40C weather? That’s the norm in the Philippines. We grit our teeth, wipe our sweat with a Good Morning towel, and go on with our day. But while we might joke around that 40C is nothing for us tan-skinned folks, we know it’s a big deal for other non-tropical countries. Like the United Kingdom which is in the middle of a 40C heatwave that’s predicted to kill thousands of people. That’s why Jill Damatac, a Filipino netizen living in the UK took it upon herself to help others survive this abnormal temperature. Her Pinoy-style UK heatwave tips thread on Twitter has now amassed 109.5k likes. Check out her tips below.

Bring out the dasters

✨HOW TO STAY COOL IN UK HEATWAVE (A THREAD FROM ME, A FILIPINO TROPICAL BABY):✨

1. Wear the loosest (it’s a word today) cotton or linen you can find, preferably a big loose dress (men, this is a good time to try out a dress). In the Philippines, we call this a Duster Dress pic.twitter.com/QsnJivfmR7

— Jill Damatac (@JillDamatac) July 18, 2022

When it comes to hot weather, fashion flies out the door. People won’t care if you aren’t wearing your usual drip or fit or whatever it is Gen Zs call their getup these days. Exchange your sweaters and jackets with the Filipino breezy outfit called duster dresses or ‘dasters,’ a big loose dress that lets all the air in. This isn’t for lolas or moms anymore. It’s for everyone.

Don’t move

2. From 10am-4pm, don’t move. Do nothing. Open all windows, but keep the sun out. Put a telenovela on. And then another. And another. pic.twitter.com/3SqYoNHnd8

— Jill Damatac (@JillDamatac) July 18, 2022

Filipinos aren’t lazy just because we love our siestas and sitting beside huge windows fanning ourselves while sipping a cold beverage. We’re simply conserving energy to stay alive in the heat. “From 10 AM to 4 PM, don’t move. Do nothing. Open all windows, but keep the sun out,” said Damatac. While you’re at it, put your favorite Netflix show on. Trust us, it’s going to be fun.

Bust out the electric fans and pamaypays

3. With windows open (and sun kept out!) turn on all the electric fans for that sweet cross-breeze. And don’t forget your own paypay (or give your nephew a couple of pesos to do it for you, he can treat himself to some taho later when the taho man comes down your street) pic.twitter.com/aPgqMfhpTO

— Jill Damatac (@JillDamatac) July 18, 2022

In the Philippines, you never go outside without a pamaypay or hand-held fan. It brings temporary relief from the hot weather (although these days we’ve upgraded to chargeable hand-held fans to minimize movement). Electric fans are another item that won’t be missing in a Filipino household. They circulate the breeze and make the weather more bearable.

Take a bath as many times as you want to

5. It’s time for a quick midday banlaw! Hop into the shower with your bucket of cold water and a tabo to rinse that nap sweat off. Or use the shower head, if you’re high maintenance. No need for soap or shampoo for here: that’s what the morning shower and nighttime bath are for pic.twitter.com/ZegToukqQ5

— Jill Damatac (@JillDamatac) July 18, 2022

If in some countries, citizens can go by without showering for a couple of days, in the Philippines that isn’t normal behavior. You have to wash the sweat off your body, otherwise, you’ll stink. Showering mid-day is also a great way to cool down. As Damatac says, you don’t even have to use soap or shampoo because ideally, you’ll do that for the morning shower and nighttime bath.

If this were in the Philippines, Damatac would suggest driving up to one of the pristine beaches the country’s surrounded with. Unfortunately, the UK only has a “strip of sand with opaque freezing brown seawater [that] ain’t no beach.”

Eating time!

8. 6pm: dinnertime! We are not eating a salad, because we are Filipino! We’re also not cooking indoors, because it’s too hot for that shit! Grill a ton of Pinoy BBQ pork on skewers. Preferably w/ Red Horse beer. Recipe below. You’re welcome. https://t.co/S0VkmWGLaT

— Jill Damatac (@JillDamatac) July 18, 2022

After a whole day of doing nothing, it’s time to reward yourself with a sweet treat — taho. Although it’s warm, who cares as long as it tastes good? (Damatac recommends iced coffee for UK citizens who don’t even know what a taho is.) And for dinner, some good ‘ol Pinoy pork BBQ that will remind you of warm summers spent by the poolside. Just don’t cook it indoors because you don’t want to smoke up the place.

Karaoke can’t be missed

9. 8pm. Post-dinner, heat wave ennui and carb sleepiness. Shake it off and get Junior to wheel out the karaoke. Sing Lionel Richie at the top of your lungs, tipsy on too many bottles of Red Horse, till 5am. Wait, 11pm. We’re in the UK. We don’t like to have fun here.

— Jill Damatac (@JillDamatac) July 18, 2022

Once the sun goes down and the heat is bearable, it’s time to do some signature Pinoy karaoke. You finally have the energy for it. Besides, they say if you sing badly enough, the skies will weep and rain is always welcome during unbearably hot days. Treat yourself to a bottle of cold beer while you’re at it too.

Sleep on a banig

10. Nighttime shower, where the karaoke can continue. Unroll the banig mat downstairs, bc it’s too hot upstairs. Fall asleep to memories of doing this as a kid in Manila amidst rolling blackouts w/ all your cousins, giggling through stories of manananggal and other monsters 🇵🇭❤️

— Jill Damatac (@JillDamatac) July 18, 2022

And finally, after you’ve taken your Very Important Nighttime Shower, unroll the banig and sleep. A banig is a handwoven floor mat that keeps you cool thanks to its holes that allow for air circulation. In the Philippines, it’s common to roll these out for midday naps or at night when the heat is unbearable.

Damatac’s Pinoy-style UK heatwave tips brought back too many memories of summers spent sweating it up and bearing the heat. If we survived this seemingly unbearable heat, UK citizens can too. Keep your water bottles refilled, wear loose dresses, and don’t move.

Check out Damatac’s whole Twitter thread here.

Got any more tips to add to help our UK friends going through the heatwave? Share it with us in the comments!

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