JANUARY 12, 2026 — Filipinos are known worldwide for their smiles, resilience, and that uncanny ability to laugh even when knee-deep in floodwaters. Now, a new study by Twilio confirms another trait: we are the second most digitally patient consumers in Asia-Pacific, trailing only Indonesia. Seventy-six percent of Filipinos say they remain patient when dealing with automated customer service, compared to the regional average of 68 percent. 

On paper, that sounds admirable. But let’s pause — does this patience empower us, or does it allow businesses to get away with mediocrity?

The study reveals that Filipinos expect resolution within 27.3 minutes, yet in practice, we wait the longest in the region — an average of 31.9 minutes. 

As Nicholas Kontopoulos of Twilio put it, “Filipino consumers are patient because they start with a deep sense of trust, but this trust is a foundation that brands must either build upon or risk breaking.” 

And there lies the rub. Trust is beautiful, but blind trust can be dangerous.

We value clear instructions, data security, and warmth in digital interactions. In fact, more than a third of us want automated systems to reflect the friendliness of human agents. 

That’s so Filipino — our culture thrives on empathy and ‘pakikisama.’ But here’s the flip side: our cheerful disposition often lowers our expectations. Telecom outages, billing disputes, and delayed deliveries spark frustration, yet many of us still shrug and say, “Ganyan talaga, eh.” 

(That’s just how it is.)

This is the paradox of the Filipino spirit. Our patience is a strength, but it can also be exploited. Businesses know we’ll wait, so why rush to improve? Why invest in better systems if consumers rarely demand it?

So I ask: Should patience remain our badge of honor, or should we start demanding more? Because while smiles amid storms inspire the world, settling for poor service only keeps us stuck in the flood.

Patience is a virtue, but demanding better is power.

What do you think — does our digital patience reflect strength, or are we simply settling for less?

(Image: Pexels)