...you are familiar with the following:
Our Filipino culture illustrates amusing Filipino facts and
what’s best of the Pinoy. Some things charmingly Pinoy never change, and always
remained a part of our lives. As a signature of our identity, here are a
hundred points that mark us unquestionably Pinoy. If you are homesick, this is
one delightful way to put a smile on your face.
MERIENDA. Where else is it normal to eat five times a day?
SAWSAWAN. Assorted sauces that guarantee freedom of choice,
enough room for experimentation and maximum tolerance for diverse tastes.
Favorites: toyo’t calamansi, suka at sili, patis.
KUWAN, ANO. At a loss for words? Try these and marvel at how
Pinoys understand exactly what you want.
PINOY HUMOR AND IRREVERENCE. If you’re api and you know it,
crack a joke. Nothing personal, really.
TINAG. Thank goodness for small entrepreneurs. Where else
can we buy cigarettes, soap, condiments and life’s essentials in small
affordable amounts?
Mano [Photo by Jim Bonner]
SPIRITUALITY. Even before the Spaniards came, ethnic tribes
had their own anitos, bathalas and assorted deities, pointing to a strong
relationship with the Creator, who or whatever it may be.
PO, OPO, MANO PO. Speech suffixes that define courtesy,
deference, filial respect–a balm to the spirit in these aggressive times.
PASALUBONG. Our way of sharing the vicarious thrills and
delights of a trip, and a wonderful excuse to shop without the customary guilt.
BEACHES! With 7,000 plus islands, we have miles and miles of
shoreline piled high with fine white sand, lapped by warm waters, and nibbled
by exotic tropical fish. From the stormy seas of Batanes to the emerald isles
of Palawan–over here, life is truly a beach.
BAGOONG. Darkly mysterious, this smelly fish or shrimp paste
typifies the underlying theme of most ethnic foods: disgustingly unhygienic,
unbearably stinky and simply irresistible.
Bacuit Bay, El Nido, Palawan
BAYANIHAN. Yes, the internationally-renowned dance company,
but also this habit of pitching in still common in small communities. Just have
that cold beer and some pulutan ready for the troops.
BALIKBAYAN BOX. Another way of sharing life’s bounty, no
matter if it seems like we’re fleeing Pol Pot everytime we head home from
anywhere in the globe. The most wonderful part is that, more often than not,
the contents are carted home to be distributed.
PILIPINO KOMIKS. Not to mention “Hiwaga,” “Aliwan,” “Tagalog
Classics,” “Liwayway” and”Bulaklak” magazines. Pulpy publications that gave us
Darna, Facifica Falayfay, Lagalag, Kulafu, Kenkoy, Dyesebel, characters of a
time both innocent and worldly.
FOLK SONGS. They come unbidden and spring, full blown, like
a second language, at the slightest nudge from the too-loud stereo of a passing
jeepney or tricycle.
FIESTA. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow is just
another day, shrugs the poor man who, once a year, honors a patron saint with
this sumptuous, no-holds-barred spread. It’s a Pinoy celebration at its pious
and riotous best.
Boracay
ASWANG, MANANANGGAL, KAPRE. The whole underworld of Filipino
lower mythology recalls our uniquely bizarre childhood, that is, before
political correctness kicked in. Still, their rich adventures pepper our
storytelling.
JEEPNEYS. Colorful, fast, reckless, a vehicle of postwar
Pinoy ingenuity, this Everyman’s communal cadillac makes for a cheap,
interesting ride. If the driver’s a daredevil (as they usually are), hang on to
your seat.
DINUGUAN. Blood stew, a bloodcurdling idea, until you try it
with puto. Best when mined with jalape¤o peppers. Messy but delicious.
SANTACRUZAN. More than just a beauty contest, this one has
religious overtones, a tableau of St. Helena’s and Constantine’s search for the
Cross that seamlessly blends piety, pageantry and ritual. Plus, it’s the
perfect excuse to show off the prettiest ladies–and the most beautiful gowns.
BALUT. Unhatched duck’s embryo, another unspeakable ethnic
food to outsiders, but oh, to indulge in guilty pleasures! Sprinkle some salt
and suck out that soup, with gusto.
PAKIDALA. A personalized door-to-door remittance and
delivery system for overseas Filipino workers who don’t trust the banking
system, and who expect a family update from the courier, as well.
CHOC-NUT. Crumbly peanut chocolate bars that defined
childhood ecstasy before M & M’s and Hersheys.
Pearl Farm
KAMAYAN STYLE. To eat with one’s hand and eschew spoon, fork
and table manners–ah, heaven.
CHICHARON. Pork, fish or chicken crackling. There is in the
crunch a hint of the extravagant, the decadent and the pedestrian. Perfect with
vinegar, sublime with beer.
PINOY HOSPITALITY. Just about everyone gets a hearty “Kain
tayo!” invitation to break bread with whoever has food to share, no matter how
skimpy or austere it is.
ADOBO, KARE-KARE, SINIGANG AND OTHER LUTON BAHAY FOOD.
Home-cooked meals that have the stamp of approval from several generations, who
swear by closely-guarded cooking secrets and family recipes.
LOLA BASYANG. The voice one heard spinning tales over the
radio, before movies and television curtailed imagination and defined grown-up
tastes.
PAMBAHAY. Home is where one can let it all hang out, where
clothes do not make a man or woman but rather define their level of comfort.
TRICYCLE AND TRISIKAD. The poor Pinoy’s taxicab that
delivers you at your doorstep for as little as PHPesos3.00, with a
complimentary dusting of polluted air.
Fiesta [Photo courtesy of Pinoy Centric]
DIRTY ICE CREAM. Very Pinoy flavors that make up for the
risk: munggo, langka, ube, mais, keso, macapuno. Plus there’s the colorful cart
that recalls jeepney art.
YAYAS. The trusted Filipino nanny who, ironically, has
become a major Philippine export as overseas contract workers. A good one is
almost like a surrogate parent–if you don’t mind the accent and the
predilection for afternoon soap and movie stars.
SARSI. Pinoy rootbeer, the enduring taste of childhood. Our
grandfathers had them with an egg beaten in.
PINOY FRUITS. Atis, guyabano, chesa, mabolo, lanzones,
durian, langka, makopa, dalanghita, siniguelas, suha, chico, papaya,
singkamas–the possibilities!
FILIPINO CELEBRITIES. Movie stars, broadcasters, beauty
queens, public officials, all-around controversial figures: Aurora Pijuan,
Cardinal Sin, Carlos P. Romulo, Charito Solis, Cory Aquino, Emilio Aguinaldo,
the Eraserheads, Fidel V. Ramos, Francis Magalona, Gloria Diaz, Manuel L.
Quezon, Margie Moran, Melanie Marquez, Ninoy Aquino, Nora Aunor, Pitoy Moreno,
Ramon Magsysay, Richard Gomez, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Sharon Cuneta, Gemma Cruz,
Erap, Tiya Dely, Mel and Jay, Gary V.
WORLD CLASS PINOYS. Personalities who put us on the global
map: Lea Salonga, Paeng Nepomuceno, Manny Pacquiao. Eugene Torre, Luisito
Espinosa, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, Jocelyn Enriquez, Elma Muros, Onyok Velasco,
Efren “Bata” Reyes, Lilia Calderon-Clemente, Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Josie Natori.
Rico Hizon. Charice Pempengco. Arnel Pineda. Efren Penaflorida.
Jeepneys
PINOY TASTES. A dietitian’s nightmare: too sweet, too salty,
too fatty, as in burong talangka, itlog na maalat, crab fat (aligue), bokayo,
kutchinta, sapin-sapin, halo-halo, pastilyas, palitaw, pulburon, longganisa,
tuyo, ensaymada, ube haleya, sweetened macapuno and garbanzos. Remember, we’re
the guys who put sugar (horrors) in our spaghetti sauce. Yum!
THE SITES AND SOUNDS. Banaue Rice Terraces, Boracay, Bohol’s
Chocolate Hills, Corregidor Island, Fort Santiago, the Hundred Islands, the Las
Piñas Bamboo Organ, Rizal Park, Mt. Banahaw, Mayon Volcano, Taal Volcano. A
land of contrasts and ever-changing landscapes.
GAYUMA, AGIMAT AND ANTING-ANTING. Love potions and amulets.
How the socially-disadvantaged Pinoy copes.
PHILIPPINE BASKETBALL. How the verticaly-challenged Pinoy
compensates, via a national sports obsession that reduces fans to tears and
fistfights.
PEOPLE POWER EDSA I & 2. When everyone became a hero and
changed Philippine history overnight.
SAN MIGUEL BEER AND PULUTAN. “Isa pa nga!” and the Philippines’
most popular, world-renowned beer goes well with peanuts, corniks, tapa,
chicharon, usa, barbecue, sisig, and all manner of spicy, crunchy and
cholesterol-rich chasers.
RESILIENCY. We’ve survived 400 years of Spanish rule, the US
bases, Marcos, the 1990 earthquake, lahar, lambada, Robin Padilla, Tamagochi,
Ondoy and Pepeng.
YOYO. Truly Filipino in origin, this hunting tool, weapon,
toy and merchandising vehicle remains the best way to “walk the dog” and “rock
the baby,” using just a piece of string.
Basketball [Photo by Vic de Vera]
PINOY GAMES. Pabitin, palosebo, basagan ng palayok. A few
basic rules make individual cunning and persistence a premium, and guarantee a
good time for all.
NINOY AQUINO. For saying that “the Filipino is worth dying
for,” and proving it.
BALAGTASAN. The verbal joust that brings out rhyme, reason
and passion on a public stage.
TABO. All-powerful, ever-useful, hygienically-triumphant
device to scoop water out of a bucket _ and help the true Pinoy answer nature’s
call. Helps maintain our famously stringent toilet habits.
PANDESAL. Despite its shrinking size, still a good buy. Goes
well with any filling, best when hot.
JOLLIBEE. Truly Pinoy in taste and sensibility, and a
corporate icon that we can be quite proud of. Do you know that it’s invaded the
Middle East, as well?
THE BUTANDING, the dolphins and other creatures in our
blessed waters. They’re Pinoys, too, and they’re here to stay. Now if some
folks would just stop turning them into daing.
PAKIKISAMA. It’s what makes people stay longer at parties,
have another drink, join pals in sickness and health. You can get dead drunk
and still make it home.
SING-A-LONG/KARAOKE. Filipinos love to sing, and thank God a
lot of us do it well!
KAYUMANGGI. Neither pale nor dark, our skin tone is
beautifully healthy, the color of a rich earth or a mahogany tree growing
towards the sun.
San Miguel Beer
HANDWOVEN CLOTH AND NATIVE WEAVES. Colorful,
environment-friendly alternatives to polyester that feature skillful
workmanship and a rich indigenous culture behind every thread. From the
pinukpok of the north to the malong of the south, it’s the fiber of who we are.
MOVIES. Still the cheapest form of entertainment, especially
if you watch the same movie several times.
BAHALA NA. We cope with uncertainty by embracing it, and are
thus enabled to play life by ear.
PAPAITAN. An offal stew flavored with bile, admittedly an
acquired taste, but pointing to our national ability to acquire a taste for
almost anything.
ENGLISH. Whether carabao or Arr-neoww-accented, it doubles
our chances in the global marketplace.
THE MEDIA. The liveliest in Asia.
DIVISORIA. Smelly, crowded, a pickpocket’s paradise, but you
can get anything here, often at rock-bottom prices. The sensory overload is a
bonus.
BARONG TAGALOG. Enables men to look formal and dignified
without having to strangle themselves with a necktie. Worn well, it makes any
ordinary Juan look marvelously makisig.
FILIPINAS. They make the best friends, lovers, wives. Too
bad they can’t say the same for Filipinos.
Jollibee [Photo by Jennifer Doyle]
FILIPINOS. So maybe they’re bolero and macho with an
occasional streak of generic infidelity; they do know how to make a woman feel
like one.
CATHOLICISM. What fun would sin be without guilt? Jesus Christ
is firmly planted on Philippine soil.
DOLPHY. Our favorite, ultra-durable comedian gives the
beleaguered Pinoy everyman an odd dignity, even in drag.
STYLE. Something we often prefer over substance. But every
Filipino claims it as a birthright.
BAD-TASTE. Clear plastic covers on the vinyl-upholstered
sofa, posters of poker-playing dogs masquerading as art, overaccessorized
jeepneys and altars–the list is endless, and wealth only seems to magnify it.
MANGOES. Crisp and tart, or lusciously ripe, they evoke
memories of family outings and endless sunshine in a heart-shaped
package.Mangoes. Crisp and tart, or lusciously ripe, they evoke memories of
family outings and endless sunshine in a heart-shaped package.
UNBRIDLED OPTIMISM. Why we rank so low on the suicide scale.
STREET FOOD: Barbecue, lugaw, banana-cue, fishballs, IUD
(chicken entrails), adidas (chicken feet), warm taho. Forget hepatitis; here’s
cheap, tasty food with gritty ambience.
SIESTA. Snoozing in the middle of the day is smart, not
lazy.
HONORIFICS AND COURTEOUS TITLES: Kuya, ate, diko, ditse,
ineng, totoy, Ingkong, Aling, Mang, etc. No exact English translation, but
these words connote respect, deference and the value placed on kinship.
Dolphy
HEROES AND PEOPLE WHO STOOD UP FOR TRUTH AND FREEDOM.
Lapu-lapu started it all, and other heroes and revolutionaries followed: Diego
Silang, Macario Sakay, Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini,
Melchora Aquino, Gregorio del Pilar, Gabriela Silang, Miguel Malvar, Francisco
Balagtas, Juan Luna, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Panday Pira, Emilio Jacinto, Raha
Suliman, Antonio Luna, Gomburza, Emilio Aguinaldo, the heroes of Bataan and
Corregidor, Pepe Diokno, Satur Ocampo, Dean Armando Malay, Evelio Javier, Ninoy
Aquino, Lola Rosa and other comfort women who spoke up, honest cabbie Emilio
Advincula, Rona Mahilum, the women lawyers who didn’t let Jalosjos get away
with rape.
FLORA AND FAUNA. The sea cow (dugong), the tarsier, calamian
deer, bearcat, Philippine eagle, sampaguita, ilang-ilang, camia, pandan, the
creatures that make our archipelago unique.
PILIPINO SONGS AND OPM: “Ama Namin,” “Lupang Hinirang,”
“Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal,” “Ngayon at Kailanman,” “Anak,” “Handog,”"Hindi
Kita Malilimutan,” “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit”; Ryan Cayabyab, George Canseco,
Restie Umali, Levi Celerio, Manuel Francisco, Freddie Aguilar, and
Florante–living examples of our musical gift.
METRO AIDES. They started out as Imelda Marcos’ groupies,
but have gallantly proven their worth. Against all odds, they continuously
prove that cleanliness is next to godliness–especially now that those darned
candidates’ posters have to be scraped off the face of Manila!
SARI-SARI STORE. There’s one in every corner, offering
everything from bananas and floor wax to Band-Aid and bakya.
CHARITY GROUPS/NGO’S: Philippine National Red Cross. PAWS.
Caritas. Fund drives. They help us help each other.
FAVORITE TV SHOWS THROUGH THE YEARS: “Tawag ng Tanghalan,”
“John and Marsha,” “Champoy,” “Ryan, Ryan Musikahan,” “Kuwarta o Kahon,”
“Public Forum/Lives,” “Student Canteen,” “Eat Bulaga.” In the age of inane
variety shows, they have redeemed Philippine television.
QUIRKS OF PINOY LANGUAGE: that can drive crazy any tourist
listening in: “Bababa ba?” “Bababa!”
“Sayang!” “Naman!” “Kadiri!” “Ano ba!?” “pala.” Expressions
that defy translation but wring out feelings genuinely Pinoy.
COCKFIGHTING. Filipino men love it more than their wives
(sometimes).
Folk Dance [Photo courtesy of Likha]
DR. JOSE RIZAL. A category in himself. Hero, medicine man,
genius, athlete, sculptor, fictionist, poet, essayist, husband, lover,
samaritan, martyr. Truly someone to emulate and be proud of, anytime, anywhere.
NORA AUNOR. Short, dark and homely-looking, she redefined
our rigid concept of how leading ladies should look.
NORANIAN OR VILAMANIAN. Defines the friendly rivalry between
Ate Guy Aunor and Ate Vi Santos and for many years, the only way to be for many
Filipino fans.
FILIPINO CHRISTMAS. The world’s longest holiday season. A
perfect excuse to mix our love for feasting, gift-giving and music and wrap it
up with a touch of religion.
RELATIVES AND KABABAYANS ABROAD. The best refuge against
loneliness, discrimination and confusion in a foreign place. Distant relatives
and fellow Pinoys readily roll out the welcome mat even on the basis of a phone
introduction or referral.
FESTIVALS: Sinulog, Ati-atihan, Moriones. Sounds, colors,
pagan frenzy and Christian overtones.
FOLK DANCES. Tinikling, pandanggo sa ilaw, kariñosa,
kuratsa, itik-itik, alitaptap, rigodon. All the right moves and a distinct
rhythm.
OFWs
NATIVE WEAR AND COSTUMES. Baro’t saya, tapis, terno, saya,
salakot, bakya. Lovely form and ingenious function in the way we dress.
SUNDAY FAMILY GATHERINGS. Or, close family ties that never
get severed. You don’t have to win the lotto or be a president to have 10,000
relatives. Everyone’s family tree extends all over the archipelago, and it’s at
its best in times of crisis; notice how food, hostesses, money, and moral
support materialize during a wake?
CALESA AND KARITELA. The colorful and leisurely way to
negotiate narrow streets when loaded down with a year’s provisions.
QUALITY OF LIFE. Where else can an ordinary employee afford
a stay-in helper, a yaya, unlimited movies, eat-all-you-can buffets, the latest
fashion (Baclaran nga lang), even Viagra in the black market?
ALL SAINT’S DAY. In honoring our dead, we also prove that we
know how to live.
HANDICRAFTS. Shellcraft, rattancraft, abaca novelties,
woodcarvings, banig placemats and bags, bamboo windchimes, etc. Portable
memories of home. Hindi lang pang-turista, pang-balikbayan pa!
PINOY GREENS. Sitaw. Okra. Ampalaya. Gabi. Munggo. Dahon ng
Sili. Kangkong. Luya. Talong. Sigarillas. Bataw. Patani. Lutong bahay will
never be the same without them.
OFWs. The time and distance we’d go for a better life for
our family , as proven by these modern-day heroes of the economy.
“Sabel” by BenCab
THE FILIPINO ARTIST. From Luna’s magnificent “Spoliarium”
and Amorsolo’s sun-kissed ricefields, to Ang Kiukok’s jarring abstractions,
BenCab’s Sabel and Borlongan’s haunting ghosts, and everybody else in between.
Hang a Filipino painting on your wall, and you’re hanging one of Asia’s best.
TAGALOG SOAP OPERAS/TELESERYES. From “Gulong ng Palad” and
“Flor de Luna” to today’s incarnations like “Mula sa Puso”–they’re the story of
our lives, and we feel strongly for them, MariMar notwithstanding.
MIDNIGHT MADNESS, WEEKEND SALES, BANGKETAS, TIANGGES AND
BARATILLOS. It’s retail therapy at its best, with Filipinos braving traffic,
crowds, and human deluge to find a bargain.
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