Our colorful and lively Philippine culture that makes us distinctly Filipino is the one thing that makes us different from the rest of the world. The Customs and Traditions of the Philippines are strongly influenced by its colonized past. The Spanish colonization of the Philippines, in fact governed from Mexico, lasted for more than 350 years, thus there is an important presence of Spanish influence in many aspect of the Philippine culture. The Filipino language, more commonly known as Tagalog, have many borrowed Spanish words. Filipinos are religious in nature; most of the present celebrated traditions are a mix of Christian, Pagan and other local religious rites. As an example, each year, towns from around the country hold chief festivities known as Fiesta which celebrate the patron saints of each town, villages or regional districts. The festival season is celebrated with church ceremonies, street parades in honor of the patron saints, fireworks, and beauty and dance contests for generations of old and new, and in some areas there are even cockfighting tournaments. These Fiestas are also observed in countries that had a Spanish occupational past. The Southern islands of the country where the majority of the Islam faith exist in also celebrate their own unique customs and traditions. The locals of the Philippines are called Filipinos. Their primary ancestors are the Malays who came from the southeastern Asian country or what is now called Indonesia. Before the Europeans discovered the country, Filipinos have had connections with China that resulted to a mixed Chinese-Filipino descent. Spanish-Filipinos came out during the colonial period and Filipino-Americans added a few percentages as well during the American occupation. They are easily distinguished by their fairer color, taller stature and fairly formed nose structure. A few Arab and Indian blood added to the racial mixture of the Filinos during their trading years. Aetas- the aboriginal group of the Philippines has a small percentage remained in the composition of the country’s ethnic groups.
The Philippines is a combined society, both Singular and Plural in form. Singular as one nation, but it is plural in that it is fragmented geographically and culturally. The nation is divided between Christians, Muslims, and other religion-ethno-linguistic groups; between urban and rural people; between upland and lowland people; and between the rich and the poor. Although different in a lot ways, the Filipinos are very hospitable and give appropriate respect to anybody regardless of inside their mixed society, anyone who has not seen Filipinos will be surprised how everyone differs from each other. Their looks, their cultural practices and beliefs show a truly diverse blend of people and customs. Because of this inconsistent homogeneity of race, the Filipinos naturally adapt and get influenced easily. They embraced the spirituality of the Spanish during the colonial period and surpass it with the modernity of the Americans in the recent years. Inspite of these multifaceted customs and incongruous mixture of people, visitors, however, find Filipinos enriched with uniqueness and variants.
The Philippines can be seen as an abboration in relation to other Asian countries. Early on in its history it was subject to colonial rule by the Spanish. The Spanish introduced Spanish culture and Roman Catholicism to the Philippines. The period of long colonial rule also produced a culture that was neither directly Spanish nor directly Filipino. Filipino society and culture today can be best described as a synthesis of the two cultures that has been tempered over time. However for some Filipinos this is not enough. Some long for a more solid notion of identity. They ask, “What is Filipino?” Two novels from the Philippines, When The Rainbow Goddess Wept, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, and Dusk by F. Sionil Jose, suggest that Filipino identity can be seen in the struggles and oral traditions of their past. The Philippines were originally Asian in culture and race, but lost this identity through the Spanish, and American colonial experience. But we see that through the colonial experience a new Filipino Identity developed. In the novel, Recuerdo, by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, one learns that prior to colonialism the Philippines traded and had contact with China.
Philippine Culture, Customs and Traditions
The Philippine culture is rich in customs and traditions. Philippines culture reflects the complexity of the history of the Philippines through the combination of cultures of foreign influences.
Spanish colonization of the Philippines lasted for more than three centuries. There is a significant amount of Spanish-Mexican influence within the culture, customs and traditions. Hispanic influences are visible in traditional Philippine folk music, folk dance, language, food, art, and religion. Pre-Hispanic and non-Christian Philippine cultures are derived from the Indigenous tradition of the Austronesian primitive tribes called Malayo-Polynesian. The United States colonized the Philippines from 1898 until 1946. American influences are evident in Philippine culture by the use of the English language, and in contemporary pop culture, such as fast-food, music, film, and sports.
Other Asian ethnic groups such as the Chinese, and Japanese have been settling in the Philippines since the colonial period, and their influences are evident in the popularity of mahjong, jueteng, Filipino martial arts, and other Asian cuisine.
Family relationships are the basic building block of Philippine culture and society. Each Filipino is at the center of a large circle of relatives, usually extending to third cousins. Marriage is rarely permitted for members of the same kinship circle. The kinship circle is customarily enlarged through ritual co-parenthood, the Catholic custom of selecting godparents to sponsor one’s child at baptism. In the close-knit Filipino family, members are provided assistance when needed and expected to give their first loyalty to their kin. In rural areas the villages contain clusters of households supporting an extended family system within the Philippines culture.
The social support provided by these close-knit communities is reflected in the absence of retirement homes.
Philippine Culture and Tourism
The hospitality of the Filipino people is one of the reasons why tourism in the Philippines is steadily growing.
Foreigners and tourists who have experienced the Philippine culture and being with Filipinos find them very hospitable. This is a common trait that Filipinos are known for to most foreigners who have traveled around the country.
The attitude of Filipino people towards foreigners and other people is said to be exceptional. Even the humblest home along the road can serve as a shelter for a stranger who has lost his way. For Filipinos, serving other people the best of what they have gives them an honor and a promise of true friendship. A typical Filipino house is not completely called a home without any facility ready for guests. It is filled with new and nice-looking items reserved only for them while ordinary ones are for everyday use.
Arriving at your host’s house during mealtime may be awkward but if it’s in a Filipino house, you will be asked to sit down and share what they have on the table. Because eating alone without asking others according to Filipino customs is considered rude. These manners picture how Filipinos accept and properly respect the presence of their visitors. A form of hospitality that comes truly from the heart, just like how the country made its image as the land of true smiling people considering the struggling economy, political confusion and rising poverty in the country.
You may be surprised to see how such situations are handled in Philippines culture. It is like taking everything from them but not their love of joking. Joking and laughing at everything perhaps give them relief and makes them see things more positively.
Traveling in this country means more of building rapport with its people and understanding the Philippine culture, customs and traditions. Filipinos love entertaining foreign visitors; as to help, or for whatever reasons, interacting with them is unavoidable. Hence, aside from the country’s stunning natural assets, meeting the Filipinos gives a promise of a true friendship and memories to keep.
References:
http://www.wikinoypi.com/category/pinoy-culture/
Philippine Daily Inquirer news paper (Sept. 25, 2010)
“Novel, Recuerdo”, by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo
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