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Understanding “Filipino Time” — My journey with punctuality in the Philippines
When I first arrived in the Philippines for work, I was feeling a bit of a culture shock. One of the first cultural nuances I encountered was something my colleagues jokingly referred to as “Filipino time”. As someone who grew up in the Netherlands, where punctuality is practically a national virtue, adjusting to this aspect of Filipino culture was challenging.
In my first few weeks, I quickly learned that being on time in the Philippines often means something different from what I was used to. Whether it was waiting for a colleagues to show up for meetings, friends to hang out with, or even dates to begin, I noticed a pattern of people arriving later than the agreed time. It wasn’t just by a few minutes, either; sometimes, the delay could be an hour of more.
At first, I found this frustating. Back home in the Netherlands, we take punctuality very seriously. Being late is seen as a sign of disrespect, and if someone knows they will be delayed, they usually inform you well in advance. It’s almost ingrained in us to be on time, and if we’re not, we apologize profusely.
However, the more time I spent in the Philippines, the more I began to understand the reasons behind “Filipino time.” Traffic in the cities is unpredictable, often causing delays. Manila, for…
