Philippines Culture

Filipino culture revolves around respect and hospitality. Foreigners and othe visitors are usually welcomed with open arms and are showered with the best treatment that the host can afford. They are most noted for saying "po" and "opo" when speaking with elders or someone with a high rank. They are also known to be reserved, and talking trash or in erotic terms is taboo in most societies. Filipino culture shows traces of influence from Spain , USA and Malaysia, both in cuisine and clothing. People in the big cities usually wear shirts and jeans as opposed to their traditional wear, like the barong tagalog and the baro't saya. The landscape is also dotted with foreign restaurant chains like McDonalds', Burger King, Sbarro and many others. Though Filipinos are very flexible in adopting foreign cultures, they are never without their basic traditions.