What should an American guy do to start courting a woman from the Philippines?

It may be easy for an American guy to be attracted to a woman from the Philippines, but getting her to fall in love with you may be far easier said than done. There are many barriers to courting a Filipina and these conflicts have to be dealt with properly if you want a serious, long, and lasting relationship.

Filipino American Sam Milby with Filipina Judy Ann Santos
Filipino American Sam Milby with Filipina Judy Ann Santos (TV Series “Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala”)

Among the major issues are the differences in culture, the very thing that defines a country. Culture is what’s unique to a particular country, so it’s definitely a huge challenge to break through this barrier.  Although you are not expected to adapt yourself to the Filipino culture, you need to, at the very least, respect it. But first of all, you must familiarize yourself with the Filipino culture. That only makes sense, doesn’t it? What is the FIlipino culture, and how does it differ from the American culture?

Going over some materials on the web, you’ll discover that generally, Filipino women:

1)  are very attached to their families. It’s often the case that even married Filipinos still live under one roof with their families. So when planning to court a Filipino girl, expect to involve her family in the entire process. Get to know, not only her, but her siblings, parents, aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, and so on.

2) are religious.  The Philipines is, by and large, a Catholic nation. So don’t be surprised if the woman you want to date is Catholic. If that’s the case, and you’re not, just be sure to show respect to her religious beliefs. And even if you feel strongly about your religion, don’t force her to change hers.

3) have a deep respect for the elderly. Americans usually call the elderly by their first names, but Filipinos regard them with more respect. If you are “meeting the parents” for the first time, address the mom and dad as “Ma’am” and “Sir”, respectively. A more formal approach is to call them Mrs. or Mr. so and so, but don’t talk to them on a first-name basis, unless that’s what they really want.

4) are conservative. Western influences may be apparent in the way modern Filipinas dress and act, but many Filipinas are still pretty much conservative. So don’t criticize or don’t be turned off when you see your Filipino girl not in a revealing outfit. And don’t expect that your first date will end up in bed as that is not very likely to happen.

There are also communication barriers that you need to address if you want to start courting a woman from the Philippines. Filipinas are generally educated and smart people, and many of them, in fact, have strong English communication skills, but always give due consideration to the fact that Filipino is still her primary language.

Keeping these in mind, you need to show utmost sincerity to the Filipino woman of your dreams. If are meeting online, it is important that you keep this up, but it is just as important to make time and effort to meet her and her family personally. True, America is miles away from the Philippines, and you’ll be needing a lot of money for plane fare, little souvenirs for everyone, and other essentials, but going through such trouble is one of the ways you can prove that you really are sincere.

An American guy has to be true to her, as well as to himself. Don’t play around with her dreams because her dreams represent her future. If you think you can fool her with false promises and lies, don’t expect you can simply get away with it. The Filipina woman does not deserve to fall victim to such an act. And remember, there is such as thing as bad karma, so if you want to start courting a woman from the Philippines, make sure that your intentions are pure, to begin with.

How Do Filipinos Greet Each Other?

If you’re planning a trip to the Philippines, it might do you good to understand a few things about the Filipino culture, including how do Filipinos greet each other. You may not be expected to adapt to their culture, but as the saying goes, “when in Rome, do what the Romans do”. In the same way, when you are in the Philippines, you could try to greet Filipinos the Filipino way, too. This will make you feel more at home in the beautiful country, that is the Philippines, and make Filipinos easily warm up to you.

Cheek-kissing is a means of greeting you’d often see in other countries, but it’s not usually practiced in the Philippines, especially between strangers and not too close acquaintances. Cheek-kissing, if indeed done, is usually between close friends and family members only.

Normally, Filipinos greet one another with a smile, a wave, a hand shake, and by saying “Hi, kumusta ka?” In English the greeting means “hello, how are you?” Friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time would make the customary greetings, and then follow them up with comments on the other’s physical appearance. Some people find this a bit rude, but Filipinos are quite used to this already, and most of them are not at all insulted by this.

You will not often see or hear Filipinos greeting strangers, especially foreigners, in street corners. It’s not in their culture to do that. But it does not mean that they are snobbish. In fact, when you get to know a Filipina deep down, you will know that she is an interesting being.

Filipinos are generally hospitable. They will not make you feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. They will go the extra mile to attend to your needs, and they will have your full itinerary planned out for you so you’ll have something fun to do every minute of the day. Filipinos are proud of their heritage; they will take you to the best places in town, to experience fiestas and festivals, and to taste their mouth-watering dishes. The Filipino hospitality is well known throughout the world, and extended to anyone, regardless of social class or color. So when in the company of a Filipino, you can be secured in the thought that you are in good hands.

A Filipino girl can be very funny, too. She can make you laugh with tales of her childhood in the province as well as her school life. If the Filipina is working already, she will have many interesting things to tell about her co-workers, too. Just listening to her gab about her life is already quite an entertainment, and there is still pretty much to discover and love about her!

Filipinas are smart and witty. Even though education is not practically 100% free even in many public schools in the country, education is being made accessible to most Filipinos. Many receive quality education and this is evident when you communicate with Filipino women.

Knowing how do Filipinos greet each other is very interesting, indeed, but it’s definitely not the only thing that makes Filipinos great.

How Do Filipinos Celebrate Weddings?

How do Filipinos celebrate weddings may sound strange to foreigners, but if they do get a chance to witness a traditional Filipino wedding, they will certainly love the experience. Weddings in the Philippines are never a one-day event. The wedding preparation takes months. And then comes the wedding day itself which in most cases begins from sun-up to sundown.

Filipino weddings are typically solemnized in the church, officiated by a Catholic priest or a pastor, depending on the religion of the couple. Garden weddings have become quite popular these days, too, but usually they are allowed only when it is not going to be a Catholic wedding.. If it is, the couple must have been married in civil rites first for them to obtain permission to get married in a garden or non-church setting.

Catholic wedding ceremonies, regardless of where thuey are celebrated, usually takes more than an hour to finish. The bride arrives in a bridal car, a carriage, or mode of transportation for that matter just minutes before the wedding. Then the church bells ring, signaling the start of the ceremony. The wedding ceremony begins with the processional of the wedding entourage composed of the groom, the parents of the groom, the principal sponsors (some have as many as 20 pairs of principal sponsors!) who will stand as witnesses, secondary sponsors who will light the candles, and put on the veil and cord, the maid or matron of honor, the best man, the bride’s maids and junior bride’s maids, the coin bearer, the ring bearer, the bible bearer, the flower girls, and finally the bride who may or may not be accompanied by her parents. Sometimes, the processional alone can take 20 minutes already!

The mass proper then begins; incorporated therein are the wedding rituals such as the exchange of vows, the exchange of rings, and the giving of the arrhae. A photo shoot after the mass is customary. This can take another 30 minutes to one hour. If you want this portion to be organized, better get the services of a professional photographer who has vast experience taking wedding photographs.

After the wedding, the guests proceed to the reception. It can be in a hotel or in the bride’s residence. Hotel wedding receptions can be very expensive, but they can be less stressful for the couple and their families as they no longer need to stress themselves out any more than they already have. Wedding receptions held in the house are more comfortable and fun, though. All the neighbors get to be invited which make the affair very memorable. They are also less expensive, but can be more tiring.

During the wedding reception, the usual rituals, such as the slicing of the cake, the throwing and catching of bouquet and garter, and the releasing of doves, are observed, with some variations. There is an abundance of food, lots of table-hopping, greeting friends and guests, picture-taking, dancing, singing, and tears of joy.

So how do Filipinos celebrate weddings? Well, Filipino weddings are joyously celebrated, that’s for sure!

 

Why Filipinos Are Cute

There are many reasons why Filipinos are cute. For one, they are short in stature. Most Filipino men are only 5’4”-5’6” tall, while women are on the average only 5’0” to 5’2”. You do not often get to see Filipino men towering over 6 feet tall, or women over 5’6”, unless they have one or both parents from a different racial background. That is why basketball is one sport the Philippines isn’t good at.

But of course, Filipinos make up for this flaw in other things, like dancing, for instance. Falling short in the height department does not make them feel daunted or anything. In fact, they use their being short to their advantage, excelling in dancing and the like. Indeed, their being short makes them great dancers. They can move about on the floor effortlessly and with grace and flexibility.

Meet Filipina women from the Philippines at www.filipinakisses.com.

Filipinos have a cute sense of humor, too. They have a way of telling jokes that makes you laugh even if they really aren’t that funny at all!

Foreigners also find Filipinos cute because of the way they speak, which is often accompanied by quirky movements or body language. No doubt, many Filipinos are good communicators. They speak with wit and eloquence, but there are as many Filipinos who struggle with their words, especially when talking to foreigners. They have to use body language or sign language to get their message across, and they look so funny and adorable doing that.

Foreigners find the Filipino accent not only cute but endearing, as well. It’s very interesting listening to Filipino women rant about their life in their native language. Even if you don’t understand a word they say, you’ll be drawn to their accent, nonetheless, encouraging you to just simply listen to them.

Another Filipino value or quality you’ll find cute is the Filipino hospitality. When you visit a Filipina’s home, you’ll be warmly welcomed by the whole family. You will be served with and offered the best of everything the family can afford. Quite amusing to see is your Filipino friend going out of her way to impress you. A visit to a Filipino’s house is always a memorable experience, mind you!

Filipinos are typically family-oriented. It’s always a pleasurable experience watching them with their entire family getting together on weekends. When they go on road trips, they practically take their entire home with them. It’s exciting to go on road trips with a Filipino family. They bring along cooked foods or raw foods they can cook later, utensils, and even kitchen gadgets. They cramp everything they can possibly bring in their car or jeep.

While Filipinos are deemed cute in general, it does not mean they do not have a serious side. You may think that being cute makes them easy to get along with, but it does not mean that they are open to the idea of being abused. So besides finding out the reasons why Filipinos are cute, you must also try to dig deeper into their individual personalities and discover more.

Why Filipinos Love Tim Tebow

Do you, as in the rest of the world, also wonder why Filipinos love Tim Tebow? What makes Tim so special that everyone, not just Filipinos, are going crazy about him? Pardon the pun, but Tim has indeed taken the world by storm with followers literally from every part of the globe. You don’t have to be a football fan to love Tim Tebow. Read on to find out why.

Who is Tim Tebow?

Well Tim Tebow, apparently, is not your normal footballer, who amid criticisms, made it in the National Football League. Although it does count a lot that he is a great player (he led his team to many victories!), his humanitarian acts are what really won him the hearts of many.

Tim Tebow is an American who just happened to be born in the Philippines. His mother, Pamela, a Christian Baptist missionary, has had an infection while being pregnant with Tim, and at the time, the doctors feared Tim would be still-born, and so they recommended Pamela to go through an abortion, but she decided to keep the baby, no matter what.

Tim, like his parents, is deeply religious, and he is not afraid to let the whole world know about it. Tim is very vocal when it comes to his faith and his love for Jesus. While playing for the Florida Gators during his college years, Tim had painted biblical verses on his eye. He always mentions “My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” in press and news conferences, and whenever his team scores a goal, he thanks God first of all by dropping down on one knee, a move that has come to be known as “Tebowing”.

Tim Loves Filipinos and the Filipinos Love Tim

The Filipinos love football, and they love Tim. It’s no big secret that Tim loves the Filipino people as well. He has a soft spot for them. Having lived in the Philippines for a time, Tim has seen many Filipinos struggling financially. His foundation has several projects in the Philippines, among them:

  • The building of a hospital in Davao City. Expected to begin groundbreaking in March 2012, the hospital will have a 30-bed capacity and will focus on correcting conditions like club foot or bow legs. The hospital will not only provide treatment, however, but also messages of inspiration, hope and love, with the end in view of bringing people closer to God.
  • Uncle Dick’s Home. The Tim Tebow Foundation also supports the Uncle Dick’s Home in South Cotabato, Mindanao, which is home to 49 orphans.

You don’t get to find many sportsmen like Tim nowadays. He is not poisoned by greed, power, and wealth, nor is he driven by these things. Tim is not just “showing off”, either. It is not all lip service, as you can see. He loves Jesus and he shows it by being a good Christian himself, by setting a good example, by doing good things to other people. This, as well many other reasons, is why Filipinos love Tim Tebow.