Philippine
Protocol and
Culture
Edited by: CVSJSORIANO,RN,MSBA
TESDA Accredited trainor/assessor
for Events Mgt. NC III
Protocol, an important part of diplomacy.
The set of agreed-upon rules that must be followed
to emphasize respect and foster good relations
within the international community.
Diplomacy, is important socially, politically, and
economically.
the goal of diplomacy is for the involved parties to
come to agreeable terms in a polite manner, without
the use of force or confrontation.
Business Relationship
Greet the most important or
the oldest person first,
particularly during the first
few meetings, which tend to be
formal.
Men greet each with a
handshake. Women may air
kiss friends.
Always use honorifics ( Mr.,
Mrs., Ms.,) + surname when
addressing a person.
When speaking to the elder, it
is polite to use sir or
maam.
How to wear a Barong Tagalog
Wear camisa chino underneath your barong.
Do not wear printed t-shirt or sando.
Wear only white camisa chinos underneath your barong, especially if you
are in a formal or business event.
Make sure that your barong is always crisp and wrinkle-free.
On a business setting, it is best to use light-colored barongs (white or
cream).
Barong made from santana fabric make great everyday business wear.
It would be wise to invest in at least one barong made from pia or jusi.
Have simple embroidery nothing fancy or elaborate and nothing beyond the
traditional floral design.
Pair your barong with a good pair of we-presser dark-colored slacks.
Protocol in International Organization
ASEAN- Association of Southeast Asian Nations
APEC- Asia-Pacific Economic Council
Royalty
Treaty Signing
Time & Punctuality
Appointment should ideally be made three to
four weeks in advance.
It is best to schedule your meeting for midmorning or late afternoon.
Reconfirm your appointment via phone or email
a few days before the meeting.
Avoid scheduling meeting during the week of
Easter & Christmas.
Though Filipino have a tendency to be late to
social events, they generally arrive on time for
business meeting and expect their guests to do
so as well.
Business Card Protocol
Filipinos use English in the business arena
Business card should include titles, when
applicable
The guest should offer his/her business card first
Cards should be given and received with two
hands, with the print facing the recipient.
Order of Precedence
The host and hostess enter the dinning room
first, with guests entering after them
If there is a guest of honor, he may enter the
dining room first, accompanied by the hostess.
His wife is then escorted inside by the host
If the guest of honor is female, she may enter the
dining room first, accompanied by the host. Her
husband then escorts the hostess inside
If there are fewer men than women at the
dinner, the hostess enters the room alone.
If the dinner is informal, guests may enter as
they choose.
Order of Precedence
Addressing Individuals and Officials
When addressing a person in conversation, the
safest approach would be to use their title,
followed by last name.
Always remember a persons name and learn to
write it correctly, as this is a sign of courtesy and
respect.
The proper written form of a name is important,
especially in formal correspondence.
Variance between countries and culture
o
Most countries use the order: first name, middle name,
last name
Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans put their last name
before their proper name
For Indians: name + son of or daughter of +
parents name
o
For Malaysian: name + bint (for male) or binte (for
female) + parents name
Receiving Guests
Formal occasions, especially if they are
diplomatic in nature, usually have a receiving
line where guests are given the opportunity to
meet the host and guests of honors.
Keep the receiving line as short as possible
Customary to announce guests during
diplomatic events
The hosts and guests of honor stand in line to
thank guests as they leave
Seating Arrangements
Use place card to identify where people should
sit
Men should hold the chair out for the women to
their right
Men sit after the women have seated
Guest of honors should be seated to the right of
the host
They should be seated according to rank
The host and hostess sit at the head seats,
located to both ends of a rectangular table.
Round table
Host
Lady of Honor
Male Guest
Female Guest
Male Guest
Hostess
Female Guest
Gentleman of Honor
Rectangular Table
Female Guest
Male Guest
Female Guest
Gentleman of Honor
Host
Hostess
Lady of Honor Male Guest
Female Guest
Male Guest
U-shape Table
Lady
Male of
Host Hostess
Guest Honor
Female Guest
Gentle
man of
Honor
Female
Guest
Male Guest
Male Guest
Female Guest
Female Guest
Male Guest
Multi-table Arrangement
Assistant
Host
Table 3
Host
Head
Table
Assistant
Host
Assistant
Host
Table 2
Table 4
Table Setting
Dining Etiquette
It is acceptable to arrive fifteen to thirty minutes late to a large party
Wait to be told where to sit, as there might be a seating plan
Wait for the host to invite you to eat before you do so. It is polite for the
guest to start eating only after the host has taken the first bite
Wait to be asked two or three times before helping yourself to food, so that
you do not appear greedy
Meals may be served family-style, or via buffet. If the former, use the
serving utensils provided to transfer food onto your plate
Meals are eaten with a spoon and fork help in the right and left hands
respectively, with the fork used to guide the food onto the spoon
Giving Toasts
Giving toasts is acceptable during official functions
Usually done before or after dessert
Usually signaled by a remark from the host
Most toasts are done with wine
Acceptable toast topics for diplomatic functions:
o Country
o Head of state or government
o Host
o Guest host
o Good relations between governments
Gift Giving
When invited to a Filipino home, it is polite to
bring flowers or sweets for the hosts
Avoid flowers that used in the funerals
Gift should be elegantly wrapped and should not
be opened in front of the giver
Customary to give everyone gifts during the
Christmas season
Business etiquette Dos and Donts
Do find a Mediator
Do make friends
Do dress to impress
Do socialize
Dont underestimate
the individual
Dont be too direct
Communicating Effectively
Business and personal relationship often
intersect, with questions about age, marital
status, and other sensitive matters being the
norm
Eye contact
Answer the question in a nice way
Never embarrass
Useful Phrases
English
Filipino
Hello
Thank you
Bon Apptit
Mabuhay
Salamat
Kain na!
The Philippine Flag
Important symbol of the
nation. Republic act 8491
All Philippine flags must be
based on strict compliance
with government
specifications. Coordinate with
the DFA home office if unsure
The Philippine Flag
Care
Overseas display
The Philippine Flag
Flag ceremony
The Philippine Flag
The flagpole
The Philippine Flag
When being flown in another
flag
The Philippine Flag
Saluting
The Philippine Flag
Flag Raising Ceremony
The Philippine Flag
Lowering ceremony
The Philippine Flag
Half mask
The Philippine Flag
Flag days
The Philippine Flag
Prohibited acts
Protocol
Set of formal rules and regulations or rules of
appropriate behavior
Greek word proto-kolla (protos means the first
kolla means glue)
Protocol is generally accepted code of etiquette
and precedence within a particular group or
entity.
Arrival, seating and staging, departure
VIP and officials are notable invited during
opening ceremonies
Followed the certain protocols and rules when
the honor arrive
Followed the seating arrangement according to
ranking
Introducing VIP
The lead organizer or presiding officer should
introduce the VIP guest and address the
audience from the lectern.
Flags etiquette
Display the host nation flag and the countries
represented delegates
Host countrys flag is placed on the right of the
stage and the other are placed in the left in
alphabetical order
If the host flag is on the center make it higher
than the other
Official titles, introduction
Use of the titles is expected
when addressing dignitaries,
VIPs, Government and others
Honorable is proffered title
used in addressing most high
ranking government officials
or retired
Excellency used for foreign
chiefs, head of government
and etc.
Honors are arriving
dignitaries, head of states or
other VIPs include salute, etc.
Certain rules on precedence
Some protocol practices
Formal Reception
Incentive
travel
Travel incentives are a reward subset of an
incentive, recognition or a loyalty program,
which is a business tool used to change behavior
to improve profit, cash flow, employee
engagement and customer engagement.
Society of Incentive and Travel
Executives (SITE)
Is global management tool that
uses an exceptional travel
experience to motivate or
organize participants for
increased level of performance
in support of organizational
goals.
Meeting, Incentive travel,
Exhibition and Events
Philippines (MITE)
Unforgettable and entertaining
trips paid by employers, w/ the
main purpose of encouraging
employees to reach
challenging business goals of
the company by achieving
individual or group goals.
Incentives travel
Why do employers initiate travel?
What will employees benefit from incentive travel?
Who are the sellers of incentive tour programs?
What industry normally has incentive tour programs?
What are the popular incentive travel destinations?
How to incentivize a tour program?
What do you need to create an
incentive tour program?
Objectives
Strategy
Planning
Choosing the destination/
facility
Communicating/ informing
the participants
Budgets/savings
Program
Arrival at the airport
Arrival at the venue
Facility/function/meeting/se
minar/trade halls
Entertainment during
thematic activities
Tours
Ask yourself
Other thing to consider
Tips/ facts on handling a
Philippine market
Incentive travel
Types of incentive awards
Individual incentive awards
Group or team awards
Company wide performance campaigns
Sales incentives awards
Incentives programs combined w/ meetings or
training programs
Customers loyalty programs
Product launch campaigns
Dealer incentive programs
Member-get-a-member campaigns
Tenure recognition awards
Thank you
