So the next time you are in the country and are awakened at the most ungodly hours because of a crowing rooster with messed up body clocks, try to see the bigger picture first before you attempt to commit animal cruelty.

Here is the second part of Top 10 Filipino quirks and oddities explained. Feel free to share your observations or hilarious encounters with Filipino behaviours in the comments.

1. Top-loading

Toploading is a common sight in rural areas

The Filipinos’ resourcefulness to stretch any scarce resource can be seen not only in their culinary inventiveness to make do with what is otherwise kitchen leftovers, but also in their ability to push the limits of vehicle capacity, hence the oft-seen case of overloading. Top-loading is overloading, with excess passengers taking their seats in the rafters. Top-loading is often a traffic case in remote rural areas where public transport comes by very rarely (if at all), but can still even be seen in capital cities, especially when everyone (lodging in the city) is in a rush to get home (to their hometowns) for the weekends.

2. The Filipino time

When you’re not really in a rush and the other person is also not in rush, and there are no serious consequences for not rushing, what is the incentive of arriving on time? Of course, this is fast becoming a bygone trend in urban settings where young (BPO) professionals had to clock in on time, or otherwise. But in smaller towns and cities with laidback lifestyle and with no punctilious master of efficiency to enforce strict time-keeping, arriving within 15 minutes of agreed time is without serious consequence. Punching in within 10 minutes of clock-in time is often not deducted from the paycheck.

3. Extended family of extended family

Filipino families are tightly woven, sometimes to a fault. The reason why retirement homes in the Philippines are as scarce as snow in the tropics is the fact that old members of the family are taken care of until they finally “retire.” This devotion, and sometimes sense of obligation, extends not just to immediate relatives, but also to in-laws, and in not uncommon cases, in-laws of in-laws.

4. You had me at “psst!”

Many Filipino anecdotes have been passed around how to best call the attention of a fellow Filipino when in a foreign crowd. And the consensus is a succinct “psst.” Regardless of where the Filipino came from, he or she would respond to this otherwise “impolite” call to attention of a “kababayan” (fellow countryman). (The really rude call to attention would be “hoy!”, a “you!” call to no one in particular.)

5. The penchant for everything melodramatic

One movie marathon of Filipino flicks would make a foreigner think that Filipinos are a sentimental bunch. The sadder the “teleserye” (serial soap opera) the better. The more vicious the “kontrabida” (antagonist), the stronger the conflict, the more complicated the plot – as in the bestfriend of the cousin of the mother of the heroine has finally revealed that the latter was adopted which the heroine confirmed from a long ago forgotten midwife – the happier the ending. This is because Filipinos can easily relate to struggle – Mt. Everest huge struggle – and the triumph in the end gives them hope that they, too, one day, may overcome all obstacles in the tradition of King of the Ring Manny Pacquiao, and live happily ever after.

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So the next time you are in the country and are awakened at the most ungodly hours because of a crowing rooster with messed up body clocks, try to see the bigger picture first before you attempt to commit animal cruelty.

Here is the first part of Top 10 Filipino quirks and oddities explained. Feel free to share your observations or hilarious encounters with Filipino behaviours in the comments.

1. The perennially crowing rooster with a messed up body clock

Philippine roosters have a nasty habit of crowing at the top of their lungs even well before the sun comes out of its hiding. This is because their forefathers have been artificially selected by early-rising Filipinos who had to work at the farm at the crack of dawn to avoid the intolerable heat come 9 o’clock and onwards. Roosters are also no respecters of people taking their “siesta” (afternoon nap) that one begins to wonder whether they crow just to irk people who are trying to get some rest.

2. The burning desire to be white

One look at the personal care department in any Philippine supermarket and you will see the deluge of products that promise to whiten in just seven days! This, of course, confounds white-skinned visitors who specifically come here to splash on some color. If getting a tan indicates that you can afford to holiday in the tropics, so is being white-skinned an indicator that one need not toil under the scorching heat of the tropical sun to earn one’s livelihood. Those who work in the farms are understandably darker than most, and had to endure the midday sun to put food on the table when night comes.

3. “Tingi” mentality

Small sized packs of detergent, shampoo, dishwashing soap and diapers

Filipinos take the concept of retail and break it down further into micro proportions. Foreign backpackers are often amazed when they find themselves in Filipino supermarkets because everything they could possibly need already come in pre-packaged mini-sizes. Shampoos and toothpaste in sachets; soaps in 60g packets; mineral water in 330ml bottles; and canned goods in 150g portions. For most Filipinos, buying retail has a lot more to do with economics than preference.

4. Ambiguity

Like most Southeast Asians, Filipinos – especially when they have to deliver bad news – beat around the bush in an effort to sound as least hurtful as possible. This can even be seen in their language, in how they couch serious news in roundabout phrasing, or euphemize emotionally damaging words with something less painful to the ear. Delivering bad news may take the form of “Something happened to John” when in truth, John had already figured in a messy road accident and was already declared “expired” on arrival to the hospital.

5. The “eyes” have it

Filipinos are often thought of speaking in gestures, or conveying information with a slight twitch of the eyebrows or a pout of the lips. It is not uncommon to be answered with both eyebrows raised when you ask a “yes” or “no” question (both eyebrows raised means yes), or a slight shrug of the shoulders when the answer is “maybe.” A generation ago, parents often warn their children of impending disaster when a house rule is violated, just with a “ready to devour” look. This is particularly true of Negrenses (peoples of Negros) whose parents would often discipline their unruly children to behave with just one stern look.

Click Here for Part 2 »

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With the start of the rainy season officially announced, you might want to indulge in popular Filipino rainy day treats while killing time in the airport or simply whiling away time in Boracay or Palawan as the monsoons ruin whatever outdoor activities you may have planned.

Below are top 7 Filipino comfort food best sampled when the weather gets chilly and the skies turn gloomy.

1. Ginataang halo-halo

Sweet sticky goodness in a bowl (Photo by Charles Haynes)

Glutinous rice is a staple in Filipino “merienda” or snacks because they require less water to grow and take long to digest, thus staving off hunger pangs of rain-dependent Filipino farmers of the old. The ginataang halo-halo (not to be confused with the summer halo-halo or “mix-mix” of almost the same ingredients minus the glutinous rice topped on shaved ice) is made of such rice, finely ground and then formed into balls, and cooked with plantains, sweet potato, purple yam, tapioca pearls, ripe jackfruit and taro root and a generous helping of thick coconut milk. A bowl of such sweet, creamy and thick concoction on a gloomy afternoon is a real treat. It is known as “binignit” by Cebuano-speaking peoples, but called “linugaw” by the Ilonggo (which in turn should not be confused by the “lugaw” or rice congee of the Tagalog).

2. Champorado

Another concoction which makes use of glutinous rice, champorado is cooked with cocoa or chocolate “tablea” (blocks), poured with milk and topped with “tuyo” or dried fish as an interesting counterpoint.

3. Suman and hot chocolate

Suman is glutinous rice steamed in banana leaf wrappers, and cooked in various styles depending on the region. Suman goes down best with a cup of piping hot chocolate. If sweet mangoes are at hand, they can be scraped and topped on suman.

4. Arroz Caldo

Literally “rice broth,” arroz caldo is the Philippines’ take on chicken soup but cooked instead with plain rice. Top with hard-boiled egg, chives and fried garlic, and you have a perennial Filipino favorite that only turns more savory when the rains dampen your mood. Philippine’s version of rice congee which is topped with ox tripe and hard-boiled egg, is a close relative of arroz caldo and popular in the Tagalog-speaking region of Luzon.

5. Dinuguan and Puto

A dish made of offal and blood (or cooked with blood sausage if you are cooking this in Europe), pork blood stew or “dinuguan” is another Filipino kitchen resourcefulness turned delicious. The main ingredient is usually pig intestines, and practically everything else not used in other types of cooking (which excludes pig feet but may include pig snout). Rice cakes or “puto” are best paired with this mildly sour (which it should taste if cooked right and with natural coconut vinegar) concoction of pig innards.

6. Bulalo

This very popular dish best served piping hot is beef shanks with bone marrow cooked for hours until the fat melts in your mouth. In its barebones preparation, it is called “cansi” in the Ilonggo-speaking regions of Central Philippines, or “bulalo” in southern Luzon to the north complete with pechay leaves and corn.

7. Batchoy

In the Ilonggo-speaking regions of the Philippines, a savory soup of meat (often beef) broth and noodles topped with pork liver, crunchy pork “chicharon” (deep fried pork rinds), herbs and spices and raw egg – sometimes with a hint of “bagoong” or shrimp paste – is warm comfort in a bowl when “malling” turns boring. It originated in La Paz Market in the late 1930’s, hence the genericized name of La Paz batchoy.

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Here are ten Filipino desserts that you should try after a delectable Filipino meal.

1. Halo Halo

The summer heat in the Philippines can be scorching, but it is made more bearable by this year-round favorite. Halo-halo is said to have its roots from the Japanese dessert kakigōri that was introduced to the Filipinos sometime in the Second World War. Filipinos adapted it to fit their own taste by adding various ingredients like sweetened beans, sweetened fruit and gelatin. Top with shaved ice, evaporated milk, a spoonful of ube halaya and a sliver of leche flan, you have the ultimate dessert. The name refers not just the variety of ingredients, but the action done before taking a bite of this cool concoction. Halo-halo is available nearly everywhere; from a neighborhood street corner costing only a few pesos, up to five-star hotels that charge an arm and a leg for a serving.

2. Leche Flan

This very luscious custard dessert is a staple in many Filipino celebrations. It is quite like crème brûlée, but instead of a hard caramel top, the leche flan has a soft layer of caramel that also acts as syrup. Leche flan’s ingredients are very simple, eggs, sugar and milk that is steamed to cook. On its own it is very rich and flavorful, but it is also seen as an added topping to the ever favorite halo-halo.

3. Yema

The ingredients of yema are the same as that of leche flan, with a bit of butter to bind the ingredients together. This caramel-like candy is very sweet and chewy. The ingredients are cooked to a thick consistency and formed into balls or triangles before being wrapped.

4. Polvoron

The Philippine polvoron is a cousin to the Spanish one produced in Andalusia, Spain. The Philippine version is made with equal amounts of flour and powdered milk, toasted with butter or margarine and sweetened with granulated sugar. It is then formed into shapes using moulds and wrapped in Japanese paper. The plain ones are already good, but you can change the flavor by adding cashew nuts, pinipig and even chocolate.

5. Ube Halaya

The purple tuberous root vegetable the Filipinos call ube is known as purple yam in other countries. It’s a common ingredient in many Southeast Asian dishes, but it is primarily used for dessert by the Filipinos. The word “halaya” comes from the Spanish word “jalea” meaning jelly. Ube halaya is a sweet treat, and depending on the where it is made, can be served with various other toppings or eaten as is.

6. Pastillas

These sweet candies are sold nearly everywhere and have different varieties. Carabao milk and sugar are cooked to a sweet paste then formed to small, elongated pieces and wrapped in pieces of thin paper. In Zambales, pastillas are made simply with those two ingredients and no-fuss packaging. Bulacan pastillas as well as most of those commercially available make use of condensed milk and are rolled in sugar. In the old days, these are wrapped in Japanese paper with tails that are cut with intricate designs similar to lace. Unfortunately, the craft is dying so these delicious treats are wrapped in regular paper. Pastillas make for wonderful gifts and can easily satisfy any sweet craving.

7. Buko Pandan

Buko Pandan (Photo by punctuated)

Young, shredded coconut is mixed with gelatin flavored with pandan leaves. Cover with cream (either coconut or the all-purpose cream) sweetened with condensed milk and chill. Optionally serve with small tapioca balls for added texture.

8. Sapin-Sapin

The name “sapin sapin” literally means layers. The mixture of rice flour, sugar, coconut milk and water are cooked, separately colored and put together layer by layer to form a colorful glutinous treat.

9. Maja Blanca

Made primarily with coconut milk, maja blanca is commonly present in many Filipino celebrations as part of the dessert menu. Its creamy white color belies a gelatin-like consistency. The most common variation of this is made with sweet corn kernels and topped with latik (toasted coconut cream curds) for added texture and flavor. Different flavors are also created by using other fruits and vegetables.

10. Dirty Ice Cream

Long before Lady Gaga used it as a title for a song, dirty ice cream has been a Filipino street food and dessert staple. Don’t be turned off by its name though. It doesn’t mean that the food is unsanitary, but more of the fact that it is sold by peddlers in the open, gritty streets of the metro. This kind of ice cream is lighter than most commercial grade ice creams. Some producers make use of carabao’s milk for a creamier texture. Flavors are usually made from fruits that are available for that season. For less than half a dollar, you can have a few scoops of differently flavored ice cream on a wafer cone or a bread bun. Buy it from the sorbetero who walks around the street ringing a bell while pushing a colorful sorbetes cart.

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Ingredients needed (quantity depending on serving)

• Chicken or pork
• Potatoes
• Vinegar (coconut, rice, or cane)
• Soy sauce
• Onions
• Garlic
• Brown sugar
• Salt & pepper

As there are no particular measurements, trust your judgement and taste-buds!

This video is pretty straightforward and proves just how easy this dish really is.

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