Filipinos are known for a great many things—our hospitality, our optimism, our penchant for laughter, our resilience and our indomitable spirit, just to name a few. There are a lot of things that make the Filipino culture great; things that the rest of the world has taken note of, which makes it even more frustrating to encounter blatant and unapologetic unprofessionalism from our fellow Pinoys. In our own country, to boot!

If we’re to prove that Filipinos can be competitive in the global marketplace, these are some habits we need to get rid of ASAP.

Characterized by: Not paying attention to you because they’re too busy talking or texting someone else, keeping you on hold over the phone

Earning a living is difficult, and if you’re wasting other people’s money (as well as their time) to prioritize gossip or your personal life instead of doing your job, then don’t be surprised if you lose it.

Most Filipinos don’t like to admit that they don’t know the answer to a question, choosing instead to give a vague, non-committal response that not only wastes your time but leaves you even more frustrated.

Speaking of things Pinoy’s don’t like to admit, we also don’t like to admit when we’re wrong. We usually blame everything but ourselves, trying to pass off the responsibility to the nearest person, inanimate object, or natural occurrence. Instead of being results-oriented and trying to solve a problem, some Pinoys would rather make it someone else’s.

Ever had to pay an insane amount for subpar service? Or for services you never received at all? You can count on having to fight just to speak with a customer representative, a disappointing resolution, a half-hearted apology (at best) and the same thing happening again the next time around.

We’ve all encountered the types of people who pick fistfights over the shallowest thing, the ones that start a scene just because you accidentally did or said something, or the ones who hold grudges and start playing games to “take someone down” for the silliest reasons. This kind of over-sensitive behavior is the epitome of being counter-productive—everyone gets too caught up in drama to move forward.

Some people just have no value for the word they give other people, like telling someone you’ll pay them back for a loan, promising to deliver goods at a specific time or ensuring a client that actions will be taken. There’s no honor in the promise given, causing relationships to get strained or broken off entirely.

Whether it’s flirting with a police officer to get out of a ticket, flirting with your boss to get someone else to take the fall for something or using a contact to get a job you’re clearly not qualified for, Pinoys have the tendency to exploit whatever means at their disposal to get what they want. Not only is this unfair, but it’s downright aggravating because so many people do it without even realizing that it’s wrong.

It all boils down to respect. Unprofessional people don’t have respect for other people’s time, thus living on Pinoy time which is always an hour (or even more) later than deadlines or agreed upon. It sucks for people who do their best to be on time, and those who work hard to deliver on their promises. It only takes one person living on Pinoy time to make an entire team or even company look bad, which is why people should become aware and get rid of it entirely.

What other unprofessional Pinoy habits annoy you? Share them by leaving a comment below!