I asked my grandmother some questions about Filipino gift giving and its use as a possible leveling device. The story of Filipino gift giving is not as interesting as I had hoped. The ritual of gift giving is very similar to that practiced in America. Gifts of small value are exchanged during celebrations and holidays. Whenever a guest is invited to a party to celebrate any occasion, be it a holiday, birthday, or just to visit, the guest is expected to bring some small token of gratitude for having been thought to be invited. The gift can be anything, but if it is a large party, then the guest is often expected to also bring a specialty dish to contribute to the meal. Thus, gift giving in the Philippines cannot really be said to be a leveling device.
Having talked about gift giving, I asked her what were the major holidays in the Philippines. Again I was disappointed. There was only one different holiday that is celebrated in the Philippines that is different than in the United States. It was the celebration of Santa Cruizan. This holiday is a religious one, marking one of the saints of the Philippines. What happens? Other than that (and it is not really celebrated by everyone) there were the usual holidays of Christmas, New Year, Easter, and Independence Day (celebrated also on July 4, out of respect of the United States).
I then discussed some general economic matters with her. She said the basic coin in the Philippines is the peso (the same name as the currency in Mexico). She mentioned that during her time the exchange rate peaked at about two pesos to one dollar (a very good exchange rate). Now, according to some of the relatives still at home, the exchange rate has plummeted to 20-1 or more. This has in some measure contributed to widening of the economic gap between the poor and the rich in our society. Good
In general, from personal experience, and what the rest of my family is like, generalized reciprocation plays a very important aspect in Filipino life. The bonds of family (at least in mine) are strong, and it is expressed in many ways, including economic support by the parent. The familial bonds extend past one generation to all in the immediate and extended family. If anything, it is through generalized reciprocity that the majority of redistribution of economic wealth occurs in our country. Some member of the family works hard and can earn a living abroad and then sends money back home.
Our market system works almost exactly like that of the United States, utilizing a balanced reciprocity or the exchange of equal or near equal goods or services. If differences exist, it is in the amount of corruption or negative reciprocity that exists in the government. My grandmother is weary of sending goods back home because government officials often open the packages and keep the contents. Too, it is not unknown for officials to take bribes and to manipulate all manner elections to stay in office. Thus, in the Philippines, all three manners of reciprocity (generalized, balanced, and negative) are alive and well.