How to Spot a Filipino

You point with your lips.
You eat using your hands and have it down to a technique!
Your other piece of luggage is a balikbayan box.
You nod your head upwards to greet someone.
You put your foot up on your chair and rest your elbow on your knee while eating.
You use a rock to scrub yourself in the bath or shower.
You have to kiss your relatives on the cheek as soon as you enter the room.
You’re standing next to eight big boxes at the airport.
You collect items from hotels or restaurants “for souvenir’s sake.”
Your house has a distinctive aroma.
You smile for no reason.
You flirt by having a foolish grin on your face while raising your eyebrows repeatedly.
You go to a department store and try to bargain the prices.
You use an umbrella for shade on hot summer days.
You scratch your head when you don’t know the answer.
You never eat the last morsel of food on the table.
You go bowling
You play pusoy & mah jong
You find dried up morsels of rice stuck to your shirt.
You prefer to sit in the shade instead of basking in the sun.
You add an unwarranted “H” to your name (i.e., “Jhun,” “Bhoy,” or “Rhon.”)
You put your hands together in front of you as if to make a path and say “excuse, excuse” when you pass in between people or in front of the TV.
Your middle name is your mother’s maiden name.
You like everything that’s imported or “state-side.”
You check the labels on clothes to see where it was made.
You hang your clothes out to dry.
You are perfectly comfortable in a squatting position with your elbows resting on your knees.
You consistently arrive 30 minutes late for all events.
You always offer food to all your visitors.

Tagalog set to be taught in New Zealand

New Zealand has expressed interest in studying the Filipino language as a second language in their schools as a way to forge a broader and deeper cultural exchange with the Philippines.

Presidential adviser on education Dr. Mona Valisno and New Zealand’s Minister of Education Chris Carter at the 4th Asia Pacific Economic Conference Education Ministerial Meeting met in Lima, Peru last June 11 to 13 and both had agreed to adopt the Filipino language as the chosen foreign language to be taught in New Zealand’s schools. The 4th APEC education summit focused on international exchange in education and culture.

“This is a major accomplishment for us. If we can push this through, maybe we can have other countries do the same. This will be very great for the Philippines’ international relations and our image abroad,” Valisno said.

There are some 13,000 Filipinos living and working in New Zealand and with the project, New Zealanders will better understand the Filipino culture and psychology and remove the language barrier between them, Valisno said.

Likewise, the proposal to include the study of Filipino language in New Zealand schools will expand the trade and culture exchanges between the two countries.

“Mr. Carter said himself that there are about 13,000 Filipinos in New Zealand. If they will study and learn our language, they can have a greater understanding of our OFWs there which would be good for our countrymen,” Valisno said.

The inclusion will likewise provide jobs to Filipinos since the schools would have to hire Pinoy teachers specializing in teaching Tagalog.

In one of the small group discussion among education officials from various countries where the study of each other’s languages was discussed, Valisno took the opportunity to talk to Carter, who was her seatmate, about the possibility of including the Filipino language as the second language to be studied in New Zealand schools. Carter was won over.

“One of the things we have agreed on is that there should be a greater effort at learning each other’s language. We agreed that this is critical because we now live in a global economy,” Valisno said.

Valisno said another important issue that was discussed in the conference was the benchmarking of standards of professional education programs of schools in APEC member countries, especially at a time when the Philippines is facing “difficulties in the recognition of its Filipino professionals in other countries.”

source: http://goodnewspilipinas.com/wp/?p=2204

Cuyo Palawan

Palawan, made up of 1,768 islands, is the second largest province of the Philippines. Its total land area is spread between the main island where the capital city Puerto Princesa is located and among the peripheral islands of Busuanga, Culion, Linacapan, Dumaran, Cagayanes, Balabac, and group of about 40 islets and islands collectively known as Cuyo.

Cuyo is divided into two island groups. Up north is the Quiniluban group to which Pamalican island is part and where the 89-hectare, ultra-exclusive Amanpulo Resort belongs. To the south are the Cuyo islands, where the village of Cuyo is located.

An hour and 30 minutes by air and 24 hours by sea from Manila, Cuyo is a fourth-class municipality composed of 17 barangays. With a population of 18,257 people (2000 census), it is one of the unexploited islands in the country. Home to a fort—which shelters a church and a convent in its high stone walls—constructed during the Spanish period to protect its population from Moro pirates, Cuyo has one of the most ancient forts in the Philippines. Incidentally, Cuyo was the second capital of Palawan from 1873 to 1903.

An island where flowers do not grow due to the coastal climate and strong seasonal winds, Cuyo is nonetheless a place blessed with nature’s beauty. Secluded and quiet, it is covered with cashew and coconut trees that gracefully sway to the wind. Thick clumps of bamboo abound. And of course, the vast blue seas—home to a myriad of corals and sea creatures—that seem extend to eternity.

The island would appeal to hardy, outdoor types of people who enjoy taking walks, swimming, and discovering a unique local culture, rather than indulging in material pleasures. And forget five-star hotels: There is only one on the island—Cuyo Place. Cuyonons live on the basics and hardly complain. They are very resourceful and have found ways to make the best of what they have, like making tuba from coconut, and cashew brittle their specialties. Life is slow, timeless, and the epitome of “rural living” in its simplicity, the kind that grows on people who visit the island.

Philippines Flag

Philippines History

HISTORY
The history of the Philippines can be divided into four distinct phases: the pre-Spanish period (before 1521); the Spanish period (1521-1898); the American period (1898-1946); and the post-independence period (1946-present).

Pre-Spanish Period
The first people in the Philippines, the Negritos, are believed to have come to the islands 30,000 years ago from Borneo and Sumatra, making their way across then-existing land bridges. Subsequently, Malays came from the south in successive waves, the earliest by land bridges and later in boats by sea. The Malays settled in scattered communities, named barangays after the large outrigger boats in which they arrived, and ruled by chieftains known as datus. Chinese merchants and traders arrived and settled in the ninth century, sometimes traveling on the ships of Arab traders, introducing Islam in the south and extending some influence even into Luzon. The Malays, however, remained the dominant group until the Spanish arrived in the 16th century.

Spanish Period
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the Philippines and claimed the archipelago for Spain in 1521, but stayed for only a few days. Christianity was established in the Philippines only after the arrival of the succeeding Spanish expeditionary forces (the first led by Legazpi in the 16th century) and the Spanish Jesuits, and in the 17th and 18th centuries by the conquistadores.

Until Mexico proclaimed independence from Spain in 1810 the islands were under the administrative control of Spanish North America, and there was significant migration between North America and the Philippines. This period was the era of conversion to Roman Catholicism. A Spanish colonial social system was developed with a local government centered in Manila and with considerable clerical influence. Spanish influence was strongest in Luzon and the central Philippines but less so in Mindanao, save for certain coastal cities.

The long period of Spanish rule was marked by numerous uprisings. Towards the latter half of the 19th century, European-educated Filipinos or ilustrados (such as the Chinese Filipino national hero Jose Rizal) began to criticize the excesses of Spanish rule and instilled a new sense of national identity. This movement gave inspiration to the final revolt against Spain that began in 1896 under the leadership of Emilio Aguinaldo (another Chinese Filipino) and continued until the Americans defeated the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898, during the Spanish-American War. Aguinaldo declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898.