Filipino Culture

Filipinos have beautiful culture.

So colorful and bright.

Take a look at this page’s featured image and you will not question it one bit.

Expat.com.ph wants to make sure expats in the country also get exposure and education on the local culture. It is always nice to have your international expat friends – but we hope you can open your mind and try some exposure to the local Philippines and its culture.

If you are looking for more guides and tips on Filipino culture, please contact the team and we would love to hear it.

Now, get scrolling and check out the full list of articles on this beautiful country’s culture below.

5 Must Know Filipino Dishes to Cook to Survive Anywhere

The Philippines is home to a hospitable community, which is one of the outstanding characteristics of its citizens. So every time there are guests, home cooked specialties are always served fresh and hot. People in the Philippines are also fond of field trips, trekking and / or overnight stays that are far from home over the weekends. You’ll be amazed by the awesome selection of food varieties below that should be known because you can cook these everywhere.

Filipino Desserts That are Sure to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

In the Philippines, it is normal to drink soda with food, add sugar to milk, drink sweetened brewed or black coffee and add sugar to any regular tea. The country just loves sugar so much. So if you love sweets, you should check out some of the most famous Filipino desserts that will surely be added to your favorites list.

Centuries Old Baroque Philippine Churches Worthy as a National Heritage

Baroque-style architecture was first introduced by the Catholic Church in the early 17th century as a way to contradict the Protestant church’s extravagant architecture with grander, taller and highly decorative Catholic institutions. Baroque architects took inspiration from the basic elements of Renaissance designs and exaggerated these. By enhancing domes and colonnades, making them higher and more dramatic, Baroque churches have become art institutions just as much as they are Catholic buildings.

Popular Filipino Foods with Hidden Meanings for Special Occasions

A notable Filipino trait is that they love their food, and food always brings people together whether it be with friends, families or colleagues. Filipinos are very religious and superstitious, with beliefs coming from their elders and ancestors. In fact, they associate food into special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, etc., believing that these practices will bring good fortune to them.

Filipinos’ Superstitious Belief during Holy Week

Although, the Philippines is a Christian country there are still superstitious beliefs that are being practiced by many during sacred occasions. Even the Lenten Season is not spared, Filipinos observe the Holy Week with religious devotion joined with superstitious beliefs and practices. This was passed from generations and in these modern times, you can still hear these impressions. It has ...

Holy Week Traditions Filipinos Observe

Holy Week or Semana Santa in the Philippines starts from Palm Sunday up to Easter Sunday. Catholic priests and religious statues are garbed in purple to signify gloom. Catholics visit the church while Christians pray directly to God sans statues. Although their practices are different, they have a common belief, Jesus died on the cross to save mankind from sin. ...

Directory: Specialty Museums in the Philippines

When we talk of museum what comes to mind are those booooring ancient artifacts, historical art galleries, and travel back in time kinds of stuff. You’ll be surprised by these 6 specialty museums we guarantee you’ll have wow moments. Table of Contents Art in IslandThe Mind MuseumUpside Down MuseumMarikina City Footwear Museum Art in Island Location: 15th Avenue, Barangay ...

LIST: Sacred and Religious Sites in the Philippines

Sacred and religious sites in the Philippines treat your eyes to an astonishing setting. Also, it is a place to pray, reflect and commune with God. The Philippines is a Christian country blessed with sacred and religious sites not just inside a church but also outside touching the beauty of nature. There were devotees in these sacred grounds healed ...

Expats Guide: 5 Must-See Museums

The Philippines has quite the rich history. Having been colonized by the Spaniards for over 300 years and Americans and the Japanese soon thereafter, discovering the country’s past is nothing short of interesting. This is one of the reasons why in Metro Manila, there are a handful of museums one can visit. These must-see museums are a great way to ...

Sports that Filipinos Love

Filipinos are relatively sports loving people. And what better way for a foreigner to show their respect is by showing interest in their host’s favorite pastime. When Manny Pacquiao has a boxing match, there is no crime on the streets. The soldiers and rebels are on a ceasefire and watch the boob tube instead of exchanging bullets. When Gilas Pilipinas, ...

Animals Found Only in the Philippines

Fantastic beaches, amazing locals, terrific scenic spots, and everything nice make the Philippines a heaven for foreign tourists. But wait there’s more – The landscape of the Philippines makes it an ideal habitat for the breeding of various species of plant and animal life. The islands and seas is a biologist’s paradise. We are home to the highest concentration of ...

Philippine Festivals in Honor of Animals and Crops

The Philippine festivals were influenced by Spain. Almost every city and municipality celebrate to honor their patron saint, the numbers are ginormous with 145 and 1,489 respectively spread all over the country. And this does not include the 42,029 barangays which have their own celebration of a fiesta. But do you know that not all are in honor of patron ...

Expats Guide: Fun Philippine Music Festivals to Check Out

If there is one thing Filipinos enjoy the most, it’s good music partnered with great company. Because of this, Philippine music festivals have started to crop up in the recent years, celebrating different local and international musicians and the great music they offer. Nothing beats being able to surround yourself with a community that appreciates the same music you do. ...

Philippine Traditions that Faces Extinction

The Philippines has a plethora of traditions shaped by a storied past with different countries that occupied us including Spain, United States of America, and Japan. Add this with our interaction and trade with China, Malaysia, Arab countries, India, and Korea and we wind up with a long list of Philippine traditions that will take us longer than our free ...

Annoying Attitudes that Filipinos should Discard

If you are a foreigner living in the Philippines, you will notice that Filipinos have bad habits that should be ditched. But these negative traits do not diminish the fact that Filipinos have good habits too, they are good-natured, hospitable, resilient, awesome, creative and many more. The Philippines is considered a developing country for so many years which means less ...

Whang-od: The Living Legend of Philippine Tattoo

Different strokes for different folks, there are various reasons why people wear a tattoo. A popular reason for getting inked is to pay tribute to a dear someone you lost. Some use this to express a certain story and tattoo brings the story to life. Others are keeping up with the fad, a tattoo means you are up-to-date with the ...

Captivating, Bizarre Philippine Festivals

The Philippines has 7,641 islands, each is distinct, they have their own customs and traditions, religious beliefs and local celebrations that is why Filipinos love to party because they have lots of festivals. The sheer number exemplifies the diversity in culture from the metropolitan area to the smallest barangay, every place has their own way of celebrating. Some do stand ...

Maladies that Plague Filipinos

A good health is more than wealth we should make it our top priority to take care of it. Culled from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) report in 2015, the average life expectancy of Filipinos is 69 years old, ranked 139 among 201 countries. There’s a good chance that Filipinos will see their great-grandchildren. ...

Spine-chilling Ghost Stories from the Philippines

The Philippine has 7,641 islands, and each area has their own ghost stories, urban legends, and myths to tell. You won’t run out of tales to hear, each is unique from each other that is convincing and downright creepy. We have compiled 4 Philippine ghost stories for your reading pleasure, true or not, do not continue if you feel uncomfortable. ...

Expats Guide: Authentic Filipino Artisanal Shops to Try

Filipinos are known to be great craftsmen. They value excellence, creativity and ingenuity when it comes to items that they create. This is probably one of the main reasons why employers from all over the world would normally prefer Filipinos to become their main producers. But it should also be noted that Filipinos value originality and innovativeness. Being able to ...

Filipino Food to fill an Expat’s Hungry Tummy

With 7,641 islands, the Philippines has an abundance of unique ingredients offered from each region. Creative cooks use these to concoct delicious food that will satisfy even the most delicate taste buds. No wonder if you’re surfing in Baler, exploring mysterious Palawan or partying at Boracay you will notice that every food is distinct for every province that you have ...

Expats Guide: Balut, A Culinary Fascination around the Globe

Balut is a developing duck embryo that is hard-boiled and eaten directly from the shell. Perhaps you’ve heard about it as the object of culinary fascination around the world. Balut is stapled street food in the Philippines which has dismayed even the most adventurous foodies with its carnal structures. But once you’ve overcome your hang-ups you’re on your way to ...

Know Before You Go: Divisoria

Divisoria has long been a bargain hunter’s haven for people from all walks of life. It is really one big market in one of the busiest districts in Manila. The bustling commercial district has a bevy of malls that dot the area, alleys and byways are teeming with stores and mobile vendors that sell their wares. Everything you need is ...

Go Healthy eat Philippine Veggies

Perhaps you have heard of Philippine fresh vegetables or seen them but haven’t actually tasted them. If you haven’t you’re actually missing some of life’s delightful pleasures. Several of these are cooked individually or mixed with others to come up with a succulent dish that will satisfy even the most delicate palate. You might be surprised to find them in ...

Expats Guide: Basic Filipino Terms used in the Market

Foreigners won’t have a hard time communicating in English since this is considered as the second language of Filipinos and spoken by many. Your Filipino counterpart will pick out some words you said to get the gist of your message. Don’t expect them to be fluent in carrying out a conversation but they will do their best to reply in ...

Know before You Go: 2018 Philippine Festivals

The Philippines has 81 provinces subdivided into 145 cities and 1,489 municipalities. And each area has its own fiestas dedicated to their patron saints, myths, culture, and traditions. No wonder the country is called “The Land of Festivals” there are fiestas in the Philippines from January to December. Full of life parades, extravagant costumes, dazzling celebration, and a festive atmosphere ...

10 Idiosyncrasies adopted by an Expat for continuously living in the Philippines

If you have been in the Philippines, you will notice that it is a multiracial country. The population is a dynamic mix of several native tribes with the Malay race, knotted with Chinese merchants, occupied by Spain for over 300 years, under the rule of Americans with a sprinkling of Indian, Japanese, Muslim, and Korean influence. An expatriate living a ...

Cultural Differences Between Philippines + China

Doing business between China, Philippines, and the rest of the world? It is a common triangle of cultures, and Mike shares what he sees as the main cultural differences.