Culture and People

Life can be hard in the Philippines, but Filipino people are a proud and happy people! They love to dance and sing - you'll see this on TV and on the streets!

With luck you'll get to enjoy some of the Filipino cultural dances - they are great fun!

The Philippines is predominantly Catholic, although numerous other religions exists. Mindanao has a large Muslim aswell as a Catholic community. Filipino people are usually quite reserved, respectful, honest and god fearing - there are exceptions though! Elderly people are usually highly respected in the family. 

Youngsters are the future of the Philippines. Most families will educate the children as best as possible - education is seen as very important. You'll be amazed at how responsible and well behaved the kids are, perhaps because they get so much attention within the family.

Wherever you go you are sure to be welcomed and when you go home you'll miss all the smiling faces!

Filipinos speak Tagalog and American English - or a mixture of the two known as Taglish. Various local dialects also exist, sometimes drawing on the Spanish influence.

Culturally you will find that Filipino's don't differ significantly from westerners, afterall much of the modern culture is derived from America and prior to that from Spain. The key difference is perhaps the family. The family is seen as very important and most Filipinos send money home to educate siblings or support the parents in retirement. There is usually much love in the family and also a safety net. Family is always number one here!