Dowry

Nestor P. Burgos, Jr. got it wrong as well. 

In an Inquirer article, he reported about a tribal chanter who expressed concerns over the misrepresentation of his people's culture in the TV show, Amaya.

He also reported near the end the following: 'The binukot are trained to be adept epic-chanters and dancers, and to play native musical instruments, he said, adding that they command a much higher dowry than most maidens because of these physical attributes and skills'.

It's really a small matter but he confused the word 'dowry' in the paragraph above with 'bride price'. As per Wikipedia, "a dowry is the money, goods, or estate that a woman brings forth to the marriage. It contrasts with bride price, which is paid to the bride's parents".

It's a popular misconception but the fact is this: In the Philippines, there's no such thing as a dowry (That's reserved for other cultures who still treat their women as second-class citizens). 

What we do have instead is the bride price, in which the guy's family gives food and presents to the bride's family as an act of goodwill before the wedding. As for the reason behind this practice, one website articulates it best:

This is because we give high value to the women in our society and giving them away is not easy. When the two families have come to an agreement as to the dowry (or bride price, I hasten to correct), the wedding date is set, a ring is presented to the girl and the couple is said to be betrothed. A small feast is then held with the food brought by the boy's family.