Boys Don’t Cry: The Silent Struggles of Filipino Boys

“Lalaki ka. Hindi ka dapat umiiyak.” 

How often have we heard this said to Filipino boys?  

The phrase pressures little boys not to show vulnerability, for crying is dismissed as weakness. And this shapes how boys deal with pain, fear, and sadness — in silence.

While attention is given to issues affecting girls or children in general, the silent struggles of Filipino boys are often overlooked, which is rooted in cultural expectations that Filipino boys should be tough and able to overcome anything on their own.   

Boys in poor families are oftentimes the first to drop out of school and work to support their parents and siblings, which limits their potential and opportunities for a better future, thus trapping them in a cycle of poverty.  

Violence against Filipino boys is often underreported because of stigma and shame. Filipino boys, after all, are expected to be strong and avoid acting like “crybabies” even when they experience bullying or abuse.   

Despite this culture of silence, the 2025 data from the Philippine Statistics Office recorded 897 reported cases of boys subjected to several forms of violence, including sexual and physical abuse, child labor, trafficking, neglect, and abandonment.  

These harmful and painful experiences leave a lasting emotional impact on boys. Filipino boys are children with raw feelings and ways of seeing, and when left unsupported, their unprocessed emotions can shape anger, a wrong notion of love and care, and aggressiveness as they grow into adulthood.

“When boys are guided with positive parenting, emotional support, understanding, opportunities to participate in fun and meaningful activities, they grow into men who respect women and children, value integrity and equality, make wise decisions, and lead with empathy and purpose,” says Evangeline Caseres, World Vision Gender Equality, Disability, and Inclusion (GEDSI) Advisor. 

Creating a safe space for Filipino boys is important. Through its children’s activities, World Vision helps boys to express their emotions openly, ask for support, and feel heard without judgment.  

So that boys may cry and not feel ashamed of showing it. (LRC | Advocacy Communications Officer | May 2026)