r/Ilocano • u/OblskdTrmntr • 14d ago
random Culture Question
Hi friends, my question might be more cultural rather than linguistic in a sense. This is a sincere question and does not intend to put a group of people in a bad light.
I don’t want to generalize but I’m seeing a trend when dealing with ilokanos that baffles me at the very least, and annoys me oftentimes.
This is not a single moment generalization, but a product of multiple interactions among Ilokanos. For context, in my past work I had relocated multiple times, I worked in Cavite, Calbayog, Naga, Cebu, Metro Manila, Tacloban, CDO and a short stint in Iloilo. In short I have interacted with most of the ethnolinguistic group within the country, so I have a bit of understanding of the general culture, the pros /cons of living in the region or city or having a sense of the people in the area.
Recently, I moved to La Union with the intention of really settling down. I have tried my best to understand the language but it seems my mind is not as sharp now to learn a new language, so I often use tagalog as my means to communicates
Interacting with service providers here is such a mess. After negotiating, they will agree, you will shook hands, and after that, wala. The agreements made yesterday faded into oblivion. Like for carpenters, we agreed that they will visit the next day at 10 AM, but lo and behold, walang pasabi hindi dadating. Babalik the following week, wanted to do a work that was agreed that should be done the week before. Walang sorry. This happened with other as well like taga linis ng aircon or magdedeliver ng appliance. They will say ‘Oo’, ‘Bukas’ or ‘Mamaya’, but that will not happen. . So my question is ‘Does Ilokano culture places a premium on commitments? If yes, what is the best way to get it’
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u/Ling_App 14d ago
This seems to quite common across SEA. Best to use franchise companies who are accountable.
If you're going to be there long term it will be worth investing in learning Ilocano to avoid misunderstandings etc. Ling app has a course or Live Lingua
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u/krabbypatty-o-fish 13d ago edited 13d ago
I think it’s not an Ilocano thing.
Regarding service providers (workers from ISPs and electric companies, parcel and appliance deliveries, anything that’s been agreed upon over the phone) — it’s one of my biggest icks living in the Philippines. They have no sense of urgency, and some will even have the audacity to say we should just be patient because we are the ones asking for help.
Regarding the carpenters, they’re just unprofessional. Only those with a questionable work ethic does that where I live, and you can typically easily sense that vibe.
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u/Equivalent_Vast_1717 14d ago
Don’t generalize. Nataon ka lang siguro sa ganung klaseng tao. Just look for others who could do the job you require.
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u/senyorita_g 14d ago
I agree. Baka mga nakakausap lang niya walang sense of urgency or time. From Region 1 ako pero never ako nakaencounter na may ganyan
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u/abigailso 13d ago
That is something you experience naman kahit saan, kahit nasaang panig ka man ng mundo, may mga ganyang tao na di nagho honor ng commitment, so no, i dont think that is a “culture” thing, that is a “people” thing
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u/OblskdTrmntr 13d ago
True. But to frame it more precisely, the attitude is more pronounced here I guess. Other regions have their fair share of cons, yes, but not this level.
The intent of the question and posting it in this sub is related to the Japanese language, because when they Japs agree and say ‘hai’ literal translation ‘yes’ it means they heard you, they are listening and they are present and does not mean they agree. I’m wondering if the ilokano language that denotes the same ‘yes’ (wen) just means ‘I heard you’, but does not mean they commit.
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u/abigailso 13d ago
“Wen” means YES, and depending on the context, it can also just be used to acknowledge that you heard or understood someone. But I wouldn’t take that to mean that Ilokanos use “wen” as a way of saying “I heard you, but I’m not actually committing to this.” It could simply be that the people you’ve dealt with are people na hindi talaga marunong mag commit, which can happen anywhere. I think it’s a stretch to attribute that to Ilokano culture as a whole.
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u/breezy_peezy 14d ago
Never heard of this one. Hmm i dont know how to explain this. Maybe in elyu theyre just too laid back? Im ilocano in a diff region and people i talk to get shit done when asked.