Filipino Hospitality
editFilipino Hospitality is one of the vital parts of Filipino cultural practices and being a Filipino. This warm welcoming, properly translated as magiliw na pagtanggap is practiced not only in the country but also wherever the Filipino diaspora ends up around the world. Part of Filipino's pakikipagkapwa[1] culture, Filipino Hospitality remains to be a notable and distinguishable value of all Filipinos alike.
Practices of Filipino Hospitality
editGenerally speaking, Filipino Hospitality does not pertain to a specific, distinctive act but is expressed through a plethora of gestures, encompassing the complexity of Filipino culture, just as others. Here are some of the common ways Filipino Hospitality is shown.
Offering Food and Drinks
editBesides Filipino Hospitality, Filipino Cuisine [2] is also popular around the world (notable: Adobo, Sinigang, Balut), and Filipinos would not hesitate to share their food with their guests.
A. Serving Ice Cold Drinks and Snacks
editA definitive example of this would be with guests coming to a Filipino household, one way of allowing people to feel welcomed and at home would be by serving drinks and snacks. Usually, the drinks will be soda or juice from a glass bottle, served with ice, while the snacks would be those that are native to the specific location (Example: Kakanin in Pampanga, Durian in Davao) [3]. This reflects a layer of Filipino culture of the popularization of carbonated drinks, sold in a sari-sari store, found in almost every corner of a community.
B. Community Pantry
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Another instance of Filipinos sharing food would be the existence of a community pantry [4]. Although a fairly new concept brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, the one-for-all, all-for-one spirit of the Filipinos is expressed with them sharing essentials including food in the community in times of need. This act is not exclusive to those who belong to a specific community rather, it is shared with everyone, with no verification needed. This camaraderie provides a sense of belonging, even to guests and outsiders.
Treating Guests Like Family
editPart of Filipino Hospitality is making sure that their guests don't feel like they are a guest at all. An evident act of this would be pagpapatuloy or letting other people into a family's home. The act of entering someone's home may seem superficial at first, but the sense of belonging the Filipinos express will make you feel like you are part of their family. This is usually accompanied by expressions such as "Tuloy po kayo!" translated as "Feel free to enter!", or even as straightforward as "Feel at home!." Similar to the first one, Filipinos would usually invite their guests to the dinner table to let them join in eating. This practice is commonly called "salo-salo" and it provides a sense of intimacy and belonging, especially since most Filipino dishes are meant to be shared.