Is Filipino Culture Too Hierarchical? And How It Shapes the Way We Treat Kasambahays
A Human+ Reflection by MaidProvider.ph
Filipinos pride themselves on warmth, generosity, and hospitality.
But beneath this national character lies a deeply rooted social pattern — one many households rarely discuss openly:
Filipino society is hierarchical.
Very hierarchical.
And this invisible architecture of “position,” “age,” and “status” quietly shapes how we treat the people around us — including the kasambahays and household workers who live inside our homes.
This is not about blaming Filipino families.
It’s about understanding a cultural system we all inherited.
Because until we name it, we can’t improve it.
1. The Philippines Is a High Power-Distance Culture — And It Shows at Home
According to decades of cultural research (Hofstede, GLOBE Study), the Philippines scores very high in “power distance.”
Simplified, this means:
Filipinos expect hierarchy
We accept unequal power structures
Elders outrank the young
Bosses outrank staff
“Tao namin sa bahay” is not just a phrase — it’s a worldview
Inside homes, this expresses itself quietly:
“Si Ate ang masusunod.”
“Si Yaya, utos mo na ‘yan.”
“Trabaho niya ‘yan.”
“Wag kang sasagot; ikaw ang bata dito.”
We rarely question these habits because they’re normal to us.
But “normal” is not always “healthy.”
2. Hierarchy Creates Emotional Distance — Even When Families Don’t Mean To
Many employers genuinely care about their workers.
Yet hierarchy creates an emotional gap:
Workers call employers “Ma’am/Sir,” never “Tita/Tito” or first names
Workers hesitate to express needs
Employers rarely share their full reasoning behind decisions
Workers default to deference, not honesty
The result?
A relationship that feels warm on the surface but unequal underneath.
This affects everything:
communication
assertiveness
conflict resolution
turnover
trust
Most resignations are not about salary.
They are about feeling small, unheard, or afraid to speak.
3. Hierarchy Makes Workers Say the Line Every Filipino Employer Knows:
“Okay lang po ako.”
Even when:
the job is overwhelming
the sleeping arrangement is uncomfortable
they are sick
they need help
they’re about to resign
Hierarchy teaches workers:
Don’t demand.
Don’t offend.
Don’t question.
Don’t make the employer uncomfortable.
This silence is not loyalty.
It is survival.
4. Hierarchy Shapes Expectations — Often Unrealistically
In many Filipino homes, hierarchy creates an expectation that household workers should:
adjust instantly
stay quiet
follow without question
accept last-minute changes
work beyond the original job description
absorb emotional tension without reacting
When a worker struggles, the reflex is often:
“Bakit parang ang hirap sa kanya?”
not
“Baka hindi klaro ang expectations namin.”
Hierarchy protects the employer — but it pressures the worker.
5. But Here’s the Truth: Filipino Hierarchy Isn’t “Bad” — It’s Unexamined
Hierarchy has positive sides:
Respect for elders
Politeness
Clear leadership
Strong family structures
The problem isn’t hierarchy itself.
The problem is using hierarchy without reflection — especially when someone lives inside your home and depends on you.
Hierarchy is a tool.
It can protect or it can pressure.
Human+ exists to make families aware of what they already feel but rarely name.
6. What Human+ Has Learned From 16 Years Inside Filipino Homes
Across thousands of placements, one pattern stands out:
Retention increases dramatically when hierarchy is softened with dignity.
The most stable homes show:
clear instructions
gentle tone
respect without superiority
defined boundaries
predictable routines
emotional safety
privacy
fairness
These environments feel structured — but not oppressive.
They treat workers as humans, not ranks.
7. Why This Conversation Matters
Because Filipino households are evolving.
Younger families want healthier dynamics.
Workers today value dignity, not just livelihood.
And the modern labor landscape requires clarity, not tradition alone.
We don’t need to erase hierarchy.
We just need to humanize it.
This is what Human+ is built for:
to help families see the invisible
to help workers find their voice
to help both sides live with more clarity and empathy
If nobody else will talk about the cultural foundations shaping domestic work,
Human+ will.