How to Be a Proper Guest in a Filipino Home

Contributor

By eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating: (10 Ratings)

Because the Filipino culture is very food-oriented, food accompanies all celebrations, gatherings and informal visits. It's safe to assume that being a guest means you'll be offered something to eat.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Remove your shoes before entering a Filipino home.
Step 2

Pay your respects to the elders of the household with the "mano" gesture and address them with a greeting. Mano is a gesture in which you lift an elder's hand to your forehead.
Step 3

Always accept an invitation to eat no matter how many times you have already eaten that day.
Step 4

Help clear the table and do the dishes unless your hosts insist otherwise. They probably won't accept your offer to help, but it will be considered favorable if you make the gesture.
Step 5

When leaving be sure to personally extend good wishes to the elders of the household and express your appreciation to everyone.

Tips & Warnings

Filipinos might interpret a decline of their food as a personal offense. Many Filipinos live in poor conditions, so when they offer their food, they are essentially conveying that you are worth the trouble. By refusing their offer, you are refusing their hospitality.
During town fiestas, Filipinos visit each house in their neighborhood. At each house it is proper to at least sample a little bit of the food that's being offered.

Comments

chanter said

Flag This Comment

on 9/30/2009 About the removing the shoes comments, yes, Filipino visitors are accustomed on removing the shoes before entering a house. It is a sign of respect, kinda like synonymous to Japanese (for what i know Japanese removes their shoes/slippers too right?)

But if you are in a different country (aside fr. Phil.) I think it is understandable not to take off your shoes. BUT, still sometimes it helps taking off your shoes when your a filipino guy visiting your filipina girlfriend on making a good impresssion to her parents and grandparents at home ^-^

marielc said

Flag This Comment

on 5/11/2009 I fully agree with at article. Filipinos love to feed people.

matilda007 said

Flag This Comment

on 12/19/2007 YouTubeRobot.com today announces YouTube Robot 2.0, a tool that enables you to download video from YouTube.com onto your PC, convert flv files to various video formats to watch it when you are on the road on mobile devices like mobile phone, iPod, iPhone, Pocket PC, PSP, or Zune.Product page:youtuberobot.com
Direct download link: youtuberobot.com/download/utuberobot.exe
Company web-site: youtuberobot.com
E-mail: support@youtuberobot.com

matilda007 said

Flag This Comment

jamila88888 said

Flag This Comment

on 3/28/2007 On Shoes also - i agree that members of most households in the rural areas are removing the shoes before entering their homes, but if the guest is not removing them, the hosts will not tell them to do so, because it is considered rudeness, and not conforming to the hospitality norm.