FILIPINO WOMEN: FIRE AND WATER IN ONE

The Filipino woman, what is she like? The fi st thin! that "at"hes the e#e is he fi!$ e% A pl$mp Filipino woman who &oesn't take "a e of he self is a nonsense% The# a e $s$all# slim, ! a"ef$l an& not tall% The# ha(e sli!htl# swa th# skin, e(en s$ntan, &a k hai an& )$ nin! ha*el e#es% It is inte estin! that the Filipino woman "an )e easil# &istin!$ishe& in the " ow&% +owe(e , she has no &istin"ti(e a"e feat$ es like ,hinese, -panish o R$ssian women ha(e% The )ea$t# of the Filipino woman fas"inates, she is alwa#s $n$s$al, lo(el# an& e.oti"% /o$ will ha &l# meet a plain Filipino woman% Thei appea an"e fo me& )# "ent$ ies% The# ha(e -panish )loo&, somethin! f om ,hinese, some Af i"an t aits an& some t aits of the E$ opean women% Ra"ial amal!amation &i& its pa t: #o$ will not fin& s$"h a (a iet# of women of &iffe ent appea an"e within the same nationalit# an#whe e e."ept in the Philippines% When #o$ fi st see the Filipino woman, #o$ ma# "onf$se he fo a -panish o ,hinese, )$t on a "lose (iew, #o$ will $n&e stan& who is )efo e #o$% The e is somethin! m#ste io$s an& att a"ti(e in them% Family and Religion Filipino women a e (e # &e&i"ate& to thei families, whi"h a e $s$all# (e # )i! in this "o$nt #% +a(in! less than 0 to 1 "hil& en is "onsi&e e& anomalo$s% It ma# seem wei &, )$t women who !a(e )i th to fo$ o fi(e "hil& en mana!e to etain e."ellent fi!$ es% 2i ls an& women $s$all# li(e with thei families $ntil the# !et ma ie&% E(en if a woman is o(e thi t# an& she is a "ompletel# esta)lishe& an& well3fi.e& pe son a)le to ent a oom o a ho$se, she $s$all# p efe s to sta# with he pa ents an& n$me o$s elati(es% Filipino women ha(e espe"t to el&e s in )loo&4 the# ne(e make ta t ema ks a)o$t el&e people e(en if these people a e st an!e s to them% The# a e well3 intentione&, smilin! an& ea&# to help #o$ an# moment% Filipinos ha(e (e # fi m elations )etween elati(es% If in E$ ope an& Ame i"a we often &o not know o$ "o$sins, ankles an& ants, the sit$ation he e is 5$ite &iffe ent% All on"e an& twi"e emo(e& elati(es, n$me o$s nephews, "o$sins, ! an&mothe s an& ! an&fathe s maintain $s$all# 5$ite "lose elations% -$"h "loseness )etween elati(es ma# )e a &isa&(anta!e% It sometimes happens when a Filipino !i l !ets ma ie&, he h$s)an& s$ppo ts not onl# his wife an& "hil& en )$t also he pa ents an& siste s% On the othe han&, he "an "o$nt on thei help in a &iffi"$lt sit$ation% 6nlike in E$ ope an& Ame i"a, "ases when a !i l &ates a man se" etl# f om he pa ents a e (e # a e in the Philippines% As soon as an a&mi e appea s in the !i l's life, she a"5$aints him with he famil#% Othe wise, the famil# will not want this man to )e thei &a$!hte 's pa tne fo life% If he &i&n't wish to !et a"5$ainte& with the famil#, he "an ha &l# )e a &i!nifie& pe son with se io$s intentions% Philippine women a e (e # eli!io$s% 6s$all# the# )elon! to ,atholi"s o O tho&o.s% Thei )elief is not offi"ial o show#% 2oin! to "h$ "h on weeken&s is a no m fo them athe than a ha & &$t#% Filipino women $s$all# !o to "h$ "h with thei pa ents of f ien&s% If a !i l ma ies a man of anothe )elief, she "an easil# take his )elief% This is not )e"a$se of thei li!hthea&e&ness, the Filipino woman is ens$ e& she m$st o)e# he h$s)an& an& alwa#s follow him whate(e ma# happen% What is ama*in!, the Filipino ) i&e "om)ines o)e&ien"e with a st ikin! p a!matism an& "$nnin!ness% If the e is somethin! she &oesn't like, she will not sa# it &i e"tl# makin! a 5$a el% -he will )eha(e to o)tain what she nee&s o likes keepin! #o$ ens$ e& she ha(e followe& #o$ wo &s an& a&(i"e% Filipina in Family and Everyday Life Filipino la&ies a e o)e&ient an& $np e&i"ta)le% On the one han&, the man is lo & fo them whom the# st i"tl# o)e#% At the same time, the# a e (e # "$nnin! an& know how to !et what the# want% The# a e pe fe"tl# a)le to "on"eal thei feelin!s an& intentions, the# "an test pa tne fo a lon! time )efo e the# open thei hea t to him% The man is offi"iall# the hea& of the famil#, )$t a"t$al powe "an )e in the han&s of the woman who knows pe fe"tl# what she wants an& how to a"hie(e it% -he will $se all the metho&s to a"hie(e it4 howe(e , it will seem like the man has the last wo &% Man# people a e ens$ e& that the Filipino woman thinks one mo(e ahea&% It is espe"iall#

&emonst ate& in he elationship with people% -he "an )e pleasin! an& smilin!, )$t she has hi&&en )enefit of s$"h )eha(io % +owe(e , #o$ ma# not wo # that she will &o ha m to #o$ to ha(e this )enefit% -he will most p o)a)l# t # to fin& this )enefit in e(e #thin!% Despite thei "onse (atism, mo e an& mo e Filipino women "hoose fo ei!ne s as h$s)an&s% It "an )e pa tiall# e.plaine& )# the fa"t that E$ opean an& Ame i"an men a e mo e att a"ti(e than Filipino men an& p o)a)l# mo e !ene o$s% +owe(e , the fa"t emains that it is easie fo a fo ei!ne to win the hea t of the Filipino woman than fo he fellow "o$nt # man% Filipino !i ls ha(e (e # se io$s attit$&e to elationship% The# will &o thei )est to st en!then ma ia!e, an& if the ma ia!e is at isk, the# will t # to p ese (e it to the en&% The# ne(e p efe "a ee to "hil& en% The# will not postpone ha(in! a "hil& f om #ea to #ea !i(in! a !$ments that p e!nan"#, &eli(e # an& ) eastfee&in! ma# spoil thei fi!$ es% ,ont a iwise, the# en(ision thei mission in !i(in! )i th to "hil& en an& li(in! famil# life% Famil# s$ppo t is $s$all# man's iss$e% If the e is s$"h an oppo t$nit#, the Filipino woman will !la&l# lea(e he 7o) to &e&i"ate he self to famil#% The# lo(e "hil& en (e # m$"h an& a e ea&# to spen& most of thei time takin! "a e of thei "hil& en an& $p) in!in! them% When it "omes to ho$sekeepin!, the Filipino woman is a pe fe"t wife% -he is (e # ha &3wo kin!% +o$se "leanin! is mo e the e(e #&a# ne"essit# than a ha & &$t#, she fin&s its "ha m in it% In othe wo &s, it's a pleas$ e fo he to &o ho$sewo k% The same is t $e fo "ookin!% The# a e !oo& "ooke s% Most often the# "ook o iental o Asian &ishes, )$t if the h$s)an& wishes, the# "an lea n to "ook his fa(o ite meals% As it has al ea&# )een sai&, Filipino women a e famil# o iente&% The efo e, all h$s)an&'s wishes a e taken into a""o$nt% 8e& oom &$ties a e not a"t$all# &$ties fo them% Filipino women lo(e se. an& all its manifestations (e # m$"h% /o$ will feel #o$ self like a kin! appease& )# a hetae a ea&# to pe fo m #o$ e(e # wish% Filipino women a e (e # passionate, "om)$sti)le an& alwa#s ea&# fo lo(e% The# &on't make e."$ses fo hea&a"he an& fati!$e, the# )elie(e lo(e is a)le to heal e(e #thin!% +owe(e , Filipino women a e (e # "onse (ati(e4 the efo e, #o$ sho$l&n't e.pe"t the# )e (e # in(enti(e an& e.oti" in )e&% +owe(e , if #o$ p opose to t # somethin! new, the# will !la&l# a! ee to s$"h an e.pe iment% With all thei passion an& lo(e fo se., the# a e (e # faithf$l an& &o not look at othe men when ma ie&% A pa ti"$la feat$ e of the Filipino women is that the# lo(e to sleep% The# sleep m$"h mo e than E$ opean o Ame i"an women% +owe(e , the# wake $p (e # fast% /o$ will not nee& to wait fo an ho$ till she t$ ns f om sleep# into "hee f$l an& smilin!% The# )e"ome wakef$l in a moment% On"e she opene& he e#es, she is ea&# fo a"tions: "leanin!, "ookin! o lo(e% Filipino women a e f$ll of *est% The# sel&om " #, feel &own, o fall into &ep ession% ,ont a iwise, the# a e ea&# to en7o# e(e # t ifle% No matte whethe she is ill, p e!nant o ti e&, she will )e smilin! an& en7o#in! life, "omm$ni"atin! he optimism an& *est fo life to #o$%