Culture

Filipino culture is largely a fusion of the indigenous traditions of the Philippines with the Spanish and American cultures. It has also been significantly influenced by Chinese, Indonesian and Indian cultures.

Cultural Influences

Hispanic Influence

The Hispanic influences in Filipino culture are largely derived from the culture of Spain as a result of over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule through Mexico City. These Hispanic influences are most evident in Roman Catholic Church religious festivals. Filipinos hold major festivities known as barrio fiestas to commemorate their patron saints. However, the most visible Hispanic legacy is the prevalence of Spanish surnames among Filipinos. This peculiarity, unique among the people of Asia, came as a result of a colonial decree for the systematic distribution of family names and implementation of the Spanish naming system on the inhabitants of the Philippines. A Spanish surname in the Philippines does not necessarily denote Spanish ancestry. But there are many other traces of Spanish culture in the country, such as names of countless streets, towns and provinces, which are also named in Spanish. Spanish architecture also made a major imprint in the Philippines. This can be seen especially in the country's churches, government buildings and universities. Many Hispanic style houses and buildings have been preserved for protection and conservation, such as the Spanish colonial town in Vigan City. Filipino cuisine is also heavily influenced by Spanish cuisine.

American Influence

The use of English language in the Philippines is contemporaneous and is America's visible legacy. The most commonly played sport in the Philippines is basketball. There is also a wide 'imitation' of American cultural trends, such as the love of fast-food; many street corners boast fast-food outlets. Aside from the American commercial giants such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King and KFC, local fast-food chains have also sprung up, including Goldilocks, Jollibee, Greenwich Pizza, and Chowking. Modern day Filipinos also listen to contemporary American music and watch American movies. However, Original Pilipino Music (also known as OPM) and Philippine movies are also widely appreciated.

Chinese Influence

The Chinese influences in Filipino culture are most evident in Filipino cuisine. The prevalence of noodles, known locally as mami, are a testament of the Chinese cuisine. Other Chinese influences include linguistic borrowings and the occasional Chinese derived surnames.

Native Culture

In spite of external influences, native moral codes, respect of family, veneration of elders, and friendliness, all remain intact. Filipinos honour national heroes whose works and deeds contributed to the shaping of the Filipino nation. José Rizal is the most celebrated ilustrado, a Spanish-speaking reformist visionary whose writings contributed greatly in nurturing a sense of national identity and awareness. His novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo originally written in Spanish, are required readings for Filipino students, and provide vignettes of colonial life under the Spanish rule.

As with many cultures, music (which includes traditional music) and leisure activities are an important aspect of the Filipino society. Various sports are also enjoyed, including boxing, basketball, badminton and billiards being popular games in the country.

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.

Architecture

Pre-Hispanic architecture is usually characterised by the use of indigenous wood materials. The bahay kubo is the mainstream form of housing. It is characterised 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 characterised 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 centre of most towns. Colonial era architecture still survives in Intramuros and Vigan.

Contemporary architecture usually favours 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.

Dance

Filipinos have unique folk dances such as tinikling where assistants take two long bamboo sticks rapidly and rhythmically clap the sticks ftogether. The dancers must artistically and daringly try to avoid getting their feet caught between them. Also in the southern part of the Philippines, there is another dance called singkil using the long bamboo poles found in tinikling; Four of these bamboo sticks arranged in a noughts-and-crosses pattern in which the dancers exploit every position of these clashing sticks. Dancers can be found trying to avoid all four 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.

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), all of which have gained the county international success.

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, and now 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, track and field, tennis, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, and volleyball.

There are also many styles of traditional Filipino Martial Arts. 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.'