Discover Philippines : Society (social life)

The children

With over 32 million children aged 14 and under, you can expect to meet these little cherubs everywhere. Pampered by doting parents, they play an important role in society. Good-natured, they have fun with anything and everything, always on the lookout for a new game: wheel races balanced on sticks and foot races on the beach are all the rage. And as they're very quick on their feet, these kids get into the habit of helping out with household chores at an early age. While the government has passed a number of laws in recent years to protect children (including 13 laws on cybercrime and child exploitation, a law against child marriage, and one for the education of children with disabilities), the country still faces many challenges in ensuring their well-being. For example, nearly a million children live on the streets, and 3% are forced to work.

Education

School attendance is compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16, and the school year begins in July and ends in April. Schooling is a concern for parents, who sometimes find it hard to afford the cost of sending their children to school. Indeed, public schools - which are free of charge - do not always have a good reputation, especially at secondary level. As a result, parents often have to send their children to private schools, which are numerous but expensive, and often of a higher standard. Despite this inequality and difference in standards between public and private schools, the country maintains a good quality of education compared to its neighbors, with less than 3% illiteracy over the age of 15. Education is based on the American model, and is divided intoelementary school,high school,colleges and universities. However, even if the number of schools and teachers is on the rise, education in the Philippines is still far from exemplary: there are still too many children who don't go to school because they work or because they don't have access to schooling, especially in rural areas. At the same time, in 2023, the country will have 327,000 elementary school infrastructures, and only a third of these schools are in good condition. The remainder are in need of renovation. There is also a shortage of space and equipment.

The condition of women

Politicians, scientists, spokeswomen, mayors of towns and villages, influential journalists... many women hold all the key positions. The presence of women on the public stage is an important indicator of progress towards gender equality. The Philippines is an exception in Southeast Asia when it comes to the status of women, having won the right to vote in 1933, even before the country's independence. By way of comparison, in France, women only gained the right to vote in 1944. This reality should not obscure the fact that the status of women in the Philippines remains highly precarious (unequal pay, unequal opportunities, discrimination, sexism, confinement to the family home, prostitution, etc.). And the weight of the Catholic Church in particular makes itself felt. For example, the Philippines is one of the few countries without a divorce law, and abortion is forbidden (with no exception for cases of malformation, incest or rape). Every year, more than a million abortions are performed clandestinely, and more than 2,000 women die from complications. In short, there is still a great deal of progress to be made to improve the status of women.

The family structure

Marriage is an end in itself, an obligatory step, a tradition, a culture. From the age of 18, very few escape it. Some wait impatiently for their majority, others don't even bother and marry with the mutual consent of their parents. Having several children is the next logical step. Faced with this social conformism, the single person is intriguing. They are the object of a certain suspicion. However, the new generation is less conformist. Some young Filipinos are even cohabiting. Divorce is forbidden (with a few exceptions and subject to very long and costly procedures). Under these conditions, however, very few people break away from the traditional family model. And a strong sense of family is passed down from generation to generation. This largely explains why few young people feel the need for independence when they come of age (18). Job insecurity and the difficulties of daily life force them to remain within the family. As a result, it's not uncommon for several generations to live under the same roof.

The LGBTQ+ community

Same-sex relationships have never been a crime and are therefore fortunately legal in the country. With the exception of rural or conservative areas, the LGBTQ+ community is fairly well integrated. There are many associations and progress is constant, despite pressure from the Church. For example, in 2016, Geraldine Roman became the first transgender woman elected to Congress, and several towns and villages have a gay personality at their head. However, many issues of discrimination, inequality and violence remain to be resolved to achieve full acceptance and equality.

Philippine hospitality

Avoiding the pitfalls of stereotypes and nationalistic clichés, we can nonetheless say that, on the whole, Filipinos stand out for their hospitality and joie de vivre. Sadly accustomed to natural disasters such as typhoons and earthquakes, they also demonstrate great resilience in the face of nature, which they know to be indomitable. Bayanihan, a concept deeply rooted in Philippine culture, refers to the spirit of camaraderie, community and mutual aid. Faced with everyday difficulties or natural disasters, they are always ready to help others.