People & Culture - Philippines

The Philippines is a country with a blend of many cultures: Malay, Chinese, American, Spanish and Arab. With a population of about 70 million people, it is hard to distinguish the true culture of any one person there. As a result of the past Western colonial rule, with influx of traders and merchants, a unique blend of east and west emerged among the locals in appearance and culture. The Filipinos are divided geographically and culturally into regions with each regional group being recognizable through distinct traits and dialects. There are the llocanos in the north, Tagalogs in the central plains, Visayans from the central islands and the colourful tribesmen and religious Moslems of Mindanao. Tribal communities can be found scattered across the archipelago. The Philippines has more than 111 dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and cultural groups. The Filipinos are harmonious in their interaction with people and respect the spirit of kinship and camaraderie. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino.

The Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today. In Philippines, there are over 170 languages and almost all of them belong to the Austronesian language family. However, only 2 languages are considered official in the country. These are Pilipino and English. About 91.5% of people are Christian Malays, 4% Muslim Malays, 1.5% Chinese and other ethnic groups form 3% of the population. As such, Christianity is widely practiced in Philippines.

Arts and entertainment form an integral part of the lives of the Filipinos. In fact, the locals are always on the lookout for fun. Filipino cultural arts cover a variety of forms of entertainment. Music in the Philippines comes in various styles and some of the contemporary forms of music include rock and hip hop. Of course, there is also the traditional Filipino folk music played with indigenous instruments. Weaving is popular with 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. Filipinos have unique folk dances like tinikling where assistants take two long bamboo sticks and rapidly and rhythmatically clap them together while dancers artistically and daringly try to avoid getting their feet smashed between them. Other parts of Philippines have other forms of dances.

Cuisine in the Philippines is also varied. You can find delectable offerings of Chinese and Spanish flair. Barbecue is also popular, along with the staple rice and vegetables cooked in vinegar and garlic. Tropical fruit is abundant and you will find in the cuisine and in desserts, along with crème caramel. 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. Other dishes include afritada, asado, chorizo sausages (used in pancit or fried rice), corn, fish or pork, cooked in vinegar and water with some spices like garlic and pepper and omelette.