Local traditions and culture in Philippines

Divorce, no such thing in the Philippines!!! or is there? There is an annulment if you can afford it! Divorce in Western countries now can cost the equivalent of the salary for a morning's work if both parties agree, but here the cost could be in the region of 100,000 pesos, more than a year's salary to some, so most people just don't bother! Many teenagers find themselves pregnant but find true love some years later, change partners and settle down to spend the rest of their life in bliss.

When someone dies here the person is displayed in the coffin either at the funeral home or their own home for 6 or 7 days before burial. This is not such a sad event but a reason to come pay your respects and sit all night long with food being offered, card games and drinking. Most families will spend a fortune entertaining the mourners by offering food and drink, and once the burial is over quite often the mourners are invited to eat again, sometimes a whole roast pig. On the day of the funeral the hearse will pick up the deceased, and the whole procession of mourners will drive slowly to the cemetery. On the front of the hearse will be a large poster of the deceased while the deceased favourite music blares out from the vehicle. Recently one guy passed away and heavy rock music was accompanying him on his last journey.

The most important things for a Filipino is the family who stick together when a crisis looms. The families help each other out, especially when trying to get someone educated when two or three brothers will work to support a younger daughter or brother to gain an education with the hope that they will graduate in to a good profession and be able to help support the family members, because without an education there is not much hope in escaping the poverty that so man people find themselves in. Should one of the family be a doctor or lawyer it is common that family members will repeatedly ask for financial help and usually get it. More importantly should a family member find himself in trouble with the neighbourhood or the police, the whole family will stick together to support him whether he is right or wrong. The family members may argue amongst themselves now and again but if you argue with one of them you will probably find that they will all be against you, such is the power of the family here.

Cockfighting is to the Filipinos as what baseball is to the Americans and every sunday local men will flock to their local cockpit to gamble away their salary. In each village you will see men holding their cocks with care and stroking them (ha ha), spending their hard earned money on the best feed, hoping one day that they will have produced a champion. Good cocks exchange hands for 1000's of $s. Each cock will have a 3 inch blade attached to one of their feet, and are shown to the spectators before the fight, who have a chance to make bets by signalling to others in the arena. Then the fight will begin, usually the owners have to encourage their cocks to fight, then a flurry of activity will last for a few seconds or a little longer until one cock drops to the ground. He will quickly be inspected for injuries and possibly stitched back together again while the other one heads for the cooking pot. Money is thrown across the cockpit from man to man until it is in the hands of the successful gamblers who predicted the winner. If attending the cockfight it might be a good idea to keep your hands in your pockets as bets are made by different hand signals and you might inadvertently put your hands and fingers in a certain position that might cost you 1000's to someone who thought you made a bet with.

I first found out about the "dwende" when i instructed my workers to dig holes for my concrete fence posts, but upon returning the next day all the posts had been erected in a perfect neat line except for one. Where the post was meant to be was a termite hill 3 feet high, and upon questioning my workers as to why they never removed the termite hill, this reply was given. Sir, a dwende lives in the termite hill, it's his home. What's a dwende i asked my wife. Well i learnt that a dwende was a small elf pixie like creature that makes its home in termite hills, rocks, old trees and caves. The workers didn't want to upset the dwende and refused to demolish its home so to their surprise and horror i proceeded to destroy the termite hill myself. So be careful not to upset the dwendes while you are in the Philippines.

Locals believe in "aswang", a mythical, evil creature with vampire like qualities that flies during the night often stealing young children and sucking their blood. Also the Aswang can smell the dead and eats their livers. Mothers control their children by frightening them, saying the aswang will come and get you. Aswang are blamed for miscarriages and any unexplained or unusual bad thing that may happen.

When a younger person, especially a child, meets an older person they hold their hand out towards the older persons forehead as a sign of respect. Also younger people address older people, especially members of the family they address the female as Manang and the male as Kuyo, also as a mark of respect.

If you get angry with a local don't shout, just talk things over quietly and smile while you do it. It is real bad if you go to someone's house to complain (this should never be done on someone else's property) and start shouting and if you do so be prepared for trouble.