THE FILIPINO CULTURE OF TINGI

A Descriptive PaperPresented to the Faculty ofCollege of Arts and SciencesUniversity of the Cordilleras

In Partial FulfilmentOf the Requirements of the Course

English 211:45 – 1:10 TTS

By

Anna Mae Catabay GacutanDecember 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1

TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………2

RESEARCH OUTLINE……………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

BODY……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9

Tingi in the Philippine Economy………………………………………………………9

Filipino Character and the Beginning of Tingi…………………11

Filipino’s Current Conditions and

Tingi’s Popularity………………………………………………………………………………………15

The Impact of Tingi on Manufacturers…………………………………………17

Benefits of Tingi on Consumers…………………………………………………………20

Consumers’ Cost, Manufacturers’ Benefits………………………………23

CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………28

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………31

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RESEARCH OUTLINE

Thesis Statement: While both buyers/consumers and

manufacturers believed they both benefit from tingi culture,

consumers focused on maximizing their limited budget through

buying tingi while manufacturers continue gaining profit due

to increasing market demand.

Statement of Purpose:

1. What is the nature of tingi?

2. What Filipino character or values cause the emergence

of tingi and its popularity?

3. What are the impacts of tingi to consumers and

manufacturers?

I. Introduction

A. The nature of tingi

B. History of tingi

C. Types of tingi

1. Sachet packaging

2. Pira-piraso (selling by piece)

3. Tumpok-Tumpok (selling by small pile)

4. Pahulugan (instalment)

II. Body

A. Tingi in Philippine economy

B. Filipino character or values that cause the

beginning of tingi

1. Ancient/Indigenous Filipino character/values

2. Current Filipino character/values

a. Creativity

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b. Adaptability

c. Endurance

C. Filipino’s current conditions causing tingi’s

popularity

1. Decreasing purchasing power

2. Coping with the status quo

3. Thinking ‘small’ perspective

D. Impacts of tingi on manufacturers

E. Advantages of tingi on consumers

F. Disadvantages of tingi on consumers

III. Conclusion

A. Summary

B. Findings

C. Recommendations

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INTRODUCTION

The Nature of Tingi

Tingi (piecemeal) is not a new idea in the Philippines.

This packaging a la Liliput has been used to target the

household consumers. All over the country, each

neighbourhood has sari-sari stores in every possible corner

where customers can buy a pack of coffee good for one cup

serving or a sachet of shampoo enough for one bath. Stalls

at the wet markets also have a system of repacking in

smaller quantities - one peso for a piece of tomato, three

pesos for a tablespoon of pepper, etc.; every possible food

item that buyers can think of, they can purchase it in

smaller quantities. In fact, food items are the most popular

candidates for tingi. And the list continues to grow, from

toiletries (a sachet of shampoo) to school supplies (a piece

of yellow pad paper) and even cell phone loads (Unlitext,

Alltext20, and Sulitext10). Interestingly, tingi culture

became part of Filipino’s everyday life.

History of Tingi

Tingi came from two words – konting hingi (ask for a

little amount). Based on history, konting hingi started in

barter, the common form of trade back then. In this trade,

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the exchange of goods is necessary as there is no currency

available yet. During the exchange, each participating side

would ask for a little bit more than the actual value of

their goods. In this case, both would give a little bit more

in order to create a better relationship with each other for

future transactions. Then the currency was introduced

together with the method of exact measurement. The goods

were priced based on their sizes or weight. Because the

goods were measured, those bits and pieces that were given

for free as part of konting hingi, were eventually priced.

Types of Tingi

There are four different types of tingi that Filipinos

get across with day by day. These are the following:

First is sachet packaging. These are food and non-food

items that are packed in smaller sizes. The packaging

material is usually made of plastic so it is very light.

They are cheap to buy, ranging from Php5.00 to Php10.00.

There are a variety of products to choose from; it is even

harder to think of an item that is not sold in sachet in the

Philippine market.

Next type of tingi is pira-piraso (selling by the

pieces). This method caters to both food and non-food items

too. Consumers can buy things by piece or two depending on

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their budget – a stick of cigarette or a clove of garlic.

These are sold in the sari-sari store and the stalls in wet

markets.

Then there is tumpok-tumpok (selling by the pile,

another way of selling tingi. This applies to food items

only like fruits, vegetables or small shrimps. The produces

are arranged in small piles or tumpok and sold at affordable

prices. Usually the average market goer buys these goods

because it is easier to estimate the amount needed for the

size of the family.

Finally, the last type of tingi is pahulugan

(instalment). Goods that do not fit an average family income

when purchased in one ‘big-time’ can now be afforded when

paid in instalment.

With all these details about tingi the researcher sees

how the uniqueness of this culture defines the Filipino

Character and values. Because of its distinctness to the

Filipinos, the aim of this paper is to analyze the impacts

of tingi to both consumers and manufacturers. Most Filipinos

lack the capacity to purchase goods beyond their budget and

tingi serves as a bridge between the consumers and the

goods. And the manufacturers provide the opportunity for the

buyers to purchase items at a lower price and smaller size.

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However, looking on a different aspect, tingi may seem

as only beneficial to the manufacturers alone at the

consumers’ cost. This paper then will weigh both sides and

prove that while both consumers and manufacturers believed

they benefit from tingi culture, consumers focused on

maximizing their limited budget through buying tingi while

manufacturers continue gaining profit due to increasing

market demand.

BODY

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Tingi in Philippine economy

Tingi, for Filipinos, is the very smallest degree of

retail (Joaquin, 2004). This unique Filipino culture

astonishes foreigners in the Philippines because, perhaps,

this is the only country in the world where people buy and

sell in pieces. Almost every Filipino buys tingi. In fact,

the 2012 data from Nestle, a company known for selling food

items, states that 40% of their products are sold in tingi.

This shows an undeniable presence of tingi in the

Philippines creating a relationship between the consumers

and manufacturers. This relationship continuously grows,

leading to the emergence of two types of economy which

Filipinos are known for, the ‘sachet economy’ and ‘informal

economy’. Because these ‘economies’ is what a typical

Filipino usually get to experience daily, it is good then to

describe each type.

A sachet economy is a form of marketing where goods are

sold in smaller quantities (Romero, 2004). Orders come bit

by bit as these goods, which are usually sold in bulk, are

packed in smaller portions. Big manufacturers such as

Procter and Gamble (Tide, Downy, Safeguard) and Robina Foods

(Lucky Me Noodles, C2 Green Tea) to name a few, participate

in this form of economy. A recent study from Synovate Global

Omnibus (provide description) revealed that 90% of Filipinos

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buy items in sachet sizes, including non-food goods such as

shampoo(90%), toothpaste (47%) and detergent (13%) (2005).

And the former Department of Trade and Industry Secretary

Mar Roxas shares the same view. In 2004, he said that

because of sachet economy, Philippines have become one of

the world’s biggest markets for goods sold in tingi, earning

itself the nickname, ‘the sachet economy’.

Aside from being the sachet economy, tingi, is also a

part of the informal economy. According to Sicat (2011),

The informal economy is a collective term for many

low-productivity transactions in the economy. The

prices of services and the rules of doing business

transactions are not governed by rules determined by

law and public policy. The transactions happen through

personal dealing among participants. There is a small

amount of products and it is still divided in smallest

portion possible for easy disposal.

In an informal economy, the manner of doing business is

outside the laws governing the country. A more common term

used is ‘underground economy.’ For example, if Mang Berting

decides to sell the fruits of his mango tree, he just needs

to place a sign at his gate stating what he is selling

(mango) and how much would it cost. It is informal since he

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doesn’t need to rent for a pwesto (space) in order for him

to sell. And he can skip paying taxes too unlike his large

store’s counterpart thus, making his business outside the

law. In this informal selling of goods, tingi culture can

also be observed.

Aside from being the sachet economy for big companies

who follow the regulations stated by the Philippine Laws,

tingi culture is a part of informal economy. Here’s how:

Those who cannot find a livelihood as part of the organized

economic activities often end up as participants in this low

income sector (Reyes, 2000). The vendors of tumpok ng

kamatis (pile of tomatoes) or a piece of atis became

merchants selling, without restrictions, marketable produce

in smaller quantities so that the buyers can afford them.

Filipino Character and the Beginning of Tingi

Determining the Filipino character/values in the past

and today helps identifying the cause of tingi’s emergence.

Historically, tingi is part of the Filipino’s

indigenous character/values. According to Nick Joaquin,

(2004), the value of thinking small from our indigenous

roots started the tingi culture. During the indigenous era,

before the Philippines was colonized by Spaniards and

Americans, ancient Filipinos lived in a small community or

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balangay consisting of 30 families. The communities aim is

to provide the basic needs of its members like food, water

and shelter. And with such small number, it became easier to

manage the resources and live by the indigenous perspective

of ‘kumuha lang ng kayang ubusin’ (take only what you can

consume). The Filipino ancestors then would hunt only for

their family and communities consumption. For example, three

pieces of fish or a bunch of banana was enough for a family

of five, therefore when they gather food; they wouldn’t take

more than that amount. This was the indigenous practice that

gave rise to the culture of tingi. No one takes more than

what they can consume because everyone’s aim was to satisfy

the physiological needs of the individual and the community

as a whole. However, when the Filipinos were colonized by

Spaniards and Americans, they were introduced to foreign

perspective of ‘tubo’ or profit and ‘sobra-sobra’ or

excessive. Currency and trading arrived and the Filipino’s

aim was no longer to supply the basic needs, it was to gain

profit. Nevertheless, the indigenous practice of consuming

in tingi remained despite the change of perspective.

Together with the indigenous Filipino value system,

current Filipino character also helped in establishing the

culture of tingi. These are creativity, adaptability and

endurance, which are also considered as Filipino Strengths

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(Enriquez, 1987). Adaptability is the great capacity to

adjust to circumstances. In the current economic situation

of the Philippines, 90% of the population belongs below the

middle class, the class D and E (A upper income; B upper-

middle income; C low-middle income; D low income; E

subsistence market). These are the members of the population

whose income is Php20, 000 per month or lower. This means

that most Filipinos with their limited budget, buying tingi

is their way to adapt and to satisfy their basic needs. One

Aling Maria, who earns Php150.00 a day, would only buy those

items that fit that amount. Therefore, in order for her to

buy the most possible variation for her money, she would

adjust and purchase food and non-food items in sachet to

guarantee her family’s survival for that day.

Creativity is another current Filipino character that

built the culture of tingi. Filipinos showcase this through

improvisation. This can be observed in sari-sari stores and

wet markets all around the Philippines. When a sari-sari

store owner buys a gallon of cooking oil, he/she would find

a way of disposing the product instantly. So he/she would

divide the cooking oil in smaller portions allowing his/her

customers to have a ¼ cup for Php5.00. One can notice this

creativity in wet markets too. Vendors would separate 2

kilos of onions and sell them in tumpok-tumpok or pira-

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piraso. Dividing large items in smaller quantities would

guarantee that these items are abot-kaya (affordable)

therefore more customers have the capacity to buy them. And

more customers mean more profit.

When Filipinos make do what is available in the

environment, this is endurance, another current Filipino

character that maintained the existence of tingi. This

character is depicted through the ability to survive amidst

the current impoverish status of the Philippine economy. In

this economy, aside from having majority of the population

that lives on a limited or most of the time insufficient

budget, the prices of commodities increased over the years.

Faced with this crisis, Filipinos budget their money to

maximize the items it can buy (Aldaba, 2011). Tingi culture

does make available a variety of necessities in smaller

amounts to fit a typical Filipino budget. And together with

the value of creativity and adaptability, endurance helps

the Filipinos carry on and survive the current situations

they come upon.

Filipino’s Current Conditions Causing Tingi’s Popularity

The presence of sachets and tetra packs is inevitable

to the local market. Coffee, toothpaste, sugar - these are

sold at large supermarkets down to the sari-sari store.

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Items like the fabric conditioner that were before sold in

their standard sizes can now be purchase in sachets. Every

imaginable product there is are now fast becoming sachet-

driven because more and more consumers continue patronizing

these tingi items. The result of the survey conducted by

Synovate agrees to this; the most successful product that

gained popularity in consumers in terms of TV product

placements were hair products that can be purchased in

sachet. No wonder why L’oreal, a known regular-sized and

expensive shampoo, commenced on micro-repacking just this

year.

With this significant increase in the success of tingi

on consumers, this paper would not only determine the

Filipino character causing the surfacing of tingi but also

the current Filipino conditions that were responsible for

the tingi’s fame. There are three factors responsible for

the consumer’s obvious preference of buying tingi. First, is

the decreasing purchasing power of the class D and E

consumers. Economies like the Philippines adopt a sachet

economy because of the inability to allocate more money for

the regular sized items (Lingbaon, 2011). In a country where

majority of the population is below the middle class, people

buy tingi because their household budget is limited. They

live by the day, this means they only purchase what they can

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consume or sometimes even less since that is the most that

their budget can afford or simply ‘pagbili ng ayon sa

makakaya.’ For instance, if Mang Pedro earns Php200 per day

for his family of five, buying a 200 ml bottle of shampoo is

illogical. It would eat up almost half of his budget and his

family will not only need shampoo for the rest of the day.

He still needs to allot money for food, transportation, and

bills, expenses that are more necessary than a regular sized

shampoo. He will then find a way of spending his Php200 in

such a way that all his family needs are met. Those she will

select the smartest choice, that is, to buy in tingi. Not

only that this option will meet his family needs in smaller

portions, but also might allow him to even set aside a

little something for savings.

Another current Filipino situation is tingi as a

mechanism in coping with the status quo. The prevailing

status quo in the Philippines is to ‘live’ like the middle

class or even higher. Buying in sachet then is a good coping

strategy; it provides a taste of a middle class life, only

in smaller sizes. Cosmetics, birth control products, and

medicines which are expensive in their regular sizes and can

only be acquired by the middle class and higher, are sold in

tingi offering the lower class a glimpse of the status quo.

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Tingi culture allows the lower class to experience what it

feels to be prosperous once in a while.

And lastly, the ‘thinking small’ perspective

contributing to tingi’s growing popularity. According to

Nick Joaquin, “The difference is greater than between having

and not having; the difference is in the way of thinking.”

(2004). He means that scarcity of budget or poverty is not

the cause of tingi’s fame in the Philippine market. It is

because Filipinos are accustomed to thinking small, of

thinking petty. What may have affected this perspective is

the indigenous habit of the Filipinos. Going back to

history, everything operated in a micro-scale - the nipa

hut, the barangay, the miniature artifacts. Hence, now,

Filipinos buy small and sell small and the cycle continues.

The Impact of Tingi on Manufacturers

In the Philippines, its unique retail structure has

fuelled to move toward smallness (Chua, 2005). Sari-sari

stores account for nearly 90% of the country’s total retail

outlet. The presence of both the sachet economy and the

informal economy can be seen from large supermarkets down to

the neighbouring sari-sari store. And these retail outlets

continue to grow carrying ubiquitous sachets and bits and

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pieces. With such growth, tingi made two major impacts on

manufacturers: It provided the manufacturers a wider market

and increased in profit. Here’s how.

Tingi culture provided the manufacturers a wider

market. The 2011 AC Nielsen survey results agreed to this.

Based on the result, lower class earning less than Php20,

000 a month which comprises 80% of the population, would buy

on a need basis, mostly in small-sized packs. Adding on this

pool of regular customer is the middle class. Despite having

the capacity to purchase in bulk, 100% of them purchase

tingi too for other reasons. This swelling in population of

tingi’s buyers created a larger opportunity for the

manufacturers to market their products.

Having a wider market now leads to profit, another

effect of tingi on manufacturers. At first glance, one can

say that bulk sized item offer more profit than sachets,

that, makes more sense. However, though it is true that

Filipinos in class D and E or the lower class buys in

smaller volumes, their huge number compensates for it. Also,

much less consumers buy products in their accustomed sizes

because they (the products) became unaffordable due to

constant price increase. So, the manufacturers brought the

products back within the reach of the consumer budget

through tingi sizes. This was the manufacturers’ way of

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making possible the consumer’s continues access to commonly

used products during times of economic stress (Romero,

2004).

To maintain the flow of revenue, millions of

manufacturers budget are spent on advertising in mass media

like newspapers, billboards, radio and television. This

increase in profit impact on manufacturers is proven by data

from Unilever and Procter & Gamble (P & G), two of the major

producers of goods in the Philippines. According to

Unilever’s Vice-President for Corporate Planning Chito

Macapagal, 70% of their sales were from sachet market.

That’s 70% of Php30 billion, or Php21 billion pesos three

years ago. And their rate increases every year. And P &

experience the same trend. According to their 2009 data

released on Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics,

Vol.23, 100% of their products are marketed in sachet

contributing to 60% of their total income for that year. In

just their shampoo business alone, 68% of their sales were

generated by sachet (Sy-Changco, 2011). According to P&G’s

Marketing Manager Nicole Villarojo:

For the company, sachet marketing has become a

“point of parity” or standard that all players have to

conform to in this country. Decades of its presence in

the country have evolved a system of approval and

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execution of the local office recommendations to the

headquarters to adjust to the local markets, especially

the bigger D and E class.

In a wider market equipped with advertising strategies,

manufacturers continue to cater their customer’s needs

through sachet marketing. It is through sachet marketing

that they can be assured of continues customer loyalty and

profit.

Benefits of Tingi on Consumers

From a bulk buyer stand point – buying in tingi is a

waste of money. Logically, buying a stick of cigarette would

cost more than buying it in a pack of 20’s. But for constant

tingi users, it provides a better option for their tightly

held budget.

When the Soap and Detergent Association the Philippines

was asked why sachet is a better option when in fact a

consumer doesn’t save at all, they answered, “The

introduction of sachets (tingi) has made quality products

that offer hygiene benefits accessible to the poorest part

of the population.” Their answer was implied but very clear

in essence; buying sachet is clearly expensive but everyone

can afford it.

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Indeed, a sachet economy does make available a variety

of necessities (Dumlao, 2005). That’s one of the

advantageous impacts of tingi culture on Filipinos and their

least spending power. Tingi culture produces goods that can

be divided in usable portions such as a sachet of toothpaste

or four cloves of garlic which suits even the modest budget.

There is another advantage of tingi culture –

affordability. Consumer products in their standard sizes

became out of reach for most consumers (Simeon, 1999).

Because of this, consumers opted to purchase items in

smaller quantities and in lower prices.

Besides affordability, practicality is another positive

impact of tingi. This applies in two ways. First is storage.

“There is no need to look for storage containers or location

as the product is consumed in one use” (Calooy, 2011). Also,

toothpastes, soaps, and shampoos that come in sachet can be

easily packed when travelling. Then from a potential first

time user, small quantities offer a chance for product trial

without committing too much from a limited budget (Dumlao,

2005). A good example of this is when consumers want to try

a new brand of shampoo. Since the shampoo is in sachet, they

would only spare a bit of their money, around Php4.00, for

one pack, just enough for them to distinguish the brand

difference. In case the newly tried shampoo’s result turned

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bad, the regret on the consumers’ part would be far less

than if that shampoo was purchase in a larger size. That is

because they just spent a little amount on sachet than if

they spent a larger amount for the regular sized shampoo.

Convenience is the last benefit the customer gains from

tingi culture. Sari-sari stores which carry most of the

basic needs of the Filipinos account for nearly 90% of the

country’s total retail outlets. These outlets are present

even in poorer rural areas so consumers prefer buying from

them because of their accessibility. Sari-sari stores in

rural areas have everything, food and non-food items even

medicines can be purchased from them. Same thing happens in

the cities. If urban dwellers need a piece of sanitary

napkin, they will not waste their time going to supermarkets

or groceries they would just simply buy from the sari-sari

store across the street.

These advantages showcase the Filipino character

strength of adaptability (Andres, 1987). Filipinos learned

to attune their spending habit according to what is

available.

But these advantages are obvious, a point of view that

is very shallow and external. While this paper do not deny

the positivity that tingi culture brings on Filipinos, it is

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just but proper to present the costs of a tingi, a sachet

heavy economy.

Consumers’ Cost, Manufacturers’ Benefits

The popularity of sachet products in the Philippines is

underpinned by the desire of consumer within the lowest

income brackets to glance at the same products that were

once available only to the well off. Consumers from class D

and E can now conform to the status quo, only, in smaller

quantities. Furthermore, to fuel the consumers’ craving for

middle class items, aggressive marketing strategies are used

to lure the buying public. Take a look at the advertisement

of pH Care, a feminine wash. The product claims of being a

basic need for women to feel fresh and comfortable daily and

that washing your genitals with soap and water is not

enough. A 200ml of pH Care costs Php189.00. The price is

steep for class D and E. So to make the product sound as a

necessity and cater a wider market, pH Care is now sold in

10ml sachet at Php8.00 retail price. Unilever employed the

most forceful form of advertisement: to make a product seems

like a necessity to guarantee purchases and offered the

product in tingi to increase its profit.

From a manufacturer’s perspective, this is fine. It is

how the marketing works, for the product to be recognized

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and to be sold. However, a problem rise when the

manufacturers gain benefits at the cost of the consumers

and the disadvantages that tingi or sachet economy gives the

Filipinos far outweigh its advantages.

The first disadvantage of tingi culture, particularly

the sachet economy is that, the same quantity of product

cost a poor individual more money than it does on a wealthy

person (Tolentino, 2012). Simply because buying in tingi

costs more than buying in bulk. Compare a sachet of shampoo

for 10ml that has a retail price of Php5.00 and its regular-

sized 200ml bottle for Php79.00. For consumers using the

10ml, they need to spend Php100.00 in order to reach the

200ml consumption. They ended up paying Php11.00 more for

the same volume. It really cost a lot more to purchase in

tingi than in regular size. “This sachet economy from tingi

culture is a vicious cycle – Filipino consumers have to

spend for those highly expensive tingi and never get to

save.” (Tanyu, 2012).

Secondly, tingi culture supports the profit-driven

perspective of the manufacturers at the expense of the

consumers (Chua, 2005). Consumers shoulder the cost of the

packaging not just the product. Separating the products into

smaller packages costs more money than bulk sizes. This

‘packaging cost’ is passed onto the consumers. Besides the

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cost of individual packaging, retail display is another type

of cost that is factored in to the price of the product.

Manufacturer and distributors spend money not only on

stragically visible display locations but also for the

product to be actually carried by the store, known as listed

(Dumlao, 2005). Being listed requires a fee and in today’s

competitive market, the display racks of each brand inside

the supermarkets are made wider and more eye-catching – for

a fee. These costs become included in the pricing of

products and the consumers unknowingly shoulder these costs.

The waste product from packaging material used in

sachets and items from the wet markets is another

disadvantage. Since more and more of the population use

sachet and plastic bags, more waste is generated. Plastic is

the dominant packaging material; it is light-weight and non-

biodegradable. Which means it would take 1000 years or more

for it to disintegrate. This continuous waste generating

activity poses a greater effect on the environment. Plastic

contaminates the water, blocks the drainage that prevents

flood and when burned, pollutes the air. This costs the

Filipinos their health in exchange of supporting tingi.

Lastly, a sachet economy is a “self-perpetuating cycle

that is most profitable where most of the population remains

poor” (Tanyu, 2012). The low income class stays large in

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number and even widens because more member of the population

experiences poverty. This creates a system for greater

demand for sachet and this system is exploited by big

companies that profit from tingi culture. They prefer the

tingi culture, the sachet economy to stay because of revenue

(Tolentino, 2012). For the consumers, tingi is a ‘band-aid’

solution to patch the increasing poverty. However, what

tingi fails to address is the long term solution on how to

make the prices of commodities accessible to everyone, not

just for the middle class and above.

Tingi culture constructs an illusionary perception that

Filipinos purchasing power is not limited. That they are not

poor because they can still afford to buy (even in smaller

sizes). And that the Philippines economy is on its ‘best’

condition because all their basic, and not so basic wants,

are still available.

By looking at tingi in a broader perspective, the

disadvantages are compelling more than its benefits. This

culture benefits more the corporate entities that profit

from it and the consumers are on the losing end.

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CONCLUSION

Summary

Stating that tingi (sachet) as the main retail trade in

the Philippines is not an exaggeration. Tingi culture was

present even in ancient times and has evolved overtime. It

has its advantages and disadvantages on manufacturers and

consumers.

For manufacturers, tingi culture created a wider

market. Every product became sachet driven. Because of this,

27

increased in their revenue was guaranteed. It serves as a

bridge to bring the brands in the most number of consumers.

For consumers, its advantages are the following: It

brings out the most positive Filipino character like

creativity, adaptability and endurance. It is a mirror of

how the indigenous Filipinos manage their communities and

how they value every member. Also it proclaims the culture

of “di pagkuha ng sobra-sobra, para may matira sa iba” (“not

to take more than what is appropriate so that others may

have it too”).

On the other side the disadvantages includes the

following: First, buying tingi is more expensive. Then,

packaging material from tingi contributes to waste

generation. Also, the profit driven manufacturers benefit

more from tingi at the costs of the consumers. Lastly, tingi

culture, sachet economy in particular does not offer a long

term solution to the Philippine’s economic problems. Tingi

culture then only offers greater benefits on the

manufacturers.

Findings

These are the findings that the researcher found during

the course of research:

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1. Tingi culture portrays the indigenous culture that

Filipinos inherited from their ancestors. It is a very

positive culture because it inhibits the Filipinos to

ask more than what they need. Instead, it teaches them

to only take what they can consume so that others may

enjoy it too.

2. Tingi culture allows the current positive Filipino

character strengths to flourish. They use these values

such as creativity, adaptability, and endurance, in

order to get by.

3. However, no matter how it sounds, still the

manufacturers benefit from tingi culture at the cost of

their consumers.

Recommendations

The following are the recommendations for further study

or application in needed context:

1. Tingi culture on manufacturer’s point of view should be

known by the customers in order to weigh if buying

tingi is beneficial for them or not.

2. Use surveys and ask a specific group about tingi and

conduct a case study about their behaviour.

3. Filipinos should find ways to solve the long term

problems of poverty not by giving a band-aid solution

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like sachet economy and not on the expense of the

consumers.

REFERENCES

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Enriquez, V., & Pe-Pua, R. (1991). Sikolohiyang Pilipino. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press.

Flores, W. (2007, March 6). Business Lessons from Mar Roxas: Sachet Economy. Philippine Star, p. B3.

Joaquin, N. (2004). A Heritage of Smallness: Culture and History. Manila: Anvil Publishing.

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Jocano, F. (1997). Filipino Value System: A Cultural Definition. Manila: University of Sto. Thomas Press Publication.

Simeon, S. (1999). The Neighborhood Sari-Sari Store. Manila: Anvil Publishing House.

Villanueva, N. (1975). Society, Culture, and the Filipinos. Quezon City: University of the Philippines Press.

Villegas, B. (2001). Guide to Economics for Filipinos. Quezon City: Vibal Publishing House Incorporated.

Dumlao, T. (2005). A Sachet Economy. Journal of Brand Strategy, pp. 22-28.

Olarte, A., & Chua, Y. (2005, August). Feast and Famine: Mini-size Me. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Vol 7, pp. 12-14.

Sy-Changco, J., Pompitakpan, C., Singh, R., & Bonilla, C. (2011). Managerial insights into sachet marketing strategies and popularity in the Philippines. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 23 Iss: 5, pp. 755-772.

Aldaba, K. (2011). Tingi Culture Within the Status Quo. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from http://www.scribd.com/doc/73664448/Tingi-Culture-Within-the-Status-Quo

Calooy, R. (2011). Understanding the Filipinos Unique Micro-repacking Mentality. Retrieved October 25, 2012, from http://www.entreprenuer.com.ph/ideas-and-oppurtunities/article/understanding-the-filipinos-unique-micro-repacking-mentality.

Lingbaon, A. (2011, July). Tingi-Tingi. Retrieved November 8, 2012 from http://theabidiaries.com/201/07/about-sa-ching-saching-its-about-tingi

Sicat, G. (2011, March 30).The informal economy, employment, and development. Retrieved November 2, 2012 from

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http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?publicationSubcaegoryID=66&articleID=671067

Tanyu, K. (2012, May 16). Once a month payday in the Philippines why not. Retrieved November 5, 2012, from http://opinion.inquirer.net/28737/once-a-month-payday-in-the-philippines-why-not

Tolentino, R. (2012, October 27). Sachet o tingi-tinging pakete ng gitnang uri. Retrieved December 2, 2012, from http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/10/27/sachet-o-tingi-tinging-pakete-ng-gitnang-uri

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