Filipino Culture
by: JC Bulan
If you’re a foreigner planning to be in the Philippines for some time, you would be welcomed warmly, given the natural friendliness of the Filipinos and their fascination for foreign guests. Or, you could suffer the ire of the sensitive people for failing to read in between the lines. So gear up and help yourself understand the Philippine culture with the tips below.
Filipinos are naturally polite people. Before children can even start talking, family members already orient them in using the words po and opo for elders. For example, if you see a subordinate speaking to her boss, you might hear these words sometimes paired with English words like “Yes po”, “Ok po”, or “No problem po” to soften the tone of the English words and maintain a cordial relationship with the superior. That’s why when the word po is removed from these expressions said without kindly eye contact and the Filipino has just met you, he can feel bad (called tampo).
Listen to a Filipino speak and observe how he acts. Though most Filipinos can speak and understand English, you would usually catch some Pinoy expressions. When thinking of the right English word to say you might hear “The ano” or “Ay talaga?”, which lets you feel that he is listening to you and is trying to follow the conversation. They do not want their companions to be embarrassed, more strongly described as “mapahiya”.
Aside from politeness, families also teach children to have reverence for their parents and the elders. One custom is the mano where they take the hand of the older person and bring this to their forehead. Filipino children are also taught to obey their parents’ wishes. Most parents groom their children to believe that having jobs in the fields of engineering, accountancy, nursing, and medicine will guarantee their success in society.
The children, even when they have their own families already, highly value the opinions of their parents and follow their recommendations to different aspects. However, times have changed so this is not always the case. They still listen respectfully to what their parents say but do what they think is best.
Filipinos are known for their hospitality. Sometimes however, being hospitable is coupled with the fear of losing face. A Pinoy on certain occasions, will offer to buy something for his companions even if he cannot afford it. His companions miss the “I’m not really smiling right now and I hope you would reject my offer” face.
Pinoys are farsighted (masinop) when it comes to materials masinop. We may lack discipline in keeping our streets clean, having candy wrappers and plastic containers littered around but we’re fond of keeping things which can be reused like shopping bags which we can turn into trash bags, plastic bottles for water storage or as smaller containers for our cooking oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. The mindset behind this is that since these materials are still in good condition, they can be useful for some other purpose.
If you’re a foreigner planning to be in the Philippines for some time, you would be welcomed warmly, given the natural friendliness of the Filipinos and their fascination for foreign guests. Or, you could suffer the ire of the sensitive people for failing to read in between the lines. So gear up and help yourself understand the Philippine culture with the tips below.
Filipinos are naturally polite people. Before children can even start talking, family members already orient them in using the words po and opo for elders. For example, if you see a subordinate speaking to her boss, you might hear these words sometimes paired with English words like “Yes po”, “Ok po”, or “No problem po” to soften the tone of the English words and maintain a cordial relationship with the superior. That’s why when the word po is removed from these expressions said without kindly eye contact and the Filipino has just met you, he can feel bad (called tampo).
Listen to a Filipino speak and observe how he acts. Though most Filipinos can speak and understand English, you would usually catch some Pinoy expressions. When thinking of the right English word to say you might hear “The ano” or “Ay talaga?”, which lets you feel that he is listening to you and is trying to follow the conversation. They do not want their companions to be embarrassed, more strongly described as “mapahiya”.
Aside from politeness, families also teach children to have reverence for their parents and the elders. One custom is the mano where they take the hand of the older person and bring this to their forehead. Filipino children are also taught to obey their parents’ wishes. Most parents groom their children to believe that having jobs in the fields of engineering, accountancy, nursing, and medicine will guarantee their success in society.
The children, even when they have their own families already, highly value the opinions of their parents and follow their recommendations to different aspects. However, times have changed so this is not always the case. They still listen respectfully to what their parents say but do what they think is best.
Filipinos are known for their hospitality. Sometimes however, being hospitable is coupled with the fear of losing face. A Pinoy on certain occasions, will offer to buy something for his companions even if he cannot afford it. His companions miss the “I’m not really smiling right now and I hope you would reject my offer” face.
Pinoys are farsighted (masinop) when it comes to materials masinop. We may lack discipline in keeping our streets clean, having candy wrappers and plastic containers littered around but we’re fond of keeping things which can be reused like shopping bags which we can turn into trash bags, plastic bottles for water storage or as smaller containers for our cooking oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. The mindset behind this is that since these materials are still in good condition, they can be useful for some other purpose.
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