INTRODUCTION ON THE FILIPINO CULTURE

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 in the 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 100 million Filipinos.

ISSUE
The cultural heritage of the Republic of the Philippines is a result of the diverse synergy of
indigenous agricultural systems, vernacular architecture, historic trade routes, urban planning
during the Spanish and American colonial periods, the development of architecture & design for
an independent nation, and experiences with natural disasters which the country continues to face
today. The country’s-built heritage also must face man-made challenges, as policy makers and
stakeholders are just beginning to understand the value of heritage conservation to urban
development and nation-building.
Despite these challenges, there have been successful conservation initiatives across the nation.
The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras are the country’s expression of the balance
between man, sacred traditions, agricultural science, and the environment. In recent years, there
had been conscientious and systematic efforts to ensure the restoration, conservation, and
physical rehabilitation of the property. Threats and concerns regarding the property that were
identified in 2001, leading to its inclusion in the List of World Heritage in Danger, were
addressed by the Provincial Government of Ifugao and government cultural agencies. After
developing better management and planning measures, it was finally removed from the danger
list in 2012.
Also in 2012, the UNESCO recognized the Historic Town of Vigan during the 40th anniversary
of the World Heritage Convention, giving it the Best Practice in World Heritage Management
Award. According to the Philippine Government, Vigan was selected “for its good management
practice with relatively limited resources, local community participation integrated in the various
systems of heritage conservation and city management, and the multifaceted approach for the
protection of the heritage site.
” In October 2013, the provinces of Bohol and Cebu were hit by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that
severely damaged some of the best examples of Spanish colonial churches, buildings, and
fortifications in the Philippines. Many of them are National Cultural Treasures and National
Historical Landmarks. It was considered the biggest disaster to hit Philippine cultural heritage
since the Second World War. In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines,
destroying even more heritage properties in Central Philippines.
An inter-agency taskforce was created, composed of the National Commission for Culture and
the Arts, National Museum and National Historical Commission of the Philippines, to undertake
the long and difficult process of recovery, reconstruction, and restoration. Many historic towns
and cities are beginning to understand the importance of preserving built heritage and historic
downtowns in urban development. Revitalization efforts in Calle Real (Iloilo City), the Escolta
Business District, Santa Ana District, Rizal Park and Intramuros (City of Manila), and the
historic centers of Angeles City and the City of San Fernando in Pampanga, Silay City in Negros
Occidental, and the Municipality of Taal in Batangas, have become rallying points in the struggle
to preserve the built heritage of the Philippines.