Filipinos can hardly be considered one ethnic people, especially when there are 171 distinct languages spoken there* (not counting the four of which there are no living speakers), all of the Malayo-Polynesian family. It is reasonable then, that a people so united as kababayans would nonetheless comprise a vast and varied melting pot.
Sal is rather light-skinned for a Filipina. She is one-fourth Chinese, and one-half Spanish on either side. Filipinos of Asian/Caucasian mixed race are known as a “mestizo/mestiza” (the male/female terms, respectively). This ethnic mix is common to television and movie personalities, lighter skin and more Western features being considered a sign of beauty and prestigious lineage, as opposed to a darker-skinned, Malay-Polynesian or other aboriginal mix. That said, it is also a double-edged sword, as it may not only account for Spanish colonial heritage, but having been sired (generally outside of wedlock) by an American serviceman once stationed there.
Whatever their ethnic origins, Filipinos are known for having very beautiful skin, as Mikey Bustos explains, in yet another tutorial on Filipino culture.
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* There are two official national languages in the Philippines. English is the most common for national and international business and other formal interaction. Filipino is a standardized version of Tagalog (a contraction of "taga ilog" meaning "native of the river" or simply "river dweller"). Its original form is native to the area around the Pasig River, including the capital city of Manila, while the modern Filipino (popularly known as "Tagalog" in any case) incorporates much Spanish and English in its vocabulary.
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