The Philippines: Culture and Tradition

Filipino people are known as settlers in many parts of the world. They are like the

chameleon who easily adapts to different environments. They thrive to survive. Survival of the

fittest is their banner. The Republic of the Philippines was named to honor King Philip II of Spain

in 1543. Filipinos are originally from the southern part of Asia. People from countries like China,

India, the United States and Spain married Filipinos resulting in a great deal of stock blending. 79

indigenous ethnic groups compose the Filipino people. According to Wikipedia, the last five

hundred years of eventful history of the country added an impact to the cultural blend of the Asian

and Western population. The colonial reign of the Spaniards in 1570-1898 as well as the Americans

in 1903-1946, resulted in the expansion of Christian values, which gave an identity to every

Filipino. And the interaction with other countries’ cultures, like the ones from China, India,

Indonesia and Malaysia, gave a specific Asian touch to the cultural heritage of the Philippines.

There are 175 estimated languages spoken in the Philippines. Almost all are classified as

Malayo-Polynesian languages. Among those languages, there are 13 indigenous languages with

nearly 1 million speakers. For more than three centuries Spanish was the official language under

Spain’s colonial rule. It was spoken by 60% of the population as either a first, second or third

language in the early 20th century. However, the use of Spanish began to decline after the United

States occupation in the early 1900’s. In 1935 the Constitution of the Philippines named English

and Spanish the official languages. In 1939 the Tagalog language was named the national

language. The language was renamed “Pilipino” in 1959 and finally “Filipino” in 1973. The

present Constitution names Filipino and English as joint official languages.

The Philippines is a country that has varied cultural influences. Most of these influences

are results of previous colonization, deriving mainly from the culture of Spain and the United
States. Despite all of these influences, the old Asian culture of Filipinos has been retained and are

clearly seen in their way of life, beliefs and customs. Wherever you go, Filipino culture is very

evident and has largely been appreciated and even applauded in many parts of the world.

Filipinos are very fond of music. They use various materials to create sound. They love

performing dances (Tiniking and Carinosa) and group singing during festive celebrations. Settlers

from Spain introduced to them a variety of musical instruments like the ukulele, trumpet, drums

and violin. Most of their music is contemporary and they have also learned to write their own

songs based on real life events. People are also fond of folklore, which was influenced by the early

church and Spanish literature. Jose Rizal, the country’s national hero, is famous for his literature

and novels inspired from the independence story of the country

The Philippines has a very unique culture due to the influences of colonization and the

surrounding countries. Filipino people are very hardworking and strive to make life better for the

next generation of their family. The melting pot theory that is evident in this culture makes this

country a vibrant, exciting and diverse place to live and visit.