However, if the girl 'encourages' her suitor (either by being nice to him or not getting angry with the 'teasers'), then the man can court in earnest and the (bridge)--anyone who is a mutual friend of him and the girl he loves--who then conveys to the girl his affection for her.It is also a way of 'testing the waters' so to speak.

It may end up in a romance or avoidance of each other if the situation becomes embarrassing for both individuals.

Although they generally define themselves in the milieu of a male-dominated post-colonial society, Filipino women live in a culture that is focused on the community, with the family as the main unit of society, but not always as this is a stereotype.

It is in this framework of Philippine hierarchical structure, class differences, religious justifications, and living in a globally developing nation wherein Filipino women are respected well by men.

Compared to other parts of Southeast Asia, women in Philippine society have always enjoyed a greater share of equality.

Some pre-colonial social structures of the Philippines gave equal importance to maternal and paternal lineage.