Filipino houses are not just places to live in — they are the repository of the history, memories and identity of their residents.

A study by Dr. Raquel Florendo, professor from the College of Home Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman entitled “Accesorias of Sampaloc: A Social Construction of the Filipino Experience in the ‘Everyday’ Spaces of the Home” sought to determine the meanings Filipinos attach to their homes through the interpretation of their physical and symbolic attributes. “Home spaces” are the individual’s values, dispositions, behaviors and thoughts including one’s sense of comfort, security and ease associated with home.

The accessorias in District of Dapitan, Zone 470 in Manila served as the research site since it is a community that has maintained its rural ambiance emanating from generational context of homes built in 1930s as part of Manila’s suburban. The criteria for choices of the 20 sample homes were the following:  built during the 1930s to the 1950s (pre war houses) and occupied by their original owner families. Tools for data collection used unstructured interviews in the form of conversations and “storytelling” with the members of the families who lived in the 20 homes.

Typical dwellings in Dapitan identified as “accessorias” units

HISTORY AND MEMORIES

Homes construct connections with the past. They serve as historical remnants which  situate themselves in chronological time in Manila’s history. The accessorias are considered as sites to recover histories of individual families and communities like births, deaths, marriages, difficulties and success. Since the sense of family within the Dapitan community is very strong, the accessorias represent not only personal histories of the people but a generic spirit of place — the families of the accessorias chose to stay in the community not only for socio-economic reasons but because of their sense of belonging and attachment to the neighborhoods where they grew up in.

People recall vivid remembrances anchored on specific events and occasions that marked major changes in their lives.  One of the residents narrated:

“Noong maliit pa kami, parang ang laki laki ng sala at maski yung bahay. Madalas kaming magtaguan sa ilalim ng tukador sa kwarto ng nanay at mesa sa comedor. Me isang pasko na sa gulo namin sa paglalaro nahulog yong kuya ko sa hagdanan. Diyan lumagpak sa baldosa. Mula noon di na kami pinayagan maghabulan sa loob ng bahay.”

“Kabisado ko na talaga yung bahay namin. Pare-pareho nga yun mga putol ng lupa dito pati na yung ayos ng mga bahay nakahilera, yung laki ng kuwarto halos isang sukat lang. Pag pumasok ka sa isang bahay, alam mo na yung ayos kasi parang yung pinapasukan mo bahay mo rin. Iba-iba nga lang yung pakiramdam, pero yung puwesto ng gamit halos pare-pareho.”

“Araw-araw na ginawa ng Diyos, iisa lang naman yung pinagkakaabalahn namin, siyempre yung pong araw-araw na galaw dito sa loob ng bahay. Ang bilis ng panahon, dati rati bata pa ako, tapos papasok sa eskuwela, kakain, maglalaba, uuwi, magpapahinga, tutulog. Ngayon yung mga apo ko na ang inaasikaso ko ganun pa rin yung takbo ng buhay namin. Naiiba lang kapag me okasyon, gaya ng Pasko, fiesta o meron pera para makaraos ng birthday.”

HOME AND IDENTITY

Homes construct personal notions and identity of oneself. “The way people decorate as well as live in their homes is reflective of a very important component of themselves which links them to who they are particularly, their sense of family and sense of self. It anchors them to their self worth,” Dr. Florendo said. Decorative objects are special to the Filipino because they are related to experiences with the family, events special to them, achievements, and their faced challenges. These objects serve as concrete symbols of the past, present and future goals and aspirations. For the Filipino, the meaning of his private life is closely rooted to the decorations in his home linking him to who he is and where he belongs.

“Alam mo sa bawat sulok ng bahay, ang dami kong naalala. Mula sa pinto ng bahay namin, pati yong mga pre-war na rehas na yan para bang natuon na sa akin yung itsura.  Kahit nakapikit pa ang mga mata ko nakakagalaw ako dito nang hindi nababangga. Gaya ng tabla na yan sa hagdanan, Alam mo ba itong sugat ko sa tuhod diyan galing.  Siguro mga limang taon lang ako noon noong mahulog ako diyan.” - shared by one of the residents

Another resident recounts the significance of the Dama de Noche plant in their backyard:

The old vine that has grown to the third level of the dwelling since the 1940s

“Mga pitong taon pa lang ako noon, teka nga tama ba? Oo, birthday ni nanay yon. January three, kasi pagbirthday niya, halaman sigurado ang binibili niya sa me Quiapo, nasa lata ng Darigold. Yan yung Dama de Noche namin diyan sa kanto ng bahay. Ang bango-bango pa rin kapag hitik sa bulaklak. Yan ang remembrance ni nanay sa amin hanggang ngayon.”

Dr. Florendo recommends that the old districts have to be maintained because they are the repositories of the culture of the place and aspects of Filipino identity. She is planning to publish her dissertation as a book and eventually initiate community-based programs so homeowners can realize the significance of their homes as maintenance systems of culture and strengthen their sense of belonging to their community.

A prewar collections of vases

Slippers left on the stairway as it has always been done

Random placement of decorations

The family garden that existed since the 1930s

Ang “banggerahan” still in use

A mix-match placement of some personal markings

Precious family photographs

By Gracious Romero

Right parenting attitudes and practices promote positive social behavior among children.

This was confirmed in a study entitled “Parenting Practices that Promote Positive Social Behavior Among Preschool Children within the Family.” The study was conducted by Ms. Maria Perlita de Leon of the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Home Economics in 2009. The study aimed: 1) to determine how Filipino parents define positive social behavior, 2) how the development of positive social behavior is facilitated among the pre-school children in the family, and 3) what are the roles these parents play in developing this behavior among their children. Positive social behavior is defined as any social behavior that would benefit other people as well as develop one’s self-concept.

The site of the study was Valenzuela City in North Metro Manila, a community that evolved from an agricultural to an industrialized area. Home visits were conducted for 6 months on 15 families (30 children) with at least two children, one of whom is between 3 to 6 years of age. There were also face-to-face interviews with the parents and storytelling sessions with the preschool children after the 6-month observation period. These families had children enrolled in the daycare program. Eight (8) out of fifteen families were single earners (only the fathers are working).

Sample of children interviewed*

Filipino parents define positive social behavior as “mabuting asal” or good behavior such as being respectful and being obedient. The development of positive social behavior is facilitated among the pre-school children in the family in three ways: physical, or hurting the children whenever they commit mistakes, verbal or reprimanding the children and cognitive or the way of “processing” to the children their committed mistakes. Parents also have desired behaviors that they would want their children to develop: the fathers want the children to develop a sense of responsibility with the siblings and place a premium on integrity and love for the family. On the other hand, mothers teach their children respect and interpersonal relationship.

The parents identified factors that facilitate and inhibit the development of positive social behaviors. Good quality time with the family such as bonding moments improve the relationship within the family as opposed to the parents that put a wall between them and the child. “Obedience out of respect, understanding, and love is different from obedience of the child out of fear. Children follow the advice of the non-threatening parent,” Ms. De Leon said. Based on the responses of the parents, she also said that the 3 things that influence their styles of parenting are: individual experiences, family history and social network.

Sample of family interviewed*

Ms. De Leon recommends that flexible, sensitive and comprehensive parent education programs in the community should be implemented by the local government. For the daycare programs, parent-teacher conferences must be held during the 1st day of classes to enhance home-school cooperation which would help promote the holistic development of the child. Trained daycare workers must also train the parents regarding proper childcare and parenting practices. Non-working mothers in the community could be mobilized to create playgroups among their children in order to promote the latter’s socio-emotional, cognitive, and physical development.

Ms. De Leon emphasized that it is important for working mothers to find time to de-stress themselves after work. “Sometimes, these mothers carry their stress to their children. Most of the working mothers are harsh and coercive compared to stay-at-home mothers. These mothers need social network and support groups outside their usual routine,” she added in order to mediate the stress brought about by working in labor-intensive jobs.

*As requested by the researcher, the faces of the interviewees are hidden in order for their identities to remain anonymous

By Gracious Romero

Since the boom of the call center industry in the Philippines in 2001, it has provided many job opportunities for Filipinos. Most of those who enter this field are young professionals, who are lured by the relatively high pay and attractive benefits. But unusual work hours, heavy workload and stress, when combined with higher pay, may result in risky lifestyles and negative effects on health.

Regardless of the industry they work in, young professionals face various health issues. A study conducted by the University of the Philippines Population Institute (UPPI) thus took a closer look at the lifestyle and reproductive health concerns of call center and non-call center workers in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu. The study, which was funded by the Commission on Population (POPCOM), focused on these two areas since they have the highest number of call centers. Study results will help government agencies such as POPCOM and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in crafting appropriate policies and programs for the youth, particularly in relation to reproductive health.

Data gathering was done through key informant interviews, focus group discussions and a face-to-face survey. A total of 675 young professionals working in call centers and 254 young professionals working in other industries were interviewed. The respondents were between 18 to 34 years of age and reached at least 2nd year college.

The average age of the call center respondents is 25.4 years compared to 25.1 years for their non-call center counterparts. One of ten call center workers live away from their families, which is higher compared to non-call center workers.

Highlights of the Study

I.    Call center respondents have higher income and more work benefits than those from other industries.
Young professionals, regardless of type of industry, first entered the workforce at an average age of 20.  Call center workers earn more than non-call center workers and more of them have other work benefits such as life insurance, meal allowance, and other incentives. A high proportion of both call center respondentas and those from other industries regularly give support to their siblings and parents although this proportion is higher among call center workers. Two-thirds (2/3) of all young workers set aside an average of 3,000 pesos a month, with more males than females able to save regularly.

II.    In general young workers appear to have unhealthy eating habits and do not get enough sleep.

Respondents generally report fewer hours of sleep than the recommended eight hours.  On average, call center workers get less sleep than non-call center workers (6.2 hours vs. 6.5 hours, respectively). They also have a higher proportion with sleep problems (45% vs. 30%), particularly among female call center workers.

Call center workers drink more coffee per day than non-call center workers (2.3 cups vs. 1.7 cups). Young professionals in general drink about 1.5 bottles or cans of soft drinks everyday.

In general, young workers consume a lot of unhealthy food such as fried chicken, chips, burgers and fries.  Less than half (47%) of the call center respondents regularly eat three meals a day.  More female respondents skip meals—40 percent skip breakfast, 20 percent skip lunch, and 16 percent skip dinner.

The most common leisure activity is drinking alcoholic beverages, particularly among call center workers. Call center workers prefer to drink with co-workers while non-call center workers prefer to drink with non-co-workers. The other leisure activities usually pursued by young professionals are going to parties/bars/clubs and malling.

III.    More call center respondents are current smokers.

Forty-three percent of call center workers are currently smoking, compared to about one-fifth of non-call center workers.  Call center workers also smoke one stick more per day than their counterparts in other establishments (9 vs. 8 sticks, respectively).  Slightly more non-call center workers than call center workers currently drink alcohol (87% vs. 85%).

IV.    While risky sexual behaviour is high among young professionals in general, the levels are slightly higher among call center workers compared to non-call center workers.

V.    More call center workers rate their health as poor or fair compared to non-call center workers.

Majority of young professionals report their health as good, very good or excellent although more call center workers view their health as poor. In addition, more call center workers assess their stress levels as high or very high. More call center workers report health problems that they associate with their work such as throat, hand muscle, and eyesight problems.  More females than males experience symptoms that are linked to reproductive health problems such as painful urination, genital itching, and low libido/sex drive.

There is high awareness regarding HIV-AIDS among young professionals.  More call center workers talk about HIV with their partners. Very few young workers know someone with HIV.  Only 1 out of 9 young professionals feel that they are at risk of contracting the disease.

About three-fourths (73%) of call center workers have heard about the Reproductive Health Bill and 63% support it.  Awareness is higher among non-call center workers, with 86% having heard of the RH bill and 74% supporting it.

Value of the Study

Data obtained from the study will be used to fine tune POPCOM’s policies and services for the youth, especially in reproductive health. On the other hand, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) may use the data to know the work-related issues that the young professionals face in order to craft measures and policies to address these issues.

By Cedrik Ben Gayares and Gracious Romero