What is the Filipino national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!

What kind of country is the Philippines?

The Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia made up of over 7,000 islands.
The country's land area is slightly smaller than Japan's, at approximately 300,000 ^km2.

The population is approximately 109.04 million (2020 Philippine Census).
The population is growing, as the 2010 survey showed it to be around 92.34 million.

The capital, Manila, has had deep historical ties with Japan, as a Japanese town was established and many Japanese people lived there during the Edo period before Japan closed its borders to the outside world.

The predominant ethnic group is Malay, and the country is known as the only Christian country in ASEAN.
Approximately 80% of the population is Catholic, 10% is other Christian, and 5% is Muslim, mainly on the island of Mindanao, making it clear that Christians make up the overwhelming majority of the population.

The official languages are Filipino and English, but many people speak English because they learn it from an early age.

However, Tagalog is also spoken on the island of Luzon, and Visayan is spoken in the Visayas and Mindanao, and some Spanish is also mixed in as the country was a Spanish colony.

The main festivals in the Philippines are Feast of Sacrifice and Christmas.
The Feast of Sacrifice is a Muslim festival and holiday held in June (the date is decided just before each year).
Christmas is celebrated in December, just like in Japan.

Christmas is an event that is especially important to Filipinos, and the difference from Japan is that they start preparing for Christmas around September.
It is said to be the country with the longest Christmas season in the world.

People working overseas often return home en masse in time for Christmas, so if you have Filipino staff in your workplace, you may need to Temporary Return Support.

What are the personalities and values of Filipinos? Learn about their national character

Most Filipinos can speak English, so they have little resistance to going abroad to work, and many of them actually do.
Additionally, many of them have bright, cheerful and friendly personalities, and their cheerful and sociable nature also contributes to their success working abroad.

Furthermore, it is believed that one of the reasons why many Filipinos work overseas is that they place great importance on family.
There is a strong sense of needing to provide for one's family even at the expense of one's own sacrifices, so many people seem to think it is natural to go abroad to work if jobs in the Philippines pay low wages.

Therefore, they value time spent with their family the most, so it is not uncommon for them to take time off work or be late if something happens to their family.

If you have Filipino staff in your workplace, keep in mind that their absence or lateness may be due to family members.

However, Filipinos also have a side to them that doesn't care about time, with some people barely looking at calendars or clocks.
If you feel that your employees are not punctual, you may need support such as actively checking in with them or helping them manage their tasks.

However, Filipinos are also known for their hardworking, patient, and hospitable national character.
There are many people who are pro-Japan, so this should be an advantage in your work.

For more information on the national characteristics of countries other than the Philippines, please refer to the following column.

What is the Thai national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Nepalese national character like? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the national character of Myanmar? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Vietnamese national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!
What is the Indonesian national character? Introducing their personality and communication tips!

How to work well with staff from the Philippines

There are five things to keep in mind when communicating with staff from the Philippines.

① When giving a warning, do it in a place where there are no other people around.

The first thing is not to give warnings or instructions in front of multiple people.

Filipinos feel very humiliated when they are reprimanded or instructed in public.
When giving warnings or instructions, do so individually in a separate room.

2. Give warnings and instructions gently

The second is how to give warnings and instructions.

If you instruct them in a harsh, scolding tone, it will cause great offense to the Filipino people.
You are expected to be gentle and patient in your approach.

③Speak in easy-to-understand Japanese

The third is to use easy-to-understand Japanese.

Japanese terminology and dialects are very difficult, and this is not limited to people from the Philippines.

Also, avoid abbreviations as they are difficult to understand.
It would be good if you could share these ways of saying things among your employees.

There have been cases where people have used something thinking it was an English word, only to find that it was completely unintelligible and turned out to be Japanese-made English.

Some examples of Japanese English are:

• Notebook computer → Laptop
• Touch panel → Touch screen
• Power outlet → Outlet

There are surprisingly many out there, so be sure to check them out.

4. Don't take it for granted that you can speak English.

Fourth, be aware that there are people who cannot speak English.

Many Filipinos can speak English, but some are not.
If you are considering employment for a job that requires English, we recommend checking the candidate's English level during the interview.

⑤ Pay attention to the workload and working hours

The fifth point is about working hours and the amount of work that requires overtime.

Filipinos rarely work overtime because they prioritize time with their families.
For this reason, many Filipinos have doubts about Japanese jobs that involve a lot of overtime.

It is important to explain and make sure employees understand that overtime will be unavoidable during busy periods or when there are problems, but you should also proceed to review the working hours and workload of the entire company.

Summary: Filipinos are cheerful, lively and sociable. Time with family is a top priority

The Philippines is a Southeast Asian country whose population is growing year by year, and it has had long-standing ties with Japan.
Many people are pro-Japan and have a bright and cheerful national character, so you will often find it easy to work with them.

It is the only Christian country in ASEAN, and Christmas is such an important event that preparations begin in September.
People who work overseas often return home en masse for Christmas, and may need Temporary Return Support.

In order to communicate smoothly, it is important to know the national character of the Filipino people.

Because they have a strong belief that family comes first, they may feel uncomfortable with the amount of overtime that Japanese people work.
While clearly explaining necessary overtime, you should also review working hours and workload across the company.

One employment status for Filipinos is Specified Skills.
This is a status of residence that requires certain skills and Japanese language ability, so companies looking for immediate personnel should definitely consider this.

We are holding a seminar for Japanese people on living together with foreigners, "I'm having trouble with my Filipino employees! What should I do?"

JAC holds a "Lecture on Coexistence with Foreigners" with the aim of "Understanding how to work smoothly with foreign staff!"

The second lecture on coexistence with foreigners will be held on August 24, 2023, and will be titled "Lecture on Coexistence with Foreigners (Philippines)" (lecturer: Daichi Imai).

The Philippines is one of the countries that respects its citizens working overseas, for example by setting up OFW lanes (lanes at airports for migrant workers to enter and leave the country).
There will also be many opportunities to hire Filipinos as foreign workers.

The course introduced the history and national character of the Philippines, its religion and major events, and Tagalog words that will be useful when welcoming Filipinos, as well as explaining things to be aware of and key points to keep in mind when actually welcoming Filipinos.
Participating companies asked many questions about Japanese language learning for Filipinos coming to Japan and their accompanying families.

Q: Are classes taught in English?
→Classes are generally conducted in English because official documents are in English. However, since Filipino is also taught as the national language, classes are conducted in both languages.

Q: I understand that many people go abroad to work, but it seems like many of them come to Japan with their families. Is that actually the case?
→ Those with Specified Skilled Worker (i) visa cannot bring their family with them, but those with a Skilled Worker or Highly Skilled Professional visa can, so many people invite their family members over and live with them.

Q: I hear that the weak yen has led to fewer people wanting to come to Japan. Is that actually true?
→Many people are hoping to go to other countries where the minimum wage is higher than in Japan. However, such countries require necessary knowledge, skills, and experience, so some people first gain knowledge and experience in Japan and then go to other countries to work. In that sense, Japan is still popular.

Q: What industries are popular among Filipinos in Japan?
→ Welding is a skill that is in demand around the world and is popular. In the Philippines, where shipbuilding is thriving, welding is a popular occupation.

Seminar videos, materials, answers to questions, etc. Missed lecture on coexistence with foreigners: streaming and materials" can be viewed at
If you were unable to attend, please be sure to check it out.

Here are some comments about the course:

• The materials were easy to read and the explanations were easy to understand, so I was able to get an overview of the Philippines in a short amount of time.
• The flow of acceptance was easy to understand.
• The explanations from a geographical and historical perspective were easy to listen to.
• I found it very interesting to learn about the regional characteristics of each country and personality trends.
• It's difficult because the training is so short, but I'd like to learn more about the problems (examples, etc.) that can occur when hiring foreigners.

In addition to the Filipino coexistence course, we will also be holding courses on Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand!
Companies considering accepting specified skilled workers from the above countries should definitely check this out.

We will continue to hold useful seminars to meet your needs!
[Free online course] I'm having trouble with foreign employees! What should I do?

If you are a company considering hiring specified skilled workers in the construction industry, please feel free to contact JAC!

*This article was written based on information from September 2023.