Pea steps out of the studio and onto the dance floor to try traditional Filipino folk dances, including the famous tinikling (bamboo dance) and, surprisingly, a hula dance. She begins with a detailed explanation of the traditional Filipina dress she's wearing, then joins a local dance group to perform. The video is lighter in tone — a fun cultural showcase rather than a deep-dive explainer.
The Filipina dress (also called Maria Clara)
- Full name: traje de mestiza, originating from the Spanish period in the late 1800s
- Originally worn only by the upper classes (the mestiza) to signify high status, virtue, and modesty
- A fan called an abanico was carried to cover a woman's mouth when laughing or smiling — "it's an Asian thing"
- The fan is also called pamepae and used to cool off in hot weather
- Named after Maria Clara, the mestiza heroine from the novel Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal, the Philippines' greatest national hero who rebelled against the Spanish
- Traditionally made from fibers of the abaca tree and pineapple leaves; more expensive versions are silk
- Pea's dress is not silk
- Made popular by Imelda Marcos, who Pea notes was "also a gang collector too" (likely meaning shoe collector, referencing her famous collection)
- Modern versions are making a comeback — "don't be surprised if you see your favorite Filipina wearing one"
- Still worn today, almost 200 years later, for special events and gatherings
The tinikling dance
- Named from the word "tikling," which is a bird
- The dance mimics a bird maneuvering to escape bamboo traps set by farmers
- Very popular during the Spanish era
- Originated from Pampanga in the Luzon area
- Pea performs with a local dance group called the "Mixture dance group," led by a dancer named Jason
- The group was formed two years prior, consists of five members aged 16 to 22
- They perform at fiestas — Pea notes it's very common in the Philippines for dance groups to perform at annual fiestas for entertainment
- Pea warns viewers in advance: "although I might have many hidden talents, I'm not a dancer"
Hula dance — the surprise element
Pea notes this isn't the typical Hawaiian costume, but since Filipinos are also Pacific Islanders, "we love to hula"
Filipino schools teach hula dance to children as part of exercise routines and school program presentations
They perform "our version" of hula dance
Presented as something viewers might not have expected was a thing in the Philippines
The video is a lighter, performance-based vlog with Pea and Jen dancing together and having fun — she acknowledges she's not a skilled dancer and invites the comments section to roast her