2. FILIPINO CULTURE

3. HISTORY
• The culture of the Philippines reflects the country’s
complex history. It is a blend of the Malayo-Polynesian and
Hispanic cultures with influences from chinese.
• Before the spanish, there were already a mixture of
cultures, the native people similar to melanesians and
australian aborigines a majority population of malays and
polynesians and small groups of people from other Southeast
Asian countries.
• Philippines and Guam were the furthest colonies from
Spain hence Philippines was governed by Mexico.

4. LANGUAGE AND PEOPLE
 Most common language is English and Filipino
which is based on Tagalog.
 The majority of filipinos are descendants from
Austronesian people which are closely related to
the chamorro people in Guam and Mariana
Islands.
 The native population were related to the
aborigines of Australia,
melanesians,chinese,Japanese and Indians.

5. RELIGION,ARTS, LITERATURE & MUSIC
 Predominantly Roman Catholic, 80.9% are catholics,
Aglipayan- 2%,Evangelical Christians- 2.8%, Iglesia ni
Cristo-2.3%, other christian denomination-4.5%,about
5% are muslim and 5% practiced other religion and
those with no religion.
 Visual Arts- painting, indigenous art, kut-kut art,
islamic art.
 Performing Arts- music and dance, cinema and
television.

6.  Hispanic influence is based on Indigenous and
European tradition. Folk dance, music and literature
have remained intact in the 21st century. These were
introduced in 16th century from spain and mexico.
 ARCHITECTURE
-From Nipa Hut (Bahay Kubo), spaniards introduced
stones as housing and building materials
-Contemporary architecture has a distinctively
western style although pre-hispanic housing is still
common in rural areas.

7. CUISINE
 Filipino cook a variety of food influenced by the
Spaniards, westerns and Asians.
 Philippines is considered the melting pot of Asia.
 e.g.- afritada
Arroz caldo
Calderata
Pochero

8. BUSINESS
 The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(PCCI) plays an integral role in the economic, political
and social development of the nation. Historically, the
chamber can be traced back as early as 1890’s with the
inauguration of the Camara de Comercio de Filipinos.
 In the first half of the 20th century commerce and
industrial trades with other Hispanic countries
declined due to the US administration.
 In 1998 marked the centennial celebration of
Philippines Independence and opened a new
opportunity for both hispanic and Filipino businesses
to reconnect their historic ties as trade partners.

9. FILIPINO TRAITS
 Pakikisama
 Utang na Loob
 Bayanihan
 Close family ties

10. DEVELOPMENT OF
FILIPINO CULTURE

11.  Damaged culture and the sick man of Asia are just two
of the many phrases used to describe the Philippine
situation today. Questions such as “what’s wrong,
what’s right with the Filipino? Have set many Filipino
minds upon some deep and not so deep soul-searching
and brainstorming. Is American democracy fit for the
Philippines? Is Catholicism brought by Spain partly
responsible for the failure of the country to become
another “tiger” of Asia?
- Manuel B. Dy Jr. Ph.D.
Ateneo de Manila University

12. STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND ROOTS
OF FILIPINO CHARACTER
- PATRICIA B. LICUANAN

13. STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
 Pakikipagkapwa-Tao
-regard for others with dignity and respect and deal with
them as fellow human being.
-manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness and in
concern for others results in camaraderie and feeling of
closeness to one another and promote unity as well as
sense of social justice.
 Utang na Loob- sense of gratitude
 Family Orientation- to the filipino, one’s family is the source
of personal identity, the source of emotional and material
support and the person’s main commitment and
responsibility.

14.  Joy and Humor – Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving
approach to life and it’s ups and downs which is manifested in
the Filipino’s love for socials and celebrations, in our capacity
to laugh even in the most trying of times.
 Flexibility, Adaptability and Creativity
- Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust and to adapt to
circumstances and to the surrounding environment, both
physical and social.
- Filipinos possess a tolerance for ambiguity, creative,
resourceful, adept at learning and able to improvise and make
use of whatever is at hand in order to create and produce.
- This quality is manifested in the ability of the filipino to adapt
to life in any part of the world, the ability to make new things
out of scrap and to keep old machines running, the ability to
accept change.

15.  Hard Work and Industry
-Filipinos have the capacity for hard work given the
proper conditions. The desire to raise one’s standard of
living and to possess the essentials of a decent life for
one’s family, combined with the right opportunities and
incentive stimulate the filipino to work very hard.
 Faith and Religiosity – deep faith in God
 Ability to Survive- manifested in the capacity to endure
difficult times and to get by even on so little.

16. WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
 Extreme personalism – manifested in the tendency to
give personal interpretations to actions, to take things
personally.
 Extreme family-centeredness – creates an image to
which the filipino is fiercely loyal to the detriment of
concern for the larger community or common good. It
manifests in the use of office and power as a means of
promoting the interests of the family, patronage and
political dynasties and in the protection of erring
family members.

17.  Lack of discipline – casual and relaxed attitude towards
time and space which manifests itself in lack of precision
and compulsiveness, in poor time management and in
procrastination.
 Passivity and Lack of initiative – strong reliance on
others, submissive to authority, filipinos tend to be
complacent and there rarely sense of urgency about any
problem.
 Colonial Mentality – 2 dimension; Lack of patriotism and
actual preference for things foreign. It manifests in the
alienation of the elite from their roots and from the
masses, as well as in the basic feeling of national
inferiority that makes us difficult to relate as equals to
westerners.
 Kanya-kanya Syndrome- crab mentality, selfish, self-
serving attitude.

18. ROOTS OF FILIPINO CHARACTER
 Environment
- Home, Social, Economic and Political
 Culture and Language
 History
 Educational System
 Religion
 Mass media
 Leadership and Role Models

19.  As stated by Doreen G. Fernandez, the so-called negative
Filipino traits have been blamed for the weak character of the
filipino, They are the culprits, the scapegoats of our failures.
- the right to develop ourselves assumes a development of
what we are, of what our culture made us, within the context of
our families, towns and nation.
- Cultural rights are part of the right of man. The right of
people to survival, to self-determination and to development.
- Before this nation came to be called the Philippines, it was
composed of ethnic groups or tribes scattered throughout the
islands- each a community or small society, each with a
particular culture and cultural expressions. Spanish culture
and american culture had been adapted into the native culture
and thus indigenized, a certain uniformity or similarity could be
discerned among the cultures of the conquered people
specifically the lowlanders. The people who remained
unconquered did not absorb this culture.

20.  As a result of the ways of the spanish colonial
government, later the American Insular Government and
still later the Philippine National Government, the culture
of the majority was taken as the basis for national policy
and legislation and the culture of the others- the so called
cultural minorities or Tribal filipinos was neglected. There
cultures were not considered in the making of laws; this
people were not usually given a voice in government;
their needs were not often taken as part of the national
concern.

21.  Prof. Felipe M. De Leon, Jr. In his published article “Cultural Identity
and Development” states the following:
-Our educational system remains colonial rather than culturally
appropriate. Our colonial experience seems to have conditioned us to
seek rather than create work opportunities, to adapt rather than to
innovate and to conform rather than to lead. We borrow alien thought
and value system and forms of expression and produce nothing but
derivatives and clones. We forget that we can only be truly productive
using our own thought processes.
-Our low self-esteem as Filipinos borders on self-contempt, the results
of which are:
-Doubt in Filipino capacity for achievement
-Perverse delight among Filipinos to constantly belittle
themselves
-Serious lack of respect or contempt for each other
-Instead of harnessing our culture as a vast resource of
knowledge and wisdom for sustainable development, we squander it by
wallowing in a negative self-image that is tantamount to our self-fulfilling
prophecy.

22.  -The biggest challenge then is to deconstruct the
negative self-images and notions for ourselves
we have imbibed through years of colonial
misrule and miseducation. The foundation of this
transformation is education through cultural
awareness; a workable, effective program of
education that can make Filipinos more
responsive and sensitive to filipino dignity,
needs, values and cultural potentials and assets.

23. Culture
101 Ways To Tell If You're Filipino
 You point with your lips.
 You eat using hands and you have it down to a technique.
 Your other piece of luggage is a balikbayan box.
 You nod upwards to greet someone.
 You put your foot up on your chair and rest your elbow on
your knee while eating.
 You think that half-hatched duck eggs are a delicacy.
 You have to kiss your relative on the cheek as soon as you
enter the room.
 You're standing next eight big boxes at the airport.
 You collect items from hotels or restaurants "for souvenir."
 You smile for no reason.

24.  You flirt by having a foolish grin in your face while raising your
eyebrows repeatedly.
 You go to a department store and try to bargain the prices.
 You use an umbrella for shade on hot summer days.
 You scratch your head when you don't know the answer.
 You never eat the last morsel of food on the table.
 You like bowling.
 You know how to play pusoy and mah-jong.
 You find dried up morsels of rice stuck on your shirt.
 You prefer to sit in the shade instead of basking in the sun.
 You add an unwarranted "H" to your name, i.e. "Jhun," Bhoy," "Rhon."
 You put hands together in front of you as if to make a path and say
"excuse, excuse" when you pass in between people or in front of the TV.
 Your middle name is your mothers maiden name.
 You like everything imported or "state-side."
 You check the labels on clothes to see where it was made before buying.
 You hang your clothes out to dry.

25.  You are perfectly comfortable in a squatting position with your
elbows resting on your knees.
 You consistently arrive 30 minutes late for all events.
 You always offer food to all your visitors.
 You say "comfort room" instead of "bathroom."
 You say "for take out" instead of "to go"
 You say "open" or "close" the light.
 You ask for a "pentel-pen" or a "ball-pen" instead of just "pen."
 You asked for "Colgate" instead of "toothpaste."
 You refer to the refrigerator as the "ref" or "pridyider."
 You say "kodakan" instead of take a picture.
 You order a McDonald's instead of "hamburger" (pronounced
ham-boor-jer)
 You say "Ha" instead of "What."
 You say "Hoy" get someone attention.
 You answer when someone yells "Hoy."
 You turn around when someone says "Psst"

26.  You say "Cutex" instead of "nail polish."
 You say "he" when you mean "she" and vice versa.
 You say "array" instead of "ouch."
 Your sneeze sounds like "ahh-ching" instead of "ahh-choo."
 You prefer to make acronyms for phrases such as "OA: for over acting or
"TNT" for, well, you know.
 You say "air con" instead of "a/c" or air conditioner.
 You say "brown-out" instead of "black-out."
 You use a "walis ting-ting" or "walis tambo" as opposed to a
conventional broom.
 You use a "Weapons of Moroland" shield hanging in the living room
wall.
 You have a portrait of "The Last Supper" hanging in your dining room.
 You own a karaoke system.
 You own a piano that no one ever plays.
 You have a tabo in the bathroom.
 Your house has too many burloloys.
 You have two to three pairs of tsinelas at your doorstep.

27.  Your house has an ornate wrought iron gate in front of it.
 You have a rose garden.
 You have a shrine of the "Santo Niño" in your living room.
 You have a "barrel man" (you pull up the barrel and you see
something that looks familiar. Schwing...)
 You cover the living room furniture with bedsheets.
 Your lamp shades still have the plastic cover on them.
 You have plastic runners to cover the carpets in your house.
 You refer to your VCR as a "beytamax."
 You have a rice dispenser.
 You own a turbo boiler.
 You own one of those fiber optic flower lamps.
 You own a lamp with oil that drips down the strings.
 You have a giant wooden fork and spoon hanging somewhere in
the dining room.
 You have a giant wooden tinikling dancer on the wall.
 You have capiz shells chandeliers, lamps, or placemats.

28.  You have a Mercedes Benz and you call it "chedeng."
 You own a huge van conversion.
 Your car chirps like a bird or plays a tune when it is in reverse.
 Your car horn can make 2 or 3 different sounds.
 Your car has curb feelers or curb detectors.
 Your car has too many "burloloys" like a Jeepneys back in P.I.
 You hang a rosary on your car's rear view mirror.
 You have an air freshener in your car.
 You have aunts and uncles named "Baby," "Girlie," or "Boy."
 You were raised to believe that every Filipino is a aunt, uncle or cousin.
 Your Dad was in the Navy.
 Your mom or sister or wife is a nurse.
 You have a family member or relative that works in the Post Office.
 Your parents call each other "Mommy" and "Daddy" or "ma" and "pa."
 You have family member that has a nickname that repeats itself,
i.e."Deng-Deng," Ling-Ling" or "Bing-Bing"

29.  You put hot dogs in your spaghetti.
 You consider dilis the Filipino equivalent to French fries.
 You think that eating chocolate rice pudding and dried fish is a great
morning meal.
 You order thing like tapsilog, tocsilog, or longsilog at restaurants.
 You instinctively grab a toothpick after each meal.
 You order a "soft drink" instead of a "soda."
 You dip bread in your morning coffee.
 You refer to seasonings and all other forms of monosodium glutamate
as "Ajinomoto."
 Your cupboards are full of Spam, Vienna Sausage, Ligo, and Corned
Beef, which you refer to as Karne Norte.
 Goldilocks means more to you than just a character in a fairy tale.
 You appreciate a fresh pot of rice.
 You bring your "baon" most of the time to work.
 Your "baon" is usually something over rice.
 Your neighbors complain about the smell of tuyo on Sunday mornings.
 You eat rice for breakfast.
 You use your fingers to measure the water.

30. THAT’S ALL...
THANK YOU...