“A Glimpse of my Culture”

“Bisaya ka?” (“Are you Bisaya?”). I have been asked frequently with this question after moving in
Zamboanga City. At first, it was a mystery to me how people can tell that I am Bisaya. As the time goes
by, I realized something that me being in a foreign place with foreign people with different culture made
me stood out as a Bisaya girl, and that is my culture.

About four years ago, I decided to enter school in Zamboanga City, where my father lives. The first thing I
experienced was being culture shocked because of the different cultures I have encountered in the city.
My father is Zamboangueño while my mother is Bisaya. I grew up with my mother and that makes me
Bisaya. As a Bisaya girl, my culture clings to me where ever I go because I grew up with it. You can tell
that I am Bisaya because of the way I speak. I naturally have that strong accent when speaking. We are
family oriented and we value the time we spend together. As a family, the most awaited celebration that
we are looking forward to is Christmas and New Year. We also have festivals like the common

Everyone of us has its own culture and that makes us unique from each other.