Culture of the Philippines

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Current logo for the Philippine Registry of Cultural Property

The culture of the Philippines is a combination of cultures of the East and West.[1] Filipino identity was
created primarily as a result of pre-colonial cultures, colonial influences and Chinese traders intermixing
together; gradually evolving into a uniquely Filipino identity. In pre-colonial times, the Philippines was a
divided set of nations, islands and tribes being ruled by their own kings, chieftains, lakans, rajahs, datus
and sultans. Every nation has its own identity and some are even part of a larger empire outside of what
is now the Philippines. Manila, for example, was once part of the Islamic Sultanate of Brunei, while many
parts of Mindanao is theorized to be part of the Hindu Majapahit Empire, with its capital being located
in East Java in modern-day Indonesia. The advent of colonial rule in the islands marked the beginning of
The Philippines as a colony that would later evolved into a country after independence, a collection of
Southeast Asian countries united under Spain. Chinese influence has been felt throughout Southeast
Asia through trade, even before the colonization of the region; specifically by the Ming dynasty and
other earlier dynasties, from as early as the 9th century. But it was during Spanish colonization that
Chinese influence truly left their mark on what is now the Philippines. The blending of indigenous,
colonial and external influence is very evident in the historic arts and traditions of the Philippines.

The Philippines was first settled by Negritos; today, although few in numbers, they preserve a very
traditional way of life and culture. After them, the Austronesians arrived on the archipelago. Today, the
Austronesian culture is strongly evident in the ethnicities, languages, cuisine, music, dance and almost
every aspect of the culture. These Austronesians engaged in trading with other Austronesians,
particularly in the neighbouring nations of Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. They also traded with the
mainland Southeast Asia, as well as Japan, China, the Indian subcontinent and Arabia. As a result, some
of these cultures marked their influences on Philippine culture.[2][3]

The Spanish Empire then gradually colonized the islands between the 16th and 19th centuries (Batanes
being one of the last places to be colonized in the mid-1800s), after more than three centuries of
colonization, Roman Catholicism spread throughout the archipelago and influenced the religion of the
native people. Then, after being colonized by Spain via the Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico), 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.[4]

Contents
1 Architecture

2 Religion

3 Visual arts

3.1 Painting

3.2 Indigenous art

3.3 Islamic art

4 Performing arts

4.1 Dancing

4.2 Music

5 Literature

6 Cinema and media

7 Cuisine

8 Education

9 Sports

9.1 Martial arts

9.2 Traditional Filipino games

10 Indigenous groups

10.1 Indigenous religions or shamanism

10.2 Intangible Cultural Heritage

11 Filipino diaspora

12 Festivals

13 Holidays

13.1 Regular holidays

13.2 Special holidays

14 Philippine Heritage Towns and Cities

15 See also

16 Further reading

17 References

18 External links
Architecture[edit]

Main article: Architecture of the Philippines

See also: Nipa hut, Ancestral houses of the Philippines, and Earthquake Baroque

Bahay na bato is a traditional Filipino colonial house.

Being a colony of the Spanish Empire for almost 300 years, the Spaniards introduced European colonial
architecture to the Philippines. 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.

In the past, before the Spanish colonization, the Nipa hut (Bahay Kubo) was the common form of
housing among the native Filipinos. 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 are a variant of Nipa Hut that
emerge during the colonial era.

The University of Santo Tomas Main Building in Manila is an example of Renaissance Revival
architecture. The building was built on 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[citation needed].[5] 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.
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. Such policies are used by
countries which have preserved their architectural marvels, and entire cities as a whole, for hundreds of
years, such as Italy, France, Romania, Germany, and Spain. 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. Furthermore, the singular
architectural proposal has yet to be manifested into an actual policy due to the lack of a Department of
Culture. 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, senator Loren Legarda filed a bill establishing
the Department of Culture. The bill was introduced in the Senate in January 2017 and is expected to be
passed into law in late 2018 or early 2019. The bill is backed by 9 other senators from different political
parties, namely, Bam Aquino, Nancy Binay, Francis Escudero, Juan Zubiri, Joseph Ejercito, Joel
Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, and Sonny Angara. Three counterpart bills that aim to
establish a Department of Culture has also been filed in the House of Representatives, authored by
Christopher de Venecia, Evilina Escudero, and Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado.[6][7]

Architecture of the Philippines

Vigan City in Ilocos Sur

Aguinaldo Shrine in Cavite

Loboc Church in Bohol

Liliw Church in Laguna

Religion[edit]

Main article: Religion in the Philippines

The Philippines is one of the two predominantly Roman Catholic (80.58%) nations in Asia-Pacific, the
other being East Timor. From the census in 2014, Christianity consisted of about 90.07% of the
population and is largely present throughout the nation, while Islam is comprised for about 5.57% of the
total population and is mostly concentrated in southwestern Mindanao, the Sulu Archipelago and
southwestern Palawan. Those who reported others or none composed 4.37% of the total population of
the nation.

Before the arrival of the Spaniards and the introduction of Roman Catholicism and Western culture in
the 16th century, the indigenous Austronesian peoples of what is now called the Philippines were
adherents of a syncretic religion composed of shamanistic Animism, Polytheism, Islam, Hinduism and
Vajrayana Buddhism.[8]

Visual arts[edit]

Main article: Art of the Philippines

Painting[edit]

Tampuhan by Juan Luna.

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.[9][10] 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.

Letras y figuras is a genre of painting pioneered by Filipino painter José Honorato Lozano .

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.

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.

Indigenous art[edit]

The kut-kut art from Samar.

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. Some indigenous materials are also used as a medium in different
kinds of art works especially in painting by Elito Circa, a folk artist of Pantabangan and a pioneer for
using indigenous materials, natural raw materials including human blood. 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.

Kut-kut, a technique combining ancient Oriental and European art process. Considered lost art and
highly collectible art form. Very few known art pieces existed 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, multi-layered
texture and an illusion of three-dimensional space.

Islamic art[edit]

Islamic art in the Philippines have two main artistic styles. One is a curved-line woodcarving and
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.

Performing arts[edit]

Dancing[edit]

Main article: Philippine dance

Panderetas dance

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.[11][12]

Music[edit]

Main articles: Music in the Philippines and 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[edit]

Ibong Adarna is a 15th-century Filipino epic poem.

Main articles: Literature of the Philippines and Suyat

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-colonial 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 of the well known work of literature were created from the 17th to 19th century. The Ibong
Adarna is a famous epic about an magical bird which was claimed to be written by José de la Cruz or
"Huseng Sisiw".[13] 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.[14] 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).

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.[15]

Cinema and media[edit]

Main article: Cinema of the Philippines

Mila del Sol starred in one of the earliest Filipino movies, Ang makapal na mukha (1939), along with
Fernando Poe, Sr..

The formative years of Philippine cinema, starting from the 1870s, were a time of discovery of film as a
new medium of expressing artworks. Scripts and characterizations in films came from popular theater
shows and Philippine literature.

The advent of the cinema of the Philippines can be traced back to the early days of filmmaking in 1897
when a Spanish theater owner screened imported moving pictures.

In the 1940s, Philippine cinema brought the consciousness of reality in its film industry. Nationalistic
films became popular, and movie themes consisting primarily of war and heroism and proved to be
successful with Philippine audiences.

The 1950s saw the first golden age of Philippine cinema,[16][17] 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. By the 1960s, the artistry established in the previous
years was in decline. This era can be characterized by rampant commercialism in films.

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.[17]
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.[18][19]
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.[18][19] 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.

Cuisine[edit]

Main article: Filipino cuisine

La Paz Batchoy is a noodle soup made with pork organs, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock and beef
loin.

Filipinos cook a variety of foods influenced by of main Indian, Chinese, influences indigenous
ingredients.[20]

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 brought from Southeast Asian, and Spanish influences include afritada, asado,
chorizo, empanadas, mani (roasted peanuts), paksiw (fish or pork, cooked in vinegar and water with
some spices like garlic and pepper), pan de sal (bread of salt), pescado frito (fried or grilled fish), 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),
longanisa (sweet sausage), and dinuguan (soup made from pork blood).
A Filipino Lechon.

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),
polvoron (powder candy), and tsokolate (chocolate) are usually eaten outside the three main meals.
Popular Philippine beverages include San Miguel Beer, Tanduay Rhum, coconut arrack, 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.[21][22]

Education[edit]

Main articles: Education in the Philippines and Higher education in the Philippines

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) for
which they enter college or university (3 to 5 years) or find a work after they graduate on 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.

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.[23][24]

Sports[edit]

Main article: Sports in the Philippines

Arnis, a form of martial arts, is the national sport in the Philippines.[25] Among the most popular sports
include basketball, boxing, football, billiards, chess, ten-pin bowling, volleyball, horse racing, Sepak
Takraw and cockfighting. 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 Munoz 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[edit]
A grandmaster of Arnis.

Main article: Filipino martial arts

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[edit]

Main article: List of traditional Filipino games

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. 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.[26] 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.[27] Piko is a Philippine 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 toss easily.

Indigenous groups[edit]

Main article: Indigenous peoples of the Philippines

An Ivatan woman in Batanes.

The Indigenous peoples of the Philippines consist of a large number of Austronesian ethnic groups. They
are the descendants of the original Austronesian inhabitants of the Philippines, that settled in the
islands thousands of years ago, and in the process have retained their Indigenous customs and
traditions.[28]

In 1990, more than 100 highland peoples constituted approximately three percent of the Philippine
population. Over the centuries, the isolated highland peoples have retained their Indigenous cultures.
The folk arts of these groups were, in a sense, the last remnants of Indigenous traditions that flourished
throughout the Philippines before the Islamic and Spanish contacts.
The highland peoples are a primitive ethnic group like other Filipinos, although they did not, as a group,
have as much contact with the outside world. These peoples displayed a variety of native cultural
expressions and artistic skills. They showed a high degree of creativity such as the production of bowls,
baskets, clothing, weapons and spoons. These peoples ranged from various groups of Igorot people, a
group that includes the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Isneg, Kalinga and Kankana-ey, who built the Rice
Terraces thousands of years ago. They have also covered a wide spectrum in terms of their integration
and acculturation with Christian Filipinos. Other Indigenous peoples include the Lumad peoples of the
highlands of Mindanao. These groups have remained isolated from Western and Eastern influences.

Indigenous religions or shamanism[edit]

Due to the influx of Christianity, Islam, and other world religions in traditional communities, the
indigenous practices, rituals, and spiritual performances and knowledge of indigenous Filipinos are fast
disappearing. Cultural workers in the country suggest the Paiwan Model, which was made by the
Taiwanese government to preserve indigenous religions, to save the Philippines' own indigenous
religions. The indigenous practices and shamanism of the Paiwan people of Taiwan was the fastest
declining religion in the country. This prompted the Taiwanense government to preserve the religion
and to push for the establishment of the Paiwan School of Shamanism where religious leaders teach
their apprentices the native religion so that it will never be lost. It became an effective medium in
preserving, and even uplifting the Paiwan people's indigenous religion. In the Philippines, shaminism is
referred as dayawism, meaning 'gallant religions that give thanks to all living and non-living things'. As of
2018, there is no established school of dayawism in the Philippines, making the hundreds of indigenous
religions in the country in great peril from extinction due to the influx of colonial-era religions. Each
indigenous religion in the Philippines is distinct from each other, possessing unique epics, pantheons,
belief systems, and other intangible heritage pertaining to religious beliefs. Due to this immense
diversity in indigenous religions, a singular school of dayawism is not feasible. Rather, hundreds of
schools of dayawism pertaining to an ethno-linguistic tribe is a better supplement to the current
religious landscape in the Philippines.[29]

Intangible Cultural Heritage[edit]

The Philippines, with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as the de facto Ministry of
Culture,[30] ratified the 2003 Convention after its formal deposit in August 2006.[31]

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 in 2001 and Darangen
epic chant of the Maranao 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 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, 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, published the Pinagmulan:
Enumeration from the Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage 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.[32] 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.[33]

Between 2015 and 2017, UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage Courier of Asia and the Pacific featured
the darangen epic chant,[34] punnuk tugging ritual,[35] 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,[36] the baglan and
mandadawak healing practices and stone beliefs of the Itneg people in Abra,[36] and the mantatawak
healing practices of the Tagalog people of Marinduque.[36]

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.[37] 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.[38]

Filipino diaspora[edit]

Main article: Overseas Filipino

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.[39]

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,[40] 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[edit]

Main article: Festivals of the Philippines

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

January Ati-Atihan Kalibo, Aklan

Dinagyang Iloilo

Dinagsa Cadiz, Negros Occidental

Coconut San Pablo, Laguna

Hinugyaw Koronadal, South Cotabato

February Panagbenga Baguio

Kaamulan Bukidnon

Paraw Regatta Iloilo and Guimaras

Pamulinawen ilocos

March Pintados de Passi Passi, Iloilo

Araw ng Dabaw Davao

Kariton Licab, Nueva Ecija

Kaamulan Bukidnon

April Moriones Marinduque

Sinuam San Jose, Batangas

Pana-ad Negros Occidental

Aliwan Pasay

May Magayon Albay

Pahiyas Lucban, Quezon

Sanduguan Calapan, Oriental Mindoro

Butwaan Butuan

June Baragatan Palawan

Sangyaw Tacloban

Pista Y Ang Kagueban Puerto Princesa, Palawan

July T'nalak Koronadal, South Cotabato

August Kadayawan Davao

Higalaay Cagayan de Oro

Pavvu-rulun Tuguegarao

Sabutan Festival Baler, Aurora

Sandurot Dumaguete

Padul-ong Borongan, Eastern Samar

Bonok-Bonok Surigao City

BaniganBasey, Samar

Diyandi Iligan City

October Fiesta Pilar Zamboanga City

Masskara Bacolod

Buglasan Negros Oriental

Pangisdaan Navotas City

November Itik Victoria, Laguna

December Paru-Paru Dasmariñas, Cavite

Holidays[edit]

Main article: Public holidays in the Philippines

Parol (Christmas lanterns) being sold during the Christmas season

Good Friday observance in Pampanga

Regular holidays[edit]

Date (Gregorian Calendar) Filipino language English language

January 1 Araw ng Bagong Taon New Year's Day

March–April Mahal na Araw including Biyernes Santo and Huwebes Santo Holy Week including
Good Friday 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 National Heroes' Day

November 30 Araw ni Bonifacio Bonifacio Day

December 24 Bisperás ng Pasko Christmas Eve

December 30 Araw ni Rizal Rizal Day

Special holidays[edit]

Date (Gregorian Calendar) Filipino language English language

January–February Bagong Taong Pang Tsino Chinese New Year

February 25 Anibersaryo ng Rebolusyon ng Lakas ng mga Tao People Power Revolution

August 21 Araw ni Ninoy Aquino Ninoy Aquino Day

November 1 Araw ng mga Santo All Saints Day

November 2 Araw ng mga Kaluluwa All Souls' Day

December 31 Bisperás ng Bagong Taón New Year's Eve

Philippine Heritage Towns and Cities[edit]

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,[41] 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.[42] Because of
the minimal reach of the current governmental culture agency and the lack of awareness on the
importance of Filipino sites, a bill establishing a Department of Culture was formally filed in 2016. The
bill is expected to pass into law by late 2018 or early 2019 as it was declared a priority legislation by both
houses of Congress. If the bill reaches its deadline, a secretary of culture will be appointed by June–July
2019.[43]

Throughout the nation, there are many heritage cities and towns.[44] The following are in:

Greater Manila Area

Metro Manila

Malabon

Manila (UNESCO City)

Quezon City

San Juan

Cavite

Cavite City

Kawit

Maragondon

Laguna

Alaminos de Laguna

Biñan

Cabuyao

Calamba

Liliw

Los Baños

Magdalena

Majayjay
Nagcarlan

Paete

Pagsanjan

Pakil

Pila

San Pablo

Santa Rosa

Rizal

Angono

Antipolo

Baras

Morong

Tanay

Luzon

Northern Luzon

Batac

Laoag

Mahatao

Paoay (UNESCO Town)

Sabtang

San Nicolas

Santa Maria

Vigan, Ilocos Sur (UNESCO Town)

Sarrat

Tuguegarao

Uyugan

The Cordilleras
Baguio (UNESCO City)

Banaue (UNESCO Town)

Hungduan (UNESCO Town)

Kiangan (UNESCO Town)

Mayoyao (UNESCO Town)

Sagada

Central Luzon

Alaminos

Angat

Angeles

Bacolor

Baler

Baliuag

Bustos

Guagua

Lingayen

Malolos

Plaridel

San Fernando

San Miguel

Santa Cruz

Santa Rita

Southern Luzon

Balayan

Batangas City

Boac

Calaca

Lucban

Lucena
San Juan de Batangas

Sariaya

Taal

Tayabas

Bicol Region

Camalig

Daet

Daraga

Legazpi

Naga

Tabaco

Visayas

Western Visayas

Iloilo City

Miag-ao (UNESCO Town)

Panay

Romblon

Roxas

Palawan

Culion

Cuyo

Puerto Princesa (UNESCO City)

Taytay

Negros Island

Bacolod

Bacong

Dumaguete
Silay

Victorias

Central Visayas

Argao

Baclayon

Bantayan

Carcar

Cebu City

Dalaguete

Dauis

Oslob

Panglao

Tagbilaran

Lazi

Eastern Visayas

Capul

Guiuan

Mindanao

Zamboanga Peninsula

Dapitan

Zamboanga City

Northern Mindanao and A.R.M.M.

Balingasag

Cagayan de Oro

Iligan

Jasaan

Jimenez
Marawi

Oroquieta

Ozamiz

Tugaya (UNESCO Town)

Caraga

Butuan

Cabadbaran

Davao Region

Davao City

Mati (UNESCO Town)

SOCCSKSARGEN

Glan

Lake Sebu