The Lived Experience of Urban Filipino Women Adopting the Tiis at Laban Mindset in Coping With Stress

This study explored the lived experience of tiis at laban among urban Filipino women in Indang, Cavite, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Five purposively selected women aged 20–45 participated in semi-structured interviews. Analysis generated four superordinate themes: meaning-making in endurance, emotional costs and regulation, transformation through endurance, and relational and contextual drivers. Findings show that tiis at laban is an active, meaning-driven coping process rather than passive endurance. Participants sustained hardship by anchoring it to family responsibilities and long-term goals, which provided purpose and motivation. While this orientation supported persistence and, for some, personal growth, it also involved emotional suppression, isolation, and exhaustion, often managed through internal emotion regulation strategies. Coping was both individually enacted and relationally sustained, with family and social networks serving as key sources of motivation and support. The study highlights the culturally embedded nature of coping among Filipino women. It underscores the need for culturally responsive mental health approaches that validate meaning while addressing suppressed emotions and strengthening support networks. Given the small, context-specific sample, findings are exploratory and not intended for generalization.