My 5 Favorite Things about the Philippines

Pretty Filipina Women

Filipina Women

Anyone following my life will see my specialty is the subject of Filipinas and overseas 

dating. I’ve spent considerable time in those trenches fighting the good fight – or should I say walking the walk before talking the talk. Such incredible times spent over the past 20

years – passionate, memorable. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. In essence, it took the best of me and forced it up to the surface – that which would have otherwise have remained hidden. So much can be accredited to the Filipina – God’s most loving and passionate creature. She is the dichotomy of outward simplicity, yet extremely complex and many layered on the inside – a lifetime of exploration for the man who chooses the path of marrying one of them.

Yet one must not dismiss the country she comes from – the Philippines. It is part and parcel of the woman – that amazing Philippines filled with Jeepneys and beaches and resilient people and some of the most intensely beautiful scenery in the world. An incredible country with a much storied history - that story continuing to this day. From the story of Jose Rizal, through the Marcoses, and up to the challenging current times – always intrigue. But here I will focus on something a bit simpler and more important to the subject at hand of Filipinas and their country. I call this the list of My 5 Favorite Things about the

Philippines.

Women of the Philippines

1.  The women. 

Very simply put, that is why we guys travel there, is it not? If someone checks out the old movie Filipina Dreamgirls, the villain of the movie Ramon states, ‘Why did you guys come to the Philippines? I’ll tell you why…for the women. The Filipina is the last

true woman on earth – she will do anything for you.’ I have a copy of Filipina Dreamgirls on my Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lSao_wiMXk ). It is a small British film made in 1993. Very low budget, but very poignant for anyone that has experienced online dating. This movie always brings a tear to my eye. Philippine women are very passionate and loving. They very much enjoy enjoying life. They are oriented towards the family and are relatively religious. They are generally well educated, and quick to learn new things. And they all tend to be fairly beautiful – tropical beauties with skin tones ranging slightly tan to very rich and deep brown tones. That is my general description for all Filipinas, and that is why they are number 1 on this list. Period.

Adobong Manok (Chicken Adobo)

2. The Food. 

Their amazing and delicious wide assortment of food. We start with the Lechon Baboy – or roast pig, or sometimes called pig-on-stick. Lechon Manok is another plentiful food there – roast chicken. Chickens are in abundance there; beef is not so much. Next we

can stroll over to the local Jollibee’s, their version of Macdonalds, and try their Yumburger and noodle soup. They do have Macdonalds there, and KFC, and Dominos Pizza, etc. etc. Or we can stick to their local specialties of adobo chicken, pancit (noodles), and lumpia (springrolls). I tend to gain weight whenever I travel there. I am not too much into seafood, but I do enjoy shrimp, and those inclined can enjoy a wide variety of fish and seafoods.

Food is a celebration to the Philippine people. Any party or celebration begins and ends with food. It could be an offshoot of their relative poorness as a country. And since they have been

relatively poor, they tend to make the most of celebratory times. Their incomes have risen a bit over recent years – 20 years ago it was a rare thing to see an overweight Philippine person, but now not as much. We shall have to monitor the trend to see the direction this

takes. As I said, I tend to gain weight each and every time I go there. Their food as a depth and taste I have never tasted elsewhere. It could be partly because of the volcanic ash of the region, and partly because of the effort placed behind it. Regardless, it is amazing.

3. The TV. 

One of my first and most distinct impressions of the country when I first visited it 20 years ago was that regardless of how poor the family was, each and every home had a television set. The Philippine government took advantage of that by setting up a few

television channels. Local home grown programming has flourished over the years with their own versions of game shows, dramatic series, a soap operas. They import a lot of Korean soaps and overdub them in Tagalog. My favourite show was the now the defunct Game Ka Na Ba. However, don’t let any of this worry you. The Philippine people are well versed in English and all of the American shows can be seen in the Philippines.

Stormy /windy day Panglao Beach, bohol (October 2010) 

Farm Bee Bohol

4. The climate. 

The Philippines is a tropical paradise set amongst a group of 7,100 islands built upon ancient volcanic ash. Other than the higher elevations of Baguio, the temperatures range from fairly warm to extremely hot. And if you haven’t had the pleasure of swimming in a tropical ocean, you have been missing out in life.

Panglao Beach, Bohol Philipines

Even if you aren’t a water enthusiast, I still suggest taking a dip into the South China Sea. Beach outings and Island hopping are commonplace leisure activities. If you want to make your lady’s family happy, and spend

some bonding time to boot, rent out a van, have the family pack up a picnic basket, and take them all to one of the popular beaches - all at a very cheap price. You only live once and the memories are priceless.

People of the Philippines (well except that tallest guy in the middle he is a foreigner, lol my hubby)

5. The people. 

Throughout its storied history the Philippine people have been dragged through hell and back, yet they always seem to come away with a smile on their face. I haven’t met many Philippine people who I didn’t come away with an affection for. They are a friendly and resilient people, who find a way to enjoy life - their festivals are a culmination of that spirit and their need to enjoy the moment even when times are not so great. Personally, I work too hard, I worry too much, and I am all too serious about so much in life. Maybe one day I will learn the meaning of how the Philippine people cope through the rigors of life, and as they do, let certain things go. Perhaps everyone needs an afternoon siesta once in a while when the heat becomes too unbearable. That perhaps is one of the most important lessons in life.

This has been my short list of what I personally like about the Philippines. For me, visiting the country has always been an amazing adventure - of experiences, memories, and learning. I always coach the guys that if you do go down the path of overseas dating, spend the time and effort getting to really know the woman. Be sure. And once you are, visit her in her country. Then be prepared to fall in love with the country, her family, and most importantly to fall deeply in love with her. For me, there is no greater experience to take away from life.

Author: Wayne Ast, owner of Cebuana Sweethearts!

About the Author: Wayne Ast, is the owner of Cebuana Sweethearts. 

Cebuana Sweethearts! is a full service dating service in helping establish long term relationships between Philippine women and men from around the world. We are a small community and a closely monitored community - we feature serious minded individuals only. Membership is free for Filipinas, but we charge a nominal fee for men. In all cases we strive to ensure that the intent of all members is true -to establish long term relationships.