DO TRADITIONAL FILIPINAS EXIST? What Are They Looking For?

Pea interviews a panel of three young provincial Filipinas — Anne (21, studying elementary education), Candice (20, civil engineering), and Steffy (20, marketing) — to give her Western male audience a direct window into how traditional provincial women actually think. The conversation covers their dating status, how provincial women differ from city women, misconceptions about provincial girls, what "traditional" means to them, their views on love and online dating, attitudes toward marriage and foreigners, and whether they'd send money home to family. This is part one of a two-part interview.

The panel: who they are ​

• All three are single with no children
• None are currently dating — they're focused on studies
• Pea emphasizes how refreshing this is: "At the age of 20-21, wow, that's refreshing"

Provincial vs. city Filipinas — key differences ​

• Steffy: city people are "liberated" and "party goers"
• Candice: city people are more outgoing; provincial people are "more traditional"
• "Liberated" specifically means showing more skin, being more comfortable with their bodies — provincial women don't do that
• Anne: provincial people are "more accommodating"
• Pea relates personally: when she was their age or younger, she never wore dresses and always wore pants, even to the beach

Misconceptions about provincial women ​

• Candice: people assume provincial girls are uneducated, can't afford school — "if you're from the province, you're more uneducated"
• Anne: the word people use is "ignorant"
• Steffy: provincial girls are seen as "naive and not worldly" — they don't know anything outside "their little bubble and their little barrio"
• Pea confirms she's heard all these stereotypes many times and clearly disagrees, noting these women are all in college

What "traditional" means to them ​

• Anne: valuing your beliefs, having principles you hold onto and follow
• Candice: specifically about courtship traditions — she still wants a man to come to her house and ask her parents' permission before courting her; you can't just meet outside and go on a date without parents' approval first ("that's the protocol")
• Pea confirms this is the traditional Filipino courtship method
• The man bringing chocolate and flowers? "It's automatic" — that's a given

They still live under parental authority despite being adults ​

• Steffy: they're "still dependent on our parents and their decisions" — even at 20, they must ask permission to go out with friends
• All three confirm this applies as long as you live with your parents, regardless of being over 18
• Candice has a 10 PM curfew

Do they believe in love? ​

• Anne: "Definitely I do believe in love"
• Steffy: yes
• Candice: "I don't know" — she's never been in love, which Pea frames as "a challenge for you guys out there"
• Anne has been in love briefly; Steffy has not

Their definitions of love ​

• Candice: giving everything to him, wanting the best for him, always wanting him to be happy
• Anne: love is about acceptance — accepting a person fully including the flaws, and being accepted in return
• Steffy: love is give and take, a two-way street — "you always think of his happiness first before yours"

Online dating ​

• None of the three have done online dating
• They've heard of sites like Filipino Cupid but never tried them

Marriage views ​

• All three want to get married eventually
• Candice: marriage is very important because "it's a lifetime commitment" — wants to marry in 8-9 years
• Anne: wants to get married in about 10 years
• Steffy: as a provincial girl, marriage matters to her especially because "it's not just between you and your husband, it's like joining clans"
• No parental pressure to marry yet — all agree their parents want them to finish studies first
• Would they marry a man they met online? Anne and Candice say probably not — they need to know him personally ("what if he stinks? what if he snores?"); Steffy says maybe, joking "it's cheaper that way — no relatives to invite"

Attitudes toward foreigners ​

• When they hear "foreigner," all three immediately think "American" — Pea explains this is because of the historical American military presence (G.I.s). They acknowledge Indians, Pakistanis, Middle Easterners are also foreigners but Americans are most common
• All three are open to dating a foreigner
• What their moms say about foreigners:
  • Candice: her mom has never suggested it
  • Anne: her mom has said "why not try foreign" — because local Filipino marriages often don't work out (though she clarifies "not all, there are just cases")
  • Steffy: her mom is okay with foreign "as long as they treat me right," regardless of nationality

Would they move to the West for a foreigner? ​

• All three say yes, they'd follow their partner
• When asked about missing family: Steffy says "we can bring them there" or at least bring them for vacations
• All would follow wherever their partner might be

Would they send money back home? ​

• Candice: yes, she still wants to support family financially — "it's the way of showing your love for them"
• Anne: agrees, would send money as long as she can afford it and it's for necessities
• Steffy: depends — if she has something to give, she will
• All three say they would discuss it with their partner first before sending money — "you guys are partners, you have to discuss it"
• They emphasize it's not an obligation, but an expression of love

Fun rapid-fire segment at the end ​

• Hottest movie star: Candice likes Jeremy Renner; Steffy and Anne are undecided; Pea loves Sean Connery as James Bond
• Body part they're most proud of: Steffy — her tiny waist (Pea makes her stand up and show it, guesses 24 inches); Candice — "my butt because it's small and humble"; Anne — her skin tone ("perfect brown caramel")
• Body part they like least: Steffy — nothing, she's proud of everything; Anne — her nose (it's small); Candice — same, her nose
• Would they rather have a funny man who tells little lies, or a boring honest man? Candice picks boring and honest; Steffy and Anne pick funny with little lies ("it's just little lies")
• Biggest fear: Anne — missing the bus home and getting scolded by her parents ("mom and dad's sermon")
• Worst thing they don't want their mom to know: Steffy — cutting class; Candice — going to a drinking bar; Anne — hidden boyfriends

End skit: Houston/Apollo 13 parody ​

• A Filipino mission control responds to Apollo 13's distress call with classic Filipino attitudes — asking if it can wait because it's lunch time, pointing out one side of the spacecraft is "in perfect shape," requiring a request form with a 20-peso cash fee paid in person before any assistance
• "Bahalana" (the Filipino attitude of "whatever will be, will be")

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