Today’s country is the Philippines. I asked Jing who has been living in Manila, Philippines, all her life to tell us about her country. She is a 42-year-old single mom of four teenagers and a grandparent of one. Thanks, Jing, for teaching us about the Philippines.
What do you love about your country?
I love our seven thousand plus islands. It gives the country such diversity that you’ll never tire of seeing more and more of it.
What is your favorite food that is only served there?
I love sinigang! It’s a tamarind-based sour soup which can be made with pork, beef, shrimp or fish and vegetables like string beans, kangkong and labanos. It is a very versatile dish that’s hugely comforting and easy to make.
What are the living conditions like in your town/city?
I live in the suburbs, in a village where kids can still play on the streets outside their homes. It’s getting increasingly urbanized though. Malls are the big thing here in the Philippines. Personally, I don’t like these giant boxes of commerce. I would prefer little shops but those are fast vanishing.
What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?
This being a tropical country, the emphasis is on keeping cool especially with the summer months upon us. Sandals and flip-flops have become the order of the day. Things are laid-back. Fashion-wise, we are up-to-date with global trends but Filipinos still tend to be a bit conservative. Interior design trends are based on our wealth of indigenous raw materials. Upcycling is slowly but surely getting big here. Fashionistas have gone vintage. Crafters are finding new uses for old things.
What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?
There’s going to be an election this May so, that event is pretty much headlining everything.
What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?
I think mothers across the globe basically have the same concerns: how to raise their children well, teach them the right values, feed them healthy food, etc. The difference lies in the environment we’re living in. Instilling the proper Filipino values is important in our culture. Preserving the family prevails above all; we like getting together as a family on weekends to eat and talk. We always tell our children to pay respect to their elders by using the terms “po” and “opo.” We encourage them to say thanks, “salamat.” We emphasize the importance of working together (“bayanihan”) as a family or as a team to achieve a common goal. We also put a premium on taking care of our elders; extended families are still very much the norm here with either the grandparents or uncles or aunts living with the family.
How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?
We are a rice-eating culture, so everything revolves around rice. Children are usually served white rice together with a main dish and fruits. We are fortunate that we still get our food fresh here. You can go to your favourite butcher and get meat just butchered that very morning. There are all sorts of fresh vegetables to make all sorts of tasty dishes. And of course, the seafood-fish, shrimp, crabs, squid-they’re all here.
We have traditional games but unfortunately, they have been replaced by computer games and online games. That’s what most kids are into these days.
» Tell me… Have you been to the Philippines? What did you learn from Jing that fascinated you about her country? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.
7,000+ islands? I had no idea.
I’d also love to know what their education system is like.
I’ve always respected their treatment of elders.
Hi Jennifer! Yes, we 7,000 islands: big and small ones, not all of them inhabited. Our educational system was patterned after the United States’. American soldiers were our first teachers after WWII.
Hey! I am also a Jennifer, Jing is my nickname
Hi Jing! Just stopping by from your site, and I really enjoyed this post. I’m ashamed to say it, but I don’t know much about the Phillipines-I also think Americans get so wrapped up in our own day-to-day that we forget about our neighbors!
I had one question for you. You write so fluently in English. Is that something that is a “norm” for students to learn in school?
Hey Susan!
English is our second language. And apart from studying in Catholic schools all my life, I am quite a nerd and a big reader hehe
I lived in the Philippines for three years! Oh my gosh, I loved it. It’s so gorgeous and the food is amazing! There are times I really truly miss it and can’t wait to be able to take my husband there to visit! My parents worked about two hours from Cagayan, on the large southern island, Mindanao. My sister and I went to school in Manila just outside the city. We’d go to Mega Mall at least once a month.
Your country will always hold such a special place in my heart!
Thanks Emily! Let’s meet up when you do come to visit. There are a lot of other malls now. If you thought Megamall was big, you have to check out Mall of Asia. It’s enormous!
Great post, Jing! I have been living in the USA for the past 23 years but lived in the Philippines for the first 13 years of my life.
Most everyone in the Philippines can speak and write in English as it is taught in school from the very beginning (well, that was my experience!).
Thanks Christine!
So much has changed since then. We live in the Alabang-Las Pinas area. Back then, this used to be all grass. Now, there are all sorts of villages and malls and buildings.
Jing, you’re a great writer! My friend is married to a man from the Philippines so I have heard a lot about the culture. It sounds so interesting. Japan is so close. I would love to visit someday.
What a wonderful website (Tiffany) and posting (Jing)! I just stumbled across it today for the first time and have since added it to my Favorites! I’m half-Filipina, half-German and am a new Mom and want to try to teach my daughter everything I can about the Philippines although I’ve only been there one time. I try to make my favorite foods: pancit and halo-halo as much as possible.
I hope to bring my daughter and husband there someday!