Utang na loob meaning "debt of gratitude" or "reciprocity", is important in the relationship within the families, the workplace and the neighborhood. It is all about favors asked and favors paid. A Filipino feels honored to be asked a favor. He will not feel ashamed at later stage to ask for a favor in return. They will do their best to fulfill and also to pay back according to their best abilities.
Family values are considered very important and high in the Philippines. The family is the base for all members and does not stop with the children. It includes grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins down to second or third level. Security and guidance is coming from within the family, where the members feel responsible for each other. Major decisions are made within the family based on their mutual consent and likewise obligations are precedence over obligations towards e.g. the employer. In addition to the blood relatives come the sponsors of children's baptism or wedding assuming responsibility for that child.
Compared to Western standards punctuality is taken quite a different way. unless one is working in a strict organized, western oriented corporation, appointments and deadlines are not meet in time and it is widely accepted.
The Filipino people like to laugh, to giggle, to tease. It is a form of releasing emotions and also tensions. Imagine your driver comes home and tells you with a laugh that he just had an accident with your car. He does not take it light-hearted, rather the opposite is the fact and is a widely accepted way in tension filled moments.
Filipinos are very curious people. They stare without meaning anything offensive and they are very questioning. The Filipinos are from early days seldom left alone and privacy as well as the need for it, is not known. Discussing personal matters and asking questions in this direction, Filipinos are very open and frank.
Food and having a meal is an important affair to the Filipinos! The diet for the majority consists mainly of rise with fish and some vegetable. Rice being an easily digestible starch, it holds back the hunger feeling for a little time only. For this reason they consume five meals a day: breakfast, snack, lunch, merienda and dinner. Eating times are accurately observed by employees and one can observe that concentration and work performance suffer tremendously when the "meal chain" is being interrupted.
Driving in the Philippines is a chapter for itself and one will be surprised who the friendly Filipinos change in attitude once sitting behind the wheel. Traffic signs and regulations tend to be often overlooked, cars move in and out of traffic lanes at narrow, often dangerous path to the neighbor without setting signals. On highways cars are taken over on the left and on the right and even the shoulder lane is used. Buses race aside left and right of you, making you feeling sandwiched and you wonder if you reach your destination alive and in one piece; ...somehow it works out. Tires are changed on the middle of the road and the driver does not care about the traffic jams he causes; it is "his space" he is dealing with. Philippine accepted standards. Don't try it at home!
This "hodgepodge" of different cultures, influences of the East and the West, is well represented in today's famous Filipino hospitality; in the charm and beauty of the people. A blend that makes foreigners easily feel at home and comfortable dealing with the locals provided he is open minded, sensitive and to able integrates himself with the corresponding tolerance into this "hodgepodge".