Evolution of Society and Culture in the Philippines

Long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Filipinos had a civilization of
their own. This civilization partly came from the Malay settlers and partly from their
response to the new environment. Many of these customs and traditions, government and
way of life, have come down to the present day, despite the changes brought about by
westernization and modernization. This is why it is possible to know about our distant
past by simply observing some customs and practices that have resisted change and
modernization. Philippine pre-colonial society is both different and the same as in the
present. Some aspects of the pre-colonial period have survived into our time. The
following is a description of the way of life of pre-colonial Filipinos.

Mode of Dressing

male attire was composed of the kanggan (sleeveless jacket) and bahag
(loincloth)
the color of the kanggan indicates rank red for the chief, black or blue
for the commoners
men also wear a turban called putong, which also tell the social
status/achievement of the individual wearing it
female attire consisted of baro or camisa (jacket with sleeves) and saya or
patadyong (a long skirt); some women wore a piece of red or white cloth
on top of their skirt called tapis

Ornaments

men and women wore ornaments to look attractive

both wear kalumbiga, pendants, bracelets, and leglets
these ornaments were made of gold
some wore gold fillings between the teeth
tattoos were also fashionable for some pre-colonial Filipinos; they also
exhibit a mans war record
Islas del Pintados term coined by the Spaniards for the Visayans

The Filipino Cultural Awareness

Bayanihan: the creation of association with neighbors and the helping atittude whenever
one is in disastrous need. Oftentimes, the Bayanihan spirit in action can be seen when a
bus gets a flat tire. The by standing or surrounding Filipinos would help the bus driver in
whatever actions to get the bus back on going.
Close Family Ties: Filipinos are well-known for the close family ties. The primary
social welfare system for the Filipino is the family. Many filipinos live near their family
for most of their lives, even as independent adults.
Pakikisama: Pakikisama, or harmony, in English, involves getting along with others to
preserve a harmonious relationship.
Hiya: Hiya is shame and is a motivating factor behind behavior. It is a sense of social
decency and compliant to public norms of behavior. Filipinos believe they must live up to
the accepted standards of behavior and if they fail to do so they bring shame not only
upon themselves, but also upon their family. An example might be a willingness to spend
more than they can afford on a party rather than be shamed by their economic situation. If

someone is publicly embarrassed, criticized, or does not live up to expectations, they feel
shame and lose self-esteem.
Utang na Loob: Utang na Loob, or Debt of Gratitude, is owed by one to a person who
has helped him through the trials he had undergone. There is a local saying: 'Ang hindi
lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makararating sa paroroonan', meaning, 'One who
does not look back to where he started, will not get to where he is going'.
o Amor Propio: Concern for self-image.
o Delicadeza: Sense of honor
o Palabra de Honor: "word of honor"
Although these traits are generally positive, these practices also have the inclination to be
applied in the wrong context. A debt of gratitude is sometimes repaid by giving special
favors to the other person regardless of the moral outcome. Close familial ties can also
lead to favoritism.
Folk Traditions and Beliefs

Before the coming of the Spaniards and the introducing of Roman Catholicism, the
indigenous inhabitants were believer of animism, or the worship of nature. As in Roman
Catholicism, their pre-Hispanic beliefs consisted of a hierarchy of gods, goddesses, and
spirits which bear similarity to that of Roman Catholicism, which is why the latter has
been accepted easily by the inhabitants. Bathala was the supreme God of the Tagalogs,
symbolized by the araw, or sun. The supreme God of the Bikolanos was Gugurang. Other
Tagalog Gods and Goddesses include the buwan or moon, tala or stars, and even objects,
such as trees, shrubs, mountains, or rocks. The spirits consist of aswang (ghoul),
tikbalang (a man having the head of a horse), kapre (a giant that is smoking tobacco),
tiyanak (vampire feeding on children's blood), santelmo (fireball), dwende (dwarves and
elves), ik-ik (witches), and a lot of engkanto (minor spirits) and diwata (fairies/nymphs).
Aside from that, voodoo practices were practiced by the pre-colonial inhabitants, such as
pangkukulam, or witchcraft. Beliefs such as usog (a child greeted by a stranger will get
sick) and lihi (unusual craving for something during pregnancy) are also present. These
beliefs were carried on up to the present generation of Filipinos, which has directed some
foreign authors to describe them as 'Pagan-Christians'
Changes of Culture and Society
The Great Paradox

Despite the changes that have occurred in human life during the last 10,000 years, the
majority of societies changed very little during their entire existence. Rapid social and
cultural change has been the exception rather than the rule until recently. In most
societies, life changed very little from one generation to the next, or even from one
century to the next.

The parts that fail to change, however, are eliminated from the system. A process of
selection has been at work in the world system of societies, favoring larger, more
powerful societies at the expense of small, less powerful ones (54).

Continuity & Change in Individual Societies

Human societies are essentially adaptive mechanisms the means of which human
populations strive to satisfy their varied needs and desires. Sometimes this is
accomplished by preserving traditional ways of doing things, and sometimes by adopting
new and innovative ways. In human societies we find ample evidence of both continuity
and change.

Social & Cultural Continuity

Change in a society is largely a cumulative process. This is why sociocultural systems

have grown so much more complex over the course of history.

There are a number of reasons for the persistence of social and cultural elements in
society.

1.
One major reason is that in the absence of a clearly better alternative, people will
continue to do what works.

2.
Cultural elements are also preserved if they are perceived by enough people as
useful in answering their individual or personal needs.

3.
Sometimes elements of culture are preserved not because they are superior solutions
to problems but simply because they ensure standardized behavioral responses in
situations where these are essential.

4.

5. The socialization process is also a force for continuity within societies. Through this
process the members of a society acquire the belief that their culture is a precious
resource and worth preserving.

6. The effort to pass culture on to the next generation is reinforced by ideologies that
preserve valued insights of the past.

7.

Social & Cultural Change

In spite of the forces promoting continuity, change occurs in society. Social and cultural
change is of 2 basic types. (1) (Innovation) sometimes it involves the addition of new
elements to the existing system and (2) (extinction) sometimes it involves the elimination
of older elements.

Social & Cultural Extinction

Because of social and cultural innovations, societies are often faced with choices between
competing alternatives, and this leads to a process of selection. Although it is the
members who make the choice which shape their society, everyone does not have an
equal choice.

Societal Growth & Development

Most societies changed little during the course of their existence. Moreover, most
changes were insignificant. Occasionally, however, more significant changes have
occurred. These are divided into two groups: (1) Changes in subsistence technology and
(2) the role of ideology in societal growth and development.

Subsistence Technologys Role in Societal Growth and Development

Subsistence technology refers to those elements of societys store of information that

enable it to obtain the energy its members require and provides the key to understanding

Another cause of continuity is the cost involved in changing.

The systemic nature of human societies is a major force for continuity.

societal growth and development. Advances in subsistence technology are a necessary

precondition for any significant increase in either the size or complexity of any society. In
short, technology defines the limits of what is possible for a society.

Technology also affects the choices that are made by influencing the costs of various
alternatives.

Where technological advances have occurred, they have enabled the members of societies
to act as if they had acquired a new and improved genetic heritage. Technological
advances are functionally equivalent to the important kinds of changes that occur in the
course of biological evolution.

Advances in subsistence technology stimulate advances in other technologies and lead to

growth in the size and complexity of a society.

2.

Whenever its technology presents it with a range of options, a societys beliefs and values
always come into play. These often have little effect on societal growth and development.
When the beliefs and values involved are felt to be sufficiently important, however, a
society may reject the most economical solution to its needs in favor of a solution that is
ideologically preferable.

Since one of the consequences of technological advances is that it increases the range of
options available to societies and their members, such advance leads to a greater scope
for the exercise of beliefs and values. Advanced societies have more choices available to
them than societies of the past and they are freer to apply diverse ideologies in making
their decisions.

Change in the World System of Societies

In the latter part of the 20th century we are witnessing what appears to be the emergence
of a single global culture, as societies around the world increasingly adopt similar culture,
values, and language (70).

1.

The key to the major changes that have occurred in the world system of societies in the
last 10,000 years is the process of intersocietal selection that has drastically reduced the
number of societies.

Not all differences that have developed among societies have been equally important
from the standpoint of intersocietal selection. Differences that influenced societal growth
and development have been especially important, because societies that have grown in
size and developed in complexity and military power have been much more likely to
survive and transmit their cultures and institutional patters than societies that have
preserved traditional social and cultural patterns and minimized innovation.

Intersocietal selection is not always a violent process. Sometimes societies collapse

simply because of insufficient support from their members. This is especially likely to
occur when a less developed society comes into that is more highly developed.

2.

Ideologys Role in Societal Growth & Development

Societal Variation and Intersocietal Selection

A Model of Evolution of the World System of Societies

Building on what we have learned about the process of intersocietal selection, we can
now construct a model of the evolutionary process that explains the trends in the world
system of societies in recent millennia.