Culture of the Philippines

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The customs and traditions of the Philippines are predominantly from the native Malay ethnic group that forms the majority of the Filipino populace. However, the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, actually governed from Mexico, lasted for more than 350 years, thus there is a significant presence of Spanish influence in many facets of the Filipino culture. The Filipino language is made up of dialects, the most popular of which is Tagalog. Most dialects have many borrowed Spanish words. Most of the present celebrated religious traditions are a mix of both Christian, Pagan and other local religious rites. As an example, each year, towns from around the country hold major festivities known as fiestas which commemorate the patron saints of each town, villages or regional districts. The festival season is celebrated with church ceremonies, with street parades (in honor of the patron saints), with fireworks, with beauty and dance contests (for generations of old and new), and with cockfighting tournaments. These Fiestas are also observed in countries that had a Spanish occupational past. The Southern island of the country where the majority of the Islam faith resides also celebrate their own customs and traditions. Filipino traditions are also influenced by the large Chinese community in the Philippines, forming the Chinese-Filipino group.

Philippine society

The Philippines is a mixed 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 religio-ethno-linguistic groups; between urban and rural people; between upland and lowland people; and between the rich and the poor.

The Filipino cultural psyche

  • Close Familial Ties: Filipinos tend to uphold close family ties. The primary social welfare system for the Filipino is the family. Many Filipinos live near their family for most of their lives, even as independent adults.
  • Respect to elders: "Po" and "opo" are common expressions of respect to elderly and politeness. Respect in the culture between young and old is acted out though cultural ritual by taking the elders right hand and applying to the forehead of thyself.[1] Not only respect is due to elders but also among peers. Younger siblings are expected to respect their older brothers and sisters.[2]
  • Hiya: Hiya is shame and is a motivating factor behind behavior. It is a sense of social propriety and of conformity to societal norms. Filipinos believe they must live up to the accepted standards of behavior; and if they fail to do so, they bring shame not only upon themselves but also upon their family. An example might be a willingness to spend more than they can afford on a party rather than be shamed by their economic circumstances. If someone is publicly embarrassed, criticized, or does not live up to expectations, they feel shame and lose self-esteem.
  • Pakikisama: Pakikisama, or harmony in English, involves getting along with others to maintain a harmonious relationship.
  • Utang na Loob: Utang na Loob, or Debt of Gratitude, is owed by one to a person who has helped him through the trials he had undergone. There is a local saying: 'Ang Hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay Hindi makararating sa paroroonan', meaning, 'One who does not look back to where he started, will not get to where he is going.'
    • Amor Propio: Concern for self image.
    • Delicadeza: Sense of discretion
    • Palabra de Honor: "word of honor"
  • Bayanihan: Bayanihan is the creation of alliances with neighbors and the helping attitude whenever one is in dire need. Often, the Bayanihan spirit in action can be seen when a bus gets a flat tire. The bystanding or surrounding Filipinos would assist the bus driver in whatever undertakings to get the bus back on going. This can be contrasted with the individualistic attitude of European and American societies.

Although these traits are generally positive, these practices also have the tendency to be applied in the wrong context. Close familial ties can also lead to nepotism. Pakikisama can lead to intolerance or even outright hostility of differences and of individual liberty. A debt of gratitude is sometimes repaid by giving special favors to the other person regardless of the moral outcome.

Rituals and peculiarities

These are some behaviors and social norms and beliefs found in the Filipino mainstream culture. Some of these behaviors continue with overseas Filipinos.

Home and family

  • Respect for home is expected when coming into a Filipino house. To show respect to the home, Filipinos will ask visitors to take off shoes before entering their homes, as a belief of Asian custom and shoe etiquette.[3] Since many routes in the Philippines are unpaved and also since the Philippines is located in a tropical zone, shoes tend to get muddy and dirty. Removing the shoes removes the burden of from the home owner to clean.
  • Hospitality at home is provided when a visitor comes to ones home, as they are treated with food and drink.[4] It is considered disrespectful if someone will not accept hospitality,[5] because many Filipinos are insecure about self image and personal wealth. Usually, Filipinos will lend visitors to own their bed for the night.[6]
  • Dining, a social activity that Filipinos engage, is usually done around the dinner table. People carry out conversation or small talk or gossip. See table manners.
  • Balikbayan boxes[7] are transfered amongst vast distances as some are compelled to move to international territories. These overseas Filipinos send huge boxes called "Balikbayan boxes" to their family back to their motherland containing goods and sometimes new gadgets or popular trendy items. They send "Balikbayan boxes" from their new homeland, and they also bring "Balikbayan boxes" when they return back to their motherland on vacation to visit their family. Sometimes their mainland families at the Philippines return the favor back and return exotic food items only found in the Philippines or indigenous property expressing Filipino workmanship. It is another way to express cultural exchange and help out their families at home.
  • Corporal punishment is practiced among the Filipino family as children when bad are often spanked and pinched.[8][9] Filipinos use their belts and slippers and in the old days, bamboo sticks were even used to spank their children. However, the practice of spanking children is nearly obsolete.[10]
  • No Divorce is a policy in the Philippines, in fact it is illegal.[11] President Arroyo and Cardinal Sin believe it is "un-Filipino, immoral, unconstitutional and a danger to the Filipino family."[12] Others make the point from historical past that ancestral tribes did practice divorce and that the "reign of the Pope via the Spanish crown"[12] to be the source of such laws.

Courtship

  • Courtship in the Philippines derives from influences from Spanish and Roman Catholic traditions.[13] It is considered disrespectful for a girl to visit the boyfriends home because parents disapprove of this. Usually the boyfriend comes to the girlfriend"s house to formally introduce himself to her parents and family.[13] The pinoy must win the pinay parents approval.[14]

Death

  • Psychic surgeons are people who are seen using slight-of-hand operations to remove tumors and diseased tissue. These psychic surgeons are seen sticking their hands into the patents body extracting bloody human flesh leaving the patient scar free. While others see this practice of as being fake, others who still accept this alternative healing method as a way to take advantage of its placebo effect. YouTube video on "Psychic Surgery".
  • Caskets of Filipinos are often covered with glass.[15] Many foreign relatives come to morn the death of their lost ones. Deceased men are dressed with Barong Tagalogs. Death is very emotional and very expressive experience among close ones. Many people are seen wearing black.[16] Widows are seen wearing black the entire year.[17]

Communication

  • In order to greet a friend, or express "what's up," one usually whips his head upward for acknowledgment.[18] This similar protocol like how Japanese bow down to others or how members of the military salute fellow comrades.
  • The use of lips to point is widely practiced. Instead of using your pointer fingers, Filipinos point with their lips extended out to indicate position or location of an object.[19]
  • Telecommunication such as phone lines and e-mail are popular as well as the usage of cell phones. Most filipinos owned their own mobile phones provided by the two largest telecommunication companies in the country which is Globe Telecoms and Smart. Cell phone models in the Philippines usually upgrades every period of time. Popular cellphone in the country are Nokia and Motorolla. Using SMS message seems to be the common way of telecommunicating. Philippine's is considered to be the Txt capital of the world sending millions of SMS messages a day. Usage of 3g in communication is popular in urban areas.
  • Calling for attention unique amongst Filipinos as they say "hoy!"[20] and use a rising hiss like a snake by saying "psst."[21][22]
  • Filipinos are often criticized as being too invasive when it comes to asking questions personal questions from Westerners point of view, who do not get asked these same questions frequently.[23] A common question asked from elder to child is "how many boyfriends do you have?"[24][25] This question is like what you would find off Bill Cosby show "Kids Say the Darndest Things" used to gauge the wit, or the creative answer, of a youngster. Many find it humorous.

Modes of transportation

  • Filipinos get around by riding jeepneys, a public transportation similar to a bus, although in a much smaller scale. These jeepneys take people from remote locations like barrios to cities. In urban area's, there are cable cars such as LRT and MRT as well as boats, cab, trains and ferry. Also, to carry materials from one location to another, especially in the rural farming areas they use a carabao to drag heavy materials and to ride them.[26] Bus transportation is used to get from one major city to another. Taxis or tricycles are used to get to place to place within the city.[27]
  • To indicate presence, one usually honks the horn to warn of oncoming vehicle.[28]

Beliefs on self image

  • The belief that "white is beautiful" is held by Filipinas and practiced by staying out of the sun as they believe it keeps one from getting dark. Even at a young age, children are taught and practice this belief.[29] Furthermore, many of these women use bleaching or whitening skin products to keep skin white, and they also use anti pimple or anti blackhead products since the Philippines is a hot sweaty place.[30] Bias towards favoring white skin came from influential occupations of the Spanish and Americans which Filipino people still continue to believe today.[31]
  • Being fat is considered wealthy because Filipinos consider it healthier and wealthier[32] and better off than those who are skinny.[33] This idea may have came from the idea of the "fat-bellied" buddah that one rubs for good luck and wealth.[34]
  • Tuppól means in Ilocano for toothless and is used either meaning ugly or used as joke to bring out laughter. Some Filipinas are criticized as being good looking outside but are ugly when it comes to their smile and turn out to be Tuppól. Reason why people are Tuppól is because some people in the Philippines do not have access to dentistry and oral hygiene such as fluoride toothpaste to prevent tooth decay due to remoteness and per capita income.
  • Rebonding and hair relaxing are popular among teenagers. Spa treatments are also famous. Indulging in various salon treatments are a common activity among filipinos which helps in the rising popularity of salons such as F Salon, Gandang Ricky Reyes and David's salon which includes famous hair stylist such as Fanny Serrano, Jun Encarnation and Ricky Reyes.

Dress

  • In formal gatherings, men wear Barong Tagalogs, a translucent pearl white shirt,usually made of pina (pineapple) fibers or Jusi (banana) fibers.
  • At home in very casual settings, Filipinos are either barefoot or seen with slippers instead of shoes. Since it is hot, men are often found with a tank top or bear-chested with shorts and a towel on their shoulder to wipe away the sweat.[17] Even at home, men are found without shirts.

Bathing and hygiene

  • In the rural areas of the country, some resort to bathing naked in public.[35] Those who live near rivers take baths there; natives use river stones analogous to washcloths to scrub themselves. However, in major cities, since sanitation is important, bathing occurs in indoor showers. Also, since water pressure is lacking in many areas of the country, many times people resort to buckets to aid in showering.[36][37] Sometimes people are so used the routine of using the bucket bath method that they continue to use it when water pressure is more than adequate for showerhead use.[38] Places that have adequate water pressure like hotels do have running shower heads.

Philosophy

  • Instead of settling for less or the best, Filipinos demand perfection. A Filipino proverb once said, "Know that even the greatest of men fail, but hard work and determination will earn one perfection."[39]

Folk traditions and beliefs

Main article: Philippine mythology

Before the coming of the Spaniards and the introducing of Roman Catholicism, the indigenous inhabitants were adherents of animism, or the worship of nature. Bathala was the supreme God of the Tagalogs, represented by the araw, or sun, but not all the tagalogs believed in it. Ninuno, or the ancient ancestors, were the people who taught Filipinos/tagalogs who will be in the future; they believed in the supreme God. Also, the supreme God of the Bikolanos was Gugurang. Other Tagalog Gods and Goddesses include the buwan (or moon), tala (or stars), and objects (such as trees, shrubs, mountains, or rocks). However, they were not the real kinds of Gods and Goddesses; they were representations for some Filipinos/Tagalogs; or they were representations as gifts. As major religions began to sweep the island, most Filipinos became Christians, who only believe in one God; but some Filipinos became Muslims, especially in the southern part of the country like Mindanao. Spirits such as aswang (ghoul), tikbalang (a man having the head of a horse), kapre (a giant that is smoking tobacco), tiyanak (monster-like, vampire-esque child), santelmo (fireball), duwende (dwarves and elves), manananggal (witches who feed on fetus' blood), engkanto (minor spirits), and diwata (fairies/nymphs) are believed to pervade the Philippines. Aside from that, voodoo practices were practiced by the pre-colonial inhabitants, such as pangkukulam, or witchcraft. Beliefs such as usog (a child greeted by a stranger will get sick) and lihi (unusual craving for something during pregnancy) are also present. These beliefs were carried on up to the present generation of Filipinos, which has led some foreign authors to describe them as 'Pagano-Christians.'

Celebrations

Main article: Public holidays in the Philippines

National Holidays

Native Holidays

  • January 1 - Bagong Taon (New Year's Day).
  • January 9 - The Black Nazarene procession in Quiapo and Manila.
  • Third Sunday of January (date varies) - The Fiesta del Santo Niño de Cebu (Festival of the Child Jesus of Cebu); Sinulog in Cebu; Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan.
  • Lent; March or April (date varies) - Semana Santa (Holy Week).
  • May - Flores de Mayo. Summer-starting festivities when the rain starts pouring back, after a blistering hot summer that begins around mid March, these festivities may have been rooted to the celebrations of the farmers as they welcome back the fertile season. Celebrations around towns showcase crops, food and delicacies. One famous festivity is the "Pahiyas", a colorful celebration in Lucban, Quezon where houses are decorated mainly with dried rice papers in different shapes and colors. Crops also accentuate these houses in artful shapes and styles.
  • Third Saturday and Sunday of September (date varies) - The Peñafrancia Festival in Naga City, Camarines Sur, Bicol Region. During the festivities, people attend church services, followed by parades on the streets, fireworks, and feasting in honor of the Roman Catholic faith and native culture, and are attended by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos each year. The Peñafrancia Festival is also highlighted by a fluvial procession in the Bicol River.
  • November 1 through 2 - Undas (Day of the Dead) All Saints Day and All Souls Day. During All Saints/Souls Day, it's traditional to visit the cemeteries and pay homage to their dearly departed. The usually solemn cemetery takes on a party atmosphere, with much merry-making rather than a solemn celebration.
  • December 24 - Noche Buena (Christmas Eve).
  • December 25 - Araw ng Pasko (Day of Christmas).
  • December 31 - Media Noche/ Bisperas ng Bagong Taon (New Year's Eve).

Arts, culture and music

Arts

Weaving is popular in the northern mountain Filipinos. Some weaving from the Philippines becomes very famous. Pottery was also common in pre-Hispanic societies. Ornate carvings are found in the southern Philippine islands. Filipinos have uniquely strange wooden artwork like the famous barrel man that when one removes its barrel, suprisingly, his penis gets erect or her breast becomes erect. Some households carry very large spoons and forks that gaze over the dinner table.[40]

Filipinos have unique folk dances like tinikling where assistants take two long bamboo sticks rapidly and rhythmatically clap sticks for dancers to artistically and daringly try to avoid getting their feet smashed between them. Also in the southern part of the Philippines, there is another dance called singkil using long bamboo poles found in tinikling; however, it is primarily a dance showing off lavish Muslim royalty. In this dance, there are four bamboo sticks arranged in a tic-tac-toe pattern in which the dancers exploit every position of these clashing sticks. Dancers can be found trying to avoid all 4 bamboo sticks all together in the middle. They can also try to dance an entire rotation around the middle avoiding all sticks. Usually these stick dances performed in teamwork fashion not solo. The Singkil dance is identifiable with the use of umbrellas and silk clothing.[41] See YouTube tinikling video and YouTube singkil video.

Architecture

Pre-Hispanic architecture is usually characterized by using indigenous woody materials. The bahay kubo is the mainstream form of housing. It is characterized by the use of indigenous materials such as bamboo and coconut as the main source of wood. Cogon grass and Nipa palm leaves are used as roof thatching, although coconut fronds are also used. Most are usually on stilts due to the frequent floods and rainwater during the wet season. Regional variations include the use of thicker and denser roof thatching in mountain areas, longer stilts on coastal areas especially if the structure is built outright on the water. The architecture of some tribes in other regions are characterized by very angular wooden roofs, bamboo in place of leafy thatching and ornate wooden carvings, especially on Mindanao island.

The Spanish introduced stones as housing materials. The introduction of Christianity brought western style churches and subsequently became the center of most towns. Colonial era architecture still survives in Intramuros and Vigan.

Contemporary architecture usually favors western style structures although pre-Hispanic housing is still largely common in rural areas. American style suburban gated communities are popular in the cities, especially Metro Manila and the surrounding provinces.

Music

Main article: Music in the Philippines
Main article: Traditional Filipino Music

Movies

Main article: Cinema of the Philippines

Filipino directors and actors produce many comedies, accounts of hardship, and action films. Two Filipino comedies which are well-known in the Philippines are Pelukang Itim (The Black Wig), starring Eddie Gil, and Mr. Suave, starring Vhong Navarro. Some Box office Movies includes Ang Tanging Ina which stars Ai-ai delas Alas, Sukob by Kris Aquino, Mano Po, Shake Rattle and Roll, Moments of Love which stars Dingdong Dantes and Iza Calzado, Mulawin the movie and Till I Met You which stars Regine Velasquez

Heritage

Cuisine

Main article: Filipino cuisine

Filipinos cook a variety of foods influenced by both Castilian-Mexican and Asian cuisines such as:

Indigenous Filipino and regional cuisines include the following:

Local liquors include lambanog, tuba, and basi.

A typical Filipino meal consists of at least one viand (ulam in Tagalog) served with boiled or fried rice (kanin), which is eaten much like Westerners eat potatoes. Filipinos also regularly use spoons together with forks, as opposed to knives and forks in Western culture. They also eat with their hands, especially in informal settings and when eating seafood.

World Heritage Sites

Several sites in the country have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and these are:

Native games and sports

Sipa and cockfighting are the national sports in the Philippines. Other popular recreational sports include boxing, billiards, basketball, chess, ten-pin bowling and football (soccer). Boxing, billiards, basketball and soccer are popular among Filipinos. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) was founded in 1975.

The sports where the Filipinos have gained international successes are boxing, billiards (notably nine ball), ten-pin bowling, chess and football (soccer). Notable champions include Paulino Alcántara, Francisco Pancho Villa, Manny Pacquiao, Mansueto Velasco, Flash Elorde, Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante, Rafael Nepomuceno and Eugene Torre.

The Palarong Pambansa, a national sports festival, has its roots in an annual sporting meet of public schools that started in 1948. Private schools and universities eventually joined the national event, which became known as the Palarong Pambansa in 1976. It serves as a national Olympics for students, with victors from competitions at the school, province, and regional level emerging to participate. The year 2002 event included the following sports: soccer, golf, archery, badminton, baseball, chess, gymnastics, tennis, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, track and field, and volleyball are starting to gain great public interest in the country.

There are also many styles of traditional Filipino Martial Arts known under various names over the years kali|arnis which have varying sources of origin depending on the island and/or tribe of origin. It is difficult to ascertain a single originating or "pure" Filipino martial art due to the lack of written historical record. There is considerable controversy on this subject.

Influences in the development and evolution of Filipino Martial Arts includes that of the Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian and Spanish.

The distinguishing characteristic of martial arts originating from the Philippines is most commonly the emphasis in curriculum of teaching weapons before or simultaneously with the empty-hand forms and also for the curriculum concept of "angles of attack."

See Filipino Martial Arts for more information.

Native toys and games

Filipinos play card games styles such as Pusoy and Pusoy Dos. These games use poker suits. Pusoy is described to be the 3-5-5 or good-better-best variant of the game.[42] Pusoy Dos is described to be variant where one tries to get rid of all his cards by choosing poker hands wisely.[43] The origin of pusoy came from Chinese Pai Gow blended with poker[44] and the origin of pusoy dos came from coastal China around 1980[43].

Filipinos play Sungka, a board game consisting of small sea shells which players try to take all shells but the winner is determined by who has the most shells at the point were all small pits become empty. This is an Asian game that westerners first observed in 1894.[45]

Filipinos are creative in that they have made toys using insects such as tying a beetle to string and sweeping it circular rotation to make an interesting sound. Salagubong gong is a toy is described by Harvard entomologist Charles Brtjes in his trip to Negros illustrating a toy using beatles to create a periodic gong effect on the kerosene can as the beetle rotates above the contraption.[46]

Tribes and minorities

Main article: Tribal groups of the Philippines

Certain indigenous groups such as the Negritos, Mangyans, and Manobos who live in remote areas of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao have largely retained the pre-Hispanic beliefs of their ancestors. Having been somewhat isolated from mainstream society, their cultures differ greatly than that of the majority of Filipinos.

Main article: Homosexuality in the Philippines

The bakla, or gay, subculture was a product of the 60s. Bakla people express themselves in occupations such as barbershops or beauty professions or in clothing design.[47] They also have their own style of linguistic communication.

References

  1. ^ "Philippine Culture and Mano Po".
  2. ^ "How to Treat Your Elders if You Are Filipino".
  3. ^ "Filipino Customs".
  4. ^ "Culture of the Philippines".
  5. ^ "How to Be a Proper Guest in a Filipino Home".
  6. ^ "A Taste of Filipino Hospitality".
  7. ^ "Gift Boxes Help Migrant Filipinos Keep Ties to Home".
  8. ^ "Maternal and Child Health — Child rearing practices".
  9. ^ "Early Childhood and Death".
  10. ^ "The Sins of Our Fathers: Beyond Imperfections".
  11. ^ "A HARD LOOK AT ASSIMILATION, PART 2".
  12. ^ a b "Couplings and Un-Couplings in a Land Without Divorce".
  13. ^ a b "LOVE, COURTSHIP IN FILIPINO CULTURE".
  14. ^ "Wedding Traditions in Your Community - Filipino weddings".
  15. ^ "A Filipino funeral".
  16. ^ "Death and Loss in the Philippines".
  17. ^ a b "Filipinos".
  18. ^ "he silent language of the gestures: Nonverbal communication on the Philippines".
  19. ^ "Topic 9: Non-verbal Communication".
  20. ^ "hoy". Urban Dictionary.
  21. ^ "psst". Urban Dictionary.
  22. ^ "On Being Filipino".
  23. ^ "Tips for You When Visiting the Philippines".
  24. ^ "My First and Last Vow".
  25. ^ "The Best Things About Being Filipino".
  26. ^ "How do I get around town?".
  27. ^ "Transportation in the Philippines - by sea, by air, bus, Jeepney, tricycle, or taxi".
  28. ^ "Philippines Phil: Driving in the Philippines, an Outsider's View".
  29. ^ "The Silence of Colonial Mentality".
  30. ^ "That Discussion on Skin Whiteners".
  31. ^ "Mixed Blessing: The Impact f the American Colonial Experience on Politics and Society in the Philippines".
  32. ^ "The Perfect Body".
  33. ^ "Introduction to Philippine Culture".
  34. ^ "The Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas)".
  35. ^ "Cebu Journal - Bohol (pg. 7)".
  36. ^ "Bathrooms".
  37. ^ "What you'd probably like to know, but are afraid to ask".
  38. ^ "Using the toilet in Asia".
  39. ^ "Perfection". Wikiquote.
  40. ^ "The Filipino Spoon and Fork".
  41. ^ "Hot Spots Filipino Cultural Dance - Singkil".
  42. ^ "Chinese Poker Lesson (Pusoy)".
  43. ^ a b "Big Two Poker (Pusoy Dos) Online Lessons".
  44. ^ "The History of Chinese Poker".
  45. ^ "Mancala Games /Sungka".
  46. ^ Brtjes, Charles. "THE SALAGUBONG GONG, A FILIPINO INSECT TOY" (PDF). Harvard University.
  47. ^ "Thoughts on the Bakla, the Filipino gays".

See also

External links

Further reading

  • The debut — Movie exhibiting a gamut of Filipino cultural values and conflicts between Filipino traditions and American cultural values from perspective of a Filipino-Americans.
  • Ignacio L. (Director) (2003). Pangarap ko ang ibigin ka [VHS Tape]. Philippines: Viva Films. — Sharon Cuneta film exhibiting some courtship customs between pinoy and pinay.
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