Sayings of Philippines origin
In every forest , there is a snake.
While the blanket is short, learn how to bend.
A sleeping lobster is carried away by the current.
Marriage is not a joke. It is not like food that you can spit out when it is too hot to chew.
He who does not love his mother tongue is worse than a rotten fish.
A child that is given everything will rarely succeed in life.
The pain of the little finger is felt by the whole body.
He who eats chili gets burned and he who touches the pot gets charcoal on his hands.
Life is like a wheel: Sometimes you’re up, and sometimes you’re down.
The bittermelon is not yet cooked and the squash jumped in.
There’s no glory without sacrifice.
Poverty is not a hindrance to success.
When there’s smoke, there’s fire.
A wise man doesn’t see his foot on the ground, he watches his next step.
Of what use is the grass when the horse is already dead.
Useless labor if someone else eats from it.
If you sow arrows, you will reap sorrows.
Don’t count chicks until the eggs are hatched.
If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor.
Knowledge is wealth that can’t be stolen.
He who is choosy often picks the worst.
Still waters run deep.
Even a log soaked in water will burn if it is placed near a fire.
There’s a crocodile in every big river.
No pain, no gain.
Rice is wasted, even the bran.
Every pot has a matching lid.
The Philippines, is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,641 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. (An excerpt from Wikipedia)
The capital city of the Philippines is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon City, both part of Metro Manila. ]
Filipino (along with English) is the national language of the Philippines.
More Filipino Proverbs
If you make a habit of buying things you do not need, you will soon be selling things you do.
Weeds are difficult to kill.
Alertness and courage are life’s shield.
Nothing destroys iron but its own corrosion.
A man that talks too much accomplishes little.
A sleeping shrimp is carried away by the current.
He who gives alms to the poor faces heaven.
Anything that is heavy can be light if we put our resources together.
Spend lavishly and you end up with nothing.
If you are going a long way, go slowly.
After the harvest, there’s no hay. (Deeds cannot be undone)
Better late than never.
Even though the procession is long, it will still end up in church.
He who does not look back to his origins will not reach his destination.
A debt can be paid, but a kind act cannot.
Emulate what is good; ignore what is bad.
You will know a true friend in time of need.
Wherever the head goes, the tail will follow.
Barking dogs seldom bite.
A country without freedom is like a prisoner with shackled hands.
The bitterness of studying is preferable to the bitterness of ignorance.
To a dog a bone has more value than a pearl.
You cannot pull hair from the bald.
When it rains, everyone gets wet.
A man that talks too much accomplishes little.
Wealth can be acquired but beauty cannot.
He who waits dies, he who makes others wait lives.
A young branch can be straightened, a mature one breaks.
No crime is left unpunished.
If it’s work, do it fast. If it’s food, eat it little by little.
The truth hurts.
Even if you put it in your mouth, it can fall out.
Don’t put your trust in Fortune until you are in heaven.
The tomato plant doesn’t grow mangos.
What is easily acquired is easily lost.
Opportunity only knocks once: Grab it or you’ll lose it.
If the bow is sinking, the stern follows.
Not all that is black is charcoal.
Tell me who your father is, and I’ll tell you who you are.
Postpone today’s anger until tomorrow.
There is no bad food in a famine.
New king, new character.
He who cackles laid the egg.
An empty container makes a lot of noise.
When a horse is borrowed, don’t look at its teeth .
The early comer is better than the hard worker.
Whatever you sow, you reap.
A brave man will face a situation no matter how dreadful.
The fly on the back of a water buffalo thinks that it’s taller than the buffalo.
If you plant, you harvest.
Coincidence defeats a well-laid plan.
It is advantageous to follow advice, for you will succeed in life.
Speech is silver but silence is golden.
He who refuses advice will end up in hardship.
A rolling stone gathers no moss.
It is easier to dam a river than to stop gossip.
Seldom seen, soon forgotten.
Health is wealth.
No man is brave in the presence of a crying woman.
No child was ever born without having been conceived.
The crow will turn white and the heron black.
A quitter never wins; a winner never quits.
Children who get everything they ask for seldom succeed in life.
Strength is defeated by strategy.
The rattan basket criticizes the palm-leafed bag, yet both are full of holes.
Imitate the rice stalk: The more grains it bears, the lower it bows.
Different towns have different customs.
If you buy things you don’t need, you’ll soon be selling things you do.
He who takes a lot of risks loses more than he can gain.
Whatever you do, think about it seven times.
Borrowed clothes are either too tight or too loose.
It is hard to wake up someone who is pretending to be asleep.
If a stone thrown upward hits you, don’t take offense.
Where there are flowers there are butterflies.
What goes up must come down.
The rattan basket criticizes the palm leaf basket, still both are full of holes.
Trying to get everything, you often get nothing.
It’s better to be dead and forgotten than to live in shame.
You cannot squeeze blood out if there’s none left. (said by a debtor)
If a bamboo tube makes a loud sound, it is empty.
Tell a lie and the truth will come to light.
The higher the bamboo, the more it can be bent.
A broom is sturdy because its strands are tightly bound.
There is no muddy water that doesn’t clear.
Don’t trust strangers.
The noisiest drum has nothing but air inside.
United, we stand; divided, we fall.
Easier said than done.
It is easy to be born, it is difficult to be a human being.
Wherever you go, habit follows.
A young tree is easy to straighten, but when it’s big it is difficult.
A clear conscience is far more valuable than wealth.
Lazy people will eventually lose even their trousers.
Before you point out others people’s shortcomings, correct your own first.
What comes from bubbles will disappear in bubbles.
One need not inherit wealth if he inherits good manners.
Be careful that you don’t spit on your own face.
Even if the firewood is green, it will burn when lit.
The hardest person to wake up is the person who is already awake.
The real hero doesn’t say that he is one.
While there is life, there is hope.
A thief hates a fellow thief.
Caution minimizes loss.
Captivating in the street, dead in the kitchen.
A year’s care, a minute’s ruin.
If someone throws stones at you, throw back bread.
People who do not break things first will never learn to create anything.
If there is no patience, there will be no food.
Lupang Hinirang (Chosen Land) is the national anthem of the Philippine
Filipino National Anthem ( English Lyrics):
Land that is blessed,
that is Pearl of the East;
Nation in union
with [the whole of] nature.
The life and riches
Of the Filipino people
Taken and reclaimed
From foreign hands.
In Thy skies, mountains,
Springs, seas that were conquered
Buried already is the darkness
Of yesterday’s suffering.
Pain and tears, hardship,
Difficulty and curse of oppression
Are all gone and [we] are saved
From those who wish to be cruel [to us].
Come, let us celebrate, my beloved race,
Thy flag shall be our guiding light;
And should Thou be once more threatened,
Our corpses shall block the way.