It may be winter where you live (it certainly is where I live), but most Filipinos are preparing for the summer heat. If you sent your OFS 13th-month pay, some of them probably spent that money to buy new fans and air conditioners or upgrade the ones they already have.
Some employers are aware of this and have even given their OFS air conditioners as part of their 13th month.
we paid the 13th month pay on the 15th.
and my personal assistant got a new aircon (only cost us $435 total, but her loyalty and hard work are priceless)
Ziv
There’s also Bob H., who bought his OFS air coolers a few years back.
It can get scorching hot in the Philippines. In 2022, the highest heat index reached as high as 127 degrees (54 degrees Celcius). Most days, it’s around 86 degrees, but it feels much hotter because it’s humid. It’s the kind of heat that can make you dizzy if you’re not used to it.
This is why most homes in the Philippines have at least one electric fan. Many would have at least one per room. If you go into the slum areas, you’ll see few houses with air conditioning.
This is one of the reasons why the siesta (Spanish word for an afternoon rest or nap) is a common practice for Filipinos. They sleep when it’s too hot and return to work when the temperature becomes more tolerable. They’ve done it long before they adopted the Spanish term for it.
If you’re like Ziv and want to give your OFS something they can use to help them be more productive, you can help them buy something to improve their work conditions.
Fans, air coolers, and air conditioners aren’t that expensive in the Philippines. A desk fan in the Philippines starts at around $7. $30 can buy you an air cooler for a small room. Small air conditioners, on the other hand, start at $140. Still not that much.
John
PS. It’s cold where I live and I love it! Watching the snow is one of my favorite things to do.
