Culture of the

Philippines

The culture of the Philippines is

characterized by cultural and ethnic
diversity.[1] Although the multiple ethnic
groups of the Philippine archipelago have
only recently established a shared Filipino
national identity,[2] their cultures were all
shaped by the geography and history of
the region,[3][4] and by centuries of
interaction with neighboring cultures, and
colonial powers.[5][6] In more recent times,
Filipino culture has also been influenced
through its participation in the global
community.[7]

History
Among the contemporary ethnic groups of
the Philippine archipelago, the Negritos are
generally considered the earliest settlers;[8]
today, although few in numbers, they
preserve a very traditional way of life and
culture. After those early settlers, the
Austronesians arrived on the archipelago.
The Austronesian culture is strongly
evident in the ethnic majority and
languages.

Before the arrival of European colonizers in

the 1500s, the various ethnic groups of the
Philippines were organized into various
independent polities,[5][6] which historians
have come to call "barangays".[9][10][Notes 1]
These polities consisted of about thirty to
a hundred households,[2][9] and were ruled
by leaders with titles.[2] The largest of
these, such as Butuan, Tondo and the
Sultanate of Sulu were complex political
formations based on the deltas of the
archipelago's biggest river systems, with
political and trade relationships with
polities further upstream on one hand, and
with the political and trading powers of
Maritime Southeast Asia and East Asia
such as the Sultanate of Brunei, the
Majapahit empire, the Qing and Ming
Dynasties of China, and even Japan.
Indirect cultural exchange and some trade
also took place with the Indian
subcontinent and Arabia.[11]

The advent of Spanish colonial rule in the

islands marked the beginning of the
Philippines as an entity, a collection of
Southeast Asian countries united under the
Spanish Empire. The empire ruled, via the
Viceroyalty of New Spain and later directly
from Madrid (after 1821 Mexican
independence), the islands between the
16th and 19th centuries (Batanes being
one of the last places to be colonized in
the mid-1800s), resulting in Christianity to
spread and dominate throughout the
archipelago and influenced the religion and
beliefs of the natives. Then, the Philippines
became a U.S. territory for almost 50
years. Influence from the United States is
manifested in the wide use of the English
language, media and in the modern culture
and clothing of present-day Philippines.[12]
Geography and ethnic groups

Dominant ethnic groups by province.

The Philippines' culture is shaped by its

archipelagic geography, topography and
physical location within Maritime
Southeast Asia, all of which defined the
cultural histories of the country's 175
Ethnolinguistic groups.[3][4][13]: 68
Influence of geography

The cultural diversity of Philippines is the

result of the fact that it is an archipelagic
state. It is the world's fifth largest island
country[14] and is one of the five original
archipelagic states recognized under the
United Nations Convention on the Law of
the Sea (UNCLOS).[15] It is made out of
7,641 islands[18] with a total land area of
300,000 square kilometers
(115,831 sq mi),[19][20] and an exclusive
economic zone that covers 2,263,816
square kilometers (874,064 sq mi) of sea,
covering an area 200 nautical miles
(370 km) from its shores.[21] Settlement on
the islands by its many ethnic groups and
the cultural exchanges that shaped the
cultural histories of those groups was
enabled and defined by maritime and
riverine transport - with travel by oceans
and rivers serving as these cultures' main
way of relating to each other, and long
inland mountain ranges being the major
physical hindrance to cultural linkages
between various groups.[2]

Ethnic groups of the Philippines

The Philippines is inhabited by more than

182 ethnolinguistic groups,[22]: 5 many of
which are classified as "Indigenous
Peoples" under the country's Indigenous
Peoples' Rights Act of 1997. Traditionally-
Muslim peoples from the southernmost
island group of Mindanao are usually
categorized together as Moro peoples,
whether they are classified as Indigenous
peoples or not. About 142 are classified as
non-Muslim Indigenous People groups,
and about 19 ethnolinguistic groups are
classified as neither indigenous nor
moro.[22]: 6 Various migrant groups have
also had a significant presence throughout
the country's history.

The Muslim-majority ethnic groups

ethnolinguistic groups of Mindanao, Sulu,
and Palawan are collectively referred to as
the Moro people,[23] a broad category
which includes some indigenous people
groups and some non-indigenous people
groups.[22]: 6

About 142 of the Philippines' Indigenous

People groups are not classified as moro
peoples.[22]: 6 Some of these people
groups are commonly grouped together
due to their strongly association with a
shared geographic area, although these
broad categorizations are not always
welcomed by the ethnic groups
themselves.[24][25][26] For example, the
indigenous peoples of the Cordillera
Mountain Range in northern Luzon are
often referred to using the exonym[24]
"Igorot people," or more recently, as the
Cordilleran peoples.[24] Meanwhile, the
non-Moro peoples of Mindanao are
collectively referred to as the Lumad, a
collective autonym conceived in 1986 as a
way to distinguish them from their
neighboring indigenous Moro neighbors.[27]

About 86 to 87 percent of the Philippine

population belong to the 19 ethnolinguistic
groups are classified as neither indigenous
nor moro.[22]: 6 These groups are
sometimes collectively referred to as
"Lowland Christianized groups," to
distinguish them from the other
ethnolinguistic groups.[28] The most
populous of these groups, with
populations exceeding a million
individuals, are the Ilocano, the
Pangasinense, the Kapampangan, the
Tagalog, the Bicolano, the Visayans and
Cebuanos, the Boholano, the
Hiligaynon/Ilonggo, and the Waray.[22]: 16
Many of these groups converted to
Christianity, particularly both the native and
migrant lowland-coastal groups,[29] and
adopted foreign elements of culture
throughout the country's history.
Due to the history of the Philippines since
the Spanish colonial era, there are also
some historical migrant heritage groups
such as the Chinese Filipinos and Spanish
Filipinos, both of whom intermixed with the
above lowland Austronesian-speaking
ethnic groups, which produced Filipino
Mestizos. These groups also comprise
and contribute a considerable proportion
of the country's population,[30] especially
its bourgeois,[31] and economy[31][32][33][34]
and were integral to the establishment of
the country,[29] from the rise of Filipino
nationalism by the Ilustrado intelligentsia
to the Philippine Revolution.[35] Other
peoples of migrant and/or mixed descent
include those such as, American Filipinos,
Indian Filipinos,[36] Japanese Filipinos,[37]
and many more.

Indigenous peoples

A Tboli woman weaving t'nalak from

South Cotabato.

The indigenous peoples of the Philippines

are ethnolinguistic groups or subgroups
that maintain partial isolation or
independence throughout the colonial era,
and have retained much of their traditional
pre-colonial culture and practices.[38]
The Philippines has 110 enthnolinguistic
groups comprising the Philippines'
indigenous peoples; as of 2010, these
groups numbered at around 14–17 million
persons.[39] Austronesians make up the
overwhelming majority, while full or partial
Negritos scattered throughout the
archipelago. The highland Austronesians
and Negrito have co-existed with their
lowland Austronesian kin and neighbor
groups for thousands of years in the
Philippine archipelago.

Culturally-indigenous peoples of northern

Philippine highlands can be grouped into
the Igorot (comprising many different
groups) and singular Bugkalot groups,
while the non-Muslim culturally-indigenous
groups of mainland Mindanao are
collectively called Lumad. Australo-
Melanesian groups throughout the
archipelago are termed Aeta, Ita, Ati,
Dumagat, among others. Numerous
culturally-indigenous groups also live
outside these two indigenous corridors.[40]
In addition to these labels, groups and
individuals sometimes identify with the
Tagalog term katutubo, which denotes any
person of indigenous origin.[41][42][43]

According to the Komisyon sa Wikang

Filipino, there are 135 recognized local
indigenous Austronesian languages in the
Philippines, of which one (Tagalog) is
vehicular and each of the remaining 134 is
vernacular.

Filipino psychology
A formal field interpreting Psychology as
rooted on the experience, ideas, and
cultural orientation of the Filipinos, called
Filipino psychology, was established in
1975.[44]

Values

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.[45]

Filipino values are, for the most part,

centered around maintaining social
harmony, motivated primarily by the desire
to be accepted within a group.[46] 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'.[46] 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.[47]

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 people financially and
thievery.[48]
Arts

Architecture

Bahay na bato, a traditional Filipino

house

Before the arrival of European colonizers,

Austronesian architecture was the
common form of housing on the
archipelago.

During the Spanish era, the new

Christianized lowland culture collectively
evolved a new style known as the Nipa hut
(Bahay Kubo). It is characterized by use of
simple materials such as bamboo and
coconut as the main sources of wood.
Cogon grass, Nipa palm leaves and
coconut fronds are used as roof thatching.
Most primitive homes are built on stilts
due to frequent flooding during the rainy
seasons. Regional variations include the
use of thicker, and denser roof thatching in
mountain areas, or longer stilts on coastal
areas particularly if the structure is built
over water. The architecture of other
indigenous peoples may be characterized
by an angular wooden roofs, bamboo in
place of leafy thatching and ornate
wooden carvings. The Bahay na bato
architecture is a variant of Nipa Hut that
emerged during the Spanish era.[49]

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.[50] 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.[51] Vigan in Ilocos Sur is
also known for the many Hispanic-style
houses and buildings preserved there.[52]
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 best collection of Spanish colonial era
architecture can be found in the walled city
of Intramuros in Manila and in the historic
town of Vigan. Colonial-era churches are
also on the best examples and legacies of
Spanish Baroque architecture called
Earthquake Baroque which are only found
in the Philippines. Historic provinces such
as Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur,
Pangasinan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite,
Laguna, Rizal, Batangas, Quezon, Iloilo,
Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Zamboanga del
Sur also boasts colonial-era buildings.
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.[53] 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.[54]

The University of Santo Tomas Main

Building in Manila is an example of
Renaissance Revival architecture. The
building was built in 1924 and was
completed at 1927. The building, designed
by Fr. Roque Ruaño, O.P., is the first
earthquake-resistant building in the
Philippines that is not a church .[55] Islamic
and other Asian architecture can also be
seen depicted on buildings such as
mosques and temples. Pre-Hispanic
housing is still common in rural areas.
Contemporary-style housing subdivisions
and suburban-gated communities are
popular in urbanized places such as Metro
Manila, Central Visayas, Central Luzon,
Negros Island and other prosperous
regions.

However, certain areas of the country like

Batanes have slight differences as both
Spanish and Filipino ways of architecture
assimilated differently due to the climate.
Limestones and coral were used as
building materials.[56]

Kalesa, a traditional Philippine urban

transportation, in front of Manila
Cathedral entrance
There have been proposals to establish a
policy where each municipality and city will
have an ordinance mandating all
constructions and reconstructions within
such territory to be inclined with the
municipality or city's architecture and
landscaping styles to preserve and
conserve the country's dying heritage sites,
which have been demolished one at a time
in a fast pace due to urbanization,
culturally-irresponsible development, and
lack of towns-cape architectural vision.
The proposal advocates for the usage and
reinterpretations of indigenous, colonial,
and modern architectural and landscaping
styles that are prevalent or used to be
prevalent in a given city or municipality.
The proposal aims to foster a renaissance
in Philippine landscaping and townscaping,
especially in rural areas which can easily
be transformed into new architectural
heritage towns within a 50-year time
frame. Unfortunately, many Philippine-
based architecture and engineering
experts lack the sense of preserving
heritage townscapes, such as the case in
Manila, where business proposals to
construct structures that are not inclined
with Manila's architectural styles have
been continuously accepted and
constructed by such experts, effectively
destroying Manila's architectural
townscape one building at a time. Only the
city of Vigan has passed such an
ordinance, which led to its declaration as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 and
awarding of various recognition for the
conservation and preservation of its
unique architectural and landscaping
styles. In 2016, bills proposing to establish
a Department of Culture were filed in both
chambers of Congress to help formulate
policy on architecture.[57][58]

Architecture of the Philippines

 Vega Vigan Aguinal Loboc
Ancestra City in do Church
l House, Ilocos Shrine in in Bohol
Misamis Sur Cavite
Oriental
Paoa Museu
y m
Churc Agrifina
h in Circle
Ilocos
Norte
Traditional clothing

Filipina in traditional attire

Baro evolved from its forerunner garment

worn by the Tagalogs of Luzon Prior to the
Spanish Era. When the Spaniards came
and settled into the islands, the fashion
changed drastically as the Spanish culture
influenced the succeeding centuries of
Philippine history. The Spanish dissolved
the kingdoms and united the country,
resulting in a mixture of cultures from
different ethnic groups of the conquered
archipelago and Spanish culture. A new
type of clothing called Barong tagalog (for
men) and Baro't saya (for women) began
to emerged and would ultimately define
the newly formed Filipino culture.

Pineapple fiber is used to

create traditional Philippine
garments.

Throughout the 16th century up to the 18th

century, women wore a more updated
version of the Baro't saya, composed of a
bodice – called a Camisa, often made in
pineapple fiber or muslin – and a floor
length skirt, while the Barong Tagalog of
men, was a collared and buttoned lace
shirt or a suit. Aside from Barong, men
also wore suits. Most Visayan lowland
women wear Kimona, a type of Baro't Saya
blouse matching with a knee-length or
floor-length skirt printed with the
Patadyong pattern, hence getting the name
Patadyong skirt. The dress is often
accompanied with a handkerchief called
tubao also printed with patadyong pattern
and is often placed above the right
shoulder. These traditions was brought by
the Visayans to Mindanao where they also
dominate the Christian lowland culture.
 Tortoise-shell and silver
Salakot

Salakot hat is a Filipino general term for a

range of related traditional headgear used
by virtually all ethnic groups of the
Philippines and is a Filipino variation of the
Asian conical hat of East and Southeast
Asia. It is usually dome-shaped or cone-
shaped, but various other styles also exist,
including versions with dome-shaped,
cone-shaped, or flat crowns with a flat or
gently sloping brim. It can be made from
various materials including bamboo,
rattan, nito, bottle gourd, buri straw, nipa
leaves, pandan leaves, carabao horn, and
tortoiseshell. In addition to Salakot and
western hats, Buntal hat, Buri hat and
calasiao hat are another traditional hats
worn by Filipinos. By the 19th century, due
to the continuing influence of the Western
culture, the rising economy, globalization,
and exposure from the European fashion
scene, the women's clothing began to have
a change; by the 1850s, women's clothing
was now full wide skirts that usually have
long train rather than the simple floor
length skirts, a bodice called camisa which
means blouse in English and a pañuelo,
The attire is composed of four pieces,
namely the camisa, the saya, the pañuelo
(a scarf, also spelled panuelo) and the
Tapis this would later be called Maria
Clara. The men also continued to wear a
more intricate version Barong Tagalog.
Underneath the transparent Barong
Tagalog is the Camisa de Chino a type of
shirt, usually in white. When the Americans
arrived baro't saya started to change again
and became more modern in contrast to
the conservative style. The women then
wore the new version called, Traje de
Mestiza, the more modern version of the
Maria Clara. By the 1920s, the style of the
skirt still remained, influenced by the
flapper dress; however, the wide sleeves
had been flattened to butterfly sleeves and
the big pañuelo reduced its size.

Villa Escudero exhibit

depicting 19th century
Filipino family in
traditional attire

Men wore suit and coat worn in the West,

mostly Americans hence the name it was
called, the Americana, It was more
popularly white or light in color than
western counterpart. By the 1930s, young
adult women and children embraced the
more American style, but the typical "Traje
de Mestiza" was not fully gone. By 1940's
onward baro't saya was still evolving. But
people started wearing more updated
modern clothing and fully turned away
from baros as everyday clothing. Though it
became a symbol of traditional culture to
be preserved for traditional ceremonies
and cultural occasions, from the modern
more globalized culture of the post war
era.

Cultures that are un-hispanized like the

Negritos, Igorot, Lumad and Moro etc. was
mostly only fully absorbed into the Filipino
borders much later in history, especially
during the post-war's modern and
globalized culture when the hispanized
lowland Filipinos are modernized. As a
result, they were mostly unaffected by the
traditional lowland Christian Filipino
culture and clothing. What influenced them
instead was the modern culture and
fashions. Though traditional clothing are
retained for traditional ceremonies and
cultural occasions as well.

Visual arts

Letras y figuras painting by Jose

Honorato Lozano
Early pottery has been found in the form of
mostly anthropomorphic earthenware jars
dating from c. 5 BC to 225 AD.[59] 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.[60][61] 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.

The Itneg people are known for their

intricate woven fabrics. The binakol is a
blanket which features designs that
incorporate optical illusions.Other parts of
Highlands in the Cordillera Region or in
local term " KaIgorotan" displays their art
in tattoing, weaving bags like the "sangi" a
traditional backpack and carving woods.
Woven fabrics of the Ga'dang people
usually have bright red tones. Their
weaving can also be identified by beaded
ornamentation. Other peoples such as the
Ilongot make jewelry from pearl, red
hornbill beaks, plants, and metals. Many
Filipino painters were influenced by this
and started using materials such as
extract from onion, tomato, tuba, coffee,
rust, molasses and other materials
available anywhere as paint. The Lumad
peoples of Mindanao such as the B'laan,
Mandaya, Mansaka and T'boli are skilled in
the art of dyeing abaca fiber. Abaca is a
plant closely related to bananas, and its
leaves are used to make fiber known as
Manila hemp. The fiber is dyed by a
method called ikat. Ikat fiber are woven
into cloth with geometric patterns
depicting human, animal and plant themes.
 The Kutkut art from Samar

Kut-kut, a technique combining ancient

Oriental and European art process.
Considered lost art and highly collectible
art form. Very few known art pieces exist
today. The technique was practiced by the
indigenous people of Samar Island
between early 1600 and late 1800 A.D. It is
an exotic Philippine art form based on
early century techniques: sgraffito,
encaustic and layering. The merging of the
ancient styles produces a unique artwork
characterized by delicate swirling
interwoven lines,

Islamic art in the Philippines have two

main artistic styles. One is a curved-line
woodcarving and multi-layered texture and
an illusion of three-dimensional
space.metalworking called okir, similar to
the Middle Eastern Islamic art. This style is
associated with men. The other style is
geometric tapestries, and is associated
with women. The Tausug and Sama–Bajau
exhibit their okir on elaborate markings
with boat-like imagery. The Marananaos
make similar carvings on housings called
torogan. Weapons made by Muslim
Filipinos such as the kampilan are skillfully
carved.

Old Senate Hall with Estilo Tampinco

style of carving and ornamentation

Early modernist painters such as Haagen

Hansen was associated with religious and
secular paintings. The art of Lorenzo
Miguelito and Alleya Espanol showed a
trend for political statement. The first
American national artist Jhurgen D. C.
Pascua used post-modernism to produce
paintings that illustrated Philippine culture,
nature and harmony. While other artists
such as Bea Querol used realities and
abstract on his work. In the 1980s, Odd
Arthur Hansen, popularly known as ama ng
makabayan pintor or father of patriotic
paint, gained recognition. He uses his own
white hair to make his own paintbrushes
and signs his painting using his own blood
on the right side corner. He developed his
own styles without professional training or
guidance from professionals.

Dancing

Filipino traditional dance at a festival

Philippine folk dances include the Tinikling
and Cariñosa. In the southern region of
Mindanao, Singkil is a popular dance
showcasing the story of a prince and
princess in the forest. Bamboo poles are
arranged in a tic-tac-toe pattern in which
the dancers exploit every position of these
clashing poles.[62][63]

Music

Harana (serenade)
The early music of the Philippines featured
a mixture of Indigenous, Islamic and a
variety of Asian sounds that flourished
before the European and American
colonization in the 16th and 20th centuries.
Spanish settlers and Filipinos played a
variety of musical instruments, including
flutes, guitar, ukulele, violin, trumpets and
drums. They performed songs and dances
to celebrate festive occasions. By the 21st
century, many of the folk songs and
dances have remained intact throughout
the Philippines. Some of the groups that
perform these folk songs and dances are
the Bayanihan, Filipinescas, Barangay-
Barrio, Hariraya, the Karilagan Ensemble,
and groups associated with the guilds of
Manila, and Fort Santiago theatres. Many
Filipino musicians have risen prominence
such as the composer and conductor
Antonio J. Molina, the composer Felipe P.
de Leon, known for his nationalistic
themes and the opera singer Jovita
Fuentes.

Modern day Philippine music features

several styles. Most music genres are
contemporary such as Filipino rock,
Filipino hip hop and other musical styles.
Some are traditional such as Filipino folk
music.
Literature

Noli Me Tángere (novel)

The Philippine literature is a diverse and

rich group of works that has evolved
throughout the centuries. It had started
with traditional folktales and legends
made by the ancient Filipinos before
Spanish colonization. The main themes of
Philippine literature focus on the country's
pre-Hispanic cultural traditions and the
socio-political histories of its colonial and
contemporary traditions. The literature of
the Philippines illustrates the Prehistory
and European colonial legacy of the
Philippines, written in both Indigenous and
Hispanic writing system. Most of the
traditional literatures of the Philippines
were written during the Spanish period,
while being preserved orally prior to
Spanish colonization. Philippine literature
is written in Spanish, English, or any
indigenous Philippine languages.

Some well known works of literature were

created in the 17th to 19th centuries. The
Ibong Adarna is a famous epic about a
magical bird which was claimed to be
written by José de la Cruz or "Huseng
Sisiw".[64] Francisco Balagtas is one of the
country's prominent Filipino poets, he is
named as one of the greatest Filipino
literary laureates for his contributions in
Philippine literature. His greatest work, the
Florante at Laura is considered as his
greatest work and one of the
masterpieces of Philippine literature.
Balagtas wrote the epic during his
imprisonment.[65] José Rizal, the national
hero of the country, wrote the novels Noli
Me Tángere (Touch Me Not) and El
Filibusterismo (The Filibustering, also
known as The Reign of Greed). Nínay By
Pedro Paterno, explores the tragic life of a
female protagonist Ninay.

There have been proposals to revive all

indigenous ethnic scripts or suyat in the
Philippines, where the ethnic script of the
ethnic majority of the student population
shall be taught in public and private
schools. The proposal came up after
major backlash came about when a bill
declaring the Tagalog baybayin as the
national script of the country. The bill
became controversial as it focuses only on
the traditional script of the Tagalog people,
while dismissing the traditional scripts of
more than 100 ethnic groups in the
country. The new proposal that came after
the backlash cites that if the ethnic
majority is Sebwano, then the script that
will be taught is badlit. If the ethnic
majority is Tagalog, then the script that will
be taught is baybayin. If the ethnic majority
is Hanunuo Mangyan, then the script that
will be taught is hanunu'o, and so on.[66]

Cinema and media

Salón de Pertierra was the first introduced

moving picture on January 1, 1897, in the
Philippines. All films were all in Spanish
since Philippine cinema was first
introduced during the final years of the
Spanish era of the country. Antonio Ramos
was the first known movie producer. He
used the Lumiere Cinematograph when he
filmed Panorama de Manila (Manila
landscape), Fiesta de Quiapo (Quiapo
Fiesta), Puente de España (Bridge of
Spain), and Escenas Callejeras (Street
scenes). Meanwhile, Jose Nepomuceno
was dubbed as the "Father of Philippine
Cinema".[67] Dubbed as the "Father of
Philippine Cinema", his work marked the
start of cinema as an art form in the
Philippines.[68] His first film produced was
entitled Dalagang Bukid (Country Maiden)
in 1919.
Film showing resumed in 1900 during the
American period. Walgrah, a British
entrepreneur, opened the Cine Walgrah at
No. 60 Calle Santa Rosa in Intramuros. It
was also during this time that a movie
market was formally created in the country
along with the arrival of silent movies.
These silent films were always
accompanied by gramophone, a piano, a
quartet, or a 200-man choir. During the
Japanese occupation, filmmaking was put
on hold. Nonetheless, it was continued on
1930s up until 1945 replacing the
Hollywood market with Japanese films but
met with little success. Postwar 1940s
and the 1950s were known as the first
golden age of Philippine cinema with the
resurgence of mostly Visayan films
through Lapu-Lapu Pictures. Nationalistic
films became popular, and movie themes
consisting primarily of war and heroism
and proved to be successful with
Philippine audiences.

Mila del Sol starred in one of

the earliest Filipino movies,
Giliw Ko (1939), along with
Fernando Poe Sr.

The 1950s saw the first golden age of

Philippine cinema,[69][70] with the
emergence of more artistic and mature
films, and significant improvement in
cinematic techniques among filmmakers.
The studio system produced frenetic
activity in the Philippine film industry as
many films were made annually and
several local talents started to gain
recognition abroad. Award-winning
filmmakers and actors were first
introduced during this period. As the
decade drew to a close, the studio system
monopoly came under siege as a result of
labor-management conflicts.

During the 1960s, James Bond movies,

bomba (soft porn) pictures and an era of
musical films, produced mostly by
Sampaguita Pictures, dominated the
cinema. The second golden age occurred
from the 1970s to early 1980s. It was
during this era that filmmakers ceased to
produce pictures in black and white. A rise
in Hollywood films dominated theater
sales during the late 1980s until the
2000s.[71] The dawn of this era saw a
dramatic decline of the mainstream
Philippine movie industry.[72]

The 1970s and 1980s were considered

turbulent years for the Philippine film
industry, bringing both positive and
negative changes. The films in this period
dealt with more serious topics following
the Martial law era. In addition, action,
western, drama, adult and comedy films
developed further in picture quality, sound
and writing. The 1980s brought the arrival
of alternative or independent cinema in the
Philippines. The 1990s saw the emerging
popularity of drama, teen-oriented
romantic comedy, adult, comedy and
action films.[70]

The mid-2010s also saw broader

commercial success of films produced by
independent studios.[73][74]

The Philippines, being one of Asia's earliest

film industry producers, remains
undisputed in terms of the highest level of
theater admission in Asia. Over the years,
however, the Philippine film industry has
registered a steady decline in movie
viewership from 131 million in 1996 to 63
million in 2004.[75][71] From a high
production rate of 350 films a year in the
1950s, and 200 films a year during the
1980s, the Philippine film industry
production rate declined in 2006 to
2007.[75][71] The 21st century saw the
rebirth of independent filmmaking through
the use of digital technology and a number
of films have once again earned
nationwide recognition and prestige.
With the high rates of film production in the
past, several movie artists have appeared
in over 100+ roles in Philippine Cinema and
enjoyed great recognition from fans and
moviegoers.

Protest art

Protest art has played an important part in

Philippine history, and in the development
of Philippine culture.[76] The Propaganda
Movement had been key in the formation
of the Philippine national consciousness in
the 19th century.[77] In the 20th century, the
proclamation of Martial law under
Ferdinand Marcos - and the subsequent
human rights abuses which came with it -
led to the prominence of protest art in
Filipino popular culture.[78][79]

Folklore

Philippine mythology

Philippine mythologies are the first

literature of the Philippines, usually passed
on through generation via traditional and
oral folk literature. Written texts recording
the stories have also been made. These
literary stories are mostly chanted as part
of a dynamic Philippine epic poetry.[80][81]
While each unique ethnic group has its own
stories and myths to tell, Hindu and
Spanish influences can nonetheless be
detected in many cases. Philippine
mythology mostly consists of creation
stories or stories about supernatural
creatures, such as the aswang, the
manananggal, the diwata/engkanto, and
nature. Some popular figures from
Philippine mythologies are Makiling, Lam-
Ang, and the Sarimanok.[82]
Religion

Christianity

Original image of
the Santo Niño
de Cebú.

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.[83]
Indigenous folk religions

An Itneg shaman offering pigs to

anito spirits, 1922

A performer depicting a babaylan

(shaman)

Indigenous Philippine folk religions, also

referred collectively as Anitism,[84][85]
meaning ancestral religions,[86][87] 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.[82]

Islam

Islamic mythology arrived in the

Philippines in the 13th century through
trade routes in Southeast Asia. The spread
of Islam established a variety of belief
systems, notably in the southwestern
portions of the archipelago, where the
sultanate system was embraced by the
natives without the need for forced
conversions, as the religious traders did
not intended to colonize the islands.
Presently, around 6% of the population are
Muslims, concentrating in the Bangsamoro
region in Mindanao. Most Filipino Muslims
practice Sunni Islam according to the
Shafi'i school.[83]

Others

Hinduism arrived in the Philippines in 200–

300 AD while Vajrayana Buddhism arrived
around 900 AD. Most adherent of
Hinduism have Indian origins while those
practicing Buddhism have Chinese or
Japanese origins, notably those who
immigrated in the Philippines in the last
few decades. Shintoism arrived prior to the
12th century due to Japanese traders,
while Judaism arrived in the 16th century
due to the Inquisition. Taoism is also
practiced by some Chinese immigrants.
Atheism is also found in the
Philippines.[88][83]

Cuisine
Top to bottom: Filipino lechon, sinigang, pancit, and halo-halo

Filipinos cook a variety of foods influenced

by of main Indian, Chinese, influences
indigenous ingredients.[89]

The Spanish colonizers and friars in the

16th century brought with them produce
from the Americas such as chili peppers,
tomatoes, corn, potatoes, and the method
of sautéing with garlic and onions. Eating
out is a favorite Filipino pastime. A typical
Pinoy diet consists at most of six meals a
day; breakfast, snacks, lunch, snacks,
dinner, and again a midnight snack before
going to sleep. Rice is a staple in the
Filipino diet, and is usually eaten together
with other dishes. Filipinos regularly use
spoons together with forks and knives.
Some also eat with their hands, especially
in informal settings, and also Filipinos use
chopsticks when eating seafood. Rice,
corn, and popular dishes such as adobo (a
meat stew made from either pork or
chicken), lumpia (meat or vegetable rolls),
pancit (a noodle dish), and lechón baboy
(roasted pig) are served on plates.
Other popular dishes include afritada,
asado, tapa, empanada, mani (roasted
peanuts), paksiw (fish or pork, cooked in
vinegar and water with some spices like
garlic and pepper), pandesal (bread of
salt), laing, sisig, torta (omelette), kare-kare
(ox-tail stew), kilawen, pinakbet (vegetable
stew), pinapaitan, and sinigang (tamarind
soup with a variety of pork, fish, or
prawns). Some delicacies eaten by some
Filipinos may seem unappetizing to the
Western palate include balut (boiled egg
with a fertilized duckling inside),
longganisa (sweet sausage), and dinuguan
(soup made from pork blood).
Popular snacks and desserts such as
chicharon (deep fried pork or chicken skin),
halo-halo (crushed ice with evaporated
milk, flan, sliced tropical fruit, and sweet
beans), puto (white rice cakes), bibingka
(rice cake with butter or margarine and
salted eggs), ensaymada (sweet roll with
grated cheese on top), pulburon (powder
candy), and tsokolate (chocolate) are
usually eaten outside the three main
meals. Popular Filipino beverages include
Beer, Tanduay Rhum, lambanog, and tuba.

Every province has its own specialty and

tastes vary in each region. In Bicol, for
example, foods are generally spicier than
elsewhere in the Philippines. Patis (fish
sauce), suka (vinegar), toyo (soy sauce),
bagoong, and banana ketchup are the most
common condiments found in Filipino
homes and restaurants.

Western fast food chains such as

McDonald's, Wendy's, KFC, and Pizza Hut
are a common sight in the country. Local
food chains such as Jollibee, Goldilocks
Bakeshop, Mang Inasal and Chowking are
also popular and have successfully
competed against international fast food
chains.[90][91]
Education

The University of Santo Tomas,

located in Manila, was established
in 1611.

Education in the Philippines has been

influenced by Western and Eastern
ideology and philosophy from the United
States, Spain, and its neighbouring Asian
countries. Philippine students enter public
school at about age four, starting from
nursery school up to kindergarten. At
about seven years of age, students enter
elementary school (6 to 9 years) this
include Grade 7 to Grade 10 as junior high
school, then after, they graduate. Since the
Philippines has already implemented the K-
12 system, students will enter SHS or
senior high school, a 2-year course, to be
able to prepare college life with their
chosen track such as ABM (Accountancy
Business Management), STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
and HUMSS (Humanities and Social
Sciences) other tracks are included like
TECH-VOC (Technical Vocational).
Students can make a choice if they will
take the college entrance examinations
(CEE) in order to attend college or
university (3 to 5 years) or find work after
they graduate senior high school.
Other types of schools in the country
include private schools, preparatory
schools, international schools, laboratory
high schools, and science high schools. Of
these schools, private Catholic schools are
the most famous. Catholic schools are
preferred in the Philippines due to their
religious beliefs. Most Catholic schools
are co-ed. The uniforms of Catholic
schools usually have an emblem along
with the school colors. International
schools follow different curricula, such as
Singaporean, American, and British. With
this, their approach differs depending on
the overall programs that these curricula
offer.
The school year in the Philippines starts in
June and ends in March, with a two-month
summer break from April to May, two-week
semestral break in October and Christmas
and New Year's holidays. Changes are
currently being made to the system and
some universities have copied the
Westernized academic calendar and now
start the school year in August.

In 2005, the Philippines spent about

US$138 per pupil compared to US$1,582 in
Singapore, US$3,728 in Japan, and US$852
in Thailand.[92]
Sports and recreation

A PBA game at the Smart Araneta

Coliseum.

Manny Pacquiao, the only 8-division

world boxing champion in history.

Arnis, a form of martial arts, is the national

sport in the Philippines.[93] Among the
most popular sports include basketball,
boxing, football, billiards, chess, ten-pin
bowling, volleyball, horse racing, Sepak
Takraw, cockfighting and Bullfighting.
Dodgeball, badminton, and tennis are also
popular.

Filipinos have gained international success

in sports. These are boxing, football,
billiards, ten-pin bowling, and chess.
Popular sport stars include Manny
Pacquiao, Flash Elorde, and Francisco
Guilledo in boxing, Paulino Alcántara in
football, Carlos Loyzaga, Robert Jaworski,
and Ramon Fernandez in basketball, Efren
Reyes and Francisco Bustamante in
billiards, Rafael Nepomuceno in ten-pin
bowling, Eugene Torre and Renato Naranja
in chess, and Mark Muñoz in MMA. The
Philippine National Basketball Team is a
powerhouse in Asia and has the best
performance of all Asian teams in the
Olympics and the FIBA World Cup.

The Palarong Pambansa, a national sports

festival, has its origin in an annual sporting
meet of public schools that started in
1948. Private schools and universities
eventually joined the national event, which
became known as the "Palarong
Pambansa" in 1976. It serves as a national
Olympic Games for students, competing at
school and national level contests. The
year 2002 event included football, golf,
archery, badminton, baseball, chess,
gymnastics, tennis, softball, swimming,
table tennis, taekwondo, track and field,
and volleyball.

Martial arts

A grandmaster of Arnis.

There are several forms of Filipino martial

arts that originated in the Philippines
(similar to how Silat is the martial arts
practiced in Asia) including Eskrima
(weapon-based fighting, also known as
Arnis and in the West sometimes as Kali),
Panantukan (empty-handed techniques),
and Pananjakman (the boxing component
of Filipino martial arts).

Traditional Filipino games and

pastimes

Sungka, a traditional Filipino game.

Cockfight
Traditional Philippine games such as
luksong baka, patintero, piko, and tumbang
preso are still played primarily as children's
games among the youth.[94][95] 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.[96]

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.[97][98]
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.[99]

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.[100] Piko is a Filipino
version of the game hopscotch. Children
will draw a sequence rectangles 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.

Rites of passage
Every year, usually in April and May,
thousands of Filipino boys are taken by
their parents to be circumcised. According
to the World Health Organization (WHO)
about 90% of Filipino men are circumcised,
one of the world's highest circumcision
rates. Although the roots of the practice
date back to the arrival of Islam in 1450,
the succeeding 200 years of Spanish rule
obviated the religious reasons for
circumcision. Nevertheless, circumcision,
called tuli, has persisted. The pressure to
be circumcised is evidenced even in the
language: the Tagalog word for
'uncircumcised', supot, also means
'coward'. It is commonly believed that a
circumcised eight or ten year-old is no
longer a boy and is given more adult roles
in the family and society.[101]

Intangible cultural heritage

The Philippines, with the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts as
the de facto Ministry of Culture,[102] ratified
the 2003 Convention after its formal
deposit in August 2006.[103]

Prior to the 2003 Convention, the

Philippines was invited by UNESCO to
nominate intangible heritage elements for
the inclusion to the Proclamation of
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible
Heritage of Humanity. This prompted the
proclamation of the Hudhud chant of the
Ifugao (https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/hudh
ud-chants-of-the-ifugao-00015) in 2001
and Darangen epic chant of the Maranao
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/darangen-e
pic-of-the-maranao-people-of-lake-lanao-0
0159) in 2005. After the establishment of
the 2003 Convention, all entries to the
Proclamation of Masterpieces were
incorporated in the Representative List of
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (h
ttps://ich.unesco.org/en/00011?type=000
02) in 2008. A third inscription was made
in 2015 through a multinational nomination
between Cambodia, the Philippines, the
Republic of Korea and Viet Nam for the
Tugging Rituals and Games (https://ich.un
esco.org/en/RL/tugging-rituals-and-games
-01080) , wherein the Punnuk, tugging ritual
of the Ifugao was included.
As part of the objective of the 2003
Convention, the National Commission for
Culture and the Arts through the Intangible
Cultural Heritage unit and in partnership
with ICHCAP (http://www.ichcap.org/eng/i
ndex/) , published the Pinagmulan:
Enumeration from the Philippine Inventory
of Intangible Cultural Heritage (http://www.
ichcap.org/eng/ek/sub3/sub2.php#self)
in 2012. The publication contains an initial
inventory of 335 ICH elements with
elaborate discussions on 109 ICH
elements. The elements listed are the first
batch of continuous updating process
initiated by the government, UNESCO, and
other stakeholders. In 2014, the
Pinagmulan was a finalist under the
category of the Elfren S. Cruz Prize for
Best Book in the Social Sciences to the
National Book Awards organized by the
National Book Development Board.[104]
The Philippine inventory is currently being
updated as a measure to safeguard more
intangible cultural heritage elements in the
country. The updating began in 2013 and
results may be released in 5–10 years
after the scientific process finishes the
second batch of element documentations.
According to UNESCO, it is not expected by
a country or state party to have a
completed inventory. On the contrary, the
development and updating of inventories is
an ongoing process that can never be
finished.[105]

Between 2015 and 2017, UNESCO's

Intangible Cultural Heritage Courier of Asia
and the Pacific featured the darangen epic
chant,[106] punnuk tugging ritual,[107] and at
least three kinds of traditional healing
practices in the Philippines, including the
manghihilot and albularyo healing practices
and belief of buhay na tubig (living water)
of the Tagalog people of 20th century
Quezon city,[108] the baglan and
mandadawak healing practices and stone
beliefs of the Itneg people in Abra,[108] and
the mantatawak healing practices of the
Tagalog people of Marinduque.[108]

Carabao is a major symbol of Filipinos hard

labor. And is known to be the "Filipino
farmer's bestfriend".

By 2016, according to the ICH Unit,

National Commission for Culture and the
Arts, there were 367 elements listed under
the Philippine Inventory of Intangible
Cultural Heritage (PIICH), the official ICH
inventory of the Philippines. All elements
under the PIICH are listed in Philippine
Registry of Cultural Property (PRECUP), the
official cultural property inventory of the
country which includes both tangible and
intangible cultural properties.[109] In April
2018, the buklog of the Subanen people
was nominated by the National
Commission for Culture and the Arts in the
list for urgent safeguarding.[110]

Filipino diaspora
An Overseas Filipino is a person of Filipino
origin, who lives outside of the Philippines.
This term is applied to people of Filipino
ancestry, who are citizens or residents of a
different country. Often, these Filipinos are
referred to as Overseas Filipino Workers.
There are about 11 million overseas
Filipinos living worldwide, equivalent to
about 11 percent of the total population of
the Philippines.[111]

Each year, thousands of Filipinos migrate

to work abroad through overseas
employment agencies and other programs.
Other individuals emigrate and become
permanent residents of other nations.
Overseas Filipinos often work as doctors,
nurses, accountants, IT professionals,
engineers, architects,[112] entertainers,
technicians, teachers, military servicemen,
students, caregivers, domestic helpers,
and household maids.
International employment includes an
increasing number of skilled Filipino
workers taking on unskilled work overseas,
resulting in what has been referred to as
brain drain, particularly in the health and
education sectors. Also, the employment
can result in underemployment, for
example, in cases where doctors undergo
retraining to become nurses and other
employment programs.
Festivals

Flores de Mayo

The MassKara Festival of Bacolod.

The Sinulog Festival is held to

commemorate the Santo Niño
 Pahiyas Festival in Lucban Quezon

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.
Month Festival Place

Ati-Atihan Kalibo, Aklan

Sinulog Cebu

Dinagyang Iloilo
January
Dinagsa Cadiz, Negros Occident al

Coconut San Pablo, Laguna

Bambanti Isabela

Panagbenga Baguio

Kaamulan Bukidnon
February
Paraw Regatta Iloilo and Guimaras

Pamulinawen Ilocos

Pintados de Passi Passi, Iloilo

Araw ng Dabaw Davao

March
Kariton Licab, Nueva Ecija

Kaamulan Bukidnon

Moriones Marinduque

Sinuam San Jose, Bat angas

April
Pana-ad Negros Occident al

Aliwan Pasay

Magayon Albay

Pahiyas Lucban, Quezon

May Sanduguan Calapan, Orient al Mindoro

Sumakah Ant ipolo, Rizal

Butwaan But uan

Baragatan Palawan

June Sangyaw Tacloban

Pista Y Ang Kagueban Puert o Princesa, Palawan

July T'nalak Koronadal, Sout h Cot abat o

 Kadayawan Davao

Higalaay Cagayan de Oro

August
Pavvu-rulun Tuguegarao

Sabutan Festival Baler, Aurora

Peñafrancia Naga Cit y

Sandurot Dumaguet e

Padul-ong Borongan, East ern Samar

Sept ember
Bonok-Bonok Surigao Cit y

Banigan Basey, Samar

Diyandi Iligan Cit y

Fiesta Pilar Zamboanga Cit y

Masskara Bacolod
Oct ober
Buglasan Negros Orient al

Pangisdaan Navot as

November Itik Vict oria, Laguna

December Paru-Paru Dasmariñas, Cavit e

Holidays

Parol (Christmas lanterns) being sold

during the Christmas season
 Good Friday observance in Pampanga

Regular holidays
Date (Gregorian
Filipino language English language
Calendar)

January 1 Araw ng Bagong Taon New Year's Day

Mahal na Araw including Biyernes Holy Week including Good Friday

March–April
Santo and Huwebes Santo and Maundy Thursday

April 9 Araw ng Kagitingan Day of Valour

May 1 Araw ng Manggagawa Labour Day

June 12 Araw ng Kalayaan Independence Day

August 27 Araw ng mga Bayani Nat ional Heroes' Day

November 30 Araw ni Bonifacio Bonifacio Day

December 24 Bisperás ng Pasko Christ mas Eve

December 25 Araw ng Pasko Christ mas

December 30 Araw ni Rizal Rizal Day

Special holidays
Date (Gregorian
Filipino language English language
Calendar)

January–February Bagong Taong Pang Tsino Chinese New Year

Anibersaryo ng Rebolusyon ng Lakas People Power Revolut ion

February 25
ng mga Tao Anniversary

August 21 Araw ni Ninoy Aquino Ninoy Aquino Day

November 1 Araw ng mga Santo All Saint s Day

November 2 Araw ng mga Kaluluwa All Souls' Day

December 31 Bisperás ng Bagong Taón New Year's Eve

Heritage towns and cities

The Philippines is home to numerous
heritage towns and cities, many of which
have been intentionally destroyed by the
Japanese through fire tactics in World War
II and the Americans through bombings
during the same war. After the war, the
government of the Empire of Japan
withheld from giving funds to the
Philippines for the restoration of the
heritage towns they destroyed, effectively
destroying any chances of restoration
since the pre-war Philippines' economy
was devastated and had limited monetary
supply. On the other hand, the United
States gave minimal funding for only two
of the hundreds of cities they destroyed,
namely, Manila and Baguio.

Today, only the centres (poblacion or

downtown areas) of Filipino heritage
towns and cities remain in most of the
expansive heritage cities and towns in the
country. Yet, some heritage cities in their
former glory prior to the war still exist,
such as the UNESCO city of Vigan which
was the only heritage town saved from
American bombing and Japanese fire and
kamikaze tactics. The country currently
lacks a city/town-singular architectural
style law. Due to this, unaesthetic cement
or shanty structures have taken over
heritage buildings annually, destroying
many former heritage townscapes. Some
heritage buildings have been demolished
or sold to corporations, and have been
replaced by commercial structures such
as shopping centers, condominium units,
or newly furnished modern-style buildings,
completely destroying the old aesthetics
of many former heritage towns and cities.
This is one of the reasons why UNESCO
has repeatedly withheld from inscribing
further Filipino heritage towns in the World
Heritage List since 1999. Only the heritage
city of Vigan has a town law that
guarantees its singular architecture (the
Vigan colonial style) shall always be used
in constructions and reconstructions.

While Silay,[113] Iloilo City, and San

Fernando de Pampanga have ordinances
giving certain tax exemptions to owners of
heritage houses. In 2010, the Philippine
Cultural Heritage Act passed into law,
effectively giving protections to all cultural
heritage properties of the Philippines.
However, despite its passage, many
ancestral home owners continue to
approve the demolition of ancestral
structures. In certain cases, government
entities themselves were the purveyors of
such demolitions.[114]

See also
Art of the Philippines
List of museums in the Philippines

Further reading
Kathleen Melissa Martinez (2007).
FINDING A HOME FOR FILIPINO-
AMERICAN DUAL CITIZENS:
 MEMBERSHIP AND THE FILIPINO
NATIONAL IDENTITY (https://web.archiv
e.org/web/20111005035941/http://cct.
georgetown.edu/research/thesisdataba
se/Kay%20Martinez.pdf) (PDF) (Master
of Arts in Communication, Culture and
Technology thesis). Georgetown
University. Archived from the original (htt
p://cct.georgetown.edu/research/thesis
database/Kay%20Martinez.pdf) (PDF)
on October 5, 2011.

Notes
1. The actual historical use of the term
"barangay" and its applicability to polities
throughout the archipelago has been
 questioned in recent scholarship. See
Woods, 2017.

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