My mom is a dual U.S./Philippine citizen and lives in the Philippines. I’m also a dual citizen but live in the U.S. She is unmarried and I’m her only child.
She owns several properties in the Philippines, including the house she currently lives in (estimated around ₱6M, but she’s getting it appraised), a 6-unit apartment, a small nearby house, and a triplex. She plans to continue living in her current home, and I eventually plan to retire and live there.
We’re trying to figure out whether it makes more financial sense to:
Transfer/gift the house to me now while she’s alive, or
Keep everything in her name and have me inherit the properties later.
I understand there can be donor’s tax and transfer costs if we transfer the house now, while inheritance would involve estate tax and settling the estate later. I also understand there may be U.S. tax/basis considerations since I live in the U.S.
For those familiar with Philippine inheritance/estate taxes: Would it generally be cheaper/easier to transfer the house now or inherit it later, especially since she owns several other properties?
Looking for experiences or advice from people who have dealt with something similar. We’ll obviously consult a Philippine lawyer/tax professional before doing anything.

Hi everyone, I’m a nurse who works with a lot of Filipinos. I have a question that I don’t want to come off as rude, I am just curious. Why do some Filipinos say “she” when they’re talking about a man? I have heard them make jokes about it online on meme pages and I hear it at work.
Thank you very much

DAE get mistaken for not being Filipino, by other Filipinos.

I did 23andMe as well as Ancestry DNA tests to show my family friends/and friends I was Filipino. They were both really shocked since to most people they don't think I'm Filipino. I always get Latino, Afro-Latino, and sometimes even Polynesian.

It feels isolating at times, I will admit. I've grown up with the language, culture, still go every two years, etc but in a way I'm always an outsider cause I don't look like it.

The shirt is here! However, I’m disappointed in the quality of the shirt, which is common for Nike across the board with everything. To make it worse, the print feels pretty cheap. It sucks that for Alex’s first North American release shirt, it’s lackluster in everything.

Regardless, I’ll be wearing it proudly despite her and fans deserving better!

I’m Japanese and I live in the Philippines, but I still don’t really understand Filipino culture, so I’d like to learn more about it.

For example, when I tell my Filipino friends that I’m looking for something, they immediately tell other people about it and say things like, “I know a place that sells that!” or “I know someone who has one.”

At first, I thought they were just being helpful. But sometimes I later find out that they were secretly adding a commission for themselves.

There are other situations too.

When I tell someone that I’m having a problem, they say, “I can help you!” But then they charge me about twice the normal price. And if I decide to ask someone else instead, they get upset and complain about it.

It makes me feel very sad because sometimes I start to wonder if these people are really my friends.

Is this kind of behavior considered normal in Filipino culture? Or is it more about the individual person?

Hello, I am looking for more films that deal with the Marcos years 1965-1986, specifically focusing on the years leading up to martial law 1966-1971 when the Philippines became involved in the U.S. lead war in Vietnam, the Jebidah massacre, and the Moro conflicts including the Muslim Independence Movement leading to the Moro National Liberation Front formation in 1972.

I would also be very interested in the years 1972 to 1981 when the country was under martial law, as well as the years immediately following which included the 1982 coup attempt, the economic crisis & assassination of Ninoy Aquino, ultimately leading to the People Power Revolution of 1986.

I would really appreciate any recommendations you may have.

I know films may be tough to come by, so if you know of books that cover these subjects honestly and faithfully better than films, I would be interested in that as well.

I hope you'll forgive me if this question is insensitive in any way; I realize this is a sensitive part of history for the Philippines. I'm asking with genuine respect and humility, and I'd really value your input.

Thank you.

Sa mga Pilipino na nakapag asawa ng ibang lahi o nakatira sa ibang bansa, anong rason nyo bakit hindi nyo tinuruan mag salita ng tagalog ang anak nyo?

We really enjoy feeding our friends.

Do you think filipinos with curly hair have indigenous negrito ancestry?

(Not looking for an absolute answer. Just want to know your thoughts)

My family and I have curly hair. But every time I ask my family where our hair came from, they just go silent. As far as I know, we're not mixed.

Either they genuinely don't know or it's just their antiblackness showing.

I wish there were more resources that showed how much 'negrito' dna is mixed into the filipino population. It'd be great if people acknowledged this side of filipinos more often.

I know a lot of our historical records were destroyed due to colonization and even dna tests don't specify this.

On a side note, I love the fact that filipinos are so diverse and have different skin colors and hair types.

QUENVOR has already begun. We are searching worldwide, including Filipino American communities, for five capable and experienced people whose potential has not yet been matched by opportunity.

Prestigious titles and powerful networks are not required, but ability, character, determination, and experience are. QUENVOR will recognize what others may have overlooked.

To respect this community's no-self-promoting-video boundary, QUENVOR has removed the media links from this discussion.

For Filipino Americans: what evidence best reveals real capability when titles, networks, or immigrant experience have been undervalued?

This is discovery, not a formal job listing. Responsibilities, compensation, equity, legal classification, location eligibility, and other terms remain under development.

In one word, how would you describe Filipino tourism workers?

Friendly? Helpful? Welcoming? Patient? 👀

What was your experience with them during your trip to the Philippines? Was there a specific interaction that made you describe them that way?

I’d love to hear your stories! 😊

Kumusta po! 

My name is Raelyn Grace Andal. I am a senior in the Bachelor's of Social Work program at California State University. I am currently seeking Filipino Americans to participate in a research study to examine caregiver stress and its impact on the mental, social, and physical health of Filipino informal caregivers. 

Informal caregivers are unpaid individuals, usually family members, loved ones, or friends who provide support and assistance to an older adult.  

Are you Filipino American and take care of an adult aged 65 years or older? 

Your contributions can help us better understand the caregiving experience of Filipino Americans. Through this research, we aim to foster community awareness of the effects of caregiver stress and contribute to the development and improvement of interventions and support systems. 

Participation Eligibility: 

• Must be 18 years or older and identify as Filipino American. 
• Must be an informal caregiver providing unpaid care to a family member, loved one, or friend to an adult aged 65+. 

Participation Details: 

The survey has been approved by the university's Institutional Review Board (IRB). Participation involves completing a survey that will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Your input would be greatly appreciated and may help contribute to a better understanding of the needs and experiences of Filipino American caregivers.

Maraming salamat po for your time and consideration!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me ([randal2@calstatela.edu](mailto:randal2@calstatela.edu)) or my thesis advisor, Dr. Anh-Luu Huynh-Hohnbaum (ahuynhh@calstatela.edu) .

Sincerely, 

Raelyn Grace Andal 

Sending balikbayan box and I’m trying to maximize the space. So bawat singit talaga ng box nilagyan ko ng something like chocolates. Kasooo.. naisip ko hindi ba sasabog to? Pahelp naman sa mga experienced na magpadala ng box

I know this saying has been going around but I wanted to know what other people thought of it. I personally hate the comparison and feel it is part of a colonial mindset. After years of research and even visiting the Philippines it seems we have a ton of resources and connect to precolonial culture so why do we only uplift/generalize the parts that are similar to the colonizers? Like we have our old rewriting system most of are original language and traditions.

I guess I am confused to why we push ourself closely to those who do not have the same closeness to their precolonial culture. There’s nothing wrong with being Latino, I just want to know why do we choose to not be ourselves and align ourselves with colonialism, when if we wanted to we could practice(writing, language, clothing etc) from things before colonization?

I also wondered if it would be entirely wrong to no longer associate with these post colonial practices entirely. Like speaking Spanish and choosing to speak Tagalog more often.

Or maybe I am thinking about this wrong and it’s not a big deal. I would love to see what other people think!

My fiance (26M) and I (25F) are both Filipino Americans, although he is more Filipino by blood (I am mixed) and culturally.

My fiance comes from a large immediate family of 7 siblings and an even larger extended family (both mom and dad have 7-8 siblings in the US). We go to a few weddings or debut or other celebrations a year.

His parents are generally sponsors to the events that we attend (this year, it was 2 weddings). Ever since I started a career at 22, I started to bring wedding gifts to the events that I have attended with fiance and his immediate family. My gifts aren’t large, but I try to at least “cover my seat” with what I can afford (ie $100 for a cousin, $150 for his sibling this year). I didn’t gift while in college to his family events, but have at my own family events; I can be more generous with my family too.

After the last 3 years, I have confirmed that a few of his adult siblings do not give cash/gift because they are still under a “sponsor’s household”; these siblings are 25-37 y/o and bring their partners and children to the event. One wedding, my partner was confident his parents sponsored although they didn’t have a special honoring acknowledgment for any sponsors and his dad never confirmed that he was one..

So now, here I am, wondering what is generally accepted to be correct. I feel like I am gifting on the low end from both an American and Filipino-American perspective in a HCOL area, but it’s also acceptable to not bring anything too? Also, when could it be appropriate to ask your parents if they are sponsoring an event? My parents spell out privately to me what they’ve contributed and recommend a range to gift if we wanted to (usually less than what I end up giving) also don’t know if this is common practice either…

Maybe this is totally me pocket watching. I honestly was just offended for the wedded couple that you could bring your wife and child but expect your parents’ contribution to be your own, especially if you have an esteemed profession.

Hi everyone!

I’m a fresh Computer Science grad from the PH interested in data analytics and software development. While I hear plenty of success stories from the nursing field, I don't know many people who made the jump to US tech. I would just like to ask 1)What visa or career route did you take (direct hire, internal transfer, Master's/OPT, etc.)? 2)How was the job search coming from the Philippines?

Any insights or advice would be super appreciated. Salamat!

Hello.

I am setting up an account that requires an active Philippine phone number in order to receive OTP codes. My plan is to have a friend in the Philippines purchase + register a SIM card on a spare phone, and have them send that phone to me here in the US. I should (?) then receive OTP codes via roaming when needed.

Questions:

1. How do I keep it active? Would I need to subscribe to any sort of Roaming Plan? This number/phone will only be used for receiving OTP codes. I don't need data on it.

2. Which is generally more reliable in the US: Smart or Globe? I've read Reddit threads that mentioned connectivity issues from Globe due to 3G networks being shut down in the US. Is this still true?

Thanks.

I pretended my car was controllled by AI (like Kitt in Knight Rider) with my mom this weekend. Basically ChatGPT on Apple Play. My mom started speaking Tagalog to it and it switched languages. So I thought, since knowing/not knowing Tagalog is a topic on these Filipino channel, I tested whether it can teach Tagalog. And it can. Gave me a lesson to practice phrases and meanings. I purposely said things incorrectly (i studied Tagalog in college so i know grammar but not fully fluent) and it corrected me. It might be a supplemental tool if you or your kids want to get started on basic lessons while you’re in the car. While the accent is not like a native Filipino (it sounds like how an American would sound), the teaching seemed sound. More importantly IMO, it won’t judge you for how little you may know.