The culture of the Philippines is a blend of Eastern and Western influences. Before colonialism, the Philippines consisted of many independent tribes and kingdoms. When European powers like Spain and the United States colonized the Philippines, they introduced Christianity, the Spanish and English languages, and other aspects of Western culture. Indigenous Austronesian cultures also influenced Filipino traditions, as did cultural exchanges with other Asian neighbors through trade. Over time, these diverse pre-colonial, colonial, and foreign influences intermixed and evolved together to form modern Filipino culture.

1. ADAPTATION OF EAST AND WEST
CULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

2. Culture of the Philippines
The Culture of the Philippines is a
combination of cultures of the East and West.
Filipino identity was created primarily as a
result of pre-colonial cultures, colonial
influences and foreign traders intermixing
and gradually evolving together.

3. Pre-Colonial Time
The Philippines was a divided set of nations,
islands and tribes being ruled by their own
kings, chieftains, lakans, rajahs, datus and
sultans.

4. Culture of the Philippines
The Culture of the Philippines is a
combination of cultures of the East and West.
Filipino identity was created primarily as a
result of pre-colonial cultures, colonial
influences and foreign traders intermixing
and gradually evolving together.

5. 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, and the Sulu
Archipelago was also part of the Hindu Majapahit.
The advent of colonial rule in the islands marked
the beginning of the Philippines as an entity, a
collection of Southeast Asian countries united under
Spanish Empire.

6. Chinese influence has been felt throughout
Southeast Asia through trade, specifically by the
Ming dynasty and other earlier dynasties from as
early as the 9th century. The blending of
indigenous, colonial and external influence is very
evident in the historic arts and traditions of the
country.

7. The Philippine archipelago was first
settled by Negritos;
 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
neighboring nations in Maritime Southeast Asia.
 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
Filipino culture. This gradually evolved with indigenous
belief systems and developed into Anitism, which became
the dominant religion for more than a millennium.

8. The Spanish Empire, via the Viceroyalty of New Spain,
conquered the islands between the 16th and 19th centuries
(Batanes being one of the last places to be colonized in the
mid-1800s), resulting in Christianity to spread and dominate
throughout the archipelago and influenced the religion and
beliefs of the natives. Then, 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.