Posts in Breaking the Tabo
It's Time to Recognize the Filipinos in Canada!
It's Time to Recognize the Filipinos in Canada!

When it comes to representation in the west, it’s the Filipino-Americans who are often credited for it, even when many of the Filipino celebrities we know and love like Shay Mitchell and Manny Jacinto are actually Canadian. But representation for our people isn’t only limited to media and entertainment because Filipinos are also at the forefront of business and healthcare, especially in Canada. The Filipino population residing in Canada is higher than in the U.S., making them the third largest immigrant group in the country. This adds on to the importance of recognizing the nearly 1.5 Million Filipino residents responsible for the successful multiculturalism of Canada.

Read More
Breaking the TaboFrancesa Jana Millenna D. Santiagofilipinos in canada, filipino immigration, philippine diaspora, filipino canadianComment
Body Shaming in Filipino Culture
Body Shaming in Filipino Culture

Are criticizations about our physical attributes a form of concern or body shaming? If you’re Filipino, you’ve probably heard phrases like “tumaba ka” (you’ve gotten fat) one too many times. While it’s nice to know our relatives pay close attention to us, most of the time it gets too hurtful to even know how to respond. And how exactly do we respond when our culture has normalized these attacks on our looks as just “casual greetings”? Sadly, this is nothing new for us as Filipinos have long internalized discrimination against brown skin, flat noses and of course, plump tummies. Can something normalized be deemed toxic? And if it is, how do we get rid of it for the next generations?

Read More
Breaking the TaboFrancesa Jana Millenna D. Santiagobody shaming in filipino culture, body shaming, filipino culture, body positivity, fatphobicComment
“Filipinx” and why Filipinos in America and in the Philippines Might Never Agree
“Filipinx” and why Filipinos in America and in the Philippines Might Never Agree

Have you ever asked your parents how you got your name? If you did, then their responses may have been along the lines of merging your mom and dad’s names together or putting into one sentence all the baby names they could think of. What about our country’s name or our name as a race? Before we were called “Filipinos”, the early inhabitants of the Philippine islands referred to each other as the languages they spoke and eventually it also became the name for the regions they belonged to. Then in the year 1565, the Spanish dubbed the islands “The Philippines” in honor of King Philip of Spain.

Read More
Breaking the TaboFrancesa Jana Millenna D. Santiagofilipino, filipinx, filipina, filipino american, filipinos in the diaspora, filipino vs filipinx, gender neutral filipino, filipinx comic con, gender neutral term Comment
Is Filipino Food Unhealthy?
Is Filipino Food Unhealthy?

Ah yes, Filipino Food- tastes so good but hurts so bad! Our culture’s dishes are high in flavor but they’re also high in blood pressure and cholesterol. A majority of our cuisine is composed of fried dishes, fatty sauces and innovative uses for every part of an animal. And while high blood pressure and diabetes are the leading illnesses found in Filipinos, most often these are tied to our eating habits. Because not every food we have is a hospital bill on a plate, y’know? Because if there’s dishes like Lechon Kawali, there’s also Pinakbet. But what makes Filipino food, “Filipino”? And are they healthy or unhealthy?

Read More
Breaking the TaboBeatrice Avancenafilipino food, is filipino food unhealthy, healthy filipino food, panlasasang pinoy, lechon, lumpia, filipino dishesComment
Did America Steal Ube from the Philippines?
Did America Steal Ube from the Philippines?

The Taro and Ube flavors have recently broken into the western food industry however, a lot of people still still wonder: Aren’t they the same? The answer is, they’re not and it is often a misconception among people, including Filipino-Americans themselves. But while taro is grown and enjoyed across four different continents, Ube is extremely unique to the Philippines, best known for being one of the delicious features of a Halo-Halo. Both of these root vegetables are currently becoming more common in America’s line of desserts. However, there is also a visible detachment of these flavors from their people. Does this mean a culture’s cuisine can actually be separated from the culture itself?

Read More
Breaking the TaboSahrang HanFood & CultureComment
Can Filipinos be Superstitious AND Scientific?
Can Filipinos be Superstitious AND Scientific?

Is it ironic that many of us who are medical professionals also come from superstitious households? Not exactly. When you’re a Filipino, your family probably has an unconventional solution to every health problem. Remember when you’d have the slightest of coughs or even just a second of dizziness and your lola would already be at your side with a warm cup of ginger tea? Or how you’d get reprimanded that showering immediately after a long day would give you spasms? Well these tactics aren’t as unfounded as they may seem. While jumping at new year’s eve to grow taller or eating Pancit for longer life have no scientific basis—at least not directly—our elderly relatives’ approaches to taking care of your health are actually practices passed down for generations which have come to be known as “folk healing”.

Read More
Breaking the TaboFrancesa Jana Millenna D. SantiagoFood & CultureComment