Blog 2: Filipino Woman

I was brought up to always respect women and to never hit one. Movies and T.V. shows would always portray women as weak and should always be protected by males. I also grew up with the notion that if I wanted a girl to be my girlfriend, I should court her first. And so I did, I courted my first girlfriend by giving her love letters and chocolates. That was when I was still in elementary school. Things have changed and so has my perception of what the Filipino woman really is. 


In an article titled What's The Big Deal About Filipinas written by Henry V. in the site LifeBeyondTheSea, the author states the positive sides of being with a Filipino woman. The author talks highly about the Filipino women in general because the author is a foreigner. The author even states that Filipino women take every advance of a man, big or small, very seriously.

"So what’s the problem?  Again, differences in culture.  Which is fine, don’t get me wrong.  But you need to know what’s-what before you arrive and start charging around like a bull in a china shop interacting with them the way you did with Western or European women.  Here you need to pay closer attention to the nuances of ‘courting’.  Getting to know a Filipina woman is a process.. not a sex-on-the-3rd-date formula you might be used to back home.  When you are dating a Filipina, if you have any reservations about it going into a serious relationship, you better let her know soon or you will find yourself neck-deep in a river flowing quickly towards marriage." said Henry V.

It's part of our culture to court women in order to start a relationship. The author says that there is a difference between their western culture and the Filipino culture. The author states that women will consider every advance as a step towards a serious relationship or even a possible marriage. This maybe true, but only if the male involved is a foreigner. It's not always the case with Filipino men as well.

In another article called Filipino Women: Fire and Water in One written by an unnamed author in the site AsianWomenPlanet, they summarize what a Filipino woman is. The article states that Filipino women are conservative and would always respect and give the decision making to her husband. The article sees a Filipino woman as fragile and a very good housekeeper. It even says that a Filipino woman would give up her career just to raise her children.

"When it comes to housekeeping, the Filipino woman is a perfect wife. She is very hard-working. House cleaning is more the everyday necessity than a hard duty, she finds its charm in it. In other words, it's a pleasure for her to do housework. The same is true for cooking. They are good cookers. Most often they cook oriental or Asian dishes, but if the husband wishes, they can learn to cook his favorite meals. As it has already been said, Filipino women are family oriented. Therefore, all husband's wishes are taken into account." said the author.

It views the modern Filipino woman as a housekeeper and a housewife. It even states that Filipino women enjoy cleaning the house. But, in the latter part of the article, it states that a Filipino woman grants any of the husband's wishes. It does not view them as strong independent women. It's because of these archetypes that women are viewed as this way especially the Filipino women. Even from childhood, parents raise their young ladies to become a perfect wife for a husband. It's like they teach their daughters to obey men no matter what.

The image of a Filipino woman is the image of a perfect housewife. Although it may seem positive at first, it maybe harmful to them. Filipino women are also strong and independent and shouldn't be looked down upon. They also have their own dreams and hopes to attain. Some even don't like being treated as a housewife and do not want to always obey their husbands. We should treat and respect everyone equally.