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Cultural Etiquette
Cultural Dos and Taboos
1. Foreign businessmen should shake hands firmly with Filipino men, both upon introduction and at subsequent meetings. Foreign businesswomen may initiate a handshake with Filipino men or women. Because there is normally no physical contact between men and women in public, men should wait for a Filipino woman to offer her hand. Close female friends in the Philippines may hug and kiss upon greeting. Similarly, close male friends may exhibit physical contact, such as holding hands or leaving an arm around a friends shoulder. A traditional Filipino may demonstrate respect upon greeting an elder by placing the elder's hand or knuckles on his or her forehead.
2. Most people you meet should be addresses with a title and their surname. Indeed, one should stick to formal forms of address, including titles, unless invited to do otherwise.
3. Filipinos smile constantly, however, laughter and smiling frequently denote emotions other than pleasure and happiness. Smiles may hide embarrassment, shyness, bitterness, discord, and/or loss of face. Learning to interpret smiles and laughter is a difficult for necessary process in the East.
4. Since politeness demands that a Filipino not disagree openly, the word "no" is rarely heard. A polite but in insincere "yes" is a simple technique to avoid being rude or difficult. Note that "yes" can mean anything from "I agree" to "maybe" to "I hope you can tell from my lack of enthusiasm that I really mean "no'."
5. Restraint in communication is the norm. One should speak in quite, gentle tones and always remain calm.
6. Restraint in this culture also denotes trustworthiness. As such, a person who publicly loses his or her temper has lost face and is considered untrustworthy. Even standing with the hands on the hips is always interpreted as an angry, aggressive posture and it can even suggest an expressive challenge in the Philippines.
7. Finger pointing can easily be taken for an insulting gesture. Filipinos rarely indicate objects or directions by pointing with their fingers, instead, they are more likely to indicate with a glance or by pursing their lips. In order to get the attention of another person, a Filipino will often brush their finger against the other person's elbow.
8. Staring has various nuances in the Philippines, most of them negative. Foreigners should avoid staring at Filipinos, who can easily interpret a stare as belligerence. If one is the recipient of a penetrating stare, it is best to simply look away.
9. Eating the local dishes - however foreign and exotic they may seem - will earn visitors much praise and respect from locals.
10. Never appear too eager to begin eating at a party; allow the hostess to ask you several times to sit down. A person who jumps at food is apt to be viewed as ill-mannered and greedy.
11. Despite the boisterous partying and excessive drinking by some Filipino men, public drunkenness is viewed as disgraceful. Even if one's local counterparts indulge in such behavior, it is best to act with decorum at all times.
12. When invited to a Filipino home, take some flowers or fine chocolates to the hostess. Avoid taking alcohol or substantial food as this may imply that your host cannot serve enough to satisfy guests. A thank-you note should be sent afterwards, while sending a small gift is also appropriate.
13. If one presents a gift to another, note that it will not likely be opened in the presence of the giver for fear of appearing uncouth. The practice also prevents the giver from a potential loss of face if the gift disappoints the receiver.
14. Business dress in the Philippines is conservative; suits for both men and women, although fuller body coverage is the norm for Muslim women. Outside of business, dress is generally elegant but casual. Beach wear should be confined to the beach and shorts should not be worn in urban centers.
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