Philippine Culture 101

by Frances Viana

Textbooks say that the Philippines is composed of 7,100 islands. The
truth is, no one knows exactly how many there are at any given point, it
depends on the tide. So it is with Philippine culture. There are so many
different influences that come into the mix that a homogenous culture is
hard to define and I am not going to even attempt to do so. Instead, what
I will do in the next 10 minutes or so is give you a quick psychographic
handle on the culture by speaking on the top 4 influences on our culture
and some marketing dos and don'ts. To do so I am going to have to make
some sweeping generalizations to which there are many many exemptions, so
please keep that in mind. I will end by teaching you two tricks to find out
if
someone is Filipino (and to actually pass for one yourselves.) You've
heard our historical backdrop: Four hundred years under Spain, 50 years under
the
U.S. and 4 under Japan. In fact, our being named one p eople is a fairly
recent artifice. The term Filipino originally referred to Spaniards born in
the Philippines. To understand what all this colonization has done to us as
a people, imagine what is like spending 400 years in a convent followed by50
years in Hollywood. This is why as a culture we have so many
contradictions and are both sophisticated and superstitious, conservative
and flamboyant, sheltered and sexy. We wear the latest sexiest Victoria's
Secret lingerie to bed but under the pillow we will hide a rosary.

To become a quick expert on Filipino culture all you have to do is
remember is our top four influences: the four F's in Filipino: Family,
Face, Faith, and Fiesta.

Family and Friendship

If there is one value universal to the Filipino, it is Family. From our
tribal heritage, we still place prime survival importance on our families.
Respect for elders is one of our big rules. A customary greeting for the
elders is the mano. (demonstrate). Family comes before the individual.
Older children are expected to sacrifice their personal goals to put their
younger siblings through college. Everyone is expected to chip in if any
family member needs anything. Parents generally set up their children with
whatever they can afford, schooling, a stake in business, buying them
their first car and first home is very common. In turn, adult children take
care
of all their parent's needs. Separation is very difficult thing for
Filipinos. Moving away before one is married is generally frowned on, in fact many
newly weds continue to live with their parents.

The concept of the most successful member of a family taking care of all the
rest follows the Filipino when he migrates to America. He is expected to share
his newfound wealth with the family back home and he does. You've heard how
we send back over $5Billion dollars in remittances each year and about our
infamous balikbayan box, our cultural care packages. . We send somewhere like a
whopping 500,000 boxes back home every year. And what do we fill them with?
Products only a culture seriously afflicted with colonial mentality could love:
Dove soap, Wesson oil, Reebok Shoes,Charmin toilet paper, Pantene
shampoo, and yes, we admit it. Spam. Cans and cans
of Spam along with corned beef, Hormel's Vienna sausage and Tang. Those
companies would have gone out of business long ago but for the favor of the
Filipino.

And who do we send these all too? Just how big is our family? You can't
begin to imagine. We count as family members our nuclear family of 3 and often 4
generations, each with an average family size of 4.2. Then our inlaws each of
which is acknowledged with a term, much like Eskimos have 20 words for snow and
Asians 20 words for rice. Terms like balae, biyanan,bayaw, manugang, hipag
and bilas ." Next we embrace our parents close friends into the family by
calling them all Tito and Tita, or Aunt andUncle.

Then we have godparents. At baptisms, confirmation and wedding
ceremonies, prominent friends are recruited to serve as godparents
forever binding them to the welfare of their inaanak or godchildren. In the
Philippines, it is not uncommon for a smart Filipino parent to get a
friend doctor, lawyer, or dentist as a godparent for their child ensuring
free services for life. Added to that is the relationship created by two
godparents, two people who say meet at a wedding ceremony where each has been chosen
as a godparent. Now these two people claim a relation to each other as kumare
and kumpadre, again binding them to rituals of giftgiving and socializing.

We are very close. According to a Lifestyles report, 95% of all spouses
remember their spouse's birthdays, the highest proportion in Asia. 66%phone their
spouses everyday . The familial terms of endearment show themselves in our
naming conventions. Husband and wife refer to each other as "Mommy" and Daddy".
We never outgrow our pet names like Bong Bong, Ting Ting, Pong, Ping Totoy,
Boy, Girl, Pinky or simply Baby. It doesn't matter what position we rise to we
keep these names. In the Philippines we
actually have a GovernorTing Ting, a Congressman Bong Bong, a Senator Tito
and Judge Pinky.

The strength of the family unit is mirrored in the economic structure of the
Filipinos. Most of the 1000 top corporation in the Philippines are family
owned and are synonymous with family last names. Filipinos use this extended
family as an employment network. If one Filipino lands a good job, all his
relatives, inlaws, godparents and godchildren, titos and titas, in fact anyone he
knows feels entitled to ask his help to get them a job there too, and they do!

Let me talk about uniquely Filipino family related values known as utang na
loob, pakikisama, and kababayan. Utang na loob means literally, inner debt or
debt of self, it is a debt which can never be repayed and it is owned to
parents and patrons. One is expected to show complete loyalty to a fault because one
has somehow been mentored by an elder.

"Pakikisama" is a value of going with the group's wishes, another
outcrop of our tribal origins, and the complete opposite to the
American glorification of the individual. Right or wrong, the Filipino is thought to be
rude and badly behaved when he goes against th egroup's wishes. Then we have
what Rene Ciria Cruz dubbed the kababayan impulse. When we meet our countryman or
kababayan overseas we immediately acknowledge the connection
with special treatment. Meet a fellow Filipino and might get an extra
slice of pizza, be put at the head of a waitlist at get a better room at
check in, or a speeding ticket waived get your speeding tickets waived. We like
to help each other when we can.

As you see, we have a very broad concept of family, all of whom we
celebrate with, shop for, send money and balikbayan boxes to. That is on
reason we are such enormous consumers. It is a marketers dream.

Face

The second big F as in Filipino is the concept of Face. Similar to other
Asian cultures, the Filipino puts great emphasis on saving face and
looking good. He goes through great lengths to avoid being shamed, or "hiya"
and he tries to save other people's face too. This results in an extensive
use of euphemisms in our conversation. The most common misunderstanding between
a Western and a Filipino is the latter's use of the word "yes". When invited
to an event a Filipino will easily say yes even if he has no intention of
going-to save the inviter's face. A Filipino yes may mean I'll try, I don't know,
I don't want to talk about it any more, or even no-all depending on the
situation. In the workplace or in social organizations, he will not voice a
contradictory opinion directly, instead phrasing his opinion as a question or just
keeping silent.

This is where Fil Ams, or American born Filipinos reveal the greatest
difference to their native counterparts: they are not afraid to speak
their own opinions and voice dissent. Face dictates that the person puts on
a big show, always looking good regardless of economic circumstances, which
can result in going into debt. We have the "Pakitang tao" mentality which means
literally means "show people", and is our version of keeping up with the
Joneses, putting on a big show even if we cannot afford it. The Filipino is " the
most fashion conscious in Asia and eagerly adopts whatever thelatest Western
style is. We call this in slang "paporma" or posturing.

Face makes us very name brand conscious and huge consumers of status
brands. It is interesting to note how immigrants change their brand
loyalties depending on their degree of acculturation. When he first comes,
the Filipino is adorned in Gucci, only to realize that Gucci is passe and
so it doesn't take long for him to figure out that now he has to buy
Prada. The Filipino born immigrant is most likely to drive a Mercedes Benz,
the status symbol in the Philippines, whereas the FilAm will drive a Lexus,
the local symbol.

Face also makes us identify and claim the triumphs of our countrymen as
our own. We feel immensely proud when a Lea Salonga wins a Tony or a Josie
Natori makes it to Fortune magazine. We are as proud as though they were our
relatives---oops, I guess for sure if we dig back they are. This makes us really
listen to famous Filipinos as spokespersons, something marketers might note.
I am using the category of Face to talk about identity and I want to point out
two importance things about the Filipino today.

First, the older generation, from the boomers on, are more identified
with Hispanic than Asian customs, just an offshoot of our history. What
researchers are finding is that there is a resurgence among the second
generation, the younger FilAms, of identifying with their Asian heritage.

And finally another thing to remember about how we like to be identified
and addressed: Researchers report that Filipinos in America often do not
respond in surveys to the label Filipino. They do not check those boxes,
domnot claim they are Filipino even if Filipino American. We like to be
talked to as Americans, as citizens, however we appreciate our heritage
being
acknowledged. So remember you are marketing to a Filipino American, or a
Emil Guillermo is trying to popularize the term, American Filipinos.

Faith

Then there's FAITH. Four hundred years is a very long time to spend in
the convent and no wonder we haven't quite shaken the habit if you forgive
the pun. Faith is the 400 pound gorilla in the room of the Filipino social
structure. At least externally, we faithfully observe all Catholic holy
days rituals, and feast days mixed in with our own folk rituals. The
Catholic church is a big influence not only on our spiritual life but in
our political and economic affairs.

One of our unique attitudes can be summed up as the "bahala na"
syndrome, meaning "God will take care of it." Filipinos do not generally
plan ahead
or make take precautions, feeling that somehow things will work out in the
end. Our Muslim citizens in the South are equally staunch about their
faith, allowing it to define much of their identities. Much like the
church plays a big role in African American communities. It is interesting
to
note that many Catholic churches in the Bay area and even in Europe like in
Vienna would have shut down if not for the patronage of immigrant
Filipinos. If you want to reach a Filipino, going through his Church is a
very good way.

Fiesta and Food

Finally the fourth F is Fiesta or a feast, which of course means food.
Filipinos are a happy-go-lucky, life-loving celebratory group and will
give a party at the drop of hat. We are optimistic to a fault. There is no
occasion to the Filipino that is inappropriate for feasting. Even at
funerals we set up a mahjongg tables and drink beer. Funerals are not one
day affairs to us, immediately the coffin is in the ground we all drive to
a restaurant to cry into our lumpia. Then there is a 9 day novena
following where everyone is well fed each night.

The height our propensity to feast, as seen nowhere else to my
knowledge, is that we can't even have a coup d etat without a fiesta. During
the
people power revolution, the tanks and soldiers were literally crowded out
by venders hawking green mango, fish balls, and pork barbecue and the
crowd munched and slurped happily in between ducking bullets. A great sense
of
humor is how the Filipino copes with tragedy.

To us the lechon, the roast pig, the ultimate symbol of lavish wealth.
Researching this talk I came across an article that said that eating pork
is not just a custom, but because Muslims and Jews do not eat it, perhaps
it so important because it is actually an act of Christian faith! Every
Filipino event is overflowing with food. We tried to bring some here today
but they wouldn't let us. Fiestas in the Filipinos are so opulent and
decadent that one congressman literally tried to pass a bill outlawing the
to save the countrymen from spending all their savings and getting into
huge debt just to put on a good feast.

Lynda Barry the celebrated Filipina cartoonist once wrote: "My
grandmother is from the Philippines and she is the master of pork
preparation. When she lived with us, we always had stacks of her cooked
pork chops in the kitchen. She marinated them in the holy trinity of
vinegar, soy sauce and garlic, fried them until they were dry and then
piled them on a plate. My brothers and I ate them like cookies during the
happiest years of my childhood, a time I sometimes think of as the Pork
days. There we the dozens of people who drove up in packed cars and walked
through the front door without knocking because they were family, which in
the Filipino sense of the word meant my grandmother had known them for at
least 15 minutes. They came because they knew that Grandma plus a heck of
a lot of pork equaled party time. There were no set meal times. We ate
whenever anyone
come over and I mean anybody. The paper boy, the Avon Lady, even the fire
inspector whom one of our neighbors called on us. They all had a plate of
pork pansit noodles in their hands before they could get six words out.
Our windows were clouded up with the steam rising from huge pots of food and

the smell of pork was everywhere. "

Just how often do we feast? A survey showed that FilAms entertain a
whopping 10.6 times a month! A huge marketing opportunity.So those are the
four F's in Filipino: Family, Face and here are some marketing dos and
donts.

Family

* Do package goods and services in family sizes. If Costco didn't exist
a Filipino would have to invent it.
* Do realize that the Filipino buyer is often not the end user of the
product. We shop more for others than we do for ourselves. Appeal to the
family patron.
* Don't underestimate the influence of Seniors on their families.
* Do use word of mouth and referral tactics
* Do use multigenerational marketing
* Do pitch multiple products-the something for everyone in your family
approach.
* Do offer products or services that can be sent back to the
Philippines, do global marketing.
* Do use messaging that praises the Filipino for his ability to take
care of his family

Fiesta

* Do heavily market food products and restaurants, remember we entertain
and average of 10.6 times a month
* Do serve some kind of food if you invite Filipinos to an event, even
if it is a funeral.
* Do accept food whenever it is offered.
* Don't be surprised if when you invite a Filipino over to dinner or
marketing event, he shows up with family or friends. If it is a sit-down
dinner, specify.
* Don't be surprised if Filipinos show up very late for an event. They
are on Filipino time.
* Don't use fear messages, use optimistic messages with party scenes.

Face
* Don't be surprised if a Filipino says yes but means no.
* Don't market in a hard sell manner- it is considered impolite and you
will be avoided.
* Don't assume because a Filipino is shy or will not speak up at a
meeting that he does not have strong opinions or great ideas; Do urge him
to express them.
* Do use Filipino spokespersons and role models where possible.
* Do support immigrant brand loyalties if you want them to remain.
* And most important, do address the local population as Filipino
Americans, not as Filipinos.

Faith
* Do incorporate the Catholic and Muslim calendars into your marketing
calendars, seeing what is seasonal and appropriate.
* Do support parish activities.

And now lets have some fun I told you I would teach you how to identify
and pass for a Filipino:

Greeting: Do greet each other by raising both eyebrows.
Pointing: Do point at something with your lips
Calling Attention: Do uniquely Filipino PPSSSST sound.

"Man's mind once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimension."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes