GE II - ELEC PHILIPPINE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY

1. GE 11 –ELEC MELANY A. MANRIZA- Instructor

3. The Philippines is a country full of love,
light, laughter, and food. With a slight
influence from America and some parts of
Asia, the culture of the Philippines is
mainly a blend of Filipino and Spanish
Catholic traditions. They have a good eye
for fashion and art, and their festivals are
to die for.

4. 1. Family-Oriented Life
The Filipinos take pride in their
families. Their daily life revolves around
close and extended family. Parents,
grandparents, uncles and aunts,
cousins, and very close friends are all an
integral part, moving down to the third
and fourth generation as well.

5. 1. Family-Oriented Life
All the extended family gathers for significant
events of their commune - marriages,
circumcisions (for Muslim Filipinos), baptisms (for
Catholic Filipinos), etc. Godparents, in Catholic
communities, are also a central part of a child’s
upbringing. The families celebrate festivals and
holidays together, emphasizing spending more
and more time with each other.

6. 2. Filipino Values
Society norms and values are of utmost importance in
the Philippines. Filipino values are primarily rooted in
relationships and societal obligations. Children are
taught to be respectful from the early stages of their
life, by introducing phrases ‘po’ and ‘opo’ when talking
to adults. Societal and group acceptance is very much
sought after in Filipino society. Attending to what
people think and respecting everyone is a vital part of
Filipino values.

7. 2. Filipino Values
They also uphold optimism, friendliness,
kindness, and spirituality high in this regard. A
common act of respect towards elders is
‘pagmamano’, which is the act of raising the
back of their elders’ hands to their forehead for
accepting their blessings. All these values are
centered around social harmony, positive
relationships, and group acceptance in Filipino
society.

8. 3. Religion
Filipinos take pride in their religion. While
most Filipinos practice Christianity as their
religion, Islam and other indigenous faiths are
also seen in movement. Their religious spirit can
be witnessed during festivals such as Ati-Atihan,
Kaamulan, Panabenga, and the famous 3-
month-celebration for Christmas.

9. 3. Religion
Other than festivals, Filipinos display their
religion’s symbol outside their houses and go to
church or mosques at least once a week. The
Philippines is accepting of all religions, and every
festival or holiday is celebrated with good vibes
and energy.

10. 4. Customs and Traditions
Aside from the three-month Christmas
celebrations, the Filipinos have a series of
different customs and traditions. One of the
long-standing Sunday tradition is cockfighting. It
is a common sight in the streets and involves
gathering, betting, and feasting over Filipino
dishes.

11. 4. Customs and Traditions
Speaking of food, another tradition in the
Philippines is street parades. Every fiesta
involves street parades with designed floats,
music, dance, and delicious local delicacies. No
festival is complete without a street parade
extravaganza. Filipinos also have customs
regarding marriage, family visits, and
gatherings.

12. 5. Cuisine Traditions
The cuisine of the Philippines reflects
influences like Spanish, Indian, Chinese, and of
course, native indigenous flavours. They typically
have six meals- breakfast, lunch, and dinner,
accompanied by a snack after each meal.
Whether it's a festival or a typical day, Filipinos
love to eat. Rice is their staple food and is
usually consumed alongside other dishes.

13. 5. Cuisine Traditions
Some of the popular dishes here are
adobo (a meat stew made from pork or
chicken), lechon baboy (roasted pig),
paksiw (fish or pork, cooked in vinegar and
water with some spices like garlic and
pepper), and sinigang (tamarind soup with
a variety of pork, fish, or prawns).

14. 6. Arts in the Philippines
Arts in the Philippines gives a good insight into
the cultural diversity of the nation. All areas like music,
dance, theatre, paintings, and literature are very
much part of the Filipino culture. Filipinos are
incredibly talented in music, and subsequently, dance.
Even in the 21st century, folk music and dances have
not lost momentum. There are various groups like
Barangay-Barrio, Hari Raya, the Karilagan Ensemble,
who perform folk music and dance.

15. 6. Arts in the Philippines
Painting in the Philippines is vested in the country's
tattoo tradition, starting from the Pintados of Visayas. Some
of the famous paintings post 17th century can be visited in
various museums of Luzon and Mindanao. Other than that,
Filipinos are renowned for their work with fabric. The Itneg
people make a woven blanket (known as binakol) featuring
optical illusion designs. The Filipinos are also known for using
indigenous materials to paint and weave, such as extracts
from onion, tomato, tuba, coffee, rust, molasses, and other
materials.

16. Debate on:
The morality of these
Filipino cultural practices:
Are they good or bad?