Filipino Culture

Five things I bet you won’t know about the Philippines

Five things I bet you won’t know about the Philippines

I’m sure you have spoken to a Filipino call centre agent or had a Filipino nurse care for you brilliantly in Australia and New Zealand. However, allow me to share some unique and distinct things about the Philippines. Let’s start!

  1. Balut, a unique and adventurous street food in the Philippines, is a fertilized duck embryo boiled and eaten from the shell. You may have seen Balut featured in the TV reality series “Fear Factor.” It’s considered a delicacy and is often enjoyed with salt and vinegar. Some older folks will tell you Balut is an aphrodisiac or energy booster, but its unique taste makes it a must-try for any food enthusiast or adventurer.
  2. Airport in the central business district. In the heart of the Makati CBD lies an old airport, Nielson Field. It was inaugurated in July 1937 and was considered one of the best-equipped airports in Asia at that time. It played a significant role during World War II but was closed later in 1948. Today, an exclusive restaurant uses the Nielson Field Control Tower, and its runways now form Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas Road, more commonly known as the Ayala Triangle.
  3. The Philippines is the texting capital of the world. In the early 2000s, the Philippines earned this unique title due to the volume of Filipino text messages sent. The country sends an average of 1.39 billion text messages daily, and this phenomenon was driven by the affordability of SMS compared to voice calls. SMS is still the preferred way of communication even today.
  4. The Philippines starts its Christmas celebrations super early in the year: For Filipinos, the Christmas season usually starts in September, with malls already playing holiday songs and shopping bazaars beginning to sprout everywhere. You will also see that most homes have Christmas decor as early as September. Filipinos also participate in several religious activities throughout the Christmas season. These include the night mass, known locally as Simbang Gabi, when Filipinos attend mass services nine days in a row leading up to Christmas Eve, all held at the crack of dawn.
  5. Jeepneys are our primary mode of transportation. As they say, your visit to the Philippines is incomplete if you have not ridden a Jeepney. Filipino Jeepneys were initially WW2 US military jeeps left behind and creatively modified to accommodate passengers. Each Jeepney has vibrant colours and unique decorations that add to its appeal and reflect the personality of its owner. You will see a jeepney at almost all corners of the Philippines.