Surprising things foreigners find about Filipinos

I am a proud Filipino. No matter where I go, I proudly tell people where I come from. I may
get some blank stares sometimes since the Philippines hasn’t really made a mark in the world but
I always take opportunities like this to tell more about my race and culture. Here in Japan, I’ve met
a lot of foreigners that made some Filipino friends. I was glad to hear their stories and a little
intrigued about the things they find surprising about the Philippines that seem normal to me. So
I’m going to share to you today things that foreigners find interesting and surprising about
Filipinos.

The first surprising thing about Filipinos is that we are Fanatics. We are supportive people
by nature and we like cheering on our fellow countrymen. While most European countries are
football fanatics, you might find it weird that we get excited on other events than sports. We are
obsess with what we call the 3Bs; Beauty pageants, Basketball and Boxing. We just recently won
the title of “Ms. Universe” making Ms. Philippines Catriona Gray the most beautiful and intelligent
woman in the world. People all over the world were amazed on how she carried herself all
throughout the competition and on how she was so proud of being a Filipino despite her being half
Australian. Basketball on the other hand is the most popular sport in my country. When the
Americans brought organized sport to the Philippines, they focused on baseball and basketball,
but it was basketball that became famous. Then the Philippines became the star in the world of
boxing, thanks to the Filipino boxer Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.

The second thing that foreigners find surprising is how amazingly talented Filipinos are.
You can go on youtube and find a trending video about a boy or a girl singing Mariah Carey songs
effortlessly or watch Filipino amateur dance group videos where you see them dancing like
professionals. In the Philippines, attending a Music or Art school is not really a good choice if you
want to have a high paying job after graduating. We actually don’t encourage being professional
entertainers but it’s something that comes natural for Filipinos that we don’t really need to learn it
from any school. You’ll see Filipino entertainers singing and dancing from amusement parks like
Disney land all the way to Broadway in New York.

The last thing and the thing that I am most proud of is how my foreigner friends say that
Filipinos are the most welcoming people they’ve ever met. Try visiting the Philippines and you’ll
discover that everywhere you go everyone will make you feel welcome. We’re just very happy and
friendly people. I love hearing stories from my foreigner friends about the great time they had in
my country. Stories like getting invited to a simple dinner, festival and even to a birthday party.
They said that every single Filipino they met was absolutely kind and polite.

The Philippines may have a long way to go compared to other countries but despite
adversities, Filipinos make the most of whatever challenge life has to put in. Whatever the
situation is, most of the time you will find us cheering, singing, smiling and making the most out of
life. Foreigners may find it surprising but this is how genuine Filipinos are and I’m very proud of it.