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: 02.5
Topic: The Filipino Culture and Society (Part 02)

Spanish architecture has left an imprint in the Philippines in the way many
towns were designed around a central square or plaza mayor, but many of the
buildings bearing its influence were demolished during World War II. Some
examples remain, mainly among the country's churches, government buildings, and
universities. Four Philippine baroque churches are included in the list of UNESCO
World Heritage Sites: the San Agustín Church in Manila, Paoay Church in Ilocos
Norte, Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Santa María) Church in Ilocos Sur, and
Santo Tomás de Villanueva Church in Iloilo. Vigan in Ilocos Sur is also known for
the many Hispanic-style houses and buildings preserved there. The introduction of
Christianity brought European churches and architecture which subsequently
became the center of most towns and cities in the nation. The Spaniards also
introduced stones and rocks as housing and building materials and the Filipinos
merged it with their existing architecture and forms a hybrid mix-architecture only
exclusive to the Philippines. Filipino colonial architecture can still be seen in
centuries-old buildings such as Filipino baroque churches, Bahay na bato; houses,
schools, convents, government buildings around the nation.

The American occupation in 1898 introduced a new breed of architectural

structures in the Philippines. This led to the construction of government buildings
and Art Deco theaters. During the American period, some semblance of city
planning using the architectural designs and master plans by Daniel Burnham was
done on the portions of the city of Manila. Part of the Burnham plan was the
construction of government buildings that resembled Greek or Neoclassical
architecture. In Iloilo, a lot of the colonial edifices constructed during the
American occupation in the country can still be seen. Commercial buildings,
houses and churches in that era are abundant in the city and especially in Calle
Real.

The arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century brought the
beginning of the Christianization of the people in the Philippines. This phase in
history is noted as the tipping point for the destruction of a variety of Anitist beliefs
in the country, which were replaced by colonial belief systems that fitted the tastes
of the Spanish, notably Christian beliefs. Christianity in form of has influenced
Filipino culture in almost every facet, from visual arts, architecture, dance, and
music. Presently, the Philippines is one of the two predominantly Catholic
(80.58%) nations in Asia-Pacific, the other being East Timor. The country also
has its own independent Philippine church, the Aglipayan, which accounts for
around 2% of the national population. Other Christian churches are divided among
a variety of Christian sects and cults. From the census in 2014, Christianity
consisted of about 90.07% of the population and is largely present throughout the
nation.

Indigenous Philippine folk religions, also referred collectively as Anitism,

meaning ancestral religions, are the original faiths of the diverse ethnic groups of
the Philippines. Much of the texts of the religions are stored through memory
which are traditionally chanted, rather than written in manuscripts. Written texts,
however, have been utilized as well in modern times to preserve aspects of the
religions, notably their stories which are important aspects of Philippine mythology
and traditional rites and other practices. These stories consist of creation stories or
stories about important figures such as deities and heroes and certain creatures.
Some popular, but distinct, figures include the Tagalog's Bathala and Makiling,
the Ilocano's Lam-Ang, and the Maranao's Sarimanok.

Many cultures have influenced the indigenous Philippine folk religions due
to trade, with many stories from them having similarities with Indonesian and
Malay myths, as well as Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian traditions, such as
the notion of heaven (kaluwalhatian, kalangitan, kamurawayan, etc.), hell
(kasamaan, sulad, etc.), and the human soul (kaluluwa, kaulolan, etc.). The stories
from these sacred Filipino religions explain various indigenous concepts, including
the nature of the world through the lives and actions of deities (gods, goddesses),
heroes, and creatures. The majority of the stories about these religions are passed
on through oral tradition, and preserved through the aid of community spiritual
leaders or shamans (babaylan, katalonan, mumbaki, baglan, machanitu, walian,
mangubat, bahasa, etc.) and community elders, although written texts have also
been helpful in the preservation of certain aspects of the religions.

Indigenous Philippine folk religions have already been recognized by

scholars as valid religions on their own right. Each ethnic group's indigenous
religion in the Philippines has their own distinct stories or myths, pantheon of
deities, and belief systems. For example, the religious beliefs of the Maranao
people is completely different from the religious beliefs of neighboring Subanon
people, while the religious beliefs of the Hiligaynon people is also completely
different from the religious beliefs of the neighboring Suludnon people. The
Philippines is composed of more than a hundred distinct ethnic peoples, according
to a 21st-century map published by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, the Atlas
Filipinas.

As a general description, the distinct value system of Filipinos is rooted

primarily in personal alliance systems, especially those based in kinship,
obligation, friendship, religion (particularly Christianity), and commercial
relationships.

Filipino values are, for the most part, centered around maintaining social
harmony, motivated primarily by the desire to be accepted within a group. The
main sanction against diverging from these values are the concepts of "Hiya",
roughly translated as 'a sense of shame', and "Amor propio" or 'self-esteem'. Social
approval, acceptance by a group, and belonging to a group are major concerns.
Caring about what others will think, say or do, are strong influences on social
behavior among Filipinos.
 Other elements of the Filipino value system are optimism about the future,
pessimism about present situations and events, concern and care for other people,
the existence of friendship and friendliness, the habit of being hospitable, religious
nature, respectfulness to self and others, respect for the female members of society,
the fear of God, and abhorrence of acts of cheating and thievery.

Early pottery has been found in the form of mostly anthropomorphic

earthenware jars dating from c. 5 BC to 225 AD. Early Philippine painting can be
found in red slip (clay mixed with water) designs embellished on the ritual pottery
of the Philippines such as the acclaimed Manunggul Jar. Evidence of Philippine
pottery-making dated as early as 6000 BC has been found in Sanga-Sanga Cave,
Sulu and Cagayan's Laurente Cave. It has been proven that by 5000 BC, the
making of pottery was practiced throughout the archipelago. Early Austronesian
peoples, especially in the Philippines, started making pottery before their
Cambodian neighbors, and at about the same time as the Thais and Laotians as part
of what appears to be a widespread Ice Age development of pottery technology.

Further evidence of painting is manifest in the tattoo tradition of early

Filipinos, whom the Portuguese explorer referred to as Pintados or the 'Painted
People' of the Visayas. Various designs referencing flora and fauna with heavenly
bodies decorate their bodies in various colored pigmentation. Perhaps, some of the
most elaborate painting done by early Filipinos that survive to the present day can
be manifested among the arts and architecture of the Maranaos who are well
known for the Nāga dragons and the Sarimanok carved and painted in the
beautiful Panolong of their Torogan or King's House.

Filipinos began creating paintings in the European tradition during 17th-

century Spanish period. The earliest of these paintings were Church frescoes,
religious imagery from Biblical sources, as well as engravings, sculptures and
lithographs featuring Christian icons and European nobility. Most of the paintings
and sculptures between the 19th and 20th centuries produced a mixture of
religious, political, and landscape art works, with qualities of sweetness, dark, and
light.
 Traditional Philippine games such as luksong baka, patintero, piko, and
tumbang preso are still played primarily as children's games among the youth.

Sungka is played on a board game using small sea shells in which players try to
take all shells. The winner is determined by who has the most shells at the point
when all small pits become empty.

One traditional Filipino game is luksong tinik, a very popular game to

Filipino children where one has to jump over the tinik and cross to the other side
unscathed. Other traditional Filipino games include yo-yo, piko, patintero, bahay
kubo, pusoy, and sungka. Tong-its is a popular gambling game. Individuals play
the game by trying to get rid of all the cards by choosing poker hands wisely. Card
games are popular during festivities, with some, including pusoy and tong-its,
being used as a form of illegal gambling. Mahjong is played in some Philippine
communities.

Sabong or cockfighting is another popular entertainment especially among

Filipino men, and existed prior to the arrival of the Spanish. Antonio Pigafetta,
Magellan's chronicler, first documented this pastime in the kingdom of Taytay.

The yo-yo, a popular toy in the Philippines, was introduced in its modern
form by Pedro Flores with its name coming from the Ilocano language.

Filipinos have created toys using insects such as tying a beetle to string, and
sweeping it circular rotation to make an interesting sound. The "Salagubang gong"
is a toy described by Charles Brtjes, an American entomologist, who traveled to
Negros and discovered a toy using beetles to create a periodic gong effect on a
kerosene can as the beetle rotates above the contraption. Piko is a Filipino version
of the game hopscotch. Children will draw a sequence rectangle using chalk on the
ground. With various level of obstacle on each rectangle, children will compete
against one another or in a team. Players use pamato; usually a flat stone, slipper or
anything that could be tossed easily.

Festivals in the Philippines, locally known as fiestas, originated dating back

to the Spanish colonial period when the Spaniards introduced Christianity to the
country. Most Philippine towns and cities has a patron saint assigned to each of
them. Fiestas in the Philippines serve as either religious, cultural, or both. These
festivals are held to honor the patron saint or to commemorate history and culture,
such as promoting local products and celebrate a bountiful harvest. Fiestas can be
categorized by Holy Masses, processions, parades, theatrical play and
reenactments, religious or cultural rituals, trade fairs, exhibits, concerts, pageants
and various games and contests.

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.