Rather than trying to solve problems, Filipinos take a "What will be, will be" attittude.
Bahala Na is uttered only after every effort has been expended toward achieving a particular goal.
Roughly translated, this means "Leave it to Fate" or "Leave it to God".
"Yes" even when they mean "No" or not sure of their commitment.
In Philippine sociey, Hospitality is an essential feature. Filipinos hate turning down visitors, since doing so would not only disrupt social harmony but also reflect negatively on their capabilities as hosts.
Filipinos are very sensitive to critism, insults, and hurt feelings.
As elsewhere in Asia, the concept of "face" remains crucial in social interaction, whether in business or pleasure.
amor propio, a Spanish phrase that means "self esteem" is the local expression for it.
Westerners who insists on offering on confrontational, "tell it like it is" criticism, either in business or social settings, will find their approach counter-productive. And criticizing a Filipino colleague or subordinate in front of someone else, especially on front of another Filipino, is like to be viewed as as attempt to humiliate.
Filipinos are sticklers for pakikisama - smooth personal relations, camaraderie, togetherness -- and it's taught at an early age to all. Pakikisama means avoiding arguments, when possible, and settling differences amicably. Without pakikisama, a person will be looked upon as worthless.
Utang na Loob is another trait Filipinos invoke as a sign of good character. It means "debt of the inner self" or "debt of gratitude". This attitude binds people together, and Filipinos will avoid being bound by utang na loob outside his or her own group.
The Ilocano live along the coastal plains of northern Luzon, hemmed in by the Cordillera Mountains on one side and the South China Sea on the other. Ilocanos have a reputation for being hard-woking, feisty clannish and thrifty.The major products of the north is tobacco.During the early part of the century, Ilocanos formed the backbone of migration to the U.S, working on Hawaii's sugar plantations and the farms of the West Coast.
Based in the Cordillera Mountains of northern Luzon, the Igorots are an aggregate of different highland tribes, each with distinct dialects, who resisted the incursions of the Spanish but proved susceptible to American Protestant missionaries. However, because of the brevity of American colonial rule, they're closer to pre-Westernized culture.They are seen as sensitive to lowlander criticism.
Coming from the region where Metro Manila is located, Tagalogs tend to view themselves as sophisticated and urbane, the aristocrats of the country.
The Visayans are considered musical, fun, loving, gregarious and, due to the fertile land and the abundance of fish in their waters, as profligate as the Ilocano are thrifty. The classic pairing in recent memory is that of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, an Ilocano of simple habits and his Visayan wife Imelda, well-known for her propensity for singing at social occassions and world-class shopping.
With a reputation for longevity, Bicolanos love spicy food, big families and intense discussion; perhaps becuse of the latter, they're considered astute politicians.
Largely due to their emigrant roots, the inhabitants of the country's second largestisland have only recently begun to refer themselves as a distinct group. They are self-reliant, pioneering and practical.
Islam was first introduced here in about 1380 but did not take hold until a century later. Principally made up of five tribes -- the Tausugs, Maranaos, Maguindanaoans, Samals and Badjaos -- the Muslims consider Mindanao and the Sulu Sea their home. Though some of their dialects (chavacano in particular bear strong Spanish influence, these tribes are culturally closer to Indonesia, Malaysia and the Middle east than to the West.
Ten percent of the population are members of ethnic minorities who live far from the cultural mainstream, far, in tact, from the 20th century in general. Resistant to both Islam and Christianity, these indigenous tribes (including the Mangyans, Aetas, Batak, Kalingas and T'boli) are spread throughout the country.