DIFFERENT TRADITIONAL

PRACTICES OF
COURTSHIP IN THE
PHILIPPINES
ILOCOS and TAGALOG Regions
In Ilocos, serenating is known as
tapat, “to be in front of the
woman’s house” likely the same as
harana and also the balagtasan of
the Tagalogs. The suitor begins
singing in a romantic song, and
then the courted lady responds by
singing too.
Rooster courtship is a form
courting in Luzon. The rooster
is assigned to be the
“negotiator,” wherein the
male chicken is left at the
house of the courted lady to
crow every morning for the
admired lady’s family.
BULACAN
The Bulaquenos have
a kind of courtship
known as the
naninilong,
which means
“serenading from
under the house.”
At midnight, the suitor
goes beneath the nipa
hut, a house that is
elevated by bamboo
poles, and then pricks the
admired woman by using
a pointed object to catch
the attention of the
sleeping lady, after which
the converse in whispers.
BATANGAS
Men manifest their sincerity and loyalty to the women
they are courting through their gestures and actions.
The women are serenaded with Tagalog
love songs accompanied by playing a
guitar. Men serve the family of the
women by doing household chores such
as chopping wood, fetching water,
cleaning the surroundings, etc. Through
these various services a man’s
determination and trustworthiness are
tested.
When a suitor visits the woman in her home, he is
obliged to pay respect to the woman’s parents by
saying “mano po.”
In the living room, they are seated within
proper distance. Sometimes the man
makes several visits before he can
receive the blessings of the woman’s
parents. It may also take several family
conferences before the man can be
acknowledged and accepted if he should
ask permission to marry the woman.
PANGASINAN
Folks make use of the taga-amo, which means “tamer,” a form
of love potion or charm which can be rubbed on the skin of
the admired. It can also be in the form of a drinkable potion.
The suitor may also resort to the use
of palabras, meaning “show or
drama,” wherein the woman
succumbs to revealing her love to
her suitor, who on the other hand
pretends to commit suicide if the
lady does not confess her true
feelings.
KALINGA
The Ifugaos practice a courtship called ca-i-sing or began
to Kalingas and pangis to Tingguians, where a man and
a woman are separated into “houses.”
The house for the males is called
ato, while the house for females
is known as the olog or
agamang. The man visits the
woman’s house to sing romantic
songs and the woman replies to
these songs also through singing.
KALINGA
The courtship ritual is
guarded by the elders
who inform the parents
of both parties about
the progress of the
courtship process.
KALINGA
The courtship ritual is
guarded by the elders
who inform the parents
of both parties about
the progress of the
courtship process.
PALAWAN
People perform courtship through the use of love riddles
or pasaguli. The purpose of the love riddles is to assess
the sentiments of the parents of both suitor and the
woman.
After this pabalic / pabalik is
done to settle the price in a
form of dowry that will be
received by the woman from
the courting man.
VISAYAS
When courting, Cebuanos also
resort to serenading, called balak.
They also write love letters that are
sent through a trusted friend or
relative of the woman.
Presents are not only given to the
woman, but also to her relatives.
They also use love potions to win
the affection of the woman.
VISAYAS Men from Leyte perform the
pangagad or paninilbihan instead of
paying a form of dowry during
courtship.
The suitor accomplishes household
and farm chores for the family of the
woman. The service normally lasts for
approximately a year before the
man and woman can get married. It
is also referred to as subok – a trial
or test period for the serving suitor.
MINDANAO
Palabas, sarakahan tupul, or
magpasumbahi is practiced by the
Tausugs of Mindanao.
A suitor would threaten to stab his
heart while in front of the courted
woman’s father. If the father of
the woman refuses to give her
daughter’s hand to the suitor, the
suitor is smitten by a knife.
The Bagobos, on the other
hand, send a knife or a spear
as a gift to the home of the
courted woman for inspection.
Accepting the weapon is
equivalent to accepting the
man’s romantic intention and
advances.
COURTSHIP PRACTICES AT THE
AGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Courtship practices have evolved
with the advancement of
technology. It is very common and
interesting to hear some couples
attribute the start of their love
stories with the help of technology
like the use of cellular phones, the
internet, and social media.
Nowadays, a man can court a woman
through facebook, twitter, skype, or
other social networking sites.