The Marriage Proposal

I hope this has helped you a bit. By giving only a couple of key phrases, you do not have to much Tagalog to study. If you are a client and have any other questions, just feel free to .

The spellings above are made so that you can apply English pronunciation to these basic Tagalog words and phrases. There are thirty-three different dialects in the Philippines, but Tagalog (also called Pilipino) will be understood most everywhere, as it is the national language.

CELEBRATORY ENGAGEMENT DINNER

In most parts of the Philippines, the public announcement of Engagement is a VERY IMPORTANT MATTER. Not only for the lady and her family, but also for the immediate neighbors (which, in most cases, actually consists of many relatives and best friends). Therefore, do yourself and your fiance's family a favor and offer to pay for an "Engagement Party" dinner. Even a single pig (Lechon Baboy), some seafoods, spaghetti, rice, spup, vegetables (guli) and a cake. Every family has a mother or aunt who is a great cook, so offer to pay her to cook the meal! Believe me, you will save LOTS of money, and at the same time you will help the cooks family, and at the same time assure yourself of the title of being a good man (mabait).

At such a party, it is a good idea to have those who drink, keep the alcohol (usually Gin (Ginibra), Rum (Tanduay) or Coconut Wine (Tubo), at a separate area from the rest of the celebration. In such a case, the head of the pig, or else a goat (kambing) or a dog (aso) can be cooked to serve as the customary snak (polutant) for those who are drinking. Now you have kept any alcohol-induced fights or arguments away from the main celebration.

WISH TO REFUSE SOME FOODS?

Not only at such a celebratory dinner, but also when you are taken around to meet and visit other friends and relatives, political figures, etc, you will undoubtedly be offered something to eat that you wish to avoid or decline.

In most of the Philippines, many will feel insulted or slighted if you refuse their offering. To avoid this, it is best that you just pat your stomache and say (Ako ang Busog!), meaning, I am already so stuffed!

But if possible, it is good if you can take a small portion and proclaim how delicious it is (MASARAP) and that if you were not so busog (perhaps from eating earlier in the day or prior to your arrival) you would surely eat more.

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