YOU ARE A FILIPINO IF… by Lorenzo Dacillo Paguirigan Jr.

Traits and Characteristics:

1. You are jovial, fun-loving, and fiesta-loving

2. You are an adventurist.
3. You have “pakiramdam” (deep feeling, sensitivity)
4. You are very spiritual. Transcedent, deep sense of kaba or premonition and kutob or
hunch
5. You are timeless. Measures time not with hours and minutes but with feelings.
6. You are spaceless. Concept of space is numberless and boundless.
7. You are excellent at adjustments and improvisations.
8. You are hospitable.
9. You have strong sense of familism and family ties.
10. You have strong belief in superstitions and the spirit of dead relatives.
11. You never forget what you have experienced, the favors or sympathies you received.

Values, Attitudes, and Predisposition:

1. MAHILIG SA PAGSALI SA “GAME SHOWS” AT “CONTEST”

2. Mahilig sa telenobela o teleserye
3. Mahilig sa Videoke kahit nababaril sa pag-awit
4. Mahilig sa “free taste” at libre

Filipino Customs or Practices:

1. In Filipino English: “Xerox” instead of Photocopy

2. Pagdidisplay ng mga larawan, diploma, plake sa living room.
3. May larawan ng Last Supper sa dining room at display ng malaking kahoy na kutsara at
tinidor
4. Nakataas ang isang paa kapag kumakain
5. Pagbabalot ng pagkain pagkatapos kumain sa fiesta o sa kainan
6. Paggamit ng nguso upang ituro ang isang bagay
7. Pagbasa ng laway sa daliri pag nag bibilang ng pera o pagbubukas ng pahina ng aklat
 8. Ilalabas lamang ang mamahaling kubyertos at kagamitan kung piesta o may bisita
9. Magdidiwang pagtapos ng isang mabigat na gawain o pagsusulit

Characteristics of Filipinos

Every country has its differing values and stereotypes, and the Philippines is no exception. We
Filipinos firmly believe that our country has the best values in the world. Although we have been
colonized by several countries, many core values from our ancestors remained intact and are still
honored to this day. Filipinos are not perfect, but we have great characteristics and qualities
every one of us should be proud of. Below I've listed some of the most well-known positive and
negative traits of Filipinos.

Positive Traits

Hospitality

This is one of the most popular qualities of Filipinos. Foreigners who have gone to the
Philippines find themselves falling in love with the warm hospitality they are shown. It's a
different kind of value system, which has existed for thousands of years. Here are some
examples of the hospitality that Filipinos show, not only to foreigners, but also to their fellow
citizens:

 When a person visits a friend's house, the host greets him or her with a very warm welcome.
The host will immediately let their visitor sit down and will prepare a meal or a snack plus
drinks for the visitor. The host will insist that the friend not leave the house with an empty
stomach. A host will always make sure you had a great time visiting them.

 People offer their guest room to visitors if they're going to spend the night.

 Meals offered to guests are very special. A host always finds a way to prepare great tasting
food that her visitor wants to eat.
Respect

This is often observed—not just by younger people—but also by people of all ages.

 Children respect elders by saying "po" and "opo," which mean "yes," when answering their
elders.

 Children or young adults also show respect by putting their elders' hands on their foreheads.

 Filipinos also show respect at work by making a bow to their employers.

Strong Family Ties and Religions

Yes. Filipinos value their families so much that they tend to keep families intact through the
generations.

 Families go to church and pray together because their religion is important and creates a
strong bond, marking God as the center of their lives.

 Families make sure to have quality time together especially after a day's work. Just watching
television or eating a family meal will be valued and prioritized in everybody's schedules

Generosity and Helpfulness

Filipinos are generous people. Even when we have very little, we always share with those around
us.

 During special occasions such as birthdays or "fiestas" —parties when people from other
places visit your home to celebrate with you—there are lots of foods specially prepared for
everyone! Friends, family, friends of friends, and even strangers can gather and they are
always willing to share food and help out.

 When a neighbor is in trouble, Filipinos are always ready to help them.

Strong Work Ethic

Yes, we are hardworking people to the point that we are willing to work almost the whole day
just to feed our families. That's how Filipinos are.

 One example of a hardworking person is a farmer. They earn so little but they still work very
hard for not much compensation.

 Filipinos always find creative ways to earn a living, like creating a small business from their
home where they sell foods or other items for the convenience of their neighbors.

Love and Caring

This is so true! Filipinos are the sweetest and most loving people in the world. I'm not just saying
this because I'm a Filipino; if you know us well, you will soon figure this out.

 Men are so sweet and romantic when it comes to love. They will send their beloved flowers,
bring her to a very romantic place, text her sweet quotes, and tell often how special she is to
them.

 Filipino women are also romantic and very caring, which often makes foreigners want to
marry them. Women tend to prepare dinner before their husband comes home. They are
loving, and value the relationship, always staying faithful to their husbands. They love
deeply and sincerely.

Negative Traits of Filipinos:

Fatalism: An attitude of "what goes around, comes around" or "come what may."
We have a tendency to surrender our future to fate. We often accept bad news or
circumstances without trying to stop or change them. This can sometimes be
helpful in adversity, but it can also keep us from finding ways out of situations.
Also, constantly expecting the worst can get pretty depressing.
 Crab mentality: This is prevalent in politics where people tend to push each other
down to clear the way for their own gain. Politicians, especially, try their best to
ruin each other, but this can also happen among regular people. I think it goes to
the point of selfishness.

According To: Jujanester (June 9, 2016), Characteristics of Filipinos, Retrieved from:

https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Filipino-Traits-and-Characteristics

What do Filipinos Value?

The term kapwa, or a shared inner self, lies at the core of Filipino values and psychology. A
person who treats another as a kapwa has a shared a sense of identity and consciousness with that
‘other’ person. Both in the individual and community level, strong emphasis is placed on social
acceptance and maintaining social harmony. As such, social approval and caring about what
others will think, say, or do strongly influence social behavior.

Here are some of the values that Filipinos have historically held important:

The family

The family is at the center of the Filipino community. Children are not expected to leave their
parents’ house until they themselves get married; and even after then, many couples opt to stay
with or close to their or their spouse’s parents. Also, they’re expected to care for their ageing
parents instead of sending them to a retirement home. This is why it’s common to see different
generations or multiple families living in a single residence. The value that Filipinos put into
caring for one’s family can also be seen as one of the reasons why nurses and caregivers from the
country provide their patients and clients with a high level of care.

Humor and positivity

Optimism, humor, and positivity are valued traits in the Philippines. The country has a long list
of national holidays, and many provinces and cities have their own sets of local holidays. At the
same time, in the face of difficult or challenging situations, members of the community are
encouraged to look at the brighter side of things. The inclination for finding the good in the bad
can be traced to the country’s location, which lies in the path of typhoons and sits along the
Pacific Ring of Fire. In a place where natural calamities are commonplace, humor and positivity
work as a coping mechanism, much like how some children laugh to hide their embarrassment
after slipping or falling.

Flexibility and adaptability

The term bahala na, which can be translated to whatever happens, happens, is one of the more
familiar phrases used in the country and is perhaps the most representative of how Filipinos
value adaptability and quick thinking. It exemplifies one’s belief in a higher power and
submitting one’s fate to elements that cannot be controlled. People who use the term bahala na
do not see anything wrong with it, as it serves as a sort of positive affirmation that allows them to
deal with a problem right then and there. However, those who do see it negatively often view it
as a form of fatalistic submission or a way to absolve one from the responsibility of their actions.

Faith and religion

Spirituality is deeply ingrained in Filipinos. A form of animism was already being practiced in
many pre-colonial societies and Islam has been firmly established in the southern islands even
before the Spanish brought Catholicism to the country. These days, religion still plays a big part
in society and in the everyday lives of Filipinos. The Catholic Church’s views still affect the
passing of some laws, most towns still hold fiestas to honor their patron saints, and many regular
non-working national holidays are dedicated to celebrating various religious activities and
events. To many Filipinos, religion helps shape their values and principles.

Filipino hospitality

Filipinos in the country and around the globe can be expected to extend a warm welcome to their
guests regardless of where they come from, how well they know their host, and why they’re
visiting someone’s home. Hosts typically provide their guest with food and entertainment and, if
there’s time, a tour around the local destinations. Before they leave, guests are entreated to take
home pasalubong or souvenirs, which often come in the form of delicacies and local sweets.

Culture and Tradition

Brief Philippine history

Long before the Spanish arrived in the Philippines, the communities in the archipelago have been
trading with what is now China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its location beside
continental Asia and along the border of the Pacific Ocean provided the archipelago’s inhabitants
a lot of opportunities to interact and communicate with different groups of people. Some of the
major influences that affected the communities in the islands are Hindu religion, language,
literature, and culture from India, and Islam from Arabia.

The Spanish Colonial Period began with the arrival of the Spaniards in 1521 and ended in
1898—lasting a total of 333 years. The islands were named The Republic of the Philippines in
1543, in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Christianity was also given heavy emphasis during this
time. After Spain was defeated in the Spanish-American War, the Philippines was occupied by
America, Japan, and again, America after World War II. By 1946, the United States has ceded
its sovereignty over the country and elections were held to elect the first president of the
independent republic.

Languages of The Philippines

The official languages of the country are English and Filipino, but there are over 175 languages
used in the Philippines. Most of these languages are under the Malayo-Polynesian subgroup of
Austronesian languages. It’s typical for Filipinos to grow up bilingual, and many even speak 3
languages— the 2 national languages plus the indigenous language in their area.
Philippine languages have been influenced by many other languages, including each other.
During the Spanish occupation, friars and priests, with great reluctance and much delay,
conducted religious instruction and almost all forms of formal education using Spanish under the
orders of the Spanish government. It was at this time that many Spanish words were borrowed
into Tagalog.

The American occupation saw the wide adoption of English as the language of instruction in
schools throughout the country. Before and after World War II, the Philippine government
actively took solid steps toward establishing a national language based on Tagalog, which was
used as a second language by almost half of the country’s population at the time. Then, in 1987,
Filipino was named as the National Language of the Philippines.

In the present day, both Filipino and English are taught as academic subjects and used as
languages of instruction in primary and secondary schools and universities throughout the
country. News and entertainment programs that are aired throughout the country are also often
delivered in these languages.

Religion

More often than not, the Filipino people place their moral values in religion, particularly
Catholicism and Islam. Religion is seen as a universal value that further strengthens the family
and sometimes even affects the government in power. This shouldn’t be an issue to you as a
business owner, since BPO in the Philippines is a major driving force for the country’s economic
growth. This loosens up the tensions between the Philippine government and foreign business
owners and investors, making it easy for investments to go through and for businesses to receive
tax relief on top of it all. However, due to the fact that Filipino talent have strong feelings about
their religion beliefs, it’s best if you keep your conversations both professional and friendly
when religion gets involved.
Filipino cuisine

The Filipino cuisine is a mesh between Chinese, Mexican, Malay, Spanish, Indian, and American
cooking. It usually consists of 6 meals per day, including breakfast, snacks, lunch, brunch,
dinner, and a final reach toward snacks to end the day on a full stomach. Most Filipino dishes
involve rice, which is served alongside other edibles.

Most Filipinos regularly use spoons, forks, and knives to eat their food, but sometimes hands
come into play when seafood is involved. Popular dishes include chorizo, asado, paksiw (pork in
vinegar and other spices), kare-kare (stew made of ox-tail), sinigang (soup delicacy made of
pork, prawns, or fish), longanisa (sweet sausage), and more.

On the other hand, some popular snacks are bibingka (rice cake made with margarine or butter),
polvoron (powder candy), puto (rice cakes), chocolate, and more.

Filipino work ethic

If you are considering hiring from, or outsourcing to, pThe Philippines, it’s important to
understand the differences in culture, so that you can get the best out of your workforce. As with
anything in life, to keep people motivated, engaged and doing their best, they need to be happy
and everyone needs to benefit from the relationship – it needs to be a win-win.

The Philippines workforce are some of the hardest working and loyal people on the planet. They
are very strongly community and family oriented, which should be reflected in the workplace
and management styles. It is hard to make generalisations, but Filipinos are very strong in more
creative and communication based roles – examples of this are design, content production, arts,
and many of the customer service oriented activities. They are also very strong in English
(spoken and written) – especially considering it is technically (historically) a second language for
them.
 Managing a Filipino workforce

Managing people generally is not easy. To get the best out of a workforce, you have to invest
heavily in the environment, and processes to ensure that you are providing adequate nurturing or
their skills and career. The workforce i the Philippines is no different. Properly managing a
nurturing a workforce in th ePhilippines isn’t necessarily easy, but if you get it right, you can
build n incredibly dedicated, loyal, and highly effective team. We have written a number of
articles covering these very items. Below are some of of recommendations:

Holidays in the Philippines

The Philippines is renowned for its both national, and local celebrations and festivals. They have
wonderful celebrations, which focus on and celebrate many of the core values mentioned above.
As a result of so much festivity, the country has more holidays than most other nations. These
holidays are briefly outlined below.

The Philippines has plenty of regular and special nonworking holidays that celebrate national,
religious, and cultural events. Regular nonworking holidays refer to holidays with a fixed date,
and schools and offices are typically closed on these days. These are:

 January 1, 2018, Monday – New Year’s Day

 March 29, 2018 – Maundy Thursday

 March 30, 2018 – Good Friday

 April 9, 2018, Monday – Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor)

 May 1, 2018, Tuesday – Labor Day

 June 12, 2018, Tuesday – Independence Day

 August 27, 2018, last Monday of August – National Heroes’ Day

 November 30, 2018, Friday – Bonifacio Day

 December 25, 2018, Tuesday – Christmas Day

 December 30, 2018, Sunday – Rizal Day

 Special nonworking holidays refer holidays that are enacted by the congress or declared under
the judgement of the president. Some holidays may apply to academic institutions but may not
effect business schedule or government functions. Some of the special nonworking holidays
celebrated in the country include:

 February 16, 2018, Friday – Chinese New Year

 February 25, 2018, Sunday – EDSA Revolution Anniversary

 March 31, 2018 – Black Saturday

 August 21, 2018, Tuesday – Ninoy Aquino Day

 November 1, 2018, Thursday – All Saints’ Day

 December 31, 2018, Monday – last day of the year

In addition, the government has also declared these 3 dates as nonworking holidays:

 May 14, 2018 – Barangay and SK elections

 November 2, 2018, Friday

 December 24, 2018, Monday

Employees who work on regular holidays receive 200% the sum of their daily rate plus their
daily cost of living allowance. Those who work on a special holiday, on the other hand, get
130%.

How Filipino values benefit outsourcing

There are plenty of reasons why many businesses prefer to outsource their processes to BPO
companies in the Philippines, and these include the high linguistic and cultural compatibility
between Filipinos and their clients. This factor not only affects the quality of service provided by
the workforce, but also plays an important role in how the office dynamics work. To conduct a
harmonious and effective working relationship, it’s best if both parties take the extra mile in
familiarizing themselves with the culture and values of the people they are working with.
Comprehensive guide to payroll salary compensation, benefits, and allowances in the Philippines

If you’re looking to hire people in the Philippines, especially if outsourcing, you should read our
Comprehensive Guide to Payroll Salary Compensation, Benefits, and Allowances in the
Philippines. It’s the most comprehensive guide to everything you need to know about salaries
int he Philippines, and all the associated considerations. It also covers holidays and general
allowances and expectations. As we mention above, there are a lot of holidays in the
Philippines, and they are a core part of the culture and community. Equally, there are a lot of
allowances, and peripheral things that you should know about when hiring a Filipino workforce
(from within The Philippines).

Retrieved from: https://outsourceaccelerator.com/articles/filipino-traits-and-values/

Fiestas and other celebrations in the Philippines

Month Festivals

1. Feast of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church, Manila)

2. Biniray (Romblon)
3. Lingayen Gulf Landing (Lingayen, Pangasinan)
4. Ati-Atihan (Kalibo, Aklan)
5. Daro Sinulog (Dumaguete Negros)
January
6. Sinulog (Cebu City)
7. Caracol sa Makati (Makati City)
8. Vigan Town Fiesta (Vigan City)
9. Apribida (Donsol, Sorsogon)
10. Dinagyang (Iloilo City)

February 1. Hot Air Baloon (Clark Special Economic Zone)

 2. Feast of Our Lady of Candles (Jaro, Iloilo)
3. Festival of Hearts (Tanjay City)
4. Pamulinawen (Laoag City)
5. Tinagba (Bicol)
6. International Bamboo Organ Festival (Las Piñas)
7. Tawo-Tawo (Bayawan City)
8. Dia De Zamboanga (Zamboanga City)
9. Panagbenga (Baguio City)
10 Santiago City Arts Month (Santiago City)
11. Sambalilo (Parañaque City)
12. Suman Festival (Town of Baler in Aurora Province)
13. Kalilangan (General Santos City)
14. Itik-Itik (Pasig City)
15. Sibug-Sibug Festival (Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay)

1. Kaamulan (Malaybalay, Bukidnon)

2. Arya Abra (Abra Province)
3. Sandugo (Tagbilaran, Bohol)
4. Araw ng Dabaw (Davao City)
5. Pintados de Pasi (Paasi City)
March 6. Homonhon Landing (Southeastern Samar)
7. Mt. Manunggal (Central Cebu)
8. Sinigayan (Sagas, Negros Occidental)
9. Moriones (Marinduque)
10. Semana Santa (Iguig, Cagayan)
11. Salubong (Angono, La Union)

1. Cutud Lenten Rites (San Fernando, Pampanga)

April 2. Kalilang (Marawi City)
3. Kadaugan sa Mactan (Cebu City)
 4. Tanduyong (San Jose City)
5. Conquer Mt. Apo (Kapatagan, Davao del Sur)
6. Bankarera (Peñablanca, Cagayan)
7. Cassava (Camotes Islands, Cebu)
8. Binirayan (San Jose, Antique)

1. Pista’y Dayat (Lingayen, Pangasinan)

2. Alinsangan Boa-Boahan (Nabla, Camarines Sur)
3. Carabao Carroza Race (Pavia, Iloilo)
4. Rodeo MAsbateño (Masbate City)
5. Pahiyas (Lucban, Laguna)
6. Magayon (Albay, Bicol Region)
May 7. Pineapple (Daet, Camarines Norte)
8. Flores de Mayo/Santacruzan (Nationwide)
9. Hundred Islands Festival (Lucap, Pangasinan)
10. Manggahan sa Guimaras (Guimaras)
11. Bolibong Kingking (Loboc, Bohol)
12. Panagyaman (Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya)
13. Bangkero (Pagsanjan)

1. Mudpack Festival (Murcia, Negros Occidental)

2. Pinyahan sa Daet (Daet, Camarines Norte)
3. Parada ng Lechon (Balayan, Batangas)
4. Tacloban Pintados Festival (Tacloban City)
5. Buklog (Dipolog City, Mindanao)
June
6. Baragatan (Puerto Princesa City)
7. Pili Festival (Sorsogon)
8. Taong-Putik (Aliaga)
9. Araw ng Maynila (Manila City)
10 Sublian sa Batangas (Batangas City)
 1. Kinabayo Festival (Dapitan City)
2. Sagayan Festival (Tubod, Lanao del Norte)
3. Pagoda Festival (Pasig River, Metro Manila)
July
4. Pinta Flores Festival (San Carlos City, Negros Occidental)
5. Tinalak Festival (Koronadal, Cotabato Province)
6. Simbalay Festival (Nabudturan)

1. Kadayawan sa Dabaw (DAvao City)

2. Adlaw Hong Butuan (Butuan City)
August 3. Palo-Palo Festival (Northern Province, Batanes)
4. Kalibongan Festival (Kidapawan City)
5. Lubi-Lubi Festival (Calubian, Leyte)

1. Bonok-Bonok Festival (Surigao City)

2. Peñafrancia Viva La Virgen (Naga City)
September 3. Tuna sa Gensan (General Santos City)
4. Sarakiki Festival (Calbayog City, Samar)
5. Panagdadapun (Cabarroquis, Quirino)

1. Zamboanga Hermosa Festival (Zamboanga City)

2. Masskara Festival (Bacolod City)
3. Lansones Festival (Camiguin)
October
4. Ibalong Festival (Legazpi City)
5. Fiestang Kuliat (Balibago, Angeles City)
6. Sagingan (Tubod, Lanao del Norte)

1. Feast of San Clemente/ Higantes (Angono, Rizal)

2. Helubong Festival (Lake Sebu, South Cotabato)
November
3. Guinakit of Maguindanao (Rio Grande de Mindanao)
4. Mt. Pinatubo Trek (Capas Tarlac)
 5. P’yagsawitan Festival (Maragusan, Compostela Valley)

1. Shariff Kabunsuan Festival (Cotabato City)

2. Giant LAntern Festival (San Fernando, Pampanga)
December
3. Christmas Symbols (Tangub, Misamis Occidental)
4. Tultugan Festival (Maasin )

Retrieved from: https://philippinescities.com/list-of-philippine-festivals/