Introduction

Background of the Study

Many have tried to describe who the millennials

are and how different they are from the previous
generations. However, there is still an existing
gap on understanding the new preferences of
such generation (Alcasid et. al, 2016). The
Filipino millennials has been referred as
the digital natives – growing up amidst
social networks and rapidly evolving
technology. A generation that crave
growth and experiences versus stability.
They make up one-third of the country’s total
population (Rappler, 2010).Howe and Strauss
(2000 ) adds, “As a group, millennials are unlike
any other youth generation in living memory.
They are more numerous, more affluent, better
educated, and more ethnically diverse (Alcasid
et. al. 2017). As of the 2010 census there are
an estimated 25 Million Filipino Millennials
aged 15-29. Results from the 612 responses
receivednationwide showed that the top five words
used to describe Filipino millennials
are“confident”, “driven”, “self-centered”,
“ambitious”, and “passionate” (Garcia, 2016).
Young people always exist, and older
people will tend to complain about them
(Resnick, 2019). According to Protzko
(2012), millions of adults across many
cultures have criticized the younger
generation for their supposedly
worsening habits and expressions. This
notion is rooted in personal perspective:
authoritarian people think youngsters are
less respectful of their elders (Rooney,
2019). These are mostly perceived to be
disrespectful for the older age group. But
are they really meant to be offensive and
disrespectful?
This study aims to fill the gap in the
literature to better understand the
Filipino millennials’ forms and
expressions of respect.

Significance

A lot has been written about the millennials but very little understanding and consensus
has been made in deciphering the present forms and expressions of respect exhibited by
them. That is the aim of this study. Rather than referring to this generation through the
stereotypes propagated by popular media and driven by their much older cohorts, this
study finds value in exploring, identifying the different forms and expressions of
millennials, and drawing valuable conclusions from them.This study is significant in a way
it attempts to put a halt to possible misunderstandings and to regard generations not
merely as a group united by specific bonds, but as

people in unique positions and context, negotiating their reality in their own varied ways.
The works of Neil Howe and William Strauss (as cited in Reeves and Oh,2008, p. 298) invented the term
“millennial” in1987 and predicted a future for the AmericanMillennial Generation: “
 As a group, Millennialsare unlike any other youth generation in livingmemory. They are more numerous,
moreaffluent, better educated, and more ethnicallydiverse. More important, they are beginning tomanifest a wide
array of positive social habitsthat older Americans no longer associate withyouth, including a new focus on
teamwork,achievement, modesty, and good conduct.”

FRAMEWORK
One of the first steps to identify the existence of the millennials’ expressions and forms of
respect in the Philippines requires the assumption that a “millennial generation” exists, along
with an indicative set of values, habits, and attitudes that its members demonstrate. In 1991,
William Strauss and Neil Howe first coined the term ‘millennial’ to refer the individuals born
within the years 1982 to 2000. According to them there is a predictable cycle where generational
personalities form in opposition to their immediate predecessors but share significant traits with
groups they may never meet.
Strauss and Howe (2007) devised the Generational theory wherein, “ a generation encompasses a
series of consecutive birth years spanning roughly the length of time needed to become an adult;
its members share a location in history and, as a consequence, exhibit distinct beliefs and
behavior patterns”.