The most well-known Filipino courting tradition is the arana/harana or the serenade which is typically done by young men outside of their love interest’s home as they look out the window!
ARÁNA • (uh-RAH-nuh)
serenade (traditionally done by young men courting ladies in front of their houses)
Tagálog (Filipino): harána
Etymology
From Spanish jarana (“merry-making, revelry”)
HARÁNA / ARÁNA
The Filipino Courting Tradition of Serenading
The harána (Tagálog) / arána (Kapampángan) is a serenade tradition in rural areas of the Philippines in which young men may formally meet single lady visitors.
Its influence comes from the folk music of Spain and the mariachi sounds of Mexico which have been slowed down and paired with words of the local language.
It is a traditional form of courtship music in which a man woos a woman by singing underneath her window at night. It is widely practiced in many parts of the Philippines with a set of protocols, a code of conduct, and a specific style of music.
Source Image: Hispano Filipino Heritage
Verb Conjugation
manarána/mangarána, mánarána/mángarána, ménarána/méngarána – to serenade (Actor Focus)
aranan, áranan, inarána – to serenade someone (Object Focus)
You may want to read: