Filipinos are known worldwide for their hospitality and warmth. This extends beyond personal interactions and deeply influences their professional behavior as well.
Understanding the nuances of Filipino work culture can provide valuable insights into how they operate in a professional setting, especially when you plan on outsourcing some of your tasks to a Filipino team.
They Value Their Family
Unlike cultures that emphasize individual independence, the Philippines, like many Southeast Asian societies, is rooted in collectivism. Here, they value stability and community, with families forming the cornerstone of social life.
This strong emphasis on family manifests in various ways. Filipinos often live in multigenerational households, with adult children remaining under the same roof well past the age of eighteen, even after marriage. This creates extended family units that prioritize the well-being of the entire clan.
How this will affect your business
This won’t affect your business immediately, but knowing this will help you work better with your Filipino team. Here’s why:
Filipino employees often create warm, family-like work relationships due to their family-oriented culture. They value personal connections and trust in professional interactions, which can lead to greater loyalty as long as their “work family” is intact. Company activities and outings are usually well-attended (Filipinos love free food—but who doesn’t?).
Filipinos typically seek professional growth, especially if it comes with a higher salary. Many work to support their families, contributing to household expenses or helping with siblings’ education.
Family is important to your Filipino teammates, so they value work-life balance, provided they complete their tasks. They are more likely to stay with companies that respect this balance.
| Fun fact: Filipinos are great at small talk! They’ll ask everything they’d love to know about you—whether you’re married or have kids, your pets, your diet, what you do during your free time, etc. Typically, they may expect you to ask them. |
They Celebrate More Holidays
The Philippines celebrates more than 18 holidays a year, including “special non-working days.” In 2024, they have 21 holidays in total. In contrast, Americans typically have only 8 holidays.
Two particularly festive holidays in the Philippines are the Christmas season and Lent (Holy Week).
Christmas decorations start appearing as early as September. On Christmas Eve, Filipinos stay up until midnight for Noche Buena, a holiday party filled with games, gifts, and an abundance of food. Decorations often stay up until March!
Lent is celebrated in late March. About 80% of Filipinos are Catholic, and they observe this somber holiday with a series of religious activities starting on Maundy Thursday and culminating on Easter Sunday.
How this will affect your business
When hiring Filipino employees, decide whether your team will observe Filipino holidays or your local ones. This will help you and your team plan tasks and time off accordingly. Knowing the holidays will also allow you to plan for your team’s leaves and PTOs in advance and ensure smooth operations when these team members are on leave.
Also note that Filipino employees receive a Christmas bonus called the “13th-month” pay, which is legally required. While this isn’t mandatory for independent contractors or freelancers, offering this bonus can boost morale and serve as an effective incentive to retain team members.
Their English Is Unique (Filipinisms)
Filipinos are fantastic English speakers—but like other countries whose first language isn’t English, they may use native words or phrases that are slightly different from American/British English. These words, called Filipinisms, are often the results of transliteration and misuse of certain words.
Here are some common examples you may hear slip out once or twice:
- CR (restroom)
- “I’m coming to the …” (“I’m going to the…”)
- Fill up [a form] (“Fill out [a form]”)
- Brownout (while brownouts do exist, often they mean “blackouts” or “power outages”—a complete loss of electricity.)
- Free gifts (gifts are free)
- “Open/Close the [appliance]” (“Turn on / Turn off the [appliance]”)
- Bottomless (unlimited refills / refillable)
How this may affect your business
Filipinisms might sound unusual or incorrect to native English speakers. If your team handles sales or customer service via phone, chat, email, or social media, ensure they are trained in American or British English. This training will help avoid confusion and potential issues.
They Handle Titles and Honorifics Differently
Hierarchy is quite significant in the Philippines, and using honorifics is a key part of their culture.
Younger people are taught to use titles like “kuya” (elder brother) or “ate” (elder sister) to address older individuals, regardless of their relationship.
This practice often extends into the professional setting. Subordinates usually address their bosses or higher-ranking colleagues as “Sir,” “Ma’am,” or “Miss.” Filipinos typically do not call their bosses by their first names—to them, doing so could lead to trouble!
Additionally, they highly value authority and respect leaders and elders. This means your team members will consistently be eager and motivated to do their jobs when they receive positive feedback from their superiors.
How this may affect your business
This won’t affect your business, but you may find it jarring at first. Your teammates will call you “ma’am” or “sir”—and if you’re uncomfortable with it, let them know to call you by your first name. They, too, will find it weird at first, and they may think they’re disrespecting you by doing so. It’ll take both parties to get used to it, but you will!
They’re Polite…and Indirect
By this point in the article, you know Filipinos are incredibly polite. They will find direct communication unpleasant, unfriendly, and even downright disrespectful. They will say “okay” to things they may not fully understand or even like, and sometimes, they may expect you to do the same.
Filipinos are also contextual—they may hesitate to say their real opinions (for fear of disrespecting you or appearing impolite), use non-committal responses like “We’ll see” or “Maybe” when they actually mean “No,” beat around the bush when explaining an issue, and so on.
How this may affect your business
While Filipinos’ indirectness may maintain a harmonious work environment, it may actually hinder growth. For example, indirect communication may make it difficult to pinpoint who’s responsible for a task and ensure deadlines are met.
Vague statements and an aversion to saying “no” can lead to long, drawn-out meetings without clear decisions. And unwillingness to receive negative but constructive feedback can lead to problems going unnoticed or unaddressed.
When talking to your Filipino colleagues, try to read subtle cues and nonverbal signs. Check their body language, gestures, and facial expressions. When giving feedback, do so during a private 1:1 meeting or through a personal message.
They Want to Help…Everyone?
The concept of “pakikisama” is deeply embedded in the Filipino mindset. “Pakikisama” translates roughly to “camaraderie,” but to Filipinos, it means much more.
“Pakikisama” involves going the extra mile to help others, offering support when needed most. Filipinos are genuinely helpful, always ready to assist their team members. They’re even willing to take on some of their colleague’s tasks just to ease their burden.
How this may affect your business
This strong sense of camaraderie can positively impact your business. Filipino employees’ willingness to help can enhance teamwork, improve productivity, and create a supportive work environment. Their readiness to assist ensures that tasks are completed efficiently and fosters a collaborative atmosphere where everyone works together to achieve common goals.
But it’s important to manage this helpful nature to prevent burnout. With your employees taking on the load of others, this may lead them to possibly make mistakes or neglect their own tasks altogether.
Encourage your team members to manage their own workload first before they offer their help.
Conclusion
Understanding your Filipino team members’ work culture can help you build strong, productive relationships with them. When you appreciate their unique cultural traits and provide an environment that respects and nurtures these values, you can foster a loyal, motivated, and high-performing team.
You know the strengths of the Filipino workforce—why read this article otherwise? All you need now is to find the perfect partners. Consider partnering with Logix BPO. As a leading BPO and RPO company, Logix BPO specializes in providing top-tier talent that aligns with your business needs.
Let Logix BPO help you harness the power of Filipino work culture to drive your business forward. Contact us today!
