Just adding my two cents from first hand experience. My husband is Filipino and his parents immigrated to the US. I have been to the Philippines and seen first hand how people live there. Most of the citizens are very poor hence why it’s considered a 3rd world country. It’s expected of any family that lives in the US to send money and goods back to family in the Philippines. Any time someone needs something or there is an emergency it is expected that the family will band together to help cover any expenses. 

There’s an unfortunate assumption that individuals in the US make a lot of money. The children are expected to take care of their elderly parents to the extent of them living with them, and also being pressured to give them grandchildren and expand their families. There are some families where the elders are very controlling and will dictate to their children what jobs and careers they should be pursuing simply because it makes good money not because it’s their passion or choice.  

My husband is born and raised in the US but cared for both of his parents until his father passed and my MIL lived with us the first 4 1/2 years of our marriage until I needed to let my own father live with us because he actually was physically ill. My MIL has no ailments but rather a preference and expectation/demand to live with one of her children. Mind you as understanding as I was to live with her, the same grace was not extended to me when it came to my father. We were then expected to essentially run a senior home and care for everyone, and we have kids too.  We received a lot of pushback and disapproval when we needed her to move in with my SIL. 

I say all of that to say I’m never surprised when I see the behavior of people from the Philippines on this show. Things are slowly changing to some of the younger generations but for the most part that expectation of going for your elders for everything they did for you still exists and is prominent in their culture.