Cultural Reason For Sumpong
While these external manifestations may indeed sound like a temperament or mood problem in the western sense, the underlying cultural reason for them is what sets sumpong apart. While tantrums and moodiness have strong negative connotations in western countries, sumpong is understandable among Filipinos. In fact, sumpong has positive connotations for the Filipino aside from the obvious negatives ones. Having sumpong is a manifestation of being able to feel and not being too passive.
Like tampo, the cultural behavior sumpong roots from the nonconfrontational nature of Filipino culture. That is to say, it is a way of expressing hurt feelings in a culture where the direct expression of anger or resentment is discouraged. The withdrawal behaviors in sumpong are indirect ways of expressing hostility or resentment.
It can also be seen as a way by which Filipinos "save face," as direct confrontation is usually a threat to "smooth interpersonal relationships" (SIR), which is a deeply valued in Philippine society.
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