14 Good Filipino Habits that Make the

Philippines a Great Country

September 2, 2014

There may be negative traits that are common to many Filipinos, such as crab mentality (envy
and insecurity), maana habit (procrastination) and tardiness, that are hindering our countrys
progress and human development index. But on the other side, we also have several positive
traits that make us one of the most admirable people on Earth. The following good habits make
the Filipinos great people and the Philippines a great country. Let us do our best to preserve
them.

1. Hospitability. Its one of the most popular traits of Filipinos. We are usually friendly and
welcoming to our guests. This Filipino attribute makes the Philippines one of the most favorite
destinations by tourists who want to enjoy the beauty of our nature and the friendliness of our
people, not to mention we can also understand and speak English.

2. Adaptability and resilience. Despite of all the calamities that struck our country, like the
strong earthquake and Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that devastated the central part of
Visayas in 2013, Filipinos are persistent enough to get back on their feet, even without the solid
help from the government. We can also adapt to any type of environment and mingle with any
kind of people all over the world.

3. Resourcefulness and creativity. Filipinos are known for ingenuity. We are creative in many
ways, whether its in art, music, science, technology and business. Some of our smartest
countrymen can come up with a brilliant idea despite of poverty or lack of financial resources.
We are also good in recycling trash and turn them into ingenious products.

4. Faithfulness. The Filipinos are one of the most faithful people in the world. Whatever our
religion is, we remain faithful and we dont lose hope for a better tomorrow. Our faithfulness and
hopefulness keep us kind, positive, peaceful and determined to achieve our goals no matter how
impossible they may seem.

5. Unity in bayanihan spirit. We are in close relationship with our neighbors. In barangays and
most subdivisions, the people in the neighborhood know each other, talk each other, help each
other, and protect each other. Our communities are organized. We help each other to make our
fiestas, festivals and other events lively and colorful to make sure that our visitors will have a
great experience.

6. Thriftiness. There may be Filipinos who are living beyond their means. But on the brighter
side, there are also many Filipinos who are frugal. We shop wisely to save our money for future
important uses. We are conscious on the price tag, discounts and quality of the products we buy
to get the most out of our money. Filipino parents also do sacrifices like skipping the stuff they
want to buy for themselves just to save their money to buy things that can make their children
happy.

7. Politeness. Filipinos are courteous people. The children and young Filipinos will always use
the words po and opo to show respect to someone whos older or whos in the higher
position than them. We also do the mano po gesture (bringing the back of the hand of an elder
to ones forehead) as a sign of respect to our elders. Moreover, Filipino workers will always
address their customers with sir or maam to show humility and honor to serve them.

8. Family-oriented. Filipinos are willing to make big sacrifices just to make sure that their loved
ones will have a good life. Our parents will do anything just to give us a brighter future. They are
even willing to work in a foreign soil just to achieve such goal. And in return, we study hard and
even sacrifice our personal love life just to fulfill the dreams of our parents for us.
Furthermore, many Filipino breadwinners work extraordinarily hard just to earn money to
support their family.

9. Bravery. Theres a heros blood running on our veins. We have the most fearless heroes who
only think of defending our homeland. Remember Lapu-Lapu, Andress Bonifacio and Jose Rizal.
Moreover, our soldiers are probably the bravest in the world. General Douglas MacArthur was
even quoted saying Give me ten thousand Filipino soldiers and I will conquer the world.

10. Jolliness and sense of humor. The Philippines is a country of smiles. Nothing can take away
the humor and jolliness of many Filipinos not even super typhoon Yolanda the strongest
recorded typhoon that made a landfall. Despite of the tragedy, Yolanda survivors can still be seen
smiling, positive and hopeful to rebuild their lives even better. The Filipino humor is evident
everywhere, from comedy films, TV shows, to every Filipino you will meet.

11. Discretion and dignity. Perhaps many of our politicians dont have a delicadeza. But our
people, especially the Filipinas, still observe delicadeza. Despite of the growing number of
Filipinos who are giving up their delicadeza, there are still many Filipinos who always think
twice before they make a decision that can affect their dignity and honor. Thanks to their parents
who raised them up with high moral standards.

12. Gratefulness. Aside from being hospitable, Filipinos are also thankful. We dont forget
anyone who helped us, whether he (she) is a Filipino or not. We even build monuments to show
our utmost respect and gratitude to our heroes and other foreign personalities who helped the
Filipino people. We show our warmest gratitude to the international communities who helped us
rebuild our lives after Haiyan and other disasters struck us.

13. Honesty and commitment. Perhaps palabra de honor is not evident among our politicians,
but its still evident among the common Filipinos. When we make a promise, we try our best to
fulfill that promise even if it will undermine ourselves. For us, to fulfill a promise to others is a
great self fulfillment. We are also candor. What we see in you, we will tell you frankly.

14. Helpfulness. Finally, even if the Philippines is not a big and rich country, we still grant aids
to other countries in need. We also send our brave soldiers to protect other nations from threats
and to preserve world peace.

Originally, we are rich in good values, morals, attitudes and habits. They are the legacies that our
ancestors have left us. Maybe some of these qualities are already fading and becoming rare
among Filipinos. But we can still do something to preserve them. Lets protect our moral
treasures! Lets start preserving them within ourselves. Then lets serve as a model of these good
habits to inspire our countrymen to do the same.

Did I miss something? What other great Filipino habits can you add to the list above? Feel free to
share them in the comments below.

By: Victorino Q. Abrugar

Vic promotes tourism-related businesses, brands and places. He's the marketing strategist of FAQ.PH. He
believes that the key to success is to always do what to do next. Want to promote your business? Contact
him at mail@optixor.com.