)enerally follogws the proscriptions of the Roman Catholic

church, but cousin marriages of all Marr

iage (kasal degrees occur. The degree permitted or encouraged
varies from area to area and from family to family; however,
there is frequently pressure to marry within the third degree and
if possible within the local group. Divorce ( diborsiyo ) has not
been legal for centuries, but separation ( hiwalay ) occurs.
Domestic Unit. In rural areas, where dwelling space is less
limited, the preferred pattern is for each nuclear family to have a
separate dwelling as soon as possible. Normally one child and
spouse remain in the parental home, but as population pressure
increases multiple households are increasingly becoming the
rule. Parents share household chores and care of children. As
children are able, they take over many household duties
including care of their younger siblings and cooking. Frequently,
the wife begins to engage in more intense economic activities.
There are usually three or more generations present in the
household, but in most cases only one or two nuclear families
with young children.
Inheritance. The root term for inheritance is mana. Personal property is
inherited equally by siblings. Houses usually become the property of the
child who has remained to care for the parents. Rights to tenancies or
ownership of land can either descend in a strictly bilateral fashion
leading to segmentation of holdings of sibling groups over the
generations, or be maintained by naming one sibling steward, with all
having a share in the land's output dependent upon input.
Socialization. Young children are cared for by members of the
household, extended family, and neighbors in general ( mga kapitbahay
or paligid ). Probably one of the more crucial experiences a Tagalog
undergoes comes upon assuming responsibility for a younger sibling,
cousin, or other relative. The residential and extended family group is
the nurturing environment, and provides opportunities for the building of
much utang na loob.

in the Introduction

The Filipino culture is an exuberant story that tells of the

nation's journey through the centuries. Customs reflect the
people's faith, their oneness with others, their affinity with
nature, and their celebration of life.
The Filipino's charm lies in their smiles, in the numerous
religious festivals that venerate nature, the Divine and the
cycles of life and in the virtue of pakikipag-kapwa tao that
treasures relationships, with friends and strangers alike.
The concept of kapwa(others) is at the core of the Filipino
soul. A Filipino scholar says of the Filipino: the joy of his
being is in being with others.
The nation's charm is in the diversity in ways of life
across the archipelago, the resplendent colors of its folk
arts and the cacophony of foreign influences that have
found roots in the Filipino languages, customs and
traditions.
And so there are the bright Santacruzan festivals in May,
with pagan origins but portraying strong Christian
symbols, and an extended romance with Christmas in
December. There are the passionate Hispanic tempos in
the dances of the plains of Luzon, the elegant Muslim
dances for wars and weddings from Mindanao, and the
ancient strains of indigenous music in the highlands. The
country has quaint town squares that remind the spectator
of its colonial past, light breezy huts with fences decked
with bougainvillas along the country lanes, sprawling
malls, high-rises and frantic city avenues, houses made of
stones in typhoon-strewn islands in the North and houses
on stilts in the South.
Another writer observes that the Filipinos tendency
towards passionate profusion and unrestrained exuberance
in his art stems from his exposure to nature's lush,
magnificent landscapes around him the whole year
through. Thus the richly embroidered Barong
Tagalog (national dress), baroque architecture 19th
century and the flaming spectrum of colors in jeepney
passenger cars, ice cream carts, Christmas
lanterns, kalesa (horse carriages), fiestas and religious
processions.
Filipinos worship devoutly in their cathedrals and
mosques (the busy urban dwellers attend religious
services inside shopping malls and al fresco, in parks and
plazas). They can sing and recognize good singing when
they hear it. They smile at strangers and babies, and
through queues, rainshowers and traffic. They socialize in
parties and discotheques, as well as in markets and
community dances. They make and keep friendships over
food, over lambanog (coconut wine), over mobile phone
text messaging. They are sentimental and devoted to their
families. They have profound respect for elders and show
self-effacing hospitality for guests. They speak over 100
local languages and dialects, of which the Tagalog-based
Filipino is the lingua franca, as well English, with an
accent. They are basketball fans. They love Hollywood
films and television dramas. They are pedestrians who
chat while walking and they are the passengers in the
ubiquitous jeepneys. They love laughing, at themselves,
their politics, their game shows. They are cosmopolitan in
their views but their values are rooted in their faith, their
family and their community.
The Filipinos' temperament is as warm and constant as
their sunshine. Their way of life is rich, diverse and
rooted. They are in harmony with others and face the
world with an engagingly courageous spirit. They are the
73 million Filipinos.