Filipino Time
Theory No. 1: The Philippines is a country where traffic is notorious. It takes literally hours to get from point A to point B. Over the years, the Filipinos have acquired an attitude that we will get there when we get there. This attitude has neatly settled into our psyche (I would say right beside the "What Will Be, Will Be or Bahala Na attitude) and has become a trait we translate into everyday action. A trait we have acquired and will be passing down to future generation unless we consciously do something about it.
Theory No. 2: The Filipinos are inherently self-effacing that they have unintentionally given new meaning to the term "fashionably late." No one wants the burden of being the first arrivals to be entertained by the hosts. We prefer to come at a time when we know there are already people and we could simply blend in.
Theory No. 3: Filipino Time is indicative of our complacency. Blame it on colonialism. In fear of insurrection, when the Encomienda (landownership) system was introduced to the Filipino natives, goal-setting was not part of the seminar. A cue that was taken by the later succeeding dictatorship regime. Filipinos are not encouraged to look further than today, or even this very hour. What is encouraged is the laid back attitude bordering on apathy. In more recent years of democracy, the disease has still gone undiagnosed. Planners and palm pilots, definite tools of promptness, are seen as privileges of the bourgeoisie. Unfortunately the majority of those who can afford it regard it as accessories for show rather than tools of the trade.
The last theory is probably the major culprit. It explains why most Filipinos are hardworking, excelling in many things but lacking in promptness. Punctuality is a symptom of high motivation and driven ambition. A lax attitude that has been encouraged for so long on a whole nation will never complement it. Questions such as where will I be five years from now, is not something generally asked among Filipinos. Even if it had been asked, the vaguest idea of how to get there is revealed to a minority.
What can we do about it? Awareness is key. Intolerance of tardiness is another major step towards change. We cannot blame everything to Filipino Timeliness. It is also important to understand that for every step forward it will most likely be two steps backward. We just
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