Questions · Visiting the Philippines
Questions for visiting the Philippines, and the cousins you just met
Your first visit to the Philippines, or your first since you were small, comes with a long flight, a lot of relatives and some jet-lagged nights. These questions get you through the awkward first hour with cousins and give the trip something to talk about besides the heat.
- 16 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
When you try a place to eat, what makes it feel worth visiting again?
Kapag may tinry kang kainan, ano yung nagpapaisip sa'yo na worth balikan ito?
It could be taste, comfort, price, people, or memory. Places become favorites for different reasons.
Puwedeng lasa, comfort, presyo, tao, o memory. Iba-iba yung dahilan kung bakit may places tayong binabalikan.
The questions
16 questions for a trip to the Philippines
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
On the long flight over
4 questions
Easy this-or-that questions for the hours over the Pacific.
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On a plane, would you choose a window seat or more room for your legs?
Sa eroplano, mas gusto mo ba ng upuan sa tabi ng bintana o mas maluwag para sa mga paa mo?
Back of the card
For this flight, would you rather chat, nap, or watch the view?
Sa biyaheng ito, mas gusto mo bang makipagkuwentuhan, umidlip, o tumingin sa tanawin?
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Would you rather have one long vacation or several short ones?
Mas gusto mo ba ng isang mahabang bakasyon o ilang maiikli?
Back of the card
Give your break a title, as if it were a movie.
Bigyan ng pamagat ang break mo, na parang movie.
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Imagine a place to stay: tiny with a great view or huge but far from everything. Which do you choose?
Isipin ang titirhan mo: maliit pero maganda ang view o malaki pero malayo sa lahat. Alin ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Put one favorite thing in your new place. What belongs there?
Maglagay ng isang paborito mong bagay sa bagong titirhan mo. Ano iyon?
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Pick one view for a quiet morning: a beach sunrise or city lights before dawn.
Sa tahimik na umaga, alin ang gusto mong tanawin: pagsikat ng araw sa beach o city lights bago sumikat ang araw?
Back of the card
Picture the view. Which detail would you want to remember?
Isipin ang tanawin. Anong detalye ang gusto mong maalala?
With cousins you just met
5 questions
Group questions that work even when the Tagalog and English don’t quite meet.
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When you meet a new friend or group, how do you usually get comfortable?
Kapag may bago kang friend o group, paano ka usually nagiging comfortable?
Back of the card
People warm up at different speeds. Some start with jokes, some with listening, some by quietly showing up again.
Iba-iba ang pace ng pag-warm up. May dumadaan sa jokes, may sa pakikinig, at may tahimik lang na bumabalik ulit.
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In a group hangout, which role do you usually fall into: planner, joker, listener, snack person, or something else?
Sa group hangout, anong role ang usually napupunta sa'yo: planner, joker, listener, snack person, o iba pa?
Back of the card
Group roles can be funny because they appear before anyone assigns them. Somehow every hangout finds its planner, joker, listener, or snack person.
Minsan lumalabas yung role bago pa may mag-assign. Sa bawat hangout, may planner, joker, listener, o snack person talaga.
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Group photo starts. What is your automatic move?
May group photo na. Ano ang automatic move mo?
Back of the card
Group photos bring out instant instincts. Some people arrange everyone, some disappear behind others, and some are ready before the camera is.
May automatic instinct kapag group photo na. May taga-ayos, may nagtatago sa likod, may ready bago pa yung camera.
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Name the song that should play when you enter a room.
Sabihin yung song na dapat tumugtog pagpasok mo sa room.
Back of the card
An entrance song is mostly about energy. It says what kind of moment you want everyone to feel.
Yung entrance song, energy talaga ang usapan. Sinasabi niya kung anong moment ang gusto mong dala.
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What fun activity would you like to introduce your friends to?
Anong masayang activity ang gusto mong ipakilala sa friends?
Back of the card
Imagine their first try going wrong in a harmless, funny way.
Isipin na may simpleng sablay sa unang pagsubok nila na puwede ninyong pagtawanan.
Noticing where you are
4 questions
For jeepney rides, the market and the afternoon brownout.
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When you try a place to eat, what makes it feel worth visiting again?
Kapag may tinry kang kainan, ano yung nagpapaisip sa'yo na worth balikan ito?
Back of the card
It could be taste, comfort, price, people, or memory. Places become favorites for different reasons.
Puwedeng lasa, comfort, presyo, tao, o memory. Iba-iba yung dahilan kung bakit may places tayong binabalikan.
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Where do you feel like you can finally breathe a little?
Saan mo nararamdaman na parang nakakahinga ka na ulit?
Back of the card
The place does not have to be special to anyone else. If your body softens there, it counts.
Hindi kailangang special sa ibang tao yung lugar. Kung doon ka lumuluwag, counted yun.
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For one afternoon, would you explore a peaceful village, a future city, or a jungle with a guide?
Saan mo gustong magpalipas ng hapon: tahimik na village, siyudad sa future, o gubat na may guide?
Back of the card
Bring home an imaginary souvenir from your visit. What is it?
Mag-uwi ng souvenir mula sa pagbisitang iniisip mo. Ano iyon?
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Describe your ideal electric fan or aircon setting.
I-describe yung ideal electric fan o aircon setting mo.
Back of the card
Temperature preferences can become a whole personality. Comfort has settings, and everyone defends theirs a little.
Yung temperature preference, minsan personality na rin. May settings ang comfort, at may kanya-kanya tayong ipinaglalaban.
On the last night
3 questions
What the trip meant, before everyone gets emotional at the airport.
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When do you usually feel fully present in the moment, like during rest, work, prayer, conversation, or play?
Kailan mo usually nararamdaman na fully present ka sa moment, like kapag nagpapahinga, nagwo-work, nagpe-pray, may kausap, o naglalaro?
Back of the card
Presence often has a pattern. The moments when you feel fully there can point toward what helps you feel whole.
May pattern din ang pagiging present. Yung moments na nandun ka talaga, puwedeng magturo kung ano ang nagpapabuong muli sa'yo.
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What recent choice shows something that matters to you?
Anong pinili mo lately ang nagpapakita ng mahalaga sa'yo?
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "I chose it because I care about..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Iyon ang pinili ko dahil mahalaga sa'kin ang..."
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Tell us about a place that left a memory or feeling you still carry.
Ikuwento yung lugar na may iniwang memory o feeling na dala mo pa rin.
Back of the card
Some places stay with us quietly. You may not notice it right away, but later you realize you carried something from there.
May mga lugar na tahimik lang ang iniiwan sa atin. Hindi mo agad napapansin, pero may dala ka pala mula roon.
How to use them
Before you ask
The first hour with Filipino cousins you have never met in person usually goes like this: smiles, a few “Kumusta?”, your lola asking if you remember them, and then silence while everyone looks at their phones. A good group question breaks it, because suddenly everyone has a turn and an opinion.
Pick questions where nobody needs perfect English or perfect Tagalog: the group photo pose, the song for your entrance, the role you play in a group. The cards show both languages, so your cousins can read the Filipino and you can read the English, and the answers come out in Taglish anyway.
For the rest of the trip, use a question to notice where you are: what makes a place worth going back to, where you could breathe. On the last night, one slower question with your parents or grandparents is enough. That conversation tends to stay with people.
Good for
Tips
- Learn “po” and “salamat po” before you land. Elders notice.
- Let your cousins choose the next card. Hosts like being in charge.
- Bring the questions to the brownout. No Wi-Fi, no fan, plenty of time.
- Ask about places as you pass them. “What was here before?” works on every tito.
- Keep one card for the airport goodbye. It helps when nobody knows what to say.
Decks for this
Visiting the Philippines
Frequently asked questions
What should I talk about with cousins in the Philippines?
Start with light group questions anyone can answer: favorite songs, group photo habits, the role you play among friends. They work across Tagalog and English and turn strangers-who-are-family into a group quickly.
What should I know before visiting family in the Philippines?
Expect a lot of food, a lot of relatives and a lot of love. Greet elders first, use “po” with them, say yes to food, and bring pasalubong (small gifts) for the household.
Do I need to speak Tagalog to visit family in the Philippines?
No. English is widely spoken, especially by younger relatives. A few words of Tagalog are warmly received, and bilingual question cards help you join conversations either way.
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