reason they are leaving the country.
But almost all of them are willing to return. A good reason to have hope.

When 10% of a population is living abroad, its impact must be big not only on the over 8.7 million migrants but, above all, on the whole Filipino society – albeit they adapt well to foreign lands and take with them the essentials of their culture. Only last August, the president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines warned that the magnitude of the process is putting a big stress on families. And there are also those who don’t feel at ease anymore when they come back, even for vacations.