Family is considered to be the foundation of social life for most Filipinos.

The nuclear family is the core

family unit, however bonds are often tight knit among extended family members. Indeed, people may
be encouraged to have a relationship with their aunts and uncles that is just as strong as the relationship
with their parents. Close familial relationships often go beyond one’s genetic connections or bloodlines
to incorporate distant relatives, close neighbours or friends. For example, it is common to hear people
refer to distant relatives or non-relatives with familial terms such as ‘tita’ (aunt), ‘tito’ (uncle), ‘lola’
(grandmother) and ‘lolo’ (grandfather). One instance is when a grandchild refers to their grandparent’s
friend or cousin as lola or lolo.

In a Filipino household, it is common to find three generations living together. Often, grandparents play
a large role in raising their grandchildren. Extended family will often live relatively close to one another
and will come together during large celebrations. It is common to find families in the Philippines that
have some members who return to their family home during weekends after spending a week in major
cities for work or study.

Since the 1970s, the Philippines has been exporting labour abroad, with some members engaging in paid
labour abroad while many remain in their home town or village. This means that many Filipino families
are spread across the world. Filipino society has widely adapted to the change in family structure. Some
parents will leave their child in the Philippines in order to seek labour abroad to better support their
family left behind. In turn, they will send back remittances to their parents or siblings who have been
given the duty of caring for the child. It is also common to find aunts, uncles and godparents taking care
of their nieces, nephews or godchildren, by sending remittances back to the Philippines in order to pay
for their education.

Those living abroad with left behind families will attempt to see their family once a year by returning
home to the Philippines during their break from work in another country. This can be particularly
difficult for those with children or elderly parents in the Philippines. In order to support their families in
the Philippines, Filipinos abroad will send a ‘balikbayan box’, containing various items such as clothing,
household objects and gifts for their family. In the Australian context, it can be quite emotionally
distressing for some Filipinos in intercultural marriages to be denied the opportunity to send
remittances home or unable to visit their family, as they feel they are failing to uphold their duty
towards their family.

Family plays an important part of everybody’s life. In the Philippines Family comes first among any other
priorities in life. A typical Filipino family is composed of father, mother, with children and may also
include an extended family of aunt, uncle, cousin or grandparent.

The father is head of the family and acts as the breadwinner. He makes major decisions in consultation
with his wife. He implements discipline in the family. The treasurer and home keeper in the family is the
wife. She takes care of the children and her husband. Children are usually closer to her than to their
father. Nowadays, there are also working mothers because of the rising need in the cost of living. The
father and the mother work hand in hand, to establish and give the life that their children deserve.
The children are taught to respect and obey their parents. The elder sibling, especially the girl, is trained
to be her mother’s assistant. She learns to look after her younger siblings and to manage the home.
Elder sibling also gets respect from the younger ones. Filipino children are assigned home chores to train
them to be responsible. The family molds the child’s character. It is where moral values are first being
taught. The parents are the ones responsible in inculcating good manners and right conduct to their
children that they will carry on as they grow up.

We are now in a new generation. Nowadays, families are not as close as in the past and a lot of people
have used this. The values that our family taught us is not that tight like before the younger people not
use to them. Especially living in the city, everyone in the family is busy with many things that they forgot
the value of family. Most people are having to work longer and both parents work. They have no time to
spend with each other as they did before. One of the reasons is the materialistic and consumer-driven
culture we are in now. Also, modern technology means that people are more interested in their online
life than interacting with their families in their free time.

Before family values are very important, the head of the family is strict when it comes to family bonding,
their beliefs, and their culture. Family eat together, go to church together and pray together. Family
values teach us how to develop traditionally the foundation of how children grow with respect and GOD
fearing. Parents are very supportive of growing their children. Filipino people’s values are built on
tradition, passed from generation to generation. conservative and religious.

Some of the Filipino values may include obtaining knowledge, wisdom, and necessary skills, and using
them at home, and living out the values you acquired within the family. It engages in developing the
Importance of family.

We are different from another country because of the way our family raised up. They teach us the
ancient culture, beliefs, ideals, and value that passes through generation to generation. Filipino stayed in
the family even if they old enough and have their own family and work. Filipino are family-oriented and
devoted. The older generation takes good care of the family they won’t let the younger one comes
home late at night. Filipino people, especially the older generation, believe in marriage they let their
children get married before a marital relationship exists for the individual. They believe that marriage is
a lifetime relationship and should not be separated. They don’t let a married couple file an annulment or
divorce because here in the Philippines it’s not easy to file an annulment or it’s difficult to file a divorce.
While abroad they can easily file annulment or divorce a person if they feel that they don’t love the
person or they could not work their marriage good. Filipino family teaches us to obey to older one, not
to lie to everyone, not to steal or hurt others, family teach us also to honor our parents and the older
generation, For us, it’s easy to obey them because we grow with the culture and values of the family.

Another country has its own beliefs and value. Some of them let their children have their own if they
turn 18. They teach them to be more independent and let them work for their own needs when they
turn on the right ages. Other parents struggle with their children because they are stubborn, head
headed, and opinionated. Children did not listen to their parents and not follow orders and instructions.
Other countries get married even if they young and innocent. Family tolerates their children’s to have
marital sex even if they young. They don’t care what would happen to young people if they come late at
night. In addition, when two couple gets married they move out to their parents and build a home on
their own, however other countries support the legal separation, annulment, and divorce by the
government. Family is the most important unit of society. It is the strongest unit made up of families.