———> While the analogy isn’t perfect, you can think of tampo as “pouting” or “sulking”.

Cause:

———> Typically, a Filipina will exhibit tampo when she feels she has been neglected or ignored, but she may also invoke it when she is jealous, or basically anytime her feelings are hurt.

Symptoms:

———> The Filipina will seem withdrawn or sullen. She may be unusually silent, or she may express the dissatisfaction by “whining” in a melodramatic, almost child-like fashion. She may refuse to eat (only in the most severe cases!).

The behavior is a cultural norm in the Philippines and awesterner should not be overly concerned the first time he encounters it. Tampo is a very useful tool, because it allows a Filipina to show her displeasure about something you have done.

REMEMBER!!!!!!, confrontation is generally unacceptable in Filipino society, so disagreement or displeasure must be expressed indirectly.

Here is an example of tampo:

———> You’re with your fiancee walking hand-in-hand down a crowded street. You notice a beautiful young woman walking toward you wearing a tank top that’s cut way too low, and you can’t tear your eyes away from her. Your fiancee notices this behavior.

A non-Filipina might react by saying, “Put your eyes back in your head! I can’t believe you were staring at that girl right in front of me! What has she got that I haven’t got!?” At which point she may stalk off, cry, or punch you.

BUT, A Filipina in that same situation, however, would probably squeeze your hand and say something like, “She’s pretty,right?” Then you’d stammer something about not noticing, blah, blah, blah, and you’d think you’d gotten away with it. Yet your fiancee would seem suddenly distant. She’d not offer her hand to you as you walked together, she’ll speak only when spoken to, and she’d probably shrug indifferently when you asked her a question.

AND NOW!!! You’re on the receiving end of tampo.!!!!!

It’s very important that you understand this: Tampo is merely intended to let you know that you’ve committed some minor offense, for which you must make amends. It is a mild behavioral reprimand that verges on role-playing. The worst thing you could do is to get stressed out over a tampo session, because an over-reaction on your part may escalate the situation to the point that your fiancee or wife becomes genuinely angry.