My philippines
Philippine societyThe 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. Although different in a lot ways, the Filipinos are very hospitable and give appropriate respect to anybody regardless of race, culture and belief.
These traits are generally positive but 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.
There is also a tying between Asian, European and Latin American etiquettes from previous external travelers and explorers who have influenced the Filipino culture as these behaviors and social norms and beliefs are found in the Filipino mainstream culture. Some of these behaviors continue over with Overseas Filipinos.
Family
It should be emphasized that the close familial ties are upheld to the highest extent. 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. A nuclear family is very common among Filipinos. When it comes to the divorce policy in the Philippines it is illegal. President Arroyo provides insight and believe it is “un-Filipino, immoral, unconstitutional and a danger to the Filipino family.” Others point out that in the past that ancestral tribes did practice divorce and that the “reign of the Pope via the Spanish crown” to be the source of such laws.
Courtship amongst the Filipino people is heavily influenced by Spanish and Roman Catholic traditions. Many parents disapprove of girls visiting boys’ homes. Usually, the boy comes to the girl’s house to formally introduce himself to her parents and family. The Filipino must win the Filipina’s parents approval. At home, painful corporal punishment is almost always practiced among the Filipino family as children are often hit as a form of discipline. Filipinos use their belts, hands and canes to hit their children.
Among great distances of the family, balikbayan boxes are transferred through vast distances as some are compelled to move to international territories. These overseas Filipinos send huge boxes called the balikbayan box to their families back in the motherland containing goods, gadgets and/or popular trendy items. They also bring balikbayan boxes when they return to their motherland on vacation to visit their family. Sometimes their families at the Philippines return the favor and send exotic food items only found in the Philippines or indigenous property expressing Filipino workmanship. It is another way to express cultural exchange and a way of helping out their families at home.
Respect
Among the respect due, the use of “Po” and “opo” are common expressions of respect for one’s elders in Tagalog culture (especially true among those living in Luzon). Grandparents and the elderly are also given a gesture of respect by the placing of the back of the senior’s hand (at the fingers) against one’s forehead, called “mano”. Not only is respect due to elders but also among peers. Younger siblings are expected to respect their older brothers and sisters[1], especially by addressing them with the proper honorifics. Filipinos use pakikisama, or camaraderie in English, to maintain a harmonious relationship.
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.
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 that goes: ‘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.’ If you’re at the top-most part, don’t be too high because someday you”ll have a great fall.
There are other expressions of respect such as Amor Propio means concern for self image; Delicadeza means a sense of discretion; and Palabra de Honor means “word of honor.” As a part of Filipino table manners, it is considered disrespectful if someone will not accept hospitality.
Community
The creation of alliances with neighbors and the helping attitude whenever one is in dire need is what Filipinos called bayanihan. 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 more prevalent in some other societies.
There are several ways that Filipinos get around by riding jeepneys, buses and cars. In urban areas, there are trains such as LRT and MRT as well as boats, taxis, and ferries. In rural areas carabaos are often used for transport.[2] 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.[3] The driving style in the country follows that one honks the horn to warn of oncoming vehicle.[4]
Superstition
Before the arrival of the Spaniards and the introduction of Roman Catholicism in the 1500’s, the indigenous inhabitants of the Philippines were adherents of a mixture of animism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Bathala was the supreme God of the Tagalogs, represented by the langit, or sky, but not all the Tagalogs believed in it. The Ninuno, or the ancient ancestors, were the people who taught Filipinos/Tagalogs who will be in the future; they believed in the supreme God. For the Bikolanos, the supreme God was Gugurang. Other Tagalog Gods and Goddesses include araw (sun), buwan (the moon), tala (the stars), and natural objects (such as trees, shrubs, mountains, or rocks). However, they were not the Western kinds of Gods and Goddesses; they were representations for some Filipinos/Tagalogs; or they were representations as gifts. As the 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 (such as Mindanao). Spirits such as the aswang (ghoul), the tikbalang (a creature with the head of a horse and the physique of a man), the kapre (a giant that is seen smoking tobacco), the tiyanak (monster-like, vampire-esque child), the santelmo (fireball), duwende (dwarves and elves), the manananggal (witches that can split their bodies at their torsos and feed on baby’s 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 (incorrectly) describe them as ‘Pagano-Christians.’
Voodoo, psychic surgeons and medicine men and women are commonly practiced in most indigenous Filipino rituals. These spiritual-ritual practices are mostly located in the rural areas, throughout the islands. In Filipino, the people who casts spells and lays curses are called mangkukulam, the people who curse their enemies by putting insects inside their bodies are called mambabarang, and in contrast to these two, the healers of these curses are called albularyo.
Psychic surgeons are people who are seen using sleight-of-hand operations to remove tumors and diseased tissue. These spiritual healers 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. See YouTube video on “Psychic Surgery“.
Wealth and beauty
The belief that “white is beautiful” is held by Filipino women and practised by staying out of the sun to keep one from getting dark. Even at a young age, children are taught and practice this belief.[5] 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.[6] Bias towards favoring white skin came from influential occupations of the Spanish and Americans which many Filipinos still continue to believe today.[7]
Fatness may also be associated with wealth, while being too skinny may be seen as a sign of poverty.
Rebonding and hair relaxing are popular among teenagers. Spa treatments are also famous. Indulging in various salon treatments are a common activity among well-off Filipinos which helps in the rising popularity of salons such as F Salon, Ricky Reyes and David’s salon which includes famous hair stylist such as Fanny Serrano, Jun Encarnacion and Ricky Reyes.
Like in other Asian countries, most Filipinos are myopic (nearsighted).[citation needed] This contributes to the large scale Philippine optical industry, which includes famous eyewear stylist Dr. Vivian Sarabia.
In formal gatherings, men wear Barong Tagalogs, a translucent pearl white shirt, usually made of piña (pineapple) fibers or jusi [hoo-si] (banana) fibers. But in informal settings such as at home or at picnics, Filipinos are either barefoot or wearing slippers. Due to the humid tropical climate, men are often found in a tank top or go barechested, wearing shorts and a towel on their shoulder to wipe away the sweat.[8]
In the rural areas of the country, some resort to bathing naked in public.[9] Those who live near rivers take baths there; natives use river stones analogous to washcloths to scrub themselves. Since water pressure is lacking in many areas of the country, many people resort to using buckets (timba at tabo) for bathing.[10][11] People are so used the routine of using the bucket bath method that they continue to use it even when water pressure is more than adequate for shower use.[12] Places that have adequate water pressure like hotels do have running shower heads.
Death customs in the Philippines
Death in the Philippines is one of the most important occasions in family life, as attested to by a humorous statement that families have large reunions only during “Binyag, Kasal at Libing” (”Baptisms, Weddings and Burials/Funerals”). Once a Filipino dies, it is traditional to hold a wake. Deceased men are dressed in the traditional Barong Tagalog while women are dressed in either black dresses or in their best dress. Relatives that are closer to the deceased are customarily dressed in black, while women use black veils, similar to their Latin American counterparts. Caskets of Filipinos are often covered with glass, with the inner part of the lid containing ribbons with the names of the deceased person’s immediate family. The casket has a crucifix between two candles (nowadays “candles” with electric bulbs) behind it. Flowers are often given in condolence to the family, with a message from the donor written on a ribbon attached to the flowers. Family members keep vigil, pray, eat, talk and socialize with guests. It is traditional, as with the other aspects of Philippine culture, to be hospitable to the guests; this is done by offering food and refreshments to those mourning with the family. After the death of a person, a nine-day period of having a novena of prayers and masses offered up for the deceased is held, although the beginning of the Pasiyam varies, but usually ends the week after the death. Another period follows after death, the 40-day mourning period. Family members usually indicate their state of bereavement by wearing a small, black, rectangular plastic pin on their left breast or breast pocket area. A mass is held at the end of this 40 day period. Common belief states that the soul goes to Heaven after these 40 days, following the belief that Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven after the said period of days. The 1st year death anniversary is also a bit significant, as well as the subsequent birth anniversaries of the deceased.[13] Relatives from foreign lands would also come home to mourn for the deceased. [14] Women are seen wearing black clothings and veils during a funeral. Widows are seen wearing black attires for the whole year.[8]
Communication
Some urban and rural Filipinos often call for attention by saying “hoy!” (meaning: Hey!, in the Tagalog language) or using a rising hiss like a snake by saying “psst.”[15]
In order to greet a friend, or express “what’s up,” one usually whips his head upward for acknowledgment.[16]
The use of lips to point is widely practiced. Instead of using your pointer fingers, Filipinos may point with their lips extended out to indicate the position of an object.[17]
Telecommunications and e-mail are popular as well as the usage of cell phones. Many Filipinos, even those who live in poverty, own mobile phones. Sending SMS messages is a common way of communication, as it is a cheaper way compared to making a call. The Philippines is considered to be the Txt capital of the world sending millions of SMS messages a day.
Celebrations
National Holidays
- February 25 – E.D.S.A Revolution
- April 9 – Araw ng Kagitingan
- May 1 – Labor Day
- June 12 – Independence Day
- August 28 – National Heroes Day
- November 30 – Bonifacio Day
- November 1 – All Saints Day
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 – “Araw ng mga Patay” (Day of the Dead, All Saints Day and All Souls Day). Also known as Undas, taken from the fact it is held on November 1. 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 (Christmas day).
- December 31 – Bisperas ng Bagong Taon (New Year’s Eve).
Arts, culture and music
The Filipino cultural arts cover variety of forms of entertainment. The Music in the Philippines features several styles. Some are contemporary such as Filipino rock and Filipino hip hop. Some are traditional such as Filipino instruments and Filipino folk music. The Cinema of the Philippines has produced many comedies, accounts of hardship, action films, and love movies. Some box office movies includes Ang Tanging Ina which stars Ai-Ai de las Alas; Sukob by Kris Aquino and Claudine Barretto. Filipino entertainment also includes Filipino television shows.
Arts
Weaving is popular in the northern mountain Filipinos. Pottery was also common in pre-Hispanic societies. Ornate carvings are found in the southern Philippine islands. Similarly, wooden art is also quite popular and is displayed in various parts of the home.
Artistic paintings created by Filipinos began in the 17th century during Spanish colonial times and continued until the present, with such revered artists as Luna, Fernando Amorsolo, and Zobel. Other popular artists include Hugo C. Yunzon reflecting an earthy style that touches on indigenous Malay culture in pieces such as Early Risers and Mariang Makiling,[18], Nestor Leynes with Mag-ina Sa Banig, and Tam Austria with Mag-Anak.
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.[19] 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.
Heritage
Cuisine
Filipinos cook a variety of foods influenced by Spanish, and Asian cuisines.
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. Accompanying rice, popular dishes such as adobo (a meat stew made from either pork or chicken), lumpia (meat or vegetable rolls), pancit (noodle dish), and lechón (whole roasted pig) are served on plate.
Other popular cuisines or dish include: afritada, asado, chorizo sausages used in pancit or fried rice, empanadas, mais (corn), mani (roasted peanuts), paksiw (fish or pork, cooked in vinegar and water, some spices like garlic and pepper), pan de sal (salted bread rolls), pescado (fried or grilled fish), torta (omelette). Indigenous Filipino and regional cuisines include: dinuguan, kare-kare (ox-tail stew), kilawen, pinakbet (vegetable stew), pinapaitan, and sinigang (tamarind soup with a vareity of pork, fish or shrimp). Some delicacies eaten by the Filipino people but are reprehensible to some western cultures include balut (boiled egg with a fertilized duckling inside). Another is longenisa a sweet sausage
Popular snacks and deserts indulged are chicharon (deepfried pork or chicken skin), halo-halo (crushed ice with condensed milk, flan, and sliced tropical fruits), puto (little white rice cakes), bibingka (rice cake with butter or magarine and salted eggs), ensaymada (sweet roll with grated cheese on top), polvoron (powder candy), and tsokolate (chocolate) are eaten outside the three main meals. Local liquors such as lambanog, tuba, and basi are served on cup.
World Heritage Sites
Several sites in the country have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and these are the Baroque Churches of the Philippines, The Far Eastern University Art Deco Complex, Historic Town of Vigan, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Banaue Rice Terraces, and Tubbataha Reef Marine Park. There is also a Filipino Heritage Site and society in Tampa, Florida totally dedicated with its own FilFest (Filipino fest).
Native games and sports
Sipa is the national sports in the Philippines. Other popular recreational sports include boxing, patintero, billiards, basketball, chess, ten-pin bowling and football. Boxing, billiards, basketball and soccer are popular among Filipinos. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) was founded in 1975. Dodge ball or mistakenly called as “touch ball” is also a favorite sport of those who play in schools during break time.
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, also called Arnis by westerners, has 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 Indian, Indonesian, Chinese 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.”
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.[20] Pusoy dos is described to be variant where one tries to get rid of all his cards by choosing poker hands wisely.[21] The origin of pusoy came from Chinese pai gow blended with poker[22] and the origin of pusoy dos came from coastal China around 1980[21].
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.[23]
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. Salagubang gong is a toy is described by Harvard entomologist Charles Brtjes in his trip to Negros illustrating a toy using beetles to create a periodic gong effect on the kerosene can as the beetle rotates above the contraption.[24]
Filipino games can also include piko, patintero, jack-en-poy, bang!, bahay-kubo, nanay-tatay, and many more. Many children enjoy these games.
Tribal groups
Certain indigenous groups such as the Negritos, Mangyans, and Manobos who live in remote areas of Luzon, the Visayas, and Palawan 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.
 Negrito photographed by Ken Ilio
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 Tawbuid photographed by Derek Daniel
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Other cultural production
Homosexuality groups
The homosexuality subculture was a product of the 1960s. Gay people express themselves in occupations such as barbershops or beauty professions or in clothing design.[25] They also have their own style of linguistic communication. Homosexuality in the Philippines is widely accepted and viewed as part of normal life, though it is still met with some discrimination because of the nation’s dominant macho population. However, due to the country’s strong Roman Catholic affiliation, gay marriage nor even civil unions are prohibited.
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