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I’ve been in the USA for about three years already but there are still things that I just miss from the Philippines like …

• the sound of rain in the roof.. sabi nga, walang ganyan sa States. Here in America, you cannot hear the sound of rain maybe because of the type of roofing or ceiling materials that they use here. But if you do hear it, and it’s loud, you better check it out since it could be the sound of hale that you’re hearing and not rain.
• the sight of people from all walks of life making their way through the murky floodwater. sa Singalong Manila, konting ulan lang, ung kanto namin, baha na….where we’re at here in Cali, it rarely rains. if it does, it’s not much to cause a flood..
• the endless typhoons kaya laging instant holiday. Oh i know this is not good for the poor people who are living in the streets and everything, but still, admit it sometimes we like it when it’s “bumabagyo” coz it’s so nice to just cozy up under the blanket and just sleep and sleep …
• My Mom and my siblings .. I miss Len, my youngest sis, kasi pasaway. My ate, my brothers Ryan and Jun ( Jun was here recently so I got to see him). Miss ko Mama ko coz we can spend the whole day just talking, discussing anything under the sun, sometimes we would have a misunderstanding though who misunderstood who is the question hehehe..I also miss my nephews and nieces, my aunts and uncles..mga kapipinsanan, mga kapitbahay..
• Divi and all the malls like SM and Robinson in Makati , Manila and Ortigas. Miss ko mga sale dyan…
• the jeeps, the taxis and the buses…
• our alalay or dakilang househelp, kahit pagod na smile lang si Ate G., na minsan nauuna pa kumain sa min or maligo or nauuna pang magpabeauty sa nanay ko
• the koreanovelas, si Cholooooo na cutie !!! si Jodie. si Jun sa Winter Sonata ba un? Ung ALL ABOUT EVE. walang ganyan dito, kung meron man,walang subtitle or dubbing na English..
• our small store, where you encounter all kinds of people, mga barat, mga presko, mga mataray na kasing taray ng tindera …
• all kinds of daing .. coz here of course you know , they abhor the smell of the daing, whatever kind that is..
• ang pagkain ng mani sabay inom coke habang nood ng TV ang buong pamilya..habang papalit palit ng channel kasi di magkasundo kung ano ba ang dapat na panoorin.. basketball, fear factor or telenovela …
• ang pagkain ng shawarma na hate na hate ko ang amoy nung buntis ako pero nung hindi , go talaga sa Harrison Plaza para lang bili ng shawarma..
• Goldilocks pulvoron, anything from Goldilocks, from JOlibee, from Max hay naku, endless list ito ng mga favorite kong kainan…
• my Mom’s fried rice. she has this way of cooking where she minces the garlic, saute it till golden brown. then ibubudbod nya un sa fried rice. grabe ang sarap , di malagkit so unlike my fried rice here. super love ko ang fried rice ng mama ko..
• the neighborhood kasi alam mo kung ano ang pinag-aawayan or pinag uusapan ng kapitbahay mo or kung ano ang ulam nila (kasi naaamoy mo)
• ang talipapa sa na sobrang lapit sa bahay namin. No need to travel at lagi pang fresh ang mabibili mo..
• I miss the Philippine fruits like our super-sweet carabao mango, our “latundan” bananas, the “langka” atbp…

Hay Pilipinas, kahit ganyan ka, miss pa din kita and I will always be proud of you, of my roots wherever I will be. Kaya wag nilang matahin ang ‘Pinas, love ko yan..

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Something I wrote last November 2006, it’s in my Friendster blog but I am reposting it here…

This is Life in America..

1. When you pay bills, buy food, groceries, you can do it by credit card, debit card or checks, bihira yata ang cash gamitin dito. Pwede ka din bayad online.. or thru phone ..
2. Ang pulubi dito ang tawag “homeless”.. sosyal ang dating di ba?
3. Ang homeless dito ang dala-dala hindi homemade kariton tulad ng mga nasa Pinas, ang dala ng mga homeless dito eh grocery carts ng Safeway, Walmart at kung ano anong carts ng mga tindahan…
4. You have to undergo a credit check when you want to lease a house, buy a car etc..
5. Cable teevee, internet and landline phone can be covered by just one company para isang bill na lang di ba?
6. Kailangan may auto insurance ka just in case mabangga ka or makabangga ka. Karamihan naman meron , bihira lang dito ang walang auto insurance..
7. During elections or if they are promoting something, you can never see any flyers or ads pasted on the fences, walls . They make theirs with a kind of stem or peg so they just kinda “plant” it on the ground. That way madali lang nilang alisin …
8. Apartments are already equipped with a fridge, a stove, a heater, airconditioning unit and a dishwasher… dadalhin mo na lang ang sariling ititira mo dun..
9. Ay naku, bigtime dito ang excuse me, thank you, you’re welcome, ano pa bang mga words of courtesy? basta dapat magalang ka dito , di uubra na iismile ka na lang .. dapat iwords mo talaga, like ” you’re welcome (name) “.
10. Bawal pala dito magcomment - comment kasi baka mademanda ka ng sexual harassment . O di ba , bongga ? Kasama to sa sexual harrassment. Di mo pedeng sabihin na ang pangit naman ng damit mo.. or kahit pabiro di ka pedeng magtanong na ” bakla ba si —– ? ” Kasi di mo alam baka isumbong ka ng kabiruan mo.. true yan ha, believe me, nsa employee handbook namin..
11. Ang pagpabinyag madami pang kuskos balungos, kesyo seminar na apat na session, dapat registered parishioner ka ng church where you will have the christening, dapat yung ninong ninang Catholic , minsan hihingian pa nila ng mga certification from their parishes …
12. Ang mails dito eh nakalagay lang talaga sa mailbox, di ninanakaw. Minsan pag mga boxes or parcels ang delivery, they will just leave it on your porch. If you want to send out mails without going to the post office, you can also do it by just leaving your mail clipped on the outside of your mailbox, meaning it’s for the mailman to pick up..
13. There are no sales clerks to follow you around when you shop.. Kya ayun pag may kailangan ka, todo hanap ka muna or punta ka sa customer service kasi dun mo lang sila makukuha.. Hindi sila dito malambing sa customer… di tulad sa Pinas na kulang na lang eh punasan ka ng pawis or paypayan ka heheheh… tuwang tuwa nga yung kaibigan kong namili nung umuwi sya dyan sa PInas kasi talaga daw na asikasong asikaso sya. Of course naman ganon tayong mga pinoy , talagang customer service in the real sense of the word…
14. Sympre ang daming sales events dito pag may mga holiday, pero almost every weekend yata eh sale dito sa US pero yung talagang mga big sales eh during or after the holidays, like ganitong Thanksgiving, daming sale na naman.. kung mainggitin ka eh malamang maubos ang savings mo kabibili ng kung ano ano..
15. Bawal umihi sa tabi- tabi, please lang madaming restrooms dito since almost all business establishments provide these comforting rooms so if you’re a male and used to peeing just outside of your house (in your part of the world), here you are not allowed to do that except of course if you are stranded in the Mojave desert and there is no restrooms around.
16. Ang soda dito eh free refills lagi kahit ilang ulit kang bumalik balik sa soda fountain or kahit ilang ulit kang mag order, no extra charge yun. Di tulad sa Pinas di ba, pag bottomless may additional charge.
17. In America, even men exchange I love you’s , no kidding here. I know it would seem weird to Filipinos but really they say that to each other like, ” I love you,man!” then they would hug. Aww, aint that sweet ?

Okay next issue naman uli ang iba bago maging mini-novela ang entry ko.

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There’s this gentle and eccentric old man at work who I would sometimes talk to for a little chit-chat. He’s a Filipino too but half-Chinese. He’s about 60 years old I guess.

Sometimes, I’d drop by at his work station and ask him how he was because I feel that nobody hardly ever talks to him.

In one of our conversations, the talk about how much he is earning after about 18 years in our company cropped up. He divulged that he is only being paid about $10.35 an hour. I was so shocked at learning this. I was like, “What?” My hourly rate when I started out with this company in 2006 was even more than what this man is being paid.

I couldn’t believe it and I felt angry at our company how they could have done this to a very loyal and hardworking man. He doesn’t have any absences except for those very rare occasions that he takes his dayoff. I really couldn’t believe it. I felt I lost my respect for the company that I have very high regard for. I felt I wanted to cry for this old man. I felt there was an injustice done to him.

It really bothered me and I kept thinking why that old man stayed on for so long ? Didn’t somebody even told him to fight for a raise? Didn’t he ever had an inkling of how much other people are earning with that kind of work that he does? Didn’t he even have relatives, nieces and nephews that care enough to at least ask how he was earning at his current work considering that he doesn’t have an idea of things in America? I was appalled at how some people go by their own lives not even caring for their old relatives, knowing that they don’t know much. This old man doesn’t even know how to drive after staying here in the USA for 20 years. He drives a bicycle to work, come hell or high water. Where were his relatives? He didn’t have a wife or children so I feel somebody should have at least looked out after him. Didn’t anybody even cared?

So after three days, after being totally restless about his story, I asked that old man again about these questions that troubled me. He told me that when he applied 18 year ago, he had put “any amount” when he was asked how much he wanted to get paid. He said that his brother also told him to apply to other jobs but he chose not to. He said that his nieces and nephews are all in highly-paying careers but they do not bother with him. He said that maybe, it’s because he never asked for help. Maybe he said, if he also asked for help, they would also help him. My last questions for him were, ” but are you happy with what you have now? Don’t you want to ask for a raise? Don’t you want to ask the Labor Office, or a lawyer about if you are being fairly paid? ”

He said ” No” to all my questions. He is afraid that the company will fire him out if he asks for a raise, because one time that he did asked, he was told that they will just order outside like telling him that instead of giving him a raise, then they’d rather that the job be done by outside companies. So he doesn’t want any more trouble, anyway, in two years, he will be retiring.

This is yet another story of how old people here are being treated. This is what happens to our aging and old “kababayans ” and relatives when we don’t care how they are doing in their lives.

Tell me what you think of my story. What do you feel when you hear stories like this?

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*If you liked what you’ve read, you may link to it instead of copying it to your site. Take a moment to read my copyright policy. *

This is a compliment tag that I got from Pinay Wife’s Den.

Thanks so much for this tag, Ging.I love your blogs too but I don’t know where to get this tags and memes that you guys always send to me. I wish I can also make my own tag and pass it on to you too. Thanks for remembering me always.

This is one of my good reads, it always brings back good times, good memories of my beloved Philippines. All these things makes me proud to say that I am a Filipino, will always be, no matter where I’ll be…

Note: This was not written by me. I have received it in my email, feel free to spread the word about our being Pinoy, what makes us different from the rest.  

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FROM the 1896 Revolution to the first Philippine Republic, the Commonwealth period, the EDSA Revolt, and the tiger cub economy, history marches on. Thankfully, however, some things never change. Like the classics, things irresistibly Pinoy mark us for life. They’re the indelible stamp of our identity, the undeniable affinity that binds us like twins. They celebrate the good in us, the best of our culture and the infinite possibilities we are all capable of. Some are so self-explanatory you only need mention them for fellow Pinoys to swoon or drool. Here, from all over this Centennial-crazed country and in no particular order, are a hundred of the best things that make us unmistakably Pinoy.

1. Merienda. Where else is it normal to eat five times a day?

2. Sawsawan. Assorted sauces that guarantee freedom of choice, enough room for experimentation and maximum tolerance for diverse tastes. Favorites: toyo’t calamansi, suka at sili, patis.

3. Kuwan, ano. At a loss for words? Try these and marvel at how Pinoys understand exactly what you want.

4. Pinoy humor and irreverence. If you’re api and you know it, crack a joke. Nothing personal, really.

5. Tingi. Thank goodness for small entrepreneurs. Where else can we buy cigarettes, soap, condiments and life’s essentials in small affordable amounts?

6. Spirituality. Even before the Spaniards came, ethnic tribes had their own anitos, bathalas and assorted deities, pointing to a strong relationship with the Creator, who or whatever it may be.

7. Po, opo, mano po. Speech suffixes that define courtesy, deference, filial respect–a balm to the spirit in these aggressive times.

8. Pasalubong. Our way of sharing the vicarious thrills and delights of a trip, and a wonderful excuse to shop without the customary guilt.

9. Beaches! With 7,000 plus islands, we have miles and miles of shoreline piled high with fine white sand, lapped by warm waters, and nibbled by exotic tropical fish. From the stormy seas of Batanes to the emerald isles of Palawan–over here, life is truly a beach.

10. Bagoong. Darkly mysterious, this smelly fish or shrimp paste typifies the underlying theme of most ethnic foods: disgustingly unhygienic, unbearably stinky and simply irresistible.

11. Bayanihan. Yes, the internationally-renowned dance company, but also this habit of pitching in still common in small communities. Just have that cold beer and some pulutan ready for the troops.

12. The Balikbayan box. Another way of sharing life’s bounty, no matter if it seems like we’re fleeing Pol Pot every time we head home from anywhere in the globe. The most wonderful part is that, more often than not, the contents are carted home to be distributed.

13. Pilipino komiks. Not to mention “Hiwaga,” “Aliwan,” “Tagalog Classics,” “Liwayway” and”Bulaklak” magazines. Pulpy publications that gave us Darna, Facifica Falayfay, Lagalag, Kulafu, Kenkoy, Dyesebel, characters of a time both innocent and worldly.

14. Folk songs. They come unbidden and spring, full blown, like a second language, at the slightest nudge from the too-loud stereo of a passing jeepney or tricycle.

15. Fiesta. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow is just another day, shrugs the poor man who, once a year, honors a patron saint with this sumptuous, no-holds-barred spread. It’s a Pinoy celebration at its pious and riotous best.

16. Aswang, manananggal, kapre. The whole underworld of Filipino lower mythology recalls our uniquely bizarre childhood, that is, before political correctness kicked in. Still, their rich adventures pepper our storytelling.

17. Jeepneys. Colorful, fast, reckless, a vehicle of postwar Pinoy ingenuity, this Everyman’s communal cadillac makes for a cheap, interesting ride. If the driver’s a daredevil (as they usually are), hang on to your seat.

18. Dinuguan. Blood stew, a bloodcurdling idea, until you try it with puto. Best when mined with jalape¤o peppers. Messy but delicious.

19. Santacruzan. More than just a beauty contest, this one has religious overtones, a tableau of St. Helena’s and Constantine’s search for the Cross that seamlessly blends piety, pageantry and ritual. Plus, it’s the perfect excuse to show off the prettiest ladies–and the most beautiful gowns.

20. Balut. Unhatched duck’s embryo, another unspeakable ethnic food to outsiders, but oh, to indulge in guilty pleasures! Sprinkle some salt and suck out that soup, with gusto.

21. Pakidala. A personalized door-to-door remittance and delivery system for overseas Filipino workers who don’t trust the banking system, and who expect a family update from the courier, as well.

22. Choc-nut. Crumbly peanut chocolate bars that defined childhood ecstasy before M & M’s and Hershey’s.

23. Kamayan style. To eat with one’s hand and eschew spoon, fork and table manners–ah, heaven.

24. Chicharon. Pork, fish or chicken crackling. There is in the crunch a hint of the extravagant, the decadent and the pedestrian. Perfect with vinegar, sublime with beer.

25. Pinoy hospitality. Just about everyone gets a hearty “Kain tayo!” invitation to break bread with whoever has food to share, no matter how skimpy or austere it is.

26. Adobo, kare-kare, sinigang and other lutong bahay stuff. Home-cooked meals that have the stamp of approval from several generations, who swear by closely-guarded cooking secrets and family recipes.

27. Lola Basyang. The voice one heard spinning tales over the radio, before movies and television curtailed imagination and defined grown-up tastes.

28. Pambahay. Home is where one can let it all hang out, where clothes do not make a man or woman but rather define their level of comfort.

29. Tricycle and trisikad, the poor Pinoy’s taxicab that delivers you at your doorstep for as little as PHPesos3.00, with a complimentary dusting of polluted air.

30. Dirty ice cream. Very Pinoy flavors that make up for the risk: munggo, langka, ube, mais, keso, macapuno. Plus there’s the colorful cart that recalls jeepney art.

31. Yayas. The trusted Filipino nanny who, ironically, has become a major Philippine export as overseas contract workers. A good one is almost like a surrogate parent–if you don’t mind the accent and the predilection for afternoon soap and movie stars.

32. Sarsi. Pinoy rootbeer, the enduring taste of childhood. Our grandfathers had them with an egg beaten in.

33. Pinoy fruits. Atis, guyabano, chesa, mabolo, lanzones, durian, langka, makopa, dalanghita, siniguelas, suha, chico, papaya, singkamas–the possibilities!

34. Filipino celebrities. Movie stars, broadcasters, beauty queens, public officials, all-around controversial figures: Aurora Pijuan, Cardinal Sin, Carlos P. Romulo, Charito Solis, Cory Aquino, Emilio Aguinaldo, the Eraserheads, Fidel V. Ramos, Francis Magalona, Gloria Diaz, Manuel L. Quezon, Margie Moran, Melanie Marquez, Ninoy Aquino, Nora Aunor, Pitoy Moreno, Ramon Magsysay, Richard Gomez, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Sharon Cuneta, Gemma Cruz, Erap, Tiya Dely, Mel and Jay, Gary V.

35. World class Pinoys who put us on the global map: Lea Salonga, Paeng Nepomuceno, Eugene Torre, Luisito Espinosa, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, Jocelyn Enriquez, Elma Muros, Onyok Velasco, Efren “Bata” Reyes, Lilia Calderon-Clemente, Loida Nicolas-Lewis, Josie Natori.

36. Pinoy tastes. A dietitian’s nightmare: too sweet, too salty, too fatty, as in burong talangka, itlog na maalat, crab fat (aligue), bokayo, kutchinta, sapin-sapin, halo-halo, pastilyas, palitaw, pulburon, longganisa, tuyo, ensaymada, ube haleya, sweetened macapuno and garbanzos. Remember, we’re the guys who put sugar (horrors) in our spaghetti sauce. Yum!

37. The sights. Banaue Rice Terraces, Boracay, Bohol’s Chocolate Hills, Corregidor Island, Fort Santiago, the Hundred Islands, the Las Pi?s Bamboo Organ, Rizal Park, Mt. Banahaw, Mayon Volcano, Taal Volcano. A land of contrasts and ever-changing landscapes.

38. Gayuma, agimat and anting-anting. Love potions and amulets. How the socially-disadvantaged Pinoy copes.

39. Barangay Ginebra, Jaworski, PBA, MBA and basketball. How the verticaly-challenged Pinoy compensates, via a national sports obsession that reduces fans to tears and fistfights.

40. People Power at EDSA. When everyone became a hero and changed Philippine history overnight.

41. San Miguel Beer and pulutan. “Isa pa nga!” and the Philippines’ most popular, world-renowned beer goes well with peanuts, corniks, tapa, chicharon, usa, barbecue, sisig, and all manner of spicy, crunchy and cholesterol-rich chasers.

42. Resiliency. We’ve survived 400 years of Spanish rule, the US bases, Marcos, the 1990 earthquake, lahar, lambada, Robin Padilla, and Tamagochi. We’ll survive Erap.

43. Yoyo. Truly Filipino in origin, this hunting tool, weapon, toy and merchandising vehicle remains the best way to “walk the dog” and “rock the baby,” using just a piece of string.

44. Pinoy games: Pabitin, palosebo, basagan ng palayok. A few basic rules make individual cunning and persistence a premium, and guarantee a good time for all.

45. Ninoy Aquino. For saying that “the Filipino is worth dying for,” and proving it.

46. Balagtasan. The verbal joust that brings out rhyme, reason and passion on a public stage.

47. Tabo. All-powerful, ever-useful, hygienically-triumphant device to scoop water out of a bucket _ and help the true Pinoy answer nature’s call. Helps maintain our famously stringent toilet habits.

48. Pandesal. Despite its shrinking size, still a good buy. Goes well with any filling, best when hot.

49. Jollibee. Truly Pinoy in taste and sensibility, and a corporate icon that we can be quite proud of. Do you know that it’s invaded the Middle East, as well?

50. The butanding, the dolphins and other creatures in our blessed waters. They’re Pinoys, too, and they’re here to stay. Now if some folks would just stop turning them into daing.

51. Pakikisama. It’s what makes people stay longer at parties, have another drink, join pals in sickness and health. You can get dead drunk and still make it home.

52. Sing-a-long. Filipinos love to sing, and thank God a lot of us do it well!

53. Kayumanggi. Neither pale nor dark, our skin tone is beautifully healthy, the color of a rich earth or a mahogany tree growing towards the sun.

54. Handwoven cloth and native weaves. Colorful, environment-friendly alternatives to polyester that feature skillful workmanship and a rich indigenous culture behind every thread. From the pinukpok of the north to the malong of the south, it’s the fiber of who we are.

55. Movies. Still the cheapest form of entertainment, especially if you watch the same movie several times.

56. Bahala na. We cope with uncertainty by embracing it, and are thus enabled to play life by ear.

57. Papaitan. An offal stew flavored with bile, admittedly an acquired taste, but pointing to our national ability to acquire a taste for almost anything.

58. English. Whether carabao or Arr-neoww-accented, it doubles our chances in the global marketplace.

59. The Press. Irresponsible, sensational, often inaccurate, but still the liveliest in Asia. Otherwise, we’d all be glued to TV.

60. Divisoria. Smelly, crowded, a pickpocket’s paradise, but you can get anything here, often at rock-bottom prices. The sensory overload is a bonus.

61. Barong Tagalog. Enables men to look formal and dignified without having to strangle themselves with a necktie. Worn well, it makes any ordinary Juan look marvelously makisig.

62. Filipinas. They make the best friends, lovers, wives. Too bad they can’t say the same for Filipinos.

63. Filipinos. So maybe they’re bolero and macho with an occasional streak of generic infidelity; they do know how to make a woman feel like one.

64. Catholicism. What fun would sin be without guilt? Jesus Christ is firmly planted on Philippine soil.

65. Dolphy. Our favorite, ultra-durable comedian gives the beleaguered Pinoy everyman an odd dignity, even in drag.

66. Style. Something we often prefer over substance. But every Filipino claims it as a birthright.

67. Bad taste. Clear plastic covers on the vinyl-upholstered sofa, posters of poker-playing dogs masquerading as art, overaccessorized jeepneys and altars–the list is endless, and wealth only seems to magnify it.

68. Mangoes. Crisp and tart, or lusciously ripe, they evoke memories of family outings and endless sunshine in a heart-shaped package.Mangoes. Crisp and tart, or lusciously ripe, they evoke memories of family outings and endless sunshine in a heart-shaped package. 69. Unbridled optimism. Why we rank so low on the suicide scale.

70. Street food: Barbecue, lugaw, banana-cue, fishballs, IUD (chicken entrails), adidas (chicken feet), warm taho. Forget hepatitis; here’s cheap, tasty food with gritty ambience.

71. The siesta. Snoozing in the middle of the day is smart, not lazy.

72. Honorifics and courteous titles: Kuya, ate, diko, ditse, ineng, totoy, Ingkong, Aling, Mang, etc. No exact English translation, but these words connote respect, deference and the value placed on kinship.

73. Heroes and people who stood up for truth and freedom. Lapu-lapu started it all, and other heroes and revolutionaries followed: Diego Silang, Macario Sakay, Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini, Melchora Aquino, Gregorio del Pilar, Gabriela Silang, Miguel Malvar, Francisco Balagtas, Juan Luna, Marcelo H. del Pilar, Panday Pira, Emilio Jacinto, Raha Suliman, Antonio Luna, Gomburza, Emilio Aguinaldo, the heroes of Bataan and Corregidor, Pepe Diokno, Satur Ocampo, Dean Armando Malay, Evelio Javier, Ninoy Aquino, Lola Rosa and other comfort women who spoke up, honest cabbie Emilio Advincula, Rona Mahilum, the women lawyers who didn’t let Jalosjos get away with rape.

74. Flora and fauna. The sea cow (dugong), the tarsier, calamian deer, bearcat, Philippine eagle, sampaguita, ilang-ilang, camia, pandan, the creatures that make our archipelago unique.

75. Pilipino songs, OPM and composers: “Ama Namin,” “Lupang Hinirang,” “Gaano Ko Ikaw Kamahal,” “Ngayon at Kailanman,” “Anak,” “Handog,”"Hindi Kita Malilimutan,” “Ang Pasko ay Sumapit”; Ryan Cayabyab, George Canseco, Restie Umali, Levi Celerio, Manuel Francisco, Freddie Aguilar, and Florante–living examples of our musical gift.

76. Metro Aides. They started out as Imelda Marcos’ groupies, but have gallantly proven their worth. Against all odds, they continuously prove that cleanliness is next to godliness–especially now that those darned candidates’ posters have to be scraped off the face of Manila!

77. Sari-sari store. There’s one in every corner, offering everything from bananas and floor wax to Band-Aid and bakya.

78. Philippine National Red Cross. PAWS. Caritas. Fund drives. They help us help each other.

79. Favorite TV shows through the years: “Tawag ng Tanghalan,” “John and Marsha,” “Champoy,” “Ryan, Ryan Musikahan,” “Kuwarta o Kahon,” “Public Forum/Lives,” “Student Canteen,” “Eat Bulaga.” In the age of inane variety shows, they have redeemed Philippine television.

80. Quirks of language that can drive crazy any tourist listening in: “Bababa ba?” “Bababa!”

81. “Sayang!” “Naman!” “Kadiri!” “Ano ba!?” “pala.” Expressions that defy translation but wring out feelings genuinely Pinoy.

82. Cockfighting. Filipino men love it more than their wives (sometimes).

83. Dr. Jose Rizal. A category in himself. Hero, medicine man, genius, athlete, sculptor, fictionist, poet, essayist, husband, lover, samaritan, martyr. Truly someone to emulate and be proud of, anytime, anywhere.

84. Nora Aunor. Short, dark and homely-looking, she redefined our rigid concept of how leading ladies should look.

85. Noranian or Vilmanian. Defines the friendly rivalry between Ate Guy Aunor and Ate Vi Santos and for many years, the only way to be for many Filipino fans.

86. Filipino Christmas. The world’s longest holiday season. A perfect excuse to mix our love for feasting, gift-giving and music and wrap it up with a touch of religion.

87. Relatives and kababayan abroad. The best refuge against loneliness, discrimination and confusion in a foreign place. Distant relatives and fellow Pinoys readily roll out the welcome mat even on the basis of a phone introduction or referral.

88. Festivals: Sinulog, Ati-atihan, Moriones. Sounds, colors, pagan frenzy and Christian overtones.

89. Folk dances. Tinikling, pandanggo sa ilaw, kari?sa, kuratsa, itik-itik, alitaptap, rigodon. All the right moves and a distinct rhythm.

90. Native wear and costumes. Baro’t saya, tapis, terno, saya, salakot, bakya. Lovely form and ingenious function in the way we dress.

91. Sunday family gatherings. Or, close family ties that never get severed. You don’t have to win the lotto or be a president to have 10,000 relatives. Everyone’s family tree extends all over the archipelago, and it’s at its best in times of crisis; notice how food, hostesses, money, and moral support materialize during a wake?

92. Calesa and karitela. The colorful and leisurely way to negotiate narrow streets when loaded down with a year’s provisions.

93. Quality of life. Where else can an ordinary employee afford a stay-in helper, a yaya, unlimited movies, eat-all-you-can buffets, the latest fashion (Baclaran nga lang), even Viagra in the black market?

94. All Saints’ Day. In honoring our dead, we also prove that we know how to live.

95. Handicrafts. Shellcraft, rattancraft, abaca novelties, woodcarvings, banig placemats and bags, bamboo windchimes, etc. Portable memories of home. Hindi lang pang-turista, pang-balikbayan pa!

96. Pinoy greens. Sitaw. Okra. Ampalaya. Gabi. Munggo. Dahon ng Sili. Kangkong. Luya. Talong. Sigarillas. Bataw. Patani. Lutong bahay will never be the same without them.

97. OCWs. The lengths (and miles) we’d go for a better life for our family, as proven by these modern-day heroes of the economy.

98. The Filipino artist. From Luna’s magnificent “Spoliarium” and Amorsolo’s sun-kissed ricefields, to Ang Kiukok’s jarring abstractions and Borlongan’s haunting ghosts, and everybody else in between. Hang a Filipino painting on your wall, and you’re hanging one of Asia’s best.

99. Tagalog soap operas. From “Gulong ng Palad” and “Flor de Luna” to today’s incarnations like “Mula sa Puso”–they’re the story of our lives, and we feel strongly for them, MariMar notwithstanding.

100. Midnight madness, weekends sales, bangketas and baratillos. It’s retail therapy at its best, with Filipinos braving traffic, crowds, and human deluge to find a bargain.