Philippines: A Guide To its Culture and History for International Students

The Philippines is a country with rich history and culture so it is not a surprise that many
international students come here to visit and study. It does not only possess beautiful places and
people but also is one of the countries that offers a quality educational system in Asia.

This guide takes a look at the cultural norms and necessary information that international
students should know about the Philippines.

Philippines Geography and its Climate

The Philippine archipelago consists of around 7,100 and more islands and is strategically located
within the arc of nations that runs southeast from mainland Asia to neighboring countries like
Australia. It has a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers, with the 11 major islands
accounting for 92 percent of that. Geographically, the country is divided into three major island
groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzon is the largest island group in the Philippines, It is
located in the north. The second largest group, Mindanao, is located in the south, while the
Visayas, a collection of smaller islands is located between Luzon and Mindanao.

Due to its location in the map, this country has a tropical climate all year. From November
through April, the best time to visit this region is when the humidity is at its lowest and the days
are cooler.

A brief History to know about

In the early part of the history, hunter and gatherers were the early people of the Philippines.
however, people did learn to cultivate between 3,000 and 2,000 BC. Rice was grown, and
domesticated animals were kept. Filipinos began trading with China in the 10th century AD, and
by the 12th century AD, Arab traders had arrived in the Philippines, bringing Islam with them.

Then In the 15th century, Ferdinand Magellan then traveled across the world in 1521 and arrived
in the Philippines, he claimed the islands of the Philippines for Spain. Magellan baptized a leader
with the intention of using him as a puppet ruler for the Spanish crown and other leaders of their
tribes were ordered to submit to Magellan, but one chief, namely Lapu Lapu, refused. Magellan
orders his troop to kill him but were defeated, and Magellan was murdered by lapu lapu’s men
and Spaniard was driven back and left the country. The Spaniards did not establish a presence in
the Philippines until 1565, when other Spaniards led an expedition to the Philippines and arrived
in Luzon in 1571. They established a city (later known as Manila), which became the
Philippines' capital.

Thus, The Philippines became a colony for the Spaniards for over 300 years and the country
were named after King Philip II of Spain.

Afterwards, a conflict between America and Spain broke out in 1898. The Americans defeated
the Spanish in the battle of Manila Bay with the help of the Filipinos. After this, President Emilio
Aguinaldo, declared independence. Spain, on the other hand, secretly gave the Philippines to the
United States as part of the peace pact. The Americans intended to seize and control the
Philippines. On 1899, a war broke out between American forces and the Filipinos in manila. The
Philippine-American War lasted until Aguinaldo was captured in 1902. Then the American ruled
the Philippines. Their type of ruling was paternalistic. They attempted to turn and 'Americanize'
the Filipinos, but failed miserably. They did, however, do some good things like dispatching
teachers to the Philippines, and they were successful in raising the literacy.

But on December 1941, the Philippines were invaded by Japanese soldiers, they took Manila and
All of the Philippines had been under Japanese control by May 1942. However, on October
1944, American troops returned to the Philippines and successfully retook Manila from the hands
of the Japanese. The Philippines became independent on July 1946.

Therefore, this marks the end of colonial period in the Philippines’ history.

Political Structure
The Philippines is a presidential republic with an equal distribution of authority across its three
branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Through this system, the government aims to act in
unity for the country.

Firstly, the Legislative branch, this branch is permitted to make, change, and abolish laws by the
power vested in to them. Secondly, the Executive branch, which is composed of both the
President and the Vice President. This branch makes up a significant component of the country's
bureaucracy. Lastly, the Judicial branch, which holds the power to settle controversies involving
rights and laws that are legally demandable.
In conclusion, these branches are the ones that makes up the political structure of the Philippines.

Economy
The Philippines has a dynamic and growing economy through the years making it noticeable to
the world. With its growing population and labor force, it has developed and increased rapidly
the growth of its economy.
The business activity is growing, with strong gains in the many different industries, which
includes Telecommunications, real estate, tourism, banking and financial industries and many
more. A factor that must be consider when talking about business are its etiquettes. In the
Philippines, businesses will always have a type of hierarchy so you should know who to
approach first. Another thing when talking about business etiquettes and is normal for this
country but unusual for other is its time. Believe it or not, meetings and appointments may start
later than the agreed time. Also, giving gifts is a business etiquette that you should learn and
remember as this is also important for Filipinos.
In summary, the economy of the Philippines is expected to grow more due to the businesses and
the labor workers who follows certain etiquettes.

Leadership and Management

In hierarchical culture like in the Philippines, management style tends to be more restrictive.
Leaders and managers are to be authoritarian but also treating their subordinates with utmost
respect while keeping their dignity as the boss. Being authoritarian does not mean being abusive
but having the mind of a leader that can control your people with leadership.
Communicating between co-workers is not prohibited but should not hinder your work.
Communicating with your workmates in this country is good as it builds your bond and
relationship with each other. This is commonly done when in a break or a free time as
communicating can also reduce the stress when working.
Gestures are also important when communicating and greeting each other, a smile and a hand
shake is a common gesture done by men. A hand wave can also be done to say hi to your friends
and workmates. A hug and kiss are also common gestures done by women. Indirect
communication is quite famous here in the Philippines as it is a way to prevent yourself from
losing face to someone. Manners is also important when making gestures as you should not
interrupt someone when he is talking or doing something.
Thus, these are some of qualities of the Filipinos that should be taken note to avoid having a
culture shock.
Language
The official language of the Philippines is Filipino. English is also one of the official languages.
Tagalog is the mother tongue of the Philippines and is the basis of the Filipino language. Overall,
Filipinos can speak many native languages or dialects. The Philippines has over 120 and more
native languages spoken throughout the whole country.
Every region in the Philippines has its own native dialect so some people not part of that region
that has its native language may not understand. That is why they have Filipino as their official
language to understand and communicate even if they are not part of the same place.
To conclude, Philippines official languages are Filipino and English but they also have their own
native dialects.
Ethnic Groups
The Philippines is composed of thousands of islands so it is not that surprising to know that there
are many ethnic groups that also have different culture and their own traditions.
Some of the major ethnic groups in the Philippines and is also located at Luzon are the Tagalogs,
which is also believed to be the largest ethnic group. Next is the Ilocanos, believed to be the third
largest ethnic group and is known to be hardworking people. Lastly to be included is
Kapampangan, which lives in Pampanga and some parts of the country. These are only some of
the ethnic groups that can be found here in the Philippines.
To sum up, many ethnic groups can be found in every part of the Philippines that show pride to
their own culture and tradition.

Religious beliefs and Gender equality

The Philippines is a Christian country with more than 85% of its population to be roman
catholic. It is also the only Christian nation in Asia. The Filipinos can proudly say that they are
religious and is scared of their creator. Filipinos also respect other religion and show respect to
other people with different religion. This is also the truth for gender, there is a gender equality
among the people.
Gender equality is very important as it closes the gap between men and women and other
genders. The Philippines remains the top country in Asia in terms of closing the gender gap
(World Economic Forum,2020). Gender equality in the Philippines is also true in jobs and
professions with women outnumbering men. The gap between pay wages has also become
closer.
Thus, the Philippines is a country that have respect for religious beliefs and show gender
equality.
System of Education
The Philippines educational system has been highly influenced by the country’s colonial history
since it has been colonized by different occupants in many centuries. Most of the schools that
can be seen in the Philippines was built by the colonizers.
The education in the Philippines was one of the shortest in the world. But in 2012, a new law
wad introduced requiring children to attend kindergarten which Is around the age of five to grade
12 which is around the age of eighteen. This educational system is similar to the American’s
educational system. After finishing grade 12, the students can take higher educations from
colleges or universities.
To summarize, the country’s educational system is influenced by other countries educational
system.
References:
https://outsource-philippines.com/business-etiquette/
https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/philippines/overview#1
https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/post/ethnic-group-in-the-philippines/
https://pcw.gov.ph/philippines-drops-8-places-in-gender-equality-remains-top-in-asia/
#:~:text=The%20Philippines%20remains%20the%20top,799%20in%202019).
https://www.studycountry.com/guide/PH-education.htm#:~:text=Education%20in%20the
%20Philippines%20is,leading%20to%20a%20bachelor's%20degree.
https://localhistories.org/a-brief-history-of-the-philippines/#:~:text=The%20first%20people
%20in%20the,Philippines%20and%20they%20introduced%20Islam.