Proud To Be Filipino

Do you also proud for being Filipino?  I get this from  Filipino website.

I am a Filipino. I was born here in the Philippines. I was born with Filipino parents. I am proud to be a Filipino. Ngek! Proud to be a Filipino? Then why do I speak english in this article? Thats what I like about being a Filipino. We are learners. We try to learn the culture of our neighbors. We do this not only just to please them, but also to get to know them and we always seek to understand them and for us to be understood as well. We are a very hospitable people. We love to entertain guests specially foreigners. we love to prepare our homes so our guests will be as comfortable as possible. We love to speak english so everybody can understand us.

Another reason why I love being a Filipino is that we always have a reason to smile about. even in times of trials and disasters we are smiling. We smile not because we are unaffected or simply being silly. We smile because we have hope in our hearts that after these trials there is a better tomorrow.

Our smiles is a sign of hope. Hope from a great God that we always go to in times of trouble. Thats another reason why I love being a Filipino we all trust, believe and love God. No matter what religion we are in still the love of God lingers in every one of us. We love God so much. We are a praying nation. We are peace loving people. We are a humble race that we shy in the light of recognition.

I love being a Filipino because, Filipinos are kind at heart. always willing to help even with strangers. even in the streets you will not encounter a filipino that is rude and foul mouthed. We are a people with values. and we love to respect our elders. We love our elders so much we are willing to take care of them till they on their death bed. We don’t put them in Homes and hire caregivers, we take care of them and love them in our own homes.

I love being a Filipino because, Filipinos love their families. We work hard for our family. We enjoy with our family, we cry with our family, we celebrate with our family. Whatever we do our families are always in our top priority list. We sacrifice our own enjoyment for our family. We get our moral support, confidence, and strength from our family.

I love being a Filipino because, Filipinos are the most flexible, most resilient people in the world. We can live without electricity, without flat screen TVs, without digital cameras, without, microwave ovens, washing machines, without the internet and all the luxuries in the world. Take them all away and still a filipino can live happily and peacefully. We love luxury but we can live without them. We value more of real, face to face relatioships than just texting or e-mailing each other form afar. We love to make things through our own resources, our own time, our own effort even without the aid of technology.

And most of all, I love being a filipino because, Filipinos are good inside and out. We love to help even when dont have money. We volunteer, we participate in good causes. We have a soft spot for people who are less fortunate, for the orphan, for the abandoned, for the children, for the grandmothers. Our hearts are big for these people. We do not ignore them. We may not help physically but we help in praying for them. We love our kababayan may it be here or abroad.

I love being a Filipino.

I am proud to be a Filipino.

How about you guys????

Eating Habits & Hospitality

Filipinos love to eat, and since they're naturally hospitable and gregarious, food is the basis of their social life. Because the feeling of fulfillment after eating rice, their staple ingredient, is relatively short-lived, they eat three meals a day and two snacks in between. Filipinos, especially country folk, rise early. Some will eat a segundo almuerzo (second breakfast) around 10:30, plus a merienda, or mid-afternoon snack. Rural folk eat their main meal at midday, while city dwellers emphasize the evening meal. The diet of poor families is usually rice, fish, vegetables, interspersed with starchy snacks. At fiesta time, all families try to eat meat.

Since few provincial households own a refrigerator, ingredients are customarily either fresh or salted. Housewives go to the market daily to buy their immediate requirements. Leftovers rarely remain after a meal. Extra food is eaten by servants, helpers, and hangers-on, and scraps go to the dog or pig. Food isn't served in courses; people like the complete meal laid out before them so that they can eat simultaneously from all dishes—soup, meat, and vegetables—at random. Cooks provide condiments, flavorings, and dipping sauces to be used at the diner's discretion. Food is eaten with a fork in one hand and a spoon in the other, knives are seldom used. Rural Filipinos prefer to use their hands. Some upscale native restaurants in Manila serve food this way (kamayan-style).

DO’S and DON’T’S

Being a Filipino there are some of tradition that we use to be followed:

• When attending a special occasion, avoid wearing sandals. Wearing proper shoes is a sign that the event is important to you.

• Do invite people at least three times. Local residents are taught that it is proper to refuse the first time or two. To them, insistence is a clear sign that the offer or invitations is genuine.

• Do give the local residents a way out of a situation so he or she can save face, thus avoiding embarrassment.

• Don't use the common sign of O.K. In the local community, it means money. However, a thumbs- up sign is more polite.

• Don't use your forefinger upward to call a local resident-it is considered somewhat degrading. One way of calling is to beckon with the hand in gentle downward motion. Pssst is another popular way to get someone's attention. As a rule however, it is preferred to call the person by name. It is even better to use nicknames, because these are reserved for close friends.

• Smiling is a form of friendship and a form of greeting.

• Do show respect for age - use the proper title to address elders and relations

Philippine Culture

The people of the Philippines, otherwise known as Filipino’s, are basically a mix of Malay, Chinese, American, Spanish and Arab blood. This can be traced back from a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture. Although Pilipino is the official national language, English is considered the country’s unofficial one.

Character-wise, the Filipino is a little bit of all the above said cultures put together. The spirit of kinship and camaraderie that Filipinos are famous for is said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Hospitality is also a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino. It makes them legendary in Southeast Asia alongside their emotion and passion for life.