Talk:Philippine Society/draft

The average Filipino commutes by jeep to work, goes to mass on Sunday, send messages by text in cell phones and is an aficionado of Basketball and is shocked that his cousin/brother is a born-again or attends a Protestant gathering. Filipinos love to put leaders on trial and turn up late in appointments. In typical homes whole clans which include second cousins not to mention siblings all live under one roof. English is used in formal context such as school, government, media etc. but not used in the mainstream and is perceived as elitist. Rice is the staple diet. Jeepneys are obiquitous. In semi-urban areas, tricycles are frequently found. In urban areas such as Manila and Quezon city, traffic can be horrible during rush hour. It is said that the Philippines is a society of lawyers. In Corruption index in a 2003 study by Transparency International, the Philippines was rated number 92. IDs are required to enter premises.

Work and overseas workers and their families

See main article Economy of the Philippines.

There is a booming call center industry as of 2005. Many are attempting work abroad as caregivers and nurses especially to the US, Canada or Australia and the Arabian countries . Less enter Japan, Korea, Italy , Singapore, Israel and Hong Kong. Some engineers hope to work as programmers. Doctors have been known to retrain as nurses. There is typically one overseas worker working as the breadwinner supporting a whole clan under one roof. Codepency and enstrangement is a frequent syndrome.

Influential elements

The overwhelming majority are Roman Catholic. The church and military have significant influence. There have been many coup d'etats. In the southern region of Mindanao, ethinic muslims can be foundand separatist movements many based on ethnic conflicts. Frequent typoons disrupt everyday life and are a concern. According to Times magazine, the Philippines is an oligarchy

Ethnic groups

See main article Ethnic groups of the Philippines.

Spanish(Kastila/mistiso) and Chinese(Intsik) descendants are percieved to be the elite although this can be attributed to their being more conspicous. A significant number of actors and actresses are Spanish and Chinese descendents. A Chinatown in Binondo accomodates many China residents. Most are from the Fukien province. There are also many Chinese schools that use Mandarin, the standard.