The Filipino Belief System

The Philippines is indeed known for being the only country in Southeast Asia where

Catholicism is predominant, with 86 percent of its population being Roman Catholic.

Missionary work of the said religion dates back to the sixteenth century, which in turn

resulted in a substantial portion of its population professing the Catholic faith. This is a result

of the country’s colonial legacy. In addition, the remaining percentage belongs to various

religions, such as the Muslim faith, Protestantism, indigenous practices, and many more. But

if we were to go back to the Philippines’ pre-colonial era, before explorers and settlers

arrived in the country, Filipinos worshiped specific deities or Philippine mythologies. An

example would be Bathala, often referred to as Bathalang Maylikha, who is believed to be a

supreme deity who created the universe.

There were also other indigenous groups on Luzon Island who also believed in a god

and called him Lumawig, "the creator of all things and the preserver of life." Another religion

that was also present at that time was animism, wherein objects, plants, and places all possess

a distinct spiritual essence. Anito, also spelled as anitu, refers to the ancestor spirits and

nature spirits in the indigenous Philippine folk religions. The pre-Hispanic Filipinos honored

and worshiped these spirits, deities, and ancestors through conducting rituals and celebrating

feast days.