LOVE AND ROMANCE

  Not only Filipino men are very handsome and romantic but the Filipina girls or Filipina women are world known for their stunning beauty. And some foreign women have finally figured that out the Filipino men can be quite a catch. Filipina girls, are not only beautiful women but a delight to be around because of the famous Filipina disposition and personality. Some, actually many who marry these Filipina beauties, swear they make the best wives in the world, not only beautiful, but loyal, loving and faithful past death. From living here so long that has been my experience too. And, don’t worry if you are older or overweight, like half the population of the western world. Both women and men here have the highest respect for age and weight is a plus to some here. It is a status symbol. If you are overweight, you virtually lose twenty percent of your weight when you step on Philippine soil. Age is respected. Consider yourself lucky to not be a kid anymore. The Filipinas will, hard to believe, but true. Young guys are welcome too The Filipina, How She Behaves in Her Culture, a "True Filipina." In the Philippines, if a man wants to be taken seriously by a woman, he has to visit the latter's family and introduce himself formally to the parents of the girl. It is rather inappropriate to court a woman and formalize the relationship without informing the parents of the girl. It is always expected that the guy must show his face to the girl's family. Filipino women, Filipinas, are expected to be pakipot (playing hard to get) because it is seen as an appropriate behavior in a courtship dance. It is also one way by which the Filipina will be able to measure the sincerity of her admirer. Most Filipinas like a man with a little, or even a lot of, meat on his bones. And the men here are attracted to "heavy" women, a sign of health to them, especially in provincial areas. In Asian cultures generally, being overweight is a sign of substance and wealth. When I told my Filipina wife, Ani, I was going to lose a little around the middle, she said, What for?" Love and romance is serious business with these conservative Filipino women, whether they are from a city like Manila or the countryside, the province. Romance and eventual marriage is a preoccupation, especially for young Filipina girls in the province. But your average Filipina is cautious about how she conducts herself, especially in the provinces, where every one knows everything about everyone. Virginity is sacred . Women are taught there virginity is a jewel. Filipino men are not interested in marrying a non virgin. women is responsible to not only herself but her family for protecting that virginity. She may not even be forgiven if she is raped. I know this is not fair. But that is the way it is and the Filipina girls know it. Many are badly hurt by men who lie and promise marriage, with no intention of ever marrying them. But they are forewarned in no uncertain terms most often. They know the risk they are taking by trusting a man who want to have sex before marriage. Much of my research on this subject comes from a book written by Dra. Lordes Lopez, the psychopathology of the Filipino. My experience bears out everything she says in her landmark book. The Philippines seem like a neighborhood rather than a country. Of a married or single woman strays, everyone knows it. Filipino men are reluctant to marry a non-virgin even if they are the one who took the virginity! If they could get them to break the rules maybe someone else can too. These young Filipina girls who stray, are called "soft noses," in some areas. The culture and the family lets the girl know it is her responsibility to keep her virginity as soon as they are old enough to understand what virginity is, not only in words by example. They understand is not the man's responsibility. They are well aware that most men are animals, sexually. As a man, I must agree with that. To steal one of Jay Leno's jokes, "Research doctors at Johns Hopkins University just this week, took out a man's heart and replaced it with heart of a pig." Then Jay asks, "Know what happened?" He punches with, "Nothing." "Everything was just the same." So Filipina women know it is their responsibility to guard their virginity. If they don't, they often pay a serious emotional and social price. If you are involved with a girl who is not a virgin in this culture, you are running the risk of getting involved with an emotionally unstable woman. She has broken the cultural mores, disobeyed her parents others. She may have other problems too, but maybe not. I feel, why take the risk? You may feel differently with good cause.

 

 

FAMILY TRAITS

 

The Fiesta Celebrations The Philippines could be called the land of festivals - there seems to be one happening somewhere every day. Every town and village has its annual fiesta, ostensibly to celebrate such events as the 'birthday' of their patron saint, the annual harvest of the main local agricultural crop, some historical or mythological event, or a combination of any of these. What is certain is that they represent the annual excuse for local people to forget all their daily troubles and really have a good time. Processions, church services, competitions, dancing and drinking are all essential parts of every festival, carried out with maximum gusto: Filipinos definitely know how to throw a good party ahiyas (overleaf)! The “precious offering” in May when the town of Lucban in Quezon Province becomes a blaze of color as each house is covered with flowers. Originally, a pagan harvest festival, Pahiyas is now given in the honor of San Isidro Labrador, the farmer’s patron saint. Although the word fiesta is Spanish, Filipinos have made it their own. It is not unusual for entire towns to participate in the celebration. Planning can take up to a year, and the decorations, costumes and events are often both expensive and lavish. Like Pahiyas, almost every major fiesta in the Philippines has its roots in the pre-colonial period. The god Bathala created the land and the sea and his creations have always been part of the actual and mystical way of live in the Philippines. The sea and the land provide food and shelter, but the spirits of nature who dwell in these places are not always benign and must be appeased. When the Spaniards came they brought with them a new God and new spirits who had to be honored too. To the adaptable Filipino, a celebration for one god should please another as well. Principal fiesta themes are fertility and planting, harvest, adoration and supplication. Sometimes they can be a combination of several themes such as the danced rites at Obando, which is both a supplication of infertile women to San Pascual and Santa Clara to bless them with a child hand a thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. The Ati-Atihan held on Kalibo, Aklan is another combined festival. Originally it was celebrated by the Negritos (Ati) to commemorate their new friendship with the Bornean datus. However, four or five centuries later, the Panay Filipinos borrowed the festival to celebrate the Santo Niño’s intervention on their behalf against the marauding pirates of Mindanao. While Christmas and Easter are purely Christian festivals, the enterprising Filipinos are always quick to make any fiesta reflect their own baroque spirit. During Christmas, which officially begins nine days before Christmas Eve (actually it can begin as early as September 1st) and ends with the Fest of the Three Kings, is the longest Yuletide celebration in the world. The symbol of Christmas in the Philippines is not the Christmas tree, but the parol, a five-pointed paper star lantern that probably had its origins in the Mexicans piñata. While they come in all sizes, the electric parols of Pampanga stand 20 to 30 feet high, giving off a blaze of kaleidoscopic color and light that fills the evening sky. Easter, celebrated in the Philippines as Holy Week, means fiesta and every barrio hosts a procession or a feast. Many barrios bring out elaborate, flower-draped processional carrozas (hand-pulled carts) carrying full-size figure's of the characters in the Easter story and parade them through town. One of the most colorful pageants during Easter is the Moriones held in Marinduque, where the celebrants don oversized Roman legionnaire masks and reenact the legend of "longinus According to St. John./I All over the Philippines, but primarily in the provinces of Pampanga, laguna and Batangas, pen itents perform the rite of flagellation, some allowing themselves to be crucified. One of the most famous devotional processions is the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila. Thousands of men (it is an all-male fiesta) work their way to the carroza carrying a life-size image of the kneeling Christ to touch their handkerchief to the statue. The handkerchief which actually touches the icon is said to have healing powers. While at most of the fiestas the processionals involve humans, in Pulilan, Bulacan the carabao, the national beast of burden, is the principal participant. It is the farmer's fiesta for the patron saint of husbandry, San Isidro, and on this special day the carabao is king. The animals is groomed and decorated with flowers, paraded in the streets and taught to kneel in front of the church. In a country that has an extensive river system it is not surprising that some of the fiesta processions are held offshore. One of them, the Peñafrancia Festival, is held on a tributary of the Bicol River where a barge called "pagoda" parades the image of the Virgin before her devotees lining the banks of six provinces. On land or on water, solemn or joyous, the fiesta is part of the Filipino lifestyle. When a congressman wanted to abolish the fiestas so that the money and energy spent on them could be put "to good use," the district abolished the congressman instead. ahiyas (overleaf)! The “precious offering” in May when the town of Lucban in Quezon Province becomes a blaze of color as each house is covered with flowers. Originally, a pagan harvest festival, Pahiyas is now given in the honor of San Isidro Labrador, the farmer’s patron saint. Although the word fiesta is Spanish, Filipinos have made it their own. It is not unusual for entire towns to participate in the celebration. Planning can take up to a year, and the decorations, costumes and events are often both expensive and lavish. Like Pahiyas, almost every major fiesta in the Philippines has its roots in the pre-colonial period. The god Bathala created the land and the sea and his creations have always been part of the actual and mystical way of live in the Philippines. The sea and the land provide food and shelter, but the spirits of nature who dwell in these places are not always benign and must be appeased. When the Spaniards came they brought with them a new God and new spirits who had to be honored too. To the adaptable Filipino, a celebration for one god should please another as well. Principal fiesta themes are fertility and planting, harvest, adoration and supplication. Sometimes they can be a combination of several themes such as the danced rites at Obando, which is both a supplication of infertile women to San Pascual and Santa Clara to bless them with a child hand a thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest. The Ati-Atihan held on Kalibo, Aklan is another combined festival. Originally it was celebrated by the Negritos (Ati) to commemorate their new friendship with the Bornean datus. However, four or five centuries later, the Panay Filipinos borrowed the festival to celebrate the Santo Niño’s intervention on their behalf against the marauding pirates of Mindanao. While Christmas and Easter are purely Christian festivals, the enterprising Filipinos are always quick to make any fiesta reflect their own baroque spirit. During Christmas, which officially begins nine days before Christmas Eve (actually it can begin as early as September 1st) and ends with the Fest of the Three Kings, is the longest Yuletide celebration in the world. The symbol of Christmas in the Philippines is not the Christmas tree, but the parol, a five-pointed paper star lantern that probably had its origins in the Mexicans piñata. While they come in all sizes, the electric parols of Pampanga stand 20 to 30 feet high, giving off a blaze of kaleidoscopic color and light that fills the evening sky. Easter, celebrated in the Philippines as Holy Week, means fiesta and every barrio hosts a procession or a feast. Many barrios bring out elaborate, flower-draped processional carrozas (hand-pulled carts) carrying full-size figure's of the characters in the Easter story and parade them through town. One of the most colorful pageants during Easter is the Moriones held in Marinduque, where the celebrants don oversized Roman legionnaire masks and reenact the legend of "longinus According to St. John./I All over the Philippines, but primarily in the provinces of Pampanga, laguna and Batangas, pen itents perform the rite of flagellation, some allowing themselves to be crucified. One of the most famous devotional processions is the Feast of the Black Nazarene in Quiapo, Manila. Thousands of men (it is an all-male fiesta) work their way to the carroza carrying a life-size image of the kneeling Christ to touch their handkerchief to the statue. The handkerchief which actually touches the icon is said to have healing powers. While at most of the fiestas the processionals involve humans, in Pulilan, Bulacan the carabao, the national beast of burden, is the principal participant. It is the farmer's fiesta for the patron saint of husbandry, San Isidro, and on this special day the carabao is king. The animals is groomed and decorated with flowers, paraded in the streets and taught to kneel in front of the church. In a country that has an extensive river system it is not surprising that some of the fiesta processions are held offshore. One of them, the Peñafrancia Festival, is held on a tributary of the Bicol River where a barge called "pagoda" parades the image of the Virgin before her devotees lining the banks of six provinces. On land or on water, solemn or joyous, the fiesta is part of the Filipino lifestyle. When a congressman wanted to abolish the fiestas so that the money and energy spent on them could be put "to good use," the district abolished the congressman instead.

Filipinos highly value the presence of their families more than anything. Regardless of the liberal influence they have gotten from the west, the family remained the basic unit of their society. This trait clearly shows among Filipinos abroad who suffer homesickness and tough work just to support their families back home in the Philippines.

In a traditional Filipino family, the father is considered the head and the provider of the family while the mother takes responsibility of the domestic needs and in charge of the emotional growth and values formation of the children. They both perform different tasks and being remarked separately by the children. Children see their mothers soft and calm, while they regard their fathers as strong and the most eminent figure in the family.

Because of this remarkable closeness, parents sometimes have difficulties letting go of their children and thus results to having them stay for as long as they want. For this somehow explains why grandparents are commonly seen living with their children in the Philippines. Unlike the way people grow old in the west where they are provided with outside homes and care giving, Filipino elderly enjoy their remaining lives inside their houses with their children and grandchildren looking after them.

Another trait Filipinos made themselves exceptional from others is their strong respect for elders. Children are taught from birth how to say “po” and “opo” to teach them as early as possible how to properly respect their elders. These words are used to show respect to people of older level. Even adults will be criticized for not using these words when speaking with their parents or people older than them. Inside the family, the parents are expected to receive the highest respect from the children along with the elder siblings; as they are given more responsibilities to look after younger siblings when parents are not around.

Children fighting back or addressing parents or elder siblings with arrogant tone are not at all tolerated. They are also not allowed to leave the house without their parents’ permission. Upon arriving home, conservative families expect children to practice the kissing of hands or placing their parents or elder family members’ hand to their foreheads with the words “mano po” as a sort of greeting.

Even after finishing school, Filipino children are not obliged to get out of their homes unless they want to. In fact, most of them keep their close relationship to their parents by staying at least before they get married. Leaving them happens only when they really have to, but usually, at least one child, depending on his willingness and financial capabilities, stay even after marriage to support and look after their aging parents.

More over, Filipinos keep close connection with other relatives. They recognize them from 2nd degree to the last they can identify. As Filipinos say, “not being able to know a relative is like turning their backs from where they come from

NATIVE GAMES AND SPORTS

The national sports in the Philippines are Sipa and cockfighting. Boxing, billiard, basketball, chess, ten-pin bowling and soccer are other famous recreational sports. Boxing, billiard, basketball and soccer are popular among Filipinos, with almost every barangay or barrio in the country having at least one boxing ring , billiard table, basketball court and soccer field. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) was founded in 1975.

The sports boxing, billiards (notably nine ball), ten-pin bowling and chess is where the Filipinos have gained enormous international success. The people's champions include heroes such as Francisco Pancho Villa, Manny Pacquiao, Mansueto Velasco, Flash Elorde, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Rafael Nepomuceno and Eugene Torre are among the top 3 to 10 best athletes, players in the world and all time.

The Palarong Pambansa, a national sports festival, has its roots in an annual sporting meet of public schools that started in 1948. Private schools and universities eventually joined the national event, which became known as the Palarong Pambansa in 1976. It serves as a national Olympics for students, with victors from competitions at the school, province, and regional level rising to participate. A recent (2002) event included the following sports: soccer, golf archery, badminton, baseball, chess, gymnastics, tennis, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, track and field, and volleyball are starting to gain great public interest in the country.

There is also a traditional type of Filipino Martial Arts called kali, which was first developed and used by tribes in Mindanao and later spread to the northern regions of the Philippines long before the Spanish colonization. A much simpler form was developed in reaction to Spanish limitations on the possession of weapons called eskrima (from Spanish escrima) and arnis de mano. These simplified styles were also developed so that they could be taught to many at once which is why they are referred to as a soldiers art like karate and not a warriors art like judo or its derived, kali.

National Holidays and celebrations
February 25 - E.D.S.A Revolution
April 9 - Araw ng Kagitingan
May 1 - Labor Day
June 12 - Independence Day
August 28 - National Heroes Day
November 30 - Bonifacio Day
December 30 - Rizal Day

Festivals

Native Holidays and Celebrations


January 1 - Bagong Taon (New Year's Day)
January 9 - The Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo and Manila
March or April (date varies) - Semana Santa (Holy Week)

Third Saturday and Sunday of September (date varies): The Peñafrancia Festivtval in Naga City, Camarines Sur, Bicol Region.
During the festivities people attend church services, followed by parade on the streets, fireworks, and feasting in honor of the Roman Catholic faith and native culture, and are attended by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos each year. The Peñafrancia Festival is also highlighted by a fluvial procession in the Bicol River.

November 1 (All Saints Day) through November 2 (All Souls Day). Undas (Day of the Dead) During all Saints/Souls day, it's traditional to visit the cemeteries and pay homage to their dearly departed.

December 24 - Noche Buena (Christmas Eve).
December 25 - Araw ng Pasko (Christmas Day).
December 31 - Media Noche Bisperas ng Bagong Taon (New Year's Eve).
January 1 – Bagong Taon (New Year’s Day)