Filipinism refers to a set of words or phrases that are misused in proper English grammar. Still, this is how, in general, Filipinos speak English in their native tongue. It’s part of the culture. Primarily some phrases or words don’t have an exact translation in the English language.
But on this blog, I’d like to put a spin on Filipinism! So, Let’s talk about “Filipinism,” which also refers to Filipino cultures and characteristics that I am proud of. Cultures and characteristics are the ideal languages for showcasing who Filipinos are in the Philippines.
Some nationalities are bewildered towards Filipinos. So, I decided to pen the top Filipino cultures and characteristics to break any stigma. And help foreigners to understand us better, Filipinos, especially when they visit the country.
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Top 5 Filipinism that I am Proud of
Helpful Reads: 12 Filipino Words That Will Make Your Philippines Travel at Ease, 25 Reasons Why to Visit the Philippines, Pinakbet Recipe a Filipino Dish, 5 Amazing Places to Visit in Angeles City, Getting Smart on Philippine Money, Villa Angela Heritage House, Exclusive Hotel Yet Budget Friendly in Vigan City
1. Filipinos are epicure in nature.
Filipinos are foodies who enjoy eating. It makes no difference what cuisine it is. We’ll give it a shot. When it comes to food, Filipinos are daring. It is welcome if it is safe, edible, and will satisfy our curious musings. Being a foodie is one of the reasons why Filipinos, particularly Kapampangans, are well-known for their culinary skills. Filipinos value culinary diversity; thus, Filipino foods blend Western, Southeast Asian, Asian, and even Middle Eastern cuisines.
For instance, I love Indian cuisines such as chicken biryani, Haleem, Panipuri, and Vegetable pakora. I also appreciate Japanese foods like spicy tuna maki, beef ramen, fresh tuna sashimi, and shrimp tempura. I would say yes to Korean samgyeopsal and kimbob! Nepal has tasty beef steamed momo, which I adore. Not to mention the hummus of the Middle Eastern people; I can spread it on my bread, roasted chicken, French fries, and even in salads. Speaking of salad, my hubby loves Fattoush! And, of course, shawarma! This page won’t be enough if I will write all the foods I have tried and love!
2. Filipinos are Melophile.
Filipinos love music for its beautiful and gratifying art. Music is a powerful tool that can caress. There are well-known Filipino musical artists famous worldwide, like Lea Salonga, Apl.de.ap, Ryan Cayabyab, Freddie Aguilar, and others. Filipinos love to express their feelings through music. Therefore, we have a tradition called ‘Harana.’ It is a classic form of courtship in the Philippines. A man introduced himself to a woman by singing underneath her window at night. It’s sweet and romantic!
Filipinos enjoy singing and dancing! Thank you for the advancement of technology. Karaoke was born! Regardless of whether a Filipino is a good singer or not, he will sing in the name of music! What I admire about Filipinos being melophile is the sense of community it fosters. We place a high value on the bonds of family and friendship, and through music, everyone is welcome!
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3. Filipinos are Conversant.
We Filipinos are well-known for being hospitable, especially to foreign visitors. A list has shown that in the last five years (2015-2019), there are more than 33.336M arrivals in the Philippines. The top 10 nations who visited the Philippines are South Korea, China, the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Filipinos are engaged and are happy speaking with others, even foreigners. They can come up with an excellent and exciting conversation about anything under the sun. Filipinos are great listeners too. We value deep and meaningful conversations. We believe that through this, we can learn from each other.
Filipinos being conversant is also the reason why; we are a good fit in the English language. Although English is not our mother tongue, some may have broken English or hard-funny accents, but Filipinos are confident and comfortable when conversing with other nationalities. A study (from EF) showed that the Philippines is ranked #20 out of 100 countries/regions in English. And #2 out of 25 in high proficiency in Asia.
South Koreans visit the Philippines to study English and to become conversant. I once was a primary English tutor for grade school, mid-school, and college students. I helped them be more confident when speaking to others, regardless of nationality, through the English language. I helped them better understand English by being a good listener. I had so much joy during those days. I also learned from them, their cultures and traditions, and got to know some of my favorite Korean foods! Yes! Food!
Helpful Read: English? Here’s How to Fix It
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4. Filipinos live in frugality.
The Philippines belongs to a third-world country. And as a developing country, life is difficult due to the high rate of poverty, economic uncertainty, and lack of essential resources compared to the rest of the world. But this does not stop Filipinos. Filipinos are known to be resilient and resourceful. For example, a Fil-Am comedian Jokoy discussed his experience of how he went to school using a used container as his lunchbox in a video. Such an experience is so real! Because of a hard life, Filipinos learned to be resourceful and improvised things when in need.
Some Filipino Life Hacks
- When your dishwashing liquid is about to run out, add water to it, and shake. Dishwashing liquid is concentrated; hence even a pea dropped can clean much-used dishes with enough water.
- Cutting a body or face soap into two or even three portions! It’s economical.
- Use ‘tabo’ (scoop) and pail in the bathroom to save water consumption.
- Use of used containers like ice cream containers for food storage.
- Keeping unused sachet of ketchup from fast food take away for future use.
- Keeping unused napkins from fast-food restaurants for future use, especially when traveling.
- Watering down of shampoo in the ‘tabo’ when running out of shampoo or to last longer.
- Rolling up of sachet of coffee as a stirring device (I usually do this when I was working in a call center because I used to drink coffee a lot 😁)
5. Filipinos have close family ties.
Having close family ties is one value that we Filipinos are known for. Some said it’s not good because it results in unnecessary extended family structure and expenses. But Filipinos believe that families must be together and help each other out. So, family and relatives do as much as they can to sustain each other, even monetarily.
What I value about this is the act of giving back to elders and parents. Filipinos are more of taking good care of their elderly instead of leaving them to home care. Likewise, Filipinos will take care of their siblings’ kids or send them to school out of love and respect. After all, this is why we have a family – to take good care of one another.
Another effect of having close family ties is that it can provide stress relief. Family ties boost self-esteem and lessen anxiety. The strong bond can act as defending protection and provide a sense of belongingness.
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My Takeaway!
There you have it, Lounger! I hope you have learned about Filipinos and our culture. I also hoped that you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed listing them down. So, here are some blogs you can read about places in the Philippines that you might want to visit one of these days:
- Villa Angela Heritage House Review
- 5 Places to Visit in Angeles City
- Time Warp to Spanish Era
- Exclusive Hotel Yet Budget Friendly in Vigan City
- China Sea Beach Resort: We Got Tricked!!??
Thank you for your time! Please share this content with your family and friends. Your generosity is massively appreciated! Your coffee treats will help me maintain this blog site. Buy me a coffee here! You can also support us on Social: Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube! See you there! – Jemima❤️
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Hey Lounger! If you felt that you’d also love to blog and share compelling stories, you can start from HERE!
52Stirs.com 
Many thanks for sharing this!
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