Course Title: GE 224 Ethnographic Literature

Brief Course Description: An introductory course on ethnographic

representations of diverse Filipino society and culture through literary expressions
and texts.
Time Period: Prelim
Instructor: Adrian Y. Franco
Lesson: 02
Topic: The Filipino Culture and Society (Part 01)

In early 2019, NEDA commissioned a National Values Survey, a nationwide

study covering 10,200 respondents aged 18 and above. The survey aims to
understand the cultural values that characterize Philippine society and provide a
basis for monitoring the country’s progress in terms of values formation towards
national development.

“There has been a notion that Filipinos are culturally diverse and that it is
difficult to determine what really makes us Filipino. This survey now shows us
what distinguishes Filipinos from other nationalities based on common values,”
said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia.

The survey shows that Filipinos are generally proud of being a Filipino and
are quite traditional, religious, and trusting of others irrespective of their sexuality
and religion. The survey’s initial results also indicate that the Philippines is a
relatively conformist and interdependent society.

“The survey results provide insights on specific Filipino cultural values that
have potential effect on national development and the role they play in shaping
public policy,” Pernia added.
 “That we are a relatively conformist society may hinder efforts at spurring
innovation and change. This a challenge we need to overcome,” Pernia said.

Philippine society is a unique blend of diversity and homogeneity. Although

geographically part of Southeast Asia, the country is culturally strongly Euro-
American. Forces of assimilation have constantly worked to overcome cultural
differences between the various ethnic groups that are scattered—sometimes in
relative isolation—throughout the archipelago. Nearly four centuries of Western
rule, however, have left an indelible imprint on the Philippines, serving as a
conduit for the introduction of Western culture and as the catalyst for the
emergence of a sense of Philippine political and cultural unity. While the Christian
churches built by the Spanish and the mosques built by the Muslims provided a
spiritual anchor, the educational system established by the United States and
expanded by the Filipinos has become emblematic of cultural unity and
socioeconomic progress. Nonetheless, through the persistence of strong family ties,
the revival of the barangay as the smallest unit of government, increased attention
to Asian history and literature, and subsequent revival of dormant traditions, the
Philippines has strengthened its Asian heritage without abandoning its Western
cultural acquisitions.

Life in the Philippines generally revolves around the extended family,

including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins (up to several times
removed), and other relatives. For Catholic families, godparents—those to whom
care of children is entrusted should the parents die or otherwise be incapacitated—
also figure prominently in the kinship network. Members of extended families
typically gather for major life events such as baptisms and confirmations (for
Catholic Filipinos), circumcisions (for Muslim Filipinos), and marriages, as well
as for major religious and other national holidays. Among the religious holidays
officially observed in the Philippines are Christmas and Easter, as well as Eid al-
Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Other major
holidays include New Year’s Day, Labor Day (May 1), and Independence Day
(June 12).
 Whether festival fare or everyday food, major meals in most Filipino
societies are built around boiled or steamed rice or rice noodles. Small amounts of
meat, including chicken, pork (in non-Muslim communities), goat, or fish
complement the rice or noodle core, along with an assortment of fruits and cooked
vegetables. Assorted alcoholic drinks are made from coconut sap, sugarcane, and
rice. Balut, a parboiled embryonic duck still in the egg, is a popular street food in
the Manila area.

Although slacks, shirts, skirts, and dresses based on European designs are
common throughout the Philippines, some garments are unique to particular groups
or regions. The malong, a colourful woven tube of cloth that can be worn in a
variety of ways by both men and women, is characteristic of Muslim communities
in Mindanao. In the urban areas, many men wear an intricately embroidered shirt,
the barong, for casual and formal events. On special occasions, urban women may
wear the terno, a long dress characterized by broad “butterfly” sleeves that rise
slightly at the shoulders and extend about to the elbow. Many of the smaller ethnic
groups have characteristic attire for events of special cultural significance.

Early Spanish chroniclers testified that the Filipinos carved the images of
their anitos (gods and goddesses) and ancestors in wood. They also played a
variety of musical instruments, including end-blown flutes, nose flutes, jew’s
harps, gongs, drums, and lutes, among others. Various seasonal celebrations (e.g.,
harvest) and life rituals (e.g., courtship and marriage) called for certain
instrumental music, songs, and dances. For instance, in some of the Muslim
communities of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago, the kulintang ensemble,
consisting of a set of gongs suspended horizontally and vertically and a single-
headed drum, can still be heard at festive events.

Although the community of practitioners of rural performing arts has been

diminishing, efforts have been under way to revive as well as recontextualize some
of the indigenous traditions so that they resonate with an increasingly cosmopolitan
Philippine society. Some of the local dance traditions have been preserved or
reinterpreted by contemporary performing groups such as Bayanihan (the national
folk-dance company of the Philippines), established in the mid-20th century, as
well as by the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and Ballet Philippines. A growing
number of world music artists, such as Joey Ayala, have been creating innovative
syntheses of indigenous Philippine traditions—such as kulintang—and popular
music form.

Many Filipino musicians have risen to prominence in the Western classical

music tradition, including the composer and conductor Antonio J. Molina, the
composer Felipe P. de Leon (known for his nationalistic themes), and the opera
singer Jovita Fuentes. The Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Folk Arts
Theater, and the restored Manila Metropolitan Theatre (all in Manila) provide
homes for the performing arts, featuring local and foreign opera and ballet. To
encourage the development of arts, the government gives awards of recognition
and maintains a National Arts Center (established 1976), which includes the
Philippine High School for the Arts in Los Baños, south of Manila.

Filipino painters have included Juan Luna, whose agitated works helped
inspire a sense of Filipino nationalism in the late 19th century; Fernando
Amorsolo, who is known for his traditional rural scenes; the muralists Carlos V.
Francisco and Vicente Manansala; and the modernists Victorio Edades and Arturo
Rogerio Luz. Among sculptors, Guillermo Tolentino and Napoleon Abueva are
prominent. Rural artists from mountainous regions in northern Luzon and
craftsmen living northwest of Manila and in Paete on the eastern shore of Laguna
de Bay are known for wood carvings. Romblon and other nearby islands are noted
for their marble sculptures. Notable Filipino architects include Juan F. Nakpil,
Otilio Arellano, Fernando Ocampo, Leandro Locsin, Juan Arellano, Carlos
Arguelles, and Tomas Mapua.

The outspoken political novels of nationalist leader José Rizal were

Philippine literary landmarks of the late 19th century, and the work of Nick
Joaquin has been among the most highly acclaimed Philippine literature since the
mid-20th century. The diverse cultural heritage of the country not only animates
most of Joaquin’s fiction writing, but it is also central to his nonfiction work.
Among the most celebrated of Joaquin’s works are his play A Portrait of an Artist
as a Filipino (1966) and his biography of assassinated presidential candidate
Benigno Aquino, The Aquinos of Tarlac: An Essay on History as Three
Generations (1983). Spanish was the principal literary medium until the end of the
19th century, before yielding to English after U.S. occupation. Since independence
an increasing number of writers have been composing their works in Filipino or
Tagalog.

Filipinos have a tradition rich in local and regional lore. Myths and legends
deal with such subjects as the origin of the world, the first man and woman on
earth, why the sky is high, why the sea is salty, and why there are different races.
Other tales are associated with the Spanish conquest. On the island of Mindanao an
epic known as the Darangen (“To Narrate in Song”) depicts the historical and
mythological world of the Maranao community, while in northern Luzon the
Ilocano epic Biag ni Lam-ang (“Life of Lam-ang”) recounts the exploits of a
traditional folk hero.

The Philippines has produced a handful of internationally acclaimed films,

including Himala (1982), which recounts the adventures of a young miracle
worker; Oro, Plata, Mata (1982), the story of two noble families on the island of
Negros during World War II; and Small Voices (2002), the tale of a teacher in an
impoverished rural community who, through music, inspires her students to shed
their cynicism. Despite its successes, the film industry in the Philippines has
remained small, its growth hindered by escalating production costs, high taxes,
uncontrolled piracy of videotapes and CDs, and the popularity of foreign films
over local productions.
Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Philippines/Cultural-life
https://www.neda.gov.ph/understanding-ph-culture-is-key-to-create-positive-
changes-neda/
Baringer, Sally E. [c.2006]. "The Philippines". In Countries and Their Cultures.
Advameg Inc. Retrieved December 20, 2009 from www.everyculture.com.
"Going Banana". ThePhilippines.ph.
"The Cultural Influences of India, China, Arabia, and Japan". Philippine Almanac.
Archived from the original on 2012-07-01.
Ring, Trudy; Robert M. Salkin & Sharon La Boda (1996). International Dictionary
of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania. Taylor & Francis.
Rowthorn, Chris & Greg Bloom (2006). Philippines (9th ed.). Lonely Planet. p.
145. ISBN 978-1-74104-289-4.
"History of Philippine Architecture". National Commission for Culture and the
Arts. Archived from the original on April 21, 2017. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
"Religion in the Philippines". Asia Society.
Sizoo, Edith (29 April 2019). Responsibility and Cultures of the World: Dialogue
Around a Collective Challenge. Peter Lang. p. 167. ISBN 978-90-5201-670-2.