Do native born filipinos still prefer light skin?

Question

I'm just wondering. I'm an American born pinay and growing up I noticed in our culture that filipinos (native born ones anyway) always avoided getting in the sun, getting tanned, etc. But within the past 10-20 yrs with the internet and global media outlets, has that changed Philippine society's views on skin color? Meaning-now that we're a more global society and since Filipinos (in my opinion) want SO much to be like American society (as evidenced by watching TFC, ABS-CBN, and tagalog movies in general), has that changed their own views on their skin color as well? Since Americans want to be golden brown, has Filipino society become more accepting and "proud" of what God gave them? (It was always so sad to me that Filipinos hate on themselves so much......when just an ocean away there are tons of people, black and white, who want to have their skin color). Just curious

Answer 1

those who prefer to have lighter skin are mostly living in highly urbanized areas with access to advertisement media.  while most native born filipinos are not so much concerned as to their skin type.  they have more important concerns in life than just superficial beauty.

Answer 2

I just recently cam back from Philipinnes. I am American...I think that they avoid being in the sun too much as to not get very very dark !

A little tan okay !

Answer 3

Yes, what is with that? It kind of looks a little funny because all these Filipinos having light skin but yet their noses are still flat! LOL!!!!!! With the Japanese it looks great on them because their nose aren't really flat like Filipinos are.

Answer 4

I know what you mean... I listen to Philippine radio via the internet everyday and just by listening to the various radio ads, one can really tell the Filipino's obsession to lighter skin.

There's a commercial on RX 93.1 with Heart Evangelista, a teen celebrity in the Phils, endorsing a skin whitening lotion. At the end of the ad she goes... "I feel white, I stay white".

WTF?

Answer 5

My pinay wife thinks so.

It seams like allot of pinays, not so many pinoys, want lighter skin color.

They sell skin lighteners in the store.

They seam to like blond hair and blue eyes.

Answer 6

I'd say yes those native born filipinos still prefer being light skinned. In our culture, if you're light skinned then you are going to be perceived as "rich" and "pretty" since you're not out in the sun all day working. I can tell that trying to be light skinned is still evident in the Philippines because they won't stop taking those glutathione pills to get white or going to that Vicky Belo lady for whitening treatments. I know because my mom spends money buying those whitening pills. And if you watch TFC many of them are still white and still trying to get white. Some of them even look disgusting because of how pale they look. It's funny becaues living here in the US, I want to get tanned. But whenever I'm in the Philippines they make me feel pretty being white so I prefer being light skinned over there haha. I'd say that being a light skinned person in the Philippines is still more preferrable regardless of how global we're getting. I guess we just have to accept the fact that tanning salons will never blow up in the Philippines.

Answer 7

The most salable item in Supermart and groceries are whitening lotion. Filipinos are brainwashed by TV ads.

Answer 8

ya  

Answer 9

People are exaggerating here.  Not all Filipinos want white skin. I am a living example to that. I  don't have a fair skin, but am satisfied  with what I have. I just want to have a  healthy looking skin and the best way to maintain a healthy looking skin is avoid the  sun. No matter how much sun screen protection you apply, it cannot totally protect the  harmful effect of the sun. The  Ultraviolet rays from the sun can burn the skin, which causes further  damage  such skin aging, dark pigmentation  and  the worst is skin cancer.

But I would like to pose this question..What is it  if people want to change their color to  white? Does it caused  harm? Are  people  here  negatively  affected?

Many people want to change their bodies into something they think would look them  better. A lot of females in US  and other  European countries undergo operations like increasing their   breast  size, and Filipinos never question that.

I say, if people want to be white, then let them  be. If they want to have tanned skin, who cares.

Answer 10

LOL. I notice here people want a nice tan, but over there they are obssessed with hating the skin mother nature gave them. They should ask micheal jackson how he did it.

I think its so sad. I am amercan born pinay and know many americans who spend hundreds trying to capture my beautiful tan and let me say, you will not catch me using whiteners- I have enough self esteem to love me the way I am.

Answer 11

Echoes of colonization, whites being masters over us indios, the brown skin ones. That pro-white sensibility and high regard for the mestiza lingers on as we can see with the choice of celebrities, reyna elenas, etc. If you are light skin, it shows you belong to the lineage of the illustrados, or simply it says you are rich enough or famous enough to overdose on gluta pills. Notice the artificiality of skin tone and uneven neckline tones with some pinays just to achieve this light skin.

Its also the media campaigns that promote this, if you check the local supermarket there is a lack of tanning lotions and a ton of whitening creams. Plus the mushrooming cosmetic industry that promises peels and demelanization.

It takes a certain amount of confidence to love your skin tone nowadays, but I like it that most ilocanas can pull it off. Their natural tans are simply gorgeous!

Not all pinays care about skin tone, some focus more on hygiene and clear skin or zero acne. But if you want a general answer- its yes, the average pinay has a whitening cream on the go in her purse and night stand. Not to mentioned stocks of papaya soaps. Plus gluta pills along with her vitamin A.

Answer 12

Boy yah!!! But it's the whole Eastern Asia that you find women walking around with open umbrellas (parasols) in rain, when it's sunny or even cloudy.

And the skin whitener junk - I'll go broke from all that stuff the wife buys..... And then there's me, trying to get more suntan. ☺☺

Answer 13

Hey chika!I'm also american born pinaay but not full! It seems to me that as with much of azn culture(including filipino) everyone seems to be wanting light skin color filipinos chinese japanese korean famous thai! Many of my pinaay pinoy also try to be light skinned but it may also depend on the person! I do want to be light skinned cause of my other cultures but i'm proud of what god gave me (and i liv in cali so the sun makes me 20x darker!)

Answer 14

It's a proven fact... yes and always will.

Answer 15

Ugh, I've never understood the obsession with looking Anglo. I'm American born but when I go back (or my friends) people still comment on how dark we've gotten which I think implies that yes, light is still more beautiful. And unfortunately the cosmetic industry is still thriving off of those lightening creams.