"Pinoy Hospitality: World Renowned"

All over the world we Filipinos are known to be hospitable we have gained reputation as people who welcome other people into our homes with courtesy and we always have a hearty meal to serve for our visitors. Even though there is no money to buy the food to prepare, we Filipinos always find a way to come up with a meal that we can serve to our guests.

Our hospitality is renowned throughout the world as one of the best but where does it exactly come from. It is like an instinct already for us, whenever we have a visitor we are always busy in the kitchen making the best dishes, preparing the table, using our expensive chinaware, and even let our guests sleep in our bedrooms if they are to spend the night.

That is just how we Filipinos are, we are very hospitable. We are very proud of this trait and it is a mark of a true Filipino.

Condo Living

The Families nowadays prefers more to live in high - rise condos. These condos provide some sort of advantage to them since most of live in condos near their work so it becomes much more convenient for them. Condos are also preferred by families because of the facilities that the condo has. For example in a condo there could be a swimming pool, and indoor basketball court, fitness center, an indoor track also there is the convenience of having elevators, being near to work, business centers, malls, and Churches.


Having a condo is also an advantage when it come to family relationships since condos are designed to be small but compact. Family members would likely see each other within the day since the area is only small. There would always be occurrences of catching up with each other, doing activities together and the occasional watching movies or TV together. Having a condo is not practical but it also contributes to the well being of a family especially if it's a big one.

Condos also provide security for the family since there is a 24 hour security that always comes with condos. Unlike with houses that can be broken into, condos are much safer and the lobby would always ask visitors coming up to the residential area.

Importance of Elders

The importance of Elders in a Filipino family is really worth noting. The family takes care of the elder until he/she dies, the families all pitch in to support their lolo and lolas. The role that the elders play in a Filipino Family is a very vital one, from the elders stems all the culture, values lessons that will be passed on by their sons and daughters to their future grandsons and granddaughters and so on and so forth.

The elders in a Filipino family also acts as the source of those scary stories which their grandchildren are so very afraid of but also love to hear. Elders in their own way keep the family together because their children pay off their debt by taking care of them while their grand children grows fond of them because of the elders take very good care of them, the children are pampered with their grandparents.

The elders stand also as some form of role model both to their children and grandchildren.

"Bagong Bayani"

OFW's are now called the new heroes of the Philippines because they sacrifice, leaving their families just to earn money. They live on other countries making a living so that their families back home would have something to eat and make their lives better. But our OFW's should not be working outside our country, they could not have left their families if only our Country can provide them better jobs, a fair amount for their salary, and good benefits. However the Philippines cannot provide them these so instead they turn to other countries, like an act of desperation, because according to recent studies more Filipinos have gone down below the poverty line.


Also even some of our OFW's are being mistreated, abused, and even deprived of human rights. Some are lucky to come home alive but there are some who die in vain. We cannot do anything. Wrong! Even if we can't do anything now, we must think of something as Gandhi has said "Be the change you want to see in the world" Calling our OFW's our new heroes is not enough they are much more than that.

Biking: The New Sport of Filipinos

Mountain Biking is fast becoming the sport of the Filipino Family. not only does it encourage fitness but it also promotes camaraderie and unity within the family. Mountain Biking is a fun sport it gives a chance for the family to spend time together but on a different setting this time its outdoors where nature can really invite families just to relax, enjoy the scenery and have fun biking.

Mountain biking does not only give recreation to a family but it also promotes unity within a family. Since in mountain biking dangerous trails can not always be avoided so a leader must always be followed and the leader's orders must always be followed. This also helps in letting the children learn respect and obedience to their parents while having fun with them.

"Mano Po: The 6'oclock habit"

Every day at exactly 6'oclock. Each and every child of a Filipino family that is raised according to the values and culture of being a Filipino are required to do the "pagmamano" tradition wherein the child must reach for the hand of the elderly and place it on his/her forehead. This simple gesture is a great sign of respect within Filipino families, it shows that you value the wisdom of the elders and your parents and that you respect them. This 'pagmamano" is a great example of a tradition that must be passed on to future generations. As it may be just a simple gesture but the meaning behind it is bound with centuries old tradition of respect and love for those who are wiser and more knowledgeable than you.

The "pagmamano" is not strictly reserved for 6'oclock. The "pagmamano" is also done after praying, after attending mass, before leaving the house, if there is a visitor who is a relative or elderly, and when meeting godfathers and godmothers.

Religions: The Pinoy Way

In the Philippines there are two major religious sects; The Roman Catholics and the Muslims.
The Luzon area is mostly populated by Roman Catholics while the Mindanao are is mostly populated by Muslims. The Catholics worship the almighty God while the Muslims worship Allah.
But with definitive contrast between the two religions not much can be said between how the Filipino Families live by their own religions. Let's take for example a typical Roman Catholic family, every sunday the family would always go to mass most often together and complete. The church would always bring the Filipino Family closer, in the church you would see thte family praying together, the children kissing their parents when it is called to have peace and during the Lord's prayer the family is seen holding hands together in prayer. After the mass the Family is seen eating together and having fun together since for most Filipinos sunday is also Family Day. It is the day when the family spends most of the day being together, they might go to amusement parks, resorts, restaurants or malls and just spend time together.

The religiosity of Filipino Families can not only be seen at churches but also at their homes. Filipino Families would pray over their food before and, sometimes after meals. Also in some families it is a custom to pray the rosary at around 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. During All Saints Day and All Souls Day, Filipino families pray for their loved ones that they may be accepted into heaven.
Religion is also practiced in schools where each class is started with a prayer and end s with a prayer. Morning assemblies are also started with prayers and the Angelus is recited every noon while the rosary is recited everyday during the month of October.