Understanding The Work Environment In Manila
When deciding to work in Manila as an expat, it is crucial to know and understand the proper work etiquette. Depending on your type of field, Filipinos mostly dress formally from Monday to Thursday and dress down on Fridays. When there is intense heat and humidity (which is fairly often), a suit isn’t necessary. For men, a long-sleeved shirt and tie (or no tie) and dress pants would suffice. Women can dress similarly — a skirt or pants and long-sleeved dress shirt — or choose to wear a dress. It is also common for some companies to issue work uniforms like polo shirts for Fridays.
Filipinos are used to calling their bosses “ma’am” or “sir” as a way of showing respect to those in higher positions. It is not like in western culture where people prefer to use the first or last name to refer to any colleague, or their boss or even the owner of the company. Expats who relocate to Manila would also notice that their local colleagues approach stress and hard tasks in a light manner. When communicating with Filipinos, it is also best to avoid speaking in a confrontational way. This type of directness is frowned upon in Philippine society as Filipinos are more used to the culture of saving face. “Losing face” is shameful in Filipino society; accordingly, they don’t like to show anger, raise their voices or engage in heated debates. Filipinos aren’t keen on saying “no” so they may say “yes” initially, to avoid embarrassment, when they ultimately intend to say no. Since they won’t say “No” to your face you need to listen closely to understand their meaning. Philippine culture puts a lot of emphasis on respect and relationships. Therefore, you must build rapport, show respect to people, and engage yourself. If you come from a culture that values directness in conversations, accept that the Philippine culture appreciates small talk instead. Filipinos are hard working and can easily adapt to any type of environment. Working overtime a few days a week is also expected. On workdays, Filipinos usually lunch out with colleagues. If you are part of a team, lunch out meetings can also be a common work culture. After-work hang out can mean dinner out. Drinks typically on a Friday night is usually common. This can include drinking in a pub or even partying in a club.
When someone has a birthday in the office, people usually pitch in to buy that person a small gift or a cake. There’s usually a small office celebration with food and drinks either for lunch or snacks. Team building trips out of town and family oriented company events are also common in Manila. This is usually a summer outing where the employer would have a separate budget to fund outdoor recreational activities that will help build camaraderie among their employees. Company sports festival is also a common activity which could include basketball, bowling etc. where all employees including the bosses are expected to participate. The strong emphasis in the Filipino culture on fostering warm relationships with others often leads to overly inquisitive questions. This doesn’t mean that your Filipino colleagues are being aggressively nosy when they ask about your family history, your marital status, or the names of your children. This is a simple inquiry about the same things that occupy the center of their universe and it shows friendliness. Filipinos are generally friendly which means that real long lasting friendships can form at work.
