Only in the Philippines

Mixed culture: Influence by many countries and different cultures, the Philippines has developed a society and culture of mixed origins. Countries with the greatest influence to the Philippines include the United States, Spain, Malays and Chinese among others. Because of US influence, we become the third largest English-speaking country in the whole Asia. On the other hand, the impact of the more than 300 years of occupation of Spain in the country is still seen on the names of many streets, cities and buildings. Chinese influences are very evident on our food and the way we do business.

Rich language: The Philippines has a very rich language. The Filipino language is one of the only few languages (if there is any other language) in the world where you can state explicitly the “intention” of the doer of the action in the verb. The English sentence, “Mario killed Juan.” can be translated in Filipino in many forms depending on the intention of the doer, in this case, Mario. It can be translated into “Pinatay ni Mario si Juan.”, if Mario intentionally killed Juan. If not, the right translation should be, “Napatay ni Mario si Juan.” In addition, Filipino is one of the most respectful languages in the world with the words, “po” and “opo” always included in sentences.

Hospitality: Filipinos are considered as one of the most hospitable people in the world. One is always welcome in the house of a Filipino family. Filipino families would certainly accept and give help to any needy stranger asking for help. We are known for our kindness and generosity to others.

Close family ties: Filipino households are known to have very close family ties. This is one of the main reasons why we do not have much houses for old people, unlike other countries. Most Filipino households comprise of the main family (mother, father and their children), grandparents and even some other relatives.