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31. Yayas. The trusted Filipino nanny who, ironically has become a major Philippine export as overseas contract workers. A good one is almost like a surrogate parent-if you don't mind the accent & predilection for afternoon soaps & movie stars.

32. Sarsi. Pinoy rootbeer. The enduring taste of childhood. Our grandfathers had an egg beaten in.

33. Pinoy Fruits. Atis, guyabano, chesa, mabolo, lanzones, durian, langka, makopa, dalanghita, siniguelas, suha, chico, papaya, singkamas, mangga - the possibilities!

34. Filipino celebrities. Movie stars, broadcasters, beauty queens, public officials, all around contoversial figures, Aurora Pijuan, Cardinal Sin, Carlos P. Romulo, Charito Solis, Cory Aquino, Emilio Aguinaldo, the Eraserheads, Fidel V. Ramos, France Magalona, Gloria Diaz, Manuel L. Quezon, Margie Moran, Melanie Marquez, Ninoy Aquino, Nora Aunor, Pitoy Moreno, Ramon Magsaysay, Richard Gomez, San Lorenzo Ruiz, Sharon Cuneta, Gemma Cruz, Erap, Tiya Dely, Mel & Jay, Gary V. The list is endless!

35. World Class Pinoys. Who put us in the golbal map, Lea Salonga, Paeng Nepomuceno, Eugene Torre, Luisito Espinosa, Lydia de Vega-Mercado, Jocelyn Enriquez, Elma Muros, Onyok Velasco, Efren "Bata" Reyes, Lilia Calderon-Clemente, Loida Nicolas-Luis, Josie Natori, and there are more in the making.

36. Pinoy Tastes. A dietarian's nightmare: too sweet, too salty, too fatty, as in burong talangka, itlog na maalat, aligue, bokayo, kutchinta, sapin-sapin, halo-halo, pastilyas, palitaw, pulburon, longganisa, tuyo, ensyemada, ube haleya, sweetened macapuno & garbanzos. Remember, we are the guys who put sugar (what horror!) in our spagetti sauce!

37. The Sights. Banaue Rice Terraces, Boracay, Bohol's Chocolate Hills, Corregidor Island, Fort Santiago, Hundred islands, Las Pinas Bamboo Organ, Rizal Park, Mt. Banahaw, Mayon Volcano, Taal Volcano. A land of contrasts & ever-changing landscapes to choose according to your preference.

38. Gayuma, agimat, anting-anting. Love potions & amulets. How the socially disadvantaged Pinoy copes.

39. Barangay Ginebra, Jaworski, PBA, MBA & Basketball. How the vertically challenged Pinoy compensates, via national sports obsession, that reduces fans to tears & fistfights.

40. People Power at EDSA. When everyone became a hero & changed Philippine's history overnight.

41. San Miguel Beer & Pulutan. "Isa pa nga!" The Philippines most popular, world-renowed beer goes well with peanuts, corniks, tapa, chicharon, usa, bar-b-que, sisig & all manner of spicy, crunchy & cholesterol-rich chasers.

42. Resiliency. We've survived 400 years Spanish rules, the US bases, Marcos, the 1990 earthquake, lahar, lambada, Robin Padilla & Tamagochi. We will survive Erap & we did.

43. Yoyo. Truly Filipino in origin, this hunting tool, weapon, toy & merchandising vehicle remains the best way to "walk the dog & rock the baby," using just a piece of string.

44. Pinoy Games. Pabitin, palosebo, basagan ng palayok. A few basic rules make individual cunning & persistence a premium & gurantee a good time for all.

45. Ninoy Aquino. For saying that "The Filipino is worth dying for," and proving it.

46. Balagtasan. The verbal joust that brings out rhyme, reason & passion on a public stage.

47. Tabo. All powerful, ever useful, hygenically triumphant device to scoop water out of a bucket- to help the true Pinoy answer nature's calls. Helps maintain our stringent toilet habits.

48. Pandesal. Despite it's shrinking size, still a good buy. Goes well with any filling, best when hot.

49. Jollibee. Truly Pinoy in taste & sensibility & a corporate icon we can be quite proud of. It is slowly invading some countries now.

50. The Butanding, Dolphins & other creatures in our blessed waters. They're Pinoys too & they're here to stay. Now if some folks would just stop turning them into daing.

51. Pakikisama. It's what makes people stay longer at parties, have another drink, join pals in sickness & health. You can get dead drunk & still make it home.

52. Sing-A-Long. Filipinos love to sing & thank God a lot of us do it well!

53. Kayumanggi. Niether pale nor dark, our skin tone is beautifully healthy, the color of the rich earth, or a mahogany tree growing towards the sun.

54. Handwoven Cloths & Native Weaves. Colorful, environment friendly alternatives to polyester that feature skillful workmanship & a rich indigenous culture behind every thread. from the pinukpok of the North to the malong of the South, it's the fiber of who we are.

55. Movies. Still the cheapest form of entertainment, especially if you watch the same movie several times.

56. Bahala na. We cope with uncertainty by embracing it & are thus enabled to play life by ear.

57. Papaitan. An offal stew flavored with bile, admittedly an acquired taste, but pointing to our national ability to acquire a taste for almost anything.

58. English. Whether karabaw or arr-neoww accented, it doubles our chances in the global marketplace.

59. The Press. Irresponsible, sensational, inaccurate but still the liveliest in Asia. Otherwise, we'd all be glued on TV.

60. Divisoria. Smelly, crowed, a pickpocket's paradise, but you can get anything here, often at rock buttom prices. The sensory overload is a bonus.

100 Best Things of Being Pinoy