Oftentimes people associate the word imported to things that are peculiar expensive and flashy to their eyes. And I'm also guilty of that. ;-)

its one example of colonial mentality of the Filipinos, but not everyone are like that. It developed during the time when PX goods from USA became very accessible to Filipinos. Sad to say, it became a stereotype for Filipinos that everyone like everything American. But I say again, not everyone. Nowadays Filipinos are understanding that not all important products are of good quality ( products that are made in China are imported) and though local products are a more expensive, they are of better qualities and still affordable.

NO MORE things as imported (the good ones). They all came from China.My dog was imported from China(a native Shitzu) but hey, I love her.

Used to be a hundred percent applicable, until the Melamine scare, wherein the word mutated with a new meaning, perhaps to be equated with the Plague or something that calls for some Center for Disease Control into action. Now and again, the Bird Flu or some other "imported" terms that refer simply to a mad cow (e.g., bovine spongiform encephalopathy or BSE), deviates from the otherwise generally accepted usage of the word.