Bes! What IS a ‘dalagang Pilipina’ or a ‘typical Filipina woman’ these days?!

Bes! What IS a ‘dalagang Pilipina’ or a ‘typical Filipina woman’ these days?!

Bes! What IS a ‘dalagang Pilipina’ or a ‘typical Filipina woman’ these days?!

‘Typical Filipina Woman’ Representation

To all my fellow Filipinos out there, what does ‘dalagang Pilipina’ mean or a ‘Typical Filipina woman’?

 

“The traditional dalagang Pilipina (Filipina maiden) is shy and secretive about her real feelings for a suitor and denies it even though she is really in love with the man.”

 

I had also asked on my social media to provide me with a definition and this is what I got:
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Although, as the term derives from tradition and Philippine culture, social media has made an impact yet again, on today’s society. So whilst ‘dalagang Pilipinas’ are mainly described as a Filipina ‘in love’ and reserved with their feelings. This blog post refers specifically to the typical Filipina representation and the stereotypes in the Philippines being developed in itself since history.

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The country is ranked the 36th wealthiest country. The technological resources were not as available as it is in countries like the United Kingdom and the USA for example. Meaning social media was also not as commonly used in The Philippines compared to other countries. Philippine stereotypes evolved without the influence of social media, and the trends of the internet. Despite the Philippines being a third world country, technological resources increase in recent ages. Therefore, the usage of social media has also increased. Filipinas now follow trends, and tries to avoid the Filipino stereotype described as:

  • Studious
  • Hard working
  • Helpful
  • Proud
  • Active
  • Ambitious
  • Reserved
  • Family orientated

And the list can go on…

 

The appearance of a typical Filipina women is a woman that covers their chest and wears skirts or shorts up to their knees. Their skin a golden tan colour, and their hair long and black, but tied up showing their face. They do not wear make-up so they flaunt a ‘natural beauty’. You’ll mainly find them either studying or doing house chores to help the family.

 

All of that seem to now have changed. A Filipina teenager would typically spend more time using the internet to go on Facebook to update their profile (for example), rather than using the internet for educational purposes.

 

Musical.ly’(a ‘video social network app for video creation, messaging and live broadcasting’) became an online trend in 2015. The app users ‘create 15-second videos and choose soundtracks to accompany them, using different speed options (time-lapse, slow, normal, fast, and epic) and add pre-set filters and effects’. This became the most downloaded app in over 30 countries. With a trend like this, it also became viral in The Philippines which lead to certain people becoming famous for their ‘talent’. Sammie Rimando is an example of this. As she became viral on the internet for her creative Musical.ly videos, she was featured on a nationwide popular show ASAP. She also became part of a girl group ‘Girl Trend’ with other young talented females in the Philippines.

 

Talent is not only recognised through singing, dancing, acting, (etc) anymore. It is now recognised simply for the way they would use a digital device.

 

Whilst social media invades Philippine tradition of maintaining the typical Filipina modesty, the internet quickly influences the nation. The outfits shown on social media also influences Filipinas, making them less reserved and more trendy.

 

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‘Crop tops’, ‘bucket hats’, ‘snapbacks’, ‘pek-pek shorts’ all came from the influence of the media. Nowadays, ‘Typical Filipina’s’  exposure to the media has opened their eyes to the ‘trends of the cities’. I am not saying that ‘Typical Filipina’s’ does not exist anymore because they probably still do in some areas. Filipina women would now want to be a part of the world’s definition of ‘beauty’ in a digital age. Avoiding exclusion from society. Overall, The Philippines is gradually becoming more westernised and the typical Filipina woman will become history in a world growing with technology.

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2 thoughts on “Bes! What IS a ‘dalagang Pilipina’ or a ‘typical Filipina woman’ these days?!

  1. Thank you for your input Jonel. Although, as the world grows with digital influence, culture and traditions change with it and the rest remains history. No one can help to be involved in technology these days as it has provided many benefits for us all.

  2. “Filipinas now follow trends, and tries to avoid the Filipino stereotype described as:”

    Studious
    Hard working
    Helpful
    Proud
    Active
    Ambitious
    Reserved
    Family orientated

    Any pinay trying to avoid the above ‘stereotypes’ aren’t good, wife-material. The above qualities are what real, men are looking for, especially these days as a great many women have become the exact opposite. Western women with western ideals is the reason so many foreigners are looking outside of their country, for a mate. If Filipino women think copying western traditions is a good thing then, they need to re-think things. Some change is good and, some change is bad. Women don’t need to sexualize themselves to be attractive. Social media has done a lot more harm than good.

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