Home for the Holidays, Part 4: Christmas in the Philippines

Known worldwide as having the longest Christmas Season, the Philippines as expected would have lots of events during the holidays. Some of the major highlights:

Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi (rooster’s mass). A remnant of our Spanish heritage, the Simbang Gabi heralds the official start of the Christmas season. For nine consecutive days starting on the dawn of December 16, Filipinos would brave the early morning cold (around 4 am) to hear mass. It is believed that whoever completes the nine masses will get their Christmas wish, although completing the nine masses is easier said than done, what with all the Christmas parties lined up during this time. A bonus that comes with the Simbang Gabi are the foods that are available outside the church once the mass is done: the Puto Bumbong and Bibingka. Puto Bumbong is a purple-colored Philippine delicacy made from glutinous rice using bamboo tubes. It was believed to have been brought to the Philippines from Mexico by the Spaniards. Bibingka is another delicacy made from rice flour that resembles a thick pancake and is usually topped with salted egg. It may have been brought to the Philippines from India, where it is a dessert known as bebinca in the province of Goa. Both delicacies are topped with butter, sugar and grated coconut prior to eating. Some people wake up early just to be able to eat them!

Caroling. Starting around December, children would form small groups and would go from house to house around their neighborhood and sing Christmas carols outside houses, hoping for the homeowners to reward them with coins for their efforts. Children would typically use makeshift musical instruments such as tambourines made from flattened aluminum bottle caps strung together by a piece of wire.

Bisperas ng Pasko or Christmas Eve. At around 10 pm of December 24, Filipinos would flock to the churches to hear the midnight mass. After hearing mass, families would go home and partake of the Noche Buena (Christmas Eve Midnight Dinner), which would traditionally include hot chocolate, queso de bola (ball of edam cheese), and hamon (ham). Children would also open their presents at this time, and before sleeping would hang their socks by the window which will be filled with goodies by Santa Claus by the time they wake up in the morning.

Pasko or Christmas Day. Christmas Day is usually spent by families attending the morning mass (Misa de Aguinaldo), then visiting the grandparents and the ninongs and ninangs (godfathers and godmothers). Children are usually given their aguinaldos (presents) in the form of crisp, freshly minted money bills placed in ampaos (red envelope).

Bisperas ng Bagong Taon or New Year’s Eve. By nightfall of December 31, you will definitely know it is the last day of the year just by listening: you will start to hear firecrackers more often, sometimes non-stop, and will culminate as midnight approaches. The use of firecrackers is a remnant of our Chinese heritage, with the belief that by creating loud noises we are chasing away the bad spirits so that the coming year will be safe, healthy and bountiful. Firecrackers and fireworks of different shapes and sizes are used, and although beautiful and entertaining, have been year after year the main cause of New Year’s Eve injuries. Similar to Christmas Eve, Filipinos would also attend the midnight mass, then come home to partake of the Media Noche, or New Year’s Eve dinner.

Home for the Holidays, Part 3: Consumer Economics, Philippine Style

It has often been said that the Christmas season is the mother of all retail seasons, and nowhere is this more true than in the Philippines. First of all, being a predominantly Christian country, almost everybody celebrates Christmas here. Second, the season stretches for months: the Christmas season informally starts in September (start of the “-ber” months), when radio stations start playing Christmas carols, then hits full swing after All Saints’ Day (November 1st), when households start putting up their Christmas trees, then formally ends on the Feast of the Three Kings (first Sunday after New Year’s Day). Third, and probably most important from an economic standpoint: the money comes pouring in during the holidays, specifically during December. I am not sure if this is true for other countries, but in the Philippines, workers get a “13th month” pay that is guaranteed by law. This is usually given along with the first or second paycheck (December 15 or November 30—workers get paid on the 15th and end of each month) before Christmas. In addition, some companies also give “Christmas Bonuses” that may range from half a month to a few months’ worth of salary.

A fourth—cultural—factor that heavily influences the way Filipinos celebrate Christmas has to do with the Catholic practice of godfathers and godmothers. As with Catholics in other countries, Filipino parents designate a godfather and godmother during the baptism of their child. The main difference, however, is that in the Philippines it is customary to have not just one, but multiple pairs of godfathers and godmothers. For example, it is not unusual for a child to have, say, six pairs of godfathers and godmothers for baptism, and probably a few more during his/her confirmation. So what does this have to do with Christmas? Well, in the Philippines it is also customary for godfathers and godmothers to give “aguinaldos” (presents) to their godchildren during Christmas. On Christmas Day, it is widely practiced that parents would accompany their children to visit their “ninong” (godfather) and “ninang” (godmother) to catch up on events during the past year, and of course to get their Christmas presents.

These four unique characteristics of the Philippine Christmas Season make up for the perfect recipe of a retailer’s dream. When going to the malls during the Christmas Season, brace yourself for a barrage of humanity (the mere sight of which causes headaches), Christmas carols endlessly blaring through mall speakers, and shopping bargains and “special offers” left and right. While all of the hullabaloo might interest a visitor, it gets pretty tiring after a while, even to the bravest of shoppers. Some things to keep in mind when shopping in the Philippines:

• Cash is King. Never mind what the commercials say in the U.S. that paying by cash slows everyone down. In the Philippines, paying by credit card actually takes longer because it takes about 86 steps to verify your credit card account (remember, this is a third world country, after all). So paying by cash is the fastest and most efficient means of transaction, even in established stores. Plus, some mechants may charge a higher price if you pay by credit card, whereas they sometimes give discounts if you pay by cash.
• If you are not in a mall, chances are you can negotiate for a better deal. Don’t be shy to ask if the price on the tag is the final price; most probably the vendor will give you a “final” price, which is almost always still negotiable. Or ask for a volume discount when buying more than one item. Only when the seller says it’s the “final price” or when they give you a better offer when you attempt to leave the store will you know that you’re getting the best price that the seller can offer.
• When in the grocery, don’t think big; think small. In the Philippines where majority of the people live on a day-to-day basis, almost everything can be bought in smaller quantities. Coffee can be bought in sachets. Toothpastes can be bought in sachets. Soaps can be bought in smaller boxes. If you only need a small quantity of something, just ask; chances are they have it.

Home for the Holidays, Part 2: The Old and the New

This is my third time vacationing in the Philippines since I migrated to the U.S. For each visit, I had a different perspective: the first, as a predominantly Philippine resident who was just coming back from a long trip; the second, as a transitioning U.S. resident who was “getting into the groove”; and this time, as a mostly assimilated immigrant. Because of these differences in perspective, my experiences during my vacation—in essence, my view of the Philippines—were likewise different. The first time, I felt like I had just been away for a while and that I still knew my way around. The second time, I began to notice changes that had happened while I was away. This time, I am now assimilated enough into the American culture and mindset that I am able to perceive things from a non-Filipino’s point of view.

Take the famous Filipino hospitality, for example. Before, whenever travel shows would highlight how friendly Filipinos are, I would of course be proud of the compliment but I never really understood why it was such a big deal. If you worked at a store or greeted customers, aren’t you always supposed to smile and be gracious? (duh) Now, having lived in the U.S. long enough to get a good grasp of its culture, I can see why it was so noteworthy.

In the U.S., if you are in, say, McDonald’s, you really don’t expect the person taking your order to say anything other than “you want fries with that?” or “you wanna biggie-size that?”. Said with all the vibrant energy of a sloth (maybe a turtle on a good day). In the Philippines, the very first thing that you hear as you make your first step inside a McDonald’s is “Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening Sir/Ma’m, Welcome to McDonald’s!”—and that’s not coming from the doorman, that’s coming from one or more of the service crew (which I think number on average around 20, all young and full of energy) who are either behind the counter or cleaning up the tables (did I mention you don’t have to clean after yourself here?).

The other night when I was at a nearby McDonald’s and was trying to buy a spaghetti-fried chicken combo (yes, they have spaghetti and fried chicken here, and the spaghetti is called—you guessed it—McSpaghetti), the girl taking my order informed me that there was only one piece of chicken left and that the spaghetti was also out (it was nearing closing time). I decided to take it anyway, and as I was paying for the meal, the girl assured me, “Di bale sir, malaking piece naman e” (“Don’t worry sir, it’s a big piece”). Maybe it’s a little gesture, but the fact that she said it, coupled with the way that she said it, makes you feel just a little better.

Of course, this is not to say that the service industry in the U.S. is bad and that all restaurants in the Philippines offer excellent service. Far from it. I’ve had numerous encounters with excellent service in the States, both face-to-face and over the phone (and not offshore call centers). But I guess the thing worth noting about Philippine hospitality is that because it originates from the culture itself, it permeates all industries and thus in all dealings with customers.

Another thing—Traffic. Ah yes, the infamous Manila traffic, where the lines on the road are merely suggestions and you count your travel in hours, not minutes. Having been born and raised in Manila, I am used to the idiosyncrasies and frustrations of the Manila commute. On the way home from the airport, what would ideally be a 15-minute ride took more than an hour. The culprit: construction and lots and lots of vehicles. But this is 2 AM, I thought, shouldn’t there be less cars? Well, turns out today is a Friday AND a payday—a desirable combination if you’re a store owner but one to stay away from if you happen to be on the road.

A few days later, we were riding in a car on the way to the mall, and I noticed another thing that I had forgotten while living in the U.S.—street children. In Manila it is not uncommon to see children as young as four years old mingle among slow-moving traffic. Some sell flowers. Some sell lottery tickets. Some offer to wash your windshield. Some knock on your driver’s side window to ask for money. There have been reports of gangs that exploit these children to get money, but either way everyone agrees that these kids do not belong in the streets. I thought to myself, right now I’m worried about my son’s safety inside a vehicle, but what about those kids who are inches away from getting hit by a car everyday? Something’s not right here.

Speaking of Manila traffic, here are some pointers on driving along Manila’s roads:

• There is no such thing as a short ride. Be ready to allocate one to two hours (one way) for commuting.
• If you have a car, don’t use it. You’ll get there faster and in a better mood. You can even catch up on some reading (but then again, nobody reads while commuting; they converse with friends through text messaging). It’ll save you the hassle of finding a parking spot too.
• Stay away from malls, if you can. The roads around malls are like quicksand; once you’re there you stop moving and there is no getting out.
• Being nice is good, but you’ll definitely finish last. The recommended distance between you and the car ahead is six inches. Anything larger than six inches is a temptation that other drivers will not be able to resist.
• Never, under any circumstance, assume that another driver is letting you pass. Unless you have it in writing (and notarized), they are probably just distracted (with texting—did I mention drivers txt while driving?).
• Flashing your light at another driver means YOU are going first, not them.
• Don’t be shy about using your horns. Believe it or not, it is an essential part of road communications, and is much better than rolling down your windows and shouting some flattering compliments or using sign language using your fist or finger.

Home for the Holidays, Part 1: Getting There

Every two or three years for the past decade, my wife and I have been traveling to the Philippines for vacation, staying a few weeks to visit family and friends. This year we are at it again, but this time it’s a first of sorts. This will be the first time in eight years that we get to celebrate Christmas with our family. More importantly, our son, Rainier, is turning one and we wanted to celebrate his birthday with family and friends in the Philippines. Which means this will be our first time traveling with an infant on a 22-hour international flight. Whew. They ought to do a Fear Factor episode for this.

The first leg of our trip, from Albany to Detroit, was relatively uneventful. The flight lasted about an hour and a half and afforded our son his first glimpse of clouds from an arm’s length away. I tried to read from his face what he thought about all this—What is all that white stuff? Is this a sea of cotton balls? Fluffy wipes? How many poops before I use them all up?

The international airport at Detroit always amazes me. There seems to be something new each time we stop over. This time, while walking from our arrival gate to our connecting flight, we went through this wide tunnel that had walls that changed color and patterns-like a time machine that got stuck in the 60s. Our son was quite entertained (I think hypnotized) with all this, as we strolled along one of those “walking escalators”.

There are only two kinds of people who take the Northwest flight going to Manila from Detroit: Filipinos and Japanese. Filipinos outnumber Japanese about three to one. When I got our boarding passes in Albany, they didn’t have the gate numbers for the connecting flight in Detroit, so I had to look it up. I needn’t have worried—when you spot the gate with the hundreds of Filipinos forming about 48 different boarding lines in disorderly fashion (but always seem to manage not to delay the flight), then I know we’re in the right gate.

One change that I’ve been noticing with myself (one that I suspect happens to other first-time fathers too) is how conscious and observant I am of other parents and their children. This was certainly the case for the second leg of our trip, from Detroit to Nagoya, Japan. When before I wouldn’t remember if a child was sitting right in front of me (except maybe if he made faces), now I would recall that there were three infants in our immediate vicinity: our son, a 12-month old Japanese girl and a 16-month old Filipino boy. I also remember hearing a few other infants crying at the back (we were seated just behind business class). All in all I think I counted about a dozen strollers checked in. My wife and I both think airlines should have a “family” section in longer flights, given the number of parents who fly with their kids. Even though the plane’s engine still makes the loudest sound, you just can’t help but feel sorry for the person unlucky enough to be seated next to you. A plane’s engine is no match for a baby’s shrieks two feet away from your ear. Fortunately the Japanese guy who sat next to us (and who was really nice to agree to switch places with us so we can sit by the aisle) brought earplugs with him. Smart man.

I’ve discovered that time flies-literally-when you have a baby to keep you busy and on your toes-again, literally. For most of the 13 hour flight, I was on my feet comforting our son and/or putting him to sleep. It was admittedly exhausting but it gave me a chance to interact with the flight crew and other passengers, especially the parents. One of the flight attendants (who herself has three sons) took a special liking to Rainier and was kind enough to shut off the bulkhead lights to help put our son to sleep. If only all flight attendants were this nice!

Stop-overs at Japan are always an interesting experience. While state-of-the art electronics scattered around the airport amazed me, I was equally impressed by commonplace things such as family restrooms (private, very roomy, with padded changing tables big enough for an adult to sleep in). And of course Japanese restrooms wouldn’t be complete without all the toilet bowl “amenities” fit for a king: cushioned backrest, water spray aimed at your posterior, customizable by pressure (high/low) and by position (front/rear), and an air blower to dry you off after.

The last leg of our trip, from Nagoya to Manila, took five hours. Although still long, it was relatively shorter compared to the 13-hour marathon we just finished. This time we were seated with an older Filipina who was accompanying her daughter and granddaughter from Tennessee. The daughter, who is a nurse in a Tennessee hospital, was leaving the granddaughter with the grandmother because she couldn’t find any good daycare. This may seem like an extreme situation but sadly this happens a lot with the millions of Filipino workers overseas.


In one Rainier’s fits (and who can blame him? barely eight hours of sleep, two at a time, for the past 18 hours!), he was crying and screaming a bit louder, and after one of the screams, there was a collective “sshhh!” from a few passengers. Part of it was to distract Rainier and get his attention, but of course part of it was irritation too. And then I realized, almost all of the passengers are Filipinos now… we must be nearing home!

When the plane touched down, there was an appreciative applause from more than a few passengers. It was probably because of the good landing-smooth, nothing to be tense about-but I think it was more because we can now stretch our legs and see if they’re still alive. And as we disembarked from the plane, breathed in that warm, humid, polluted Manila air, and greeted by a sea of humanity (“Welcome Ma’m!” “Good Evening Sir!”)-I know we’ve arrived.