The Filipino Nose Was Once Loved—But What Changed?

If you believe the legend, the Filipino nose looks the way it does because once upon a time, back when people had no noses yet, a big boat was making its way around the world, handing them out. The Philippines was the last stop and so Filipinos were stuck with the noses at the bottom of the pile, the ones that had been crushed by the weight of all the other noses.

In another version of the story, a man on a boat was peddling noses of all shapes and sizes and a Filipino named Juan was given first pick. He chose a beautiful one, but he lost it. By the time he could go back for another, the best noses were gone and all that was left was the flattest one. 

In yet another tale, it was raining noses and people of different races scampered, fighting to grab the best ones. Juan, smaller and slower than everyone else, had no choice but to get a nose that had been trampled upon.

The narrative may differ slightly, but the ending and the message is the same: The Filipino nose isn’t a good one. It’s a castoff, the nose no one else wanted. 

But it wasn’t always this way. 

Pango was loved—what changed?

“There’s historical and archeological evidence that suggests that ancient Filipinos had very different preferences when it comes to facial aesthetics,” says Gideon Lasco, MD, PhD, a medical anthropologist and professorial lecturer at the Department of Anthropology of the University of the Philippines-Diliman. 

He cited William Henry Scott, the historian and scholar who reported that in precolonial times, there were societies in the Visayas region where women would bind and compress the heads of their babies to keep their foreheads and noses flat, as these were seen as desirable features. “Historian Henry Funtecha [also] wrote that the early Visayans considered broad faces with receding foreheads and flat noses handsome,” says Dr. Lasco.

Beyond aesthetics, the structure of the Filipino nose is the way it is for a reason. “Flat noses were not just more attractive, they were also more suited to our climate,” Dr. Lasco shares. “People who live in temperate regions need longer nasal bridges to have more space to humidify the cold air and make it suitable for inhalation. Those from the tropics—such as the Philippines—did not need such an adaptation because of the natural heat and humidity.” 

But then the Spaniards and the Americans invaded our land, changing our culture and even our beauty standards. “Colonialism changed the way we looked at our faces—and our noses,” explains Dr. Lasco. “The desire to look different and foreign shifted people’s aesthetic preferences to certain characteristics like fairer skin and sharper noses.”

Today, it’s treated as fact: pango is pangit, matangos is maganda. It’s become ingrained in our collective consciousness that the Filipino nose is inferior and, in many cases, in need of fixing, perhaps with a mother’s persistent pinching, a grandma’s clothespins, or by contouring like a Kardashian.

The rise of rhinoplasty

On online shopping platforms, you’ll find nose shapers and lifting clips. There are medical solutions, of course, like filler injections or threads, with effects that last for one to two years. But those who want a permanent fix go for rhinoplasty, a surgical procedure that’s very popular in the country. Rocelyn Ann P. Gannaban, MD, specializes in plastic, reconstructive, and aesthetic surgery and is a fellow of the Philippine Board of Plastic Surgery and the Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive, and Aesthetic Surgeons. When her patients come to see her, Dr. Gannaban says that they’re prepared, having done their research and with a clear goal in mind. “The majority want a more subtle change,” she says. “Just themselves, but better.”

She continues, “Patients automatically think that it’s the bridge [where] they want definition. Of course, we can increase the height of the bridge, but what makes the most dramatic difference is changing the shape of the tip, especially on the side profile.” The number one most requested nose, according to multiple plastic surgeons? Kathryn Bernardo’s. 

In the past, getting plastic surgery was considered taboo—not talked about and something to be denied. But “the culture is changing,” shares Nikki King-Chao, MD, an ENT head and neck surgeon who specializes in facial plastic surgery, including rhinoplasty. “Many years ago, when you had rhinoplasty, the notion was, ‘Don’t tell others.’ Not anymore. Today, people capture their journeys online.”

Take singer and content creator Mika Salamanca, who chronicled her rhinoplasty experience in a series of vlogs. In one of her videos, she said, “I really wanted it. I always thought, what if my nose was higher? Or pointier? I don’t want to keep asking, ‘What if?’ If it can be done, why not?” Author Gwy Saludes thought the same. “I was watching a lot of TikToks and vlogs about rhinoplasty and I thought, I want to do it,” she shared in a YouTube video. 

If you decide that you’re ready for a nose job, there are a couple more steps you have to take before going under the knife. “Generally, patients have to get psychiatric clearance,” explains Angela Cuadro, MD, a general adult psychiatrist at The Medical City. “‘Is this procedure being done with underlying implications of body dysmorphia?’ We ask about motivations and expectations.” 

Dr. Gannaban adds, “We have to make sure that patients thoroughly understand that this is a surgical procedure and it’s going to create a big change in their life. So we want to make sure that they’re doing the procedure for the right reasons.” The right surgeon is non-negotiable, too: “Rhinoplasty can really enhance how your face looks—but in good hands. If the doctor is not qualified or trained, there could be issues,” says Dr. King-Chao. 

Just like choosing a tattoo artist, picking a plastic surgeon is not the time to look for a bargain. Rhinoplasty can cost between PHP 100,000.00 to 300,000.00. Some places offer discounted rates of as low as PHP 50,000.00—but be wary. “Don’t just look at the price tag,” cautions Dr. Gannaban. “Some patients shop around and they look for the cheapest or what fits their budget, but in the end, they just end up spending more. They have to do a secondary procedure, because the first one didn’t live up to their expectations or had an unfortunate outcome.”

Loving what you’re born with

Still, there are those who choose to embrace their nose exactly the way it is. 

In a TikTok video, digital creator and entrepreneur Aencille Santos shared how she was teased about her nose when she was a kid. “It wasn’t enough to give me crippling insecurity, but it was enough for me to remember it even as an adult,” she said. And in response to a follower who asked if she has plans of getting a nose job, she replied: “I just don’t think I need it in my everyday life.”

Santos shares more about her story in an interview with Allure Philippines.

“It’s deeply rooted, a feature that I got from many generations of my family,” she explains. “Maybe it’s because I’ve grown up, but I understand that not fitting beauty standards isn’t the end of the world. I’ve grown to find satisfaction in the features I have.”

There’s also Mikaela Lucido, who wrote a love letter to her Filipina nose for the website Cambio & Co. “Dear Nose, you are a gift from my Filipino ancestors,” she wrote. “I am sorry for the ways I tried to reshape you.” It was Lucido’s therapist who suggested that she write a letter to a body part she felt insecure about.

“I look in the mirror and I feel connected to my Lola Adela, whose Filipino nose I inherited,” she tells Allure Philippines. “I even see it as cute or pretty. Feeling good about my nose was unthinkable for me growing up. Ultimately, writing the love letter was so healing. It really unlocked a very much lifelong journey of unlearning self-hatred and celebrating my heritage.”

In her own reflections about Filipino beauty standards, Santos also uses the word “self-hatred.” “We see our own noses as unattractive, but ironically, it’s what the majority of the Filipino population has,” she says. “Which makes me think, is this self-hatred or what?” But “I do feel a bit more positive that there is a movement in embracing diverse beauty within our culture, evident in some online communities or spaces,” she continues. “I believe we can still find balance where we’re allowed to take care of ourselves and enhance our beauty through minimal ways, without the need to completely change or erase our original features.”

Santos’ thoughts reveal how complex the conversation is around our noses—considering how deep it runs in our collective history and personal psyche, there should be room to approach it with nuance. Some learn to love their features by changing them and some get there by keeping their noses the way they are. 

Content creator Airish Cupp adds to this, sharing, “Some are satisfied with the way they look. Others are getting enhancements. I have no judgement for anyone. As long as you feel good about yourself and you’re confident in what you stand for, that’s what matters.”

“I used to have a lot of insecurities when I was younger and my nose was one of them,” Cupp admits. “When I met my American husband, Matt, he gave me a confidence boost. He always tells me how beautiful I am. He loves my skin, my hair, my cute little nose. It helped me a lot to find my own beauty when I saw myself through his eyes.” Today, Cupp’s nose is no longer a source of insecurity for her. “I love it and I’m confident about it. I think its size and shape match my face.”

It’s this same kind of confidence that she tries to instill in her daughter Mia. “My daughter looks so much like her dad, but she has a button nose like mine. She said she loves it because it’s one of the features that makes her a Filipino. Her heart is so pure and her mind isn’t polluted by society’s toxic beauty standards. She told me once, ‘Every time I look in the mirror, I get so happy because I see you.'”

Photographer: Josh Tolentino. Makeup: Booya. Hair: JA Feliciano. Model: Jeska Sta. Teresa of PMAP.