WHAT ARE THE COMMON TRAITS OF THE PHILIPPINES

1. Hospitability. Its one of the most popular traits of Filipinos. We are usually friendly and welcoming to
our guests. This Filipino attribute makes the Philippines one of the most favorite destinations by tourists
who want to enjoy the beauty of our nature and the friendliness of our people, not to mention we can also
understand and speak English.
2. Adaptability and resilience. Despite of all the calamities that struck our country, like the strong
earthquake and Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that devastated the central part of Visayas in 2013,
Filipinos are persistent enough to get back on their feet, even without the solid help from the government.
We can also adapt to any type of environment and mingle with any kind of people all over the world.
3. Resourcefulness and creativity. Filipinos are known for ingenuity. We are creative in many ways,
whether its in art, music, science, technology and business. Some of our smartest countrymen can come
up with a brilliant idea despite of poverty or lack of financial resources. We are also good in recycling
trash and turn them into ingenious products.
4. Faithfulness. The Filipinos are one of the most faithful people in the world. Whatever our religion is,
we remain faithful and we dont lose hope for a better tomorrow. Our faithfulness and hopefulness keep
us kind, positive, peaceful and determined to achieve our goals no matter how impossible they may
seem.
5. Unity in bayanihan spirit. We are in close relationship with our neighbors. In barangays and most
subdivisions, the people in the neighborhood know each other, talk each other, help each other, and
protect each other. Our communities are organized. We help each other to make our fiestas, festivals and
other events lively and colorful to make sure that our visitors will have a great experience.
6. Thriftiness. There may be Filipinos who are living beyond their means. But on the brighter side, there
are also many Filipinos who are frugal. We shop wisely to save our money for future important uses. We
are conscious on the price tag, discounts and quality of the products we buy to get the most out of our
money. Filipino parents also do sacrifices like skipping the stuff they want to buy for themselves just to
save their money to buy things that can make their children happy.
7. Politeness. Filipinos are courteous people. The children and young Filipinos will always use the words
po and opo to show respect to someone whos older or whos in the higher position than them. We also

do the mano po gesture (bringing the back of the hand of an elder to ones forehead) as a sign of
respect to our elders. Moreover, Filipino workers will always address their customers with sir or maam
to show humility and honor to serve them.
8. Family-oriented. Filipinos are willing to make big sacrifices just to make sure that their loved ones will
have a good life. Our parents will do anything just to give us a brighter future. They are even willing to
work in a foreign soil just to achieve such goal. And in return, we study hard and even sacrifice our
personal love life just to fulfill the dreams of our parents for us. Furthermore, many Filipino breadwinners
work extraordinarily hard just to earn money to support their family.
9. Bravery. Theres a heros blood running on our veins. We have the most fearless heroes who only
think of defending our homeland. Remember Lapu-Lapu, Andress Bonifacio and Jose Rizal. Moreover,
our soldiers are probably the bravest in the world. General Douglas MacArthur was even quoted saying
Give me ten thousand Filipino soldiers and I will conquer the world.
10. Jolliness and sense of humor. The Philippines is a country of smiles. Nothing can take away the
humor and jolliness of many Filipinos not even super typhoon Yolanda the strongest recorded
typhoon that made a landfall. Despite of the tragedy, Yolanda survivors can still be seen smiling, positive
and hopeful to rebuild their lives even better. The Filipino humor is evident everywhere, from comedy
films, TV shows, to every Filipino you will meet.
11. Discretion and dignity. Perhaps many of our politicians dont have a delicadeza. But our people,
especially the Filipinas, still observe delicadeza. Despite of the growing number of Filipinos who are
giving up their delicadeza, there are still many Filipinos who always think twice before they make a
decision that can affect their dignity and honor. Thanks to their parents who raised them up with high
moral standards.
12. Gratefulness. Aside from being hospitable, Filipinos are also thankful. We dont forget anyone who
helped us, whether he (she) is a Filipino or not. We even build monuments to show our utmost respect
and gratitude to our heroes and other foreign personalities who helped the Filipino people. We show
ourwarmest gratitude to the international communities who helped us rebuild our lives after Haiyan and
other disasters struck us.

13. Honesty and commitment. Perhaps palabra de honor is not evident among our politicians, but its
still evident among the common Filipinos. When we make a promise, we try our best to fulfill that promise
even if it will undermine ourselves. For us, to fulfill a promise to others is a great self fulfillment. We are
also candor. What we see in you, we will tell you frankly.
14. Helpfulness. Finally, even if the Philippines is not a big and rich country, we still grant aids to other
countries in need. We also send our brave soldiers to protect other nations from threats and to preserve
world peace.
Originally, we are rich in good values, morals, attitudes and habits. They are the legacies that our
ancestors have left us. Maybe some of these qualities are already fading and becoming rare among
Filipinos. But we can still do something to preserve them. Lets protect our moral treasures! Lets start
preserving them within ourselves. Then lets serve as a model of these good habits to inspire our
countrymen to do the same.

SPANISH ERA IN THE PHILIPPINES

Although the archipelago may have been visited before by the Portuguese, the earliest documented
European expedition to the Philippines was that led by Ferdinand Magellan, in the service of the king
of Spain. The expedition first sighted the mountains of Samar at dawn on the 16th March 1521,

making landfall the following day at the small, uninhabited island of Homonhon at the mouth of
the Leyte Gulf. On Easter Sunday, 31 March 1521, at Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte, as is stated
in Pigafetta's Primo Viaggio Intorno El Mondo (First Voyage Around the World), Magellan solemnly
planted a cross on the summit of a hill overlooking the sea and claimed for the king of Spain
possession of the islands he had seen, naming them Archipelago of Saint Lazarus.

Political system
The Spanish quickly organized their new colony according to their model. The first task was the
reduction, or relocation of native inhabitants into settlements. The earliest political system used
during the conquista period was the encomienda system, which resembled the feudal system in
medieval Europe. The conquistadores, friars and native nobles were granted estates, in exchange
for their services to the King, and was given the privilege to collect tribute from its inhabitants. In
return, the person granted theencomienda, known as an encomendero, was tasked to provide
military protection to the inhabitants, justice and governance. In times of war, the encomendero was
duty bound to provide soldiers for the King, in particular, for the complete defense of the colony from
invaders such as the Dutch, British and Chinese. The encomienda system was abused
by encomenderos and by 1700 was largely replaced by administrative provinces, each headed by
an alcalde mayor (provincial governor). The most prominent feature of Spanish cities was the plaza,
a central area for town activities such as the fiesta, and where government buildings, the church, a
market area and other infrastructures were located. Residential areas lay around the plaza. During
the conquista, the first task of colonization was the reduction, or relocation of the indigenous
population into settlements surrounding the plaza.
National government
On the national level, the King of Spain, via his Council of the Indies (Consejo de las Indias),
governed through his representative in the Philippines, the Governor-General of the
Philippines (Gobernador y Capitn General). With the seat of power in Intramuros, Manila, the
Governor-General was given several duties: head of the supreme court, the Royal Audiencia of
Manila; Commander-in-chief of the army and navy, and the economic planner of the country. All
executive power of the local government stemmed from him and as regal patron, he had the
authority to supervise mission work and oversee ecclesiastical appointments. His yearly salary was

40,000 pesos. The Governor-General was usually a peninsular Spaniard, a Spaniard born in Spain,
to ensure loyalty of the colony to the crown.
Provincial government
On the provincial level, heading the pacified provinces (alcaldia), was the provincial governor
(alcalde mayor). The unpacified military zones (corregimiento), such as Mariveles and Mindoro, were
headed by the corregidores. City governments (ayuntamientos), were also headed by an alcalde
mayor. Alcalde mayors and corregidores exercised multiple prerogatives as judge, inspector
of encomiendas, chief of police, tribute collector, capitan-general of the province and even vice-regal
patron. His annual salary ranged from P300 to P2000 before 1847 and P1500 to P1600 after it. But
this can be augmented through the special privilege of "indulto de commercio" where all people were
forced to do business with him. The alcalde mayor was usually an Insulares (Spaniard born in the
Philippines). In the 19th century, the Peninsulares began to displace the Insulares which resulted in
the political unrests of 1872, notably the execution of GOMBURZA, Novales Revolt and mutiny of
the Cavite fort under La Madrid.
Municipal government
The pueblo or town is headed by the Gobernadorcillo or little governor. Among his administrative
duties were the preparation of the tribute list (padron), recruitment and distribution of men for draft
labor, communal public work and military conscription (quinto), postal clerk and judge in minor civil
suits. He intervened in all administrative cases pertaining to his town: lands, justice, finance and the
municipal police. His annual salary, however, was only P24 but he was exempted from taxation. Any
native or Chinese mestizo, 25 years old, literate in oral or written Spanish and has been a Cabeza
de Barangay of 4 years can be a Gobernadorcillo. Among those prominent is Emilio Aguinaldo, a
Chinese Mestizo and who was the Gobernadorcillo of Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit). The officials of the
pueblo were taken from the Principala, the noble class of pre-colonial origin. Their names are
survived by prominent families in contemporary Philippine society such as Duremdes, Lindo, Tupas,
Gatmaitan, Liwanag, Pangilinan, Panganiban, Balderas, and Agbayani, Apalisok, Aguinaldo to name
a few.

Barrio government
Every pueblo was further divided into "barrios", and the barrio government (village or district) rested
on the barrio administrator (cabeza de barangay). He was responsible for peace and order and
recruited men for communal public works. Cabezas should be literate in Spanish and have good
moral character and property. Cabezas who served for 25 years were exempted from forced labor. In
addition, this is where the sentiment heard as, "Mi Barrio", first came from.
The Residencia and the Visita
To check the abuse of power of royal officials, two ancient castilian institutions were brought to the
Philippines. The Residencia, dating back to the 5th century and the Visita, which differed from
the residencia in that it was conducted clandestinely by a visitador-general sent from Spain and
might occur anytime within the officials term, without any previous notice. Visitas may be specific or
general.
Maura law
The legal foundation for municipal governments in the country was laid with the promulgation of
the Maura Law on May 19, 1893. Named after its author, Don Antonio Maura, the Spanish Minister
of Colonies at the time, the law reorganized town governments in the Philippines with the aim of
making them more effective and autonomous. This law created the municipal organization that was
later adopted, revised, and further strengthened by the American and Filipino governments that
succeeded Spanish.

Economy
Manila-Acapulco galleon trade
The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade was the main source of income for the colony during its early
years. Service was inaugurated in 1565 and continued into the early 19th century. The Galleon trade
brought silver from New Spain, which was used to purchase Asian goods such as silk from China,
spices from the Moluccas, lacquerware from Japan and Philippine cotton textiles.These goods were
then exported to New Spain and ultimately Europe by way of Manila. Thus, the Philippines earned its
income through the trade of the Manila-Acapulco Galleon.

The trade was very prosperous and attracted many merchants to Manila, especially the Chinese.
However, initially it neglected the development of the colony's local industries which affected the
Indios, since agriculture was their main source of income. In addition, the building and operation of
galleons put too much burden on the colonists' annual polo y servicio.
However, it resulted in cultural and commercial exchanges between Asia and the Americas that led
to the introduction of new crops and animals to the Philippines such as corn, potato, tomato, cotton
and tobacco among others, that gave the colony its first real income. The trade lasted for over two
hundred years, and ceased in 1815 just before the secession of American colonies from Spain.
Royal Society of Friends of the Country
Jos de Basco y Vargas, following a royal order to form a society of intellectuals who can produce
new, useful ideas, formally established the Spanish Royal Economic Society of Friends of the
Country, after the model of the Royal Basque Society. Composed of leading men in business,
industry and profession, the society was tasked to explore and exploit the island's natural bounties.
The society led to the creation of Plan General Economico of Basco which implemented the
monopolies on the areca nut, tobacco, spirited liquors and explosives.
The Society offered local and foreign scholarships and training grants in agriculture and established
an academy of design. It was also credited to the carabao ban of 1782, the formation of the
silversmiths and gold beaters guild and the construction of the first papermill in the Philippines in
1825. It was introduced in 1780, vanished temporarily in 1787-1819, 18201822 and 1875-1822 and
ceased to exist in the middle of the 1890s.