FOLK CULTURE

AND
INDIGENOUS
CULTURE
COMMONALITIES AND DIFFERENCES
Indigenous Culture
• These are practices, tradition, language, and ways of life
of indigenous ethnic groups that continued to live in
their relatively isolated, self-sufficient communities
• These ethnic groups are the descendants of the original
inhabitants of the Philippines that were not absorbed by
centuries of Spanish and United States colonization, and
in the process have retained their customs and
traditions.
• It first manifested in the pre-colonial era and has
sustained to exist in the modern era.
• It is a sub-culture of Folk Culture
Folk Culture
• Refers to the culture traditionally practiced by a small,
homogenous, rural group living in relative isolation from
other groups
• Usually passed down through oral tradition
• A way a people make sense of their experience in ways
that link them meaningfully to the wider world
• Demonstrates the old ways and relates to the sense of
place
• First manifested during the colonial and post-colonial
era
 The
Difference? Indigenous Culture is for ethnic groups (based on
ethnicity) while Folk Culture is for rural groups
(based on locality)

Indigenous Culture is exclusive (shared within the

group) while Folk Culture is inclusive (shared outside
the group)

Indigenous Culture is practiced (up to the present)

while Folk Culture is celebrated (on certain
occasions)

Indigenous Culture is unaffected by urbanization

and modernization while Folk Culture is
 Folk • Refers to the traditional oral literature of the
Filipino people.
Literature • The scope of the field covers the ancient folk
literature of the Philippines' various ethnic
groups, as well as various pieces of folklore
that have evolved since the Philippines
became a single ethno-political unit
• Examples of these are proverbs, folk tales,
legends, myths, and riddles
SAMPLES OF
FOLK AND
INDIGENOUS
CULTURE
Folk Music • The product of a musical tradition that has been
evolved through the process of oral transmission.
• The term is thus applied to the musical repertory
of communities as opposed to art music or music
composed by trained musicians.
• It is also applied to music composed by an
individual, but which has been absorbed into the
unwritten living tradition of the community.
• Indigenous music cover surveys of instrumental
and vocal forms.
• Folk songs are divided into narrative folk songs
like ballad, and non-narrative folk songs like
lullabies, wedding, love and courtship songs.
Folk Dance • A folk dance is a dance developed by people
that reflect the life of the people of a certain
country or region. Not all ethnic dances are
folk dances.
• For example, ritual dances or dances of ritual
origin are not considered to be folk dances.
Ritual dances are usually called "Religious
dances" because of their purpose.
• Most of the folk dances were adapted by the
Filipinos from western dance forms such as
the habanera, tango, fandango, seguidilla,
jota, curacha, polka, mazurka, danza and
rigaudon, pandanggo, jota, habanera, danza,
polka, mazurka, valse, and rigodon.
Food • It is composed of the cuisines of more than a
hundred distinct ethno-linguistic groups found
throughout the Philippine archipelago.
• During the pre-Hispanic era in the Philippines, the
preferred Austronesian methods for food
preparation were boiling, steaming and roasting.
• The ingredients for common dishes were obtained
from locally raised livestock.
• These ranged from water buffalos/carabaos,
chicken, and pigs to various kinds of fish and other
seafood.
• There were many influences that affected the
food of the Filipinos due to trade and colonization
Shelter • The nipa hut, or bahay kubo, is a type of stilt
house indigenous to the cultures of the
Philippines.
• It is also known as payag or kamalig in other
languages of the Philippines. It often serves as
an icon of Philippine culture.
• During the Spanish period the traditional
Filipino Bahay na bató (Filipino for "house of
stone") style for the large houses emerged.
• These were large houses built of stone and
wood combining Filipino, Spanish and
Chinese style elements.
Clothing • Refers to the way the people of Filipino society dress up in
instances such as while they are at home, at work,
travelling and when attending special occasions.
• Native clothing during pre-Spanish Philippines were the
canga and the bahag. The canga is a type of a collarless
shirt – which later became adorned with laces, trimmings,
buttons, and a collar – was where from the Barong
Tagalog evolved. On the other hand, the bahag was a type
of loincloth or G-string.
• Barong tagalog (a formal garment, often made from thin
fabric and richly embroidered) is used both by men and
women. It looks like a tunic or shirt with long sleeves and
is worn over a usual shirt
• Baro at saya means blouse and skirt and has a lot of
variations. Mestiza dress is a version of baro at saya, but
more sophisticated. It is a formal dress made from lace
and embroidered richly. It has butterfly sleeves
THANK YOU!
Miss A
Art V. Mangubat

/MissA.0725

artveloso.mangubat@bicol-u.edu.ph

0930-579-8483/ 0927-867-9093