Filipino Culture and Traditions

PHILTECH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INC. SUBJECT: PHILIPPINE CULTURE AND GEOGRAPHY WEEK 9 (OCTOBER 26-31, 2020) LESSON 9: Filipino Culture and Traditions Topics: Filipino Culture and Traditions Learning Outcomes: At the end of this session, you will be able to: Understand the Filipino Culture Explain different traditions of the Filipinos LET’S START: Geography and History Influence Identity The Philippines is located in an archipelago constituting over 7,000 islands. The history of the country is that of immigration and occupation, also gives clues to the people's identity: Before the Spanish invasion in 1521, the inhabitants were descended from Negritos, Malays, Indonesians, Chinese and Muslims. The first Spanish arrived in 1521. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi amalgamated Spanish power in 1564. Spanish occupation and Catholicism unified the country. During the 1890s, José Rizal inspired Filipinos to seek independence. Americans occupied the Philippines from 1902. The islands were given commonwealth status in 1933. The Philippines gained independence on July 4, 1946. Language 'Taglish' is something you hear a lot in the Philippines, especially in Manila, Luzon, Mindoro and Marinduque. As the word suggests, it combines Tagalog, the most widely spoken language, and English. In 1987, a variant of Tagalog became the base for the official language of the Philippines. Tagalog and English are used profusely for education and business, and Tagalog has the most literature of all the Filipino languages. 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. Family Family bonds are important to Filipinos. The elderly are honored and respected and children are taught to say 'po' and 'apo,' showing respect to their grandparents, from an early age. There is a special greeting to show veneration, 'mano,' whereby you take the hand of an elderly person and place it on your forehead as if receiving his blessing. The basic social unit of the country is the family, which also includes the intermediate family members (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins) and other outside relations (godparents and close friends). As such, many children have several godparents and when parents are out of the country to work, children are mostly left to the grandparents to watch over them. It is common for members of the same family to work for the same company, a practice which was influenced by the first Chinese settlers in the Philippines. Filipino families live in different kinds of house structures depending on their status or area. For families in rural areas, they live in a nipa hut which is made of bamboo and roofed with leaves from palm trees or corrugated metal. Filipinos that are ranked as “middle class” live in houses made of bricks and stones. Extended Family Extended families live together and even distant members are given the title of cousin. Children have several sets of godparents so that the support system is strong. There may be a few houses grouped on the same piece of land, or in the same neighborhood so that children from different parents are part of one household and single aunts and uncles, or grandparents look after them while parents work. The major festivals are celebrated together. If a family originates outside the city, they journey back to the rural area where they have their roots to celebrate. Courtship and Marriage Close-knit relationships between relatives and friends mean that young people often marry others already known to their families. Whether this is the case or not it is traditional that 'pamanhikan' occurs, and the suitor's parents visit the bride's family to ask for her hand in marriage. From this point on the prospective groom expects to make himself as useful as possible to his fiancé family. Long Engagements Marriage is a serious affair and engagements often last for several years while the couple work, save for a home, and if necessary pay for siblings' education. Friends and relatives may help sponsor the marriage which cuts expenses. Marriage There are various kinds of weddings according to family wishes, religion, whether the geographical location is rural or urban. Over the last century, it has become fashionable for brides to wear white, imitating the Western style of dress, however, if a couple has a tribal wedding, they will wear traditional attire. Festivals and National Holidays Filipinos know how to party. No matter when you travel, there is bound to be a holiday or festival. If you're visiting the Philippines, Filipino Travel Center has a useful calendar of festivals. Every municipality has a patron saint whose day is celebrated extravagantly in the homes and streets. Residents anticipate the event for months in advance. A feast is prepared and they go from one house to another tasting dish. The church and plaza are decorated with lights and bunting, and a procession is held with dancing and music. According to the festival, Filipinos dress up in vivid costumes, sporting masks and headdresses. Fireworks and firecrackers complete the excitement. Other holidays include Christmas, Rizal Day, which takes place on 30 December making it part of the New Year's Day celebration, Easter, All Saints Eve, and secular holidays like Bataan Death March, Labor Day, and Independence Day on 12 June. Sino-Filipinos celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chinatown, Manila, and Muslims enjoy the Islamic Feasts for the end of Ramadan and the Haj. Christmas is one of the most loved celebration by Filipinos. Families and relatives gather on the 24th of December, to celebrate food prepared for “Noche Buena,” a Spanish term which means “midnight meal” to greet Christmas Day. New Year is another celebration that gathers the Filipino families. Wearing dotted clothes and preparing round fruits on the table, which symbolize prosperity, is one of the many customs of the Filipinos. Etiquette Much of the etiquette of the Philippines stems from the desire to prevent loss of face. A person might agree to an action even though they have no intention of doing it; when it is not carried through it is understood that the act would have been embarrassing. All perfectly comprehensible to Filipinos although confusing to Westerners. By understanding certain points of social and business etiquette you avert frustration or embarrassment. Commisceo Global offers tips to prevent social blunders. Wait to be asked more than once before accepting food. Take sweets or flowers as gifts; not chrysanthemums or white lilies. Introduce people from oldest to youngest. Refer to them by their full title. Women should not drink alcohol or cross their legs in public. Dress formally and compliment the hostess on the house. Conducting Business You are certain to be greeted with a smile as you travel around the Philippines. Personal relations are important and Filipinos are sensitive to the feelings of others. If you are conducting business in the Philippines, you should be aware of how professional relationships work. According to the translation company, Kwintessential, there are important factors to take into account: The business relationship is with you, rather than your business, so if you leave, the relationship breaks and needs to be rebuilt by your replacement. Try to build extended networks. Arrange interviews face-to-face and don't rely on fax, email or telephone. Accept food or drink, so you don't to offend. Socialize after the meeting. Be aware that the people you meet might not be those making the final decision. Food Geographical location and ethnicity mean that food varies from area to area. It is spicy but not eye- watering hot. There is one staple true to all; when in the Philippines you will always see plain steamed rice on the menu. Filipinos are big eaters, even though it is not obviously seen in their petite bodies. The Philippines is known as Asia’s melting pot because of the uniqueness and variety of their food. Filipinos can’t go a day without including rice in their meals. They love plain rice matched with salted fish, chicken and meat. They serve rice first followed by the various viands they have grown to eat and cook. Filipinos have a very regular eating schedule: morning, mid-morning, lunch, afternoon (merienda) and dinner. They enjoy a variety of sweet foods adopted from other countries which encouraged them to make their own desserts like “mahablanca” a dessert made of coconut milk, corn, sugar, or “puto” and “palitaw” which are also made of coconut milk. They also enjoy eating “halo-halo” for their afternoon snack which means “mixture,” a popular dessert that consists of layers of cornflakes, ice cream, small pieces of gelatin, milk and shaved ice. During special occasions like a town’s big event in celebration of their saint’s feast, a favorite food called “lechon,” a suckling pig that has been roasted until the skin turns crusty is served. Some street foods are also common in the country like the famous “balut,” a boiled duck egg with an embryo, and fish and squid balls on a stick that are dipped on spicy and sweet sauces.

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