I’m going to give you a very blunt and honest answer. So blunt that it makes me cringe writing it down… and yet it’s the truth. Warning: I’m about to write a whole bunch of stuff that can be considered racist. It’s definitely stereotyping. Yet like I said, it’s unfortunately true.

Like the other answer here mentioned, it depends on the kind of foreigner.

1. White Caucasian - whether we’re talking about North American or European (or Australian or New Zealand), if your partner is a white/caucasian person then that’s almost always considered a great catch for a Filipino… especially if it’s a Filipino man hooking up with a white girl. Long story short, white foreigner = top of the food chain when it comes to choosing partners. Plus points if they’re actually attractive and close to your age range.
2. Fancy Asian - there was a comedian by the name of Ali Wong who coined the term “Fancy Asian” which basically grouped together the 3 most powerful/influential east Asian peoples, namely Japanese, Chinese and South Koreans. If a Filipino manages to score a pure-blooded Japanese, Chinese or South Korean partner then that’s considered a step up, almost as high a step up as nabbing a white foreigner. Plus points if they’re actually attractive and within your age range. Double plus points if they actually speak English.
3. White Hispanic - this primarily means Spanish people, but it basically includes any fair-skinned person of hispanic descent. We can also include Italians here as well (which as far as Filipinos are concerned are still considered “white”). Filipinos were under Spanish rule for centuries, so it’s almost a group stockholm syndrome where Filipinos developed an admiration for their captors. Till this day, the ability to speak in straight Spanish will immediately raise the “market-value” of any Filipino. It’s also considered a high compliment if someone remarks that you look Spanish. So if you end up nabbing a Spanish partner? Great job.
4. Black Americans - or Black Canadians, or Black English (UK). Basically any black partner from a first world country. Still considered a step-up for a Filipino to have a black partner as long as they come from a first world country…. though not quite as impressive as grabbing a partner from the top 3 races I mentioned.
5. Latinos/Latinas - something we need to admit is that Filipinos generally consider fairness of skin to be an asset. Fair-skinned latino/latina is considered a great catch (which is why white hispanics are listed as #3) whereas darker skinned latinos/latinas will only be considered a good catch primarily for them being foreigners (and thus exotic).

I’d say those top 5 are the partners a Filipino/Filipina can have where most other Filipinos will look at them with awe and respect… mixed in with a hefty dose of bitterness and envy as well. They’re considered a step-up for a regular Filipino to have a partner like them (regardless of whether it’s true or not), especially if you’re not a rich Filipino.

However, there are other foreigners that Filipinos don’t take too kindly to. Most southeast Asian foreigners are considered relatively equal to Filipinos in terms of dating value. So getting a partner who’s Thai or Cambodian or Indonesian doesn’t really cause much reaction. It’s neither a step up or a step down. More like a step to the side.

However, there are a few races that Filipinos consider a step down. Primarily would be Indians and Middle-Easterners. Grab a partner like that and most Filipinos would look at you with a befuddled expression, like they couldn’t understand why you’d settle for one of them instead of just going for another Filipino. Then you’ll get a lot of backhanded insults about how your partner probably smells bad or whether you only eat curry at home.

I’m also unsure how African blacks fit into the picture, as in black people from Congo or Ghana or something. Generally, Filipinos don’t find dark skin attractive but exceptions are made for black Americans because they’re from a first world country. Having a black partner from a third world country would be considered a step down for most Filipinos I think, although there are a good number of Filipinos who think having black genes mixed in your family line would produce more athletic children.

EDIT: Based on a number of comments I’m receiving, it seems I need to clarify a few things:

• First, the points I raised above do not reflect my own personal views on the matter. I’m merely describing the general reactions I’ve observed from Filipinos while living in the Philippines for 20+ years.
• The views I described above are based on Filipinos living in the Philippines. It’s not quite as applicable to Filipinos living in other countries.
• The views I described above are generalized, meaning not all Filipinos will feel that way. Generally, you’ll find the more upper class Filipinos are less in awe of foreigners as they mingle a lot more with them and have more opportunities to travel abroad. Unfortunately, majority of the Philippines’ population live below the poverty line, so foreigners are a bit of a novelty to most.
• I grew up in the Philippines but am only quarter Filipino by racial background. I was mostly treated as a mestizo (mixed blood) when I was in the Philippines though there were a few times I was mistaken for a full foreigner, and on many occasions I was on the receiving end of the scenarios I presented above.
• Physical appearance, personality, age, financial status and family/culture background will obviously all affect the choice of partner as well as the gossip surrounding that choice. But the scenario I’m trying to answer here is assuming that everything else is equal, so that we’re only considering race. The question I’m trying to answer here is this: How would dating a foreigner differ from dating a co-Filipino considering everything else about them is equal other than their race?
• Lastly, racism is present in all countries. What I described above might paint the Filipinos in a racist light but to be honest, I’ve found racism in the Philippines to be very benign compared to a lot of other countries I’ve visited. At least their racism isn’t expressed in verbal or physical abuse… which is more than I can say for a lot of other countries. In fact, I’ve faced far more abusive racism in the US (and some European countries) than I ever did in the Philippines. Yet the racism I’ve faced is nothing compared to the stories I’ve heard from my Filipino friends who work in middle-eastern countries.