UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, HERITAGE AND THE FILIPINO

Cultural heritage refers to cultural aspects that are considered vital to be preserved
for the future generation. It may be heritage sites, monuments, churches, folklore, traditions,
languages and the like. It provides identity to a group of people, gives them an automatic
sense of unity and belonging within a group and allows them to better understand previous
generations as well as the history of a people’s origin. It can be expressed as intangible or
tangible.

Intangible heritage are those that cannot be touched or seen like traditional music, folklore,
language, etc. while the tangible heritage the significant places like monuments, mosque,
shrines, bridges, churches, houses, etc.

There are two types of cultural heritage – the built heritage which is the most
valuable forms of heritage and the natural heritage which includes all components of our
surroundings not created by men.

Examples of built heritage are buildings, artifacts, structures, books, etc. while examples of
natural heritage are sacred groves, hills, bodies of water, wooded areas, etc.

Culture comprises the whole complex of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual

and emotional features that characterize a society or social group. It includes not only the
arts and letters, but also modes of life, the fundamental rights of the human being, value
systems, traditional and beliefs.

Culture has three components. They are: what people think, what they do and the
material objects they produce. This being so, mental processes and rules that guide
behavior, beliefs, knowledge and values are all part of culture. Culture is shared; learned;
symbolic; transmitted across generations; adaptive; integrated; and ever changing. We
understand ourselves as individuals and as members of various groups through the study of
culture.

Culture is the characteristics and beliefs of a group of people, they can be molded by the
availability of resources they have and the attitude or the appreciation of the group of
people towards certain things.
PHILIPPINE SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Pre-Hispanic Period

Contrary to what had been pictured by the early colonizers, our ancestors had a rich
culture made dynamic and richer by their contacts with Indians, Chinese, Japanese and
Arabs. Before coming of the Spaniards, the natives of the archipelago of 7,107 island and
islets live in a society divided into a hundred different tribes, speaking as many languages,
ruled by petty kings or chieftains, constantly warring with each other, practicing the rites of
animism or professing the faith of Islam.

There were three classes of people: the maharlika composed of datu, his wife or
wives, his siblings and his children; the timawa, composed of former slaves of children
of former slaves who were freed by their master; and the alipin classified into
guintubo or aliping namamahay (live in their own houses) and the hayupay or alipin
saguiguilid (natives who were captured in tribal wars and those who were born to
slave parents).
Their system of government was the barangay rules by the datu. In bigger barangays
or kingdoms, the ruler was called hari, raha or lakan.
The natives wore clothing but did not wear anything on their feet.
Drinking was part of customs of the natives.
They had musical instruments which included kudyapi, kulintang, gangsa, tultogan,
kaleleng and silbay.
They had written and unwritten literary pieces – awit, bugtong, salawikain, tula and
alamat. The Bisayans had ambahan, bikal, balak, parahaya and awit.
They lived in houses made of bamboo, nipa and wood with silong where that kept
their rice, bancas and wood as well as their domesticated animals, They also had
the batalan where they kept the big water jars and where they did their bathing and
the washing of dishes.
They built their houses near each other along the seashores or the rivers.
They believed in life after death.
They had priestess, they called babaylan or catalona.
They had alphabet known as baybayin, consisted of seventeen letters.
 Out ancestors’ main source of livelihood was agriculture, they are also engaged in
fishing and husbandry, logging, wine-making, ship building, weaving and metallurgy.
Mining was also a flourishing industry.
To the pre-historic Filipinos, everything has a life. Thus, they worship the mountains,
the rivers, the lakes, the trees, and others. They worship the spirits of dead relatives.
They believed in the existence of good and bad anitos, with the exceptions of the
Muslims. They believed in one god, Bathalang Maykapal, who would punish the evil
and reward the good.
They believed in life after death, thus when they buried their dead, they also buried
their belongings with them.

Spanish Era

In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan set foot on Philippine soil. After a brief pleasant encounter with
the natives headed by Rajah Humabon and baptizing 800 native, and thereafter as written
by Pigafetta in his accounts, baptizing all the inhabitants of Cebu, Magellan met his end in
Mactan under Lapulapu. The Spaniards fled the island and a few of them were able to
return to Spain to narrate their voyage and discovery of a rich land inhabited by pagans.

The Spanish king took interest on the colonization of this land. He sent several expedition
to conquer the lands but all of these failed to reach the land which the Spaniards
“discovered” through the Magellan voyage. 40 years after the discovery of Ferdinand
Magellan of the Philippines and several failed attempts of the conquerors, Ruy Lopes de
Legaspi’s expedition was able to set foot and conquer the land where many before him
failed to do. Thus, started the colonization, Legaspi gave the name Filipinas in honor of the
king of Spain. Changes in the life and culture of the inhabitants happened which many
embraced easily and others opposed and fought, but nevertheless, Spain was able to
conquer their minds and souls, with the exceptions of the Muslims and some indigenous
tribes in the north.

The Philippine society during the Spanish Era was composed of the ruling class,
middle class and the indios. Belonging to the ruling class were the peninsulares, the
Spaniards who were born in Spain. Belonging to the middle class were insulares or
creoles, Spaniards who were born in the Philippines. The mestizos are also included in
the middle class. The indios, the third class of people were divided into the
 principalia were the native aristocratic Filipinos like the children of former datus and
current gobernadorcillos and cabeza de barangays, and the wealthy educated
Filipinos belonged. The masa was the lowest class in the colonial society.
Schools were put whose main objective was to make the Filipinos God-fearing and
obedient, thus, religion was a compulsory subject from the primary to the collegiate
level. Subjects taught were religion, arithmetic, reading, arts and vocation subjects,
writing and Spanish.
The first schools in the Philippines were parochial schools opened by the missionaries.
The students were taught arithmetic and practical arts education. In collegiate
schools, the students were taught Latin, geography, mathematics and philosophy.
Higher education in the Philippines began in the 17th century. At the start, college
education was only for the Spaniards and those with Spanish blood. The Filipinos
were admitted in higher education only in the 19th century.
For 300 years, education in the Philippines was the responsibility of the Church. The
missionaries were the ones who put up schools, assigned teachers, provide and
decide what to teach the students.
Other influences ingrained by the Spaniards are: food and delicacies, fiesta,
learning, different leisure and Spanish songs among others.
They learned to eat canned goods, drink coffee and chocolate, they learned how
to wear pants and camisa de chino.

American Era

In 1898, Americans became our new colonial master. The United States put a strong
emphasis on education which was used to win the hearts and control the minds of the
Filipinos and also, education for a long period of time was neglected by the Spanish
regime. Its educational objectives were the propagation of the English language,
popularizing democracy and training the Filipinos to be good citizens.

In order to carry out these objectives, public schools were opened under the Act No.
74 of the Taft Commission where free primary education wag given to the Filipinos. A normal
school was opened aimed at training the Filipinos to become teachers and American
teachers were sent to the Philippines to train them. Religion as a compulsory subject was
removed from the curriculum.
 At first the American soldiers are the one teaching English language to the people.
Teaching the Filipinos with English language, it became the medium of instruction
from elementary to college.
Newspaper are written in English and became the language in business and
government.
Public schools were opened both for the wealthy and masses.
The Filipinos practiced some American traditions likes Thanksgiving, Halloween and
Washington’s Day
There were great progress and development in the field of science. New ways of
medicine were brought to the knowledge of the people.
Many industries in the country progressed and government income increase thus
more roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure were built.
Protestantism was introduced but it did not gain many followers like the Catholic
religion.
The Filipino women enjoyed more freedom. They started to work outside their homes
and allowed to study any profession. They gain the right to vote and hold public
office.

Philippine Society and Culture Today

The Philippines 2000 was a vision for the transformation of the Filipinos in order to
bring out the best in each one of them. But if we are to make an honest and genuine
assessment of what happened to the Filipinos, can we say that this vision has been realized?

What do we have today? - Our society have less fortunate remain in utter poverty;
people who have no discipline; many elective and appointive officials with no genuine
interest to serve but who think of personal interest only; numerous politicians whose greed
for power and wealth is insatiable.

Ours is decaying society because we refused to transform as a people. Simple

stating our once-upon-a-time beautiful culture has been forgotten because we have
developed a materialistic mind, an uncaring heart and a conscienceless soul.