Philcul 6

• Filipinos


  Ethnically diverse people of the Philippines, most of whom are of Malay descent and came from the mainland of Southeast Asia, now Indonesia
• Significant ethnic groups in the Philippines

  • Cebuano of the Visayan Islands
  • Tagalog of Luzon
  • Hiligaynon (Ilongo) of the Visayan islands of Panay and Negros
  • Ilocano of northern Luzon
  • Bicol (Bikol) of the Bicol Peninsula
  • Waray-Waray of Samar and Leyte
  • Kapampangans (Pampango) of south-central Luzon
  • Filipino mestizos
• Indigenous people of the Philippines

  • Negritos (Aeta, Ita, Agta)
• Kapwa


  A shared inner self, resting at the core of Filipino values
• Filipino values


  • Strong prominence on social acceptance and keeping social harmony
  • Social behavior influenced by social approval and caring about what others think, say, or do
• The Family


  • Filipinos have strong family ties
  • Different generations or multiple families living in one house is normal
  • Children not likely to leave parents' house until they get married
  • Couples stay with or close to their or their spouse's parents
  • Filipinos expected to care for their elderly instead of sending them to a retirement home
• Humor and Positivity


  • Filipinos are optimistic, humorous, and positive
  • Filipinos enjoy festivities and celebrations
  • Filipinos find quality time for their families to celebrate birthdays, Christmas holidays, and other instances
  • Filipinos tend to look at the brighter side of things in challenging situations
• Bahala na


  • A familiar phrase used in the Philippines, meaning "whatever happens, happens"
  • Embodies Filipinos' belief in a higher power and submitting one's fate to uncontrolled elements
  • Seen as a positive encouragement that allows Filipinos to face their problems by some, or as a way to excuse one from responsibility for their actions by others
• Faith and Religion


  • Spirituality is deeply embedded in Filipino culture
  • The Catholic Church's opinions still affect the passing of some laws
  • Most towns still celebrate fiestas to honor their patron saints
  • Several regular non-working national holidays are devoted to commemorating various religious activities and events
  • Religion helps form Filipinos' values and principles, which still play a big part in society and everyday lives
• Filipino Hospitality


  • Filipinos warmly welcome their guests regardless of where they come from, how well they know them, and why they're visiting
  • Hosts typically provide guests with food, entertainment, and a tour around local destinations
  • Guests are offered to take home pasalubong or souvenirs such as delicacies and local sweets before leaving
• Other positive traits of Filipinos

  • Respect for the elderly
  • Industrious attitude
  • Generosity
• Cultural Heritage


  • Includes artifacts, monuments, a group of buildings and sites, and museums that have a variety of values, including symbolic, historical, artistic, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological, scientific, and social significance
  • Includes both tangible and intangible cultural heritage
• Tangible Cultural Heritage


  Physical artifacts, monuments, or collections of objects produced, maintained, and transmitted intergenerationally in a society
• World Heritage Sites in the Philippines

  • Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
  • Banaue Rice Terraces
  • The Historic City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur
  • Baroque Churches of the Philippines
  • Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
  • Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary
• Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)

  Traditions or living expressions inherited from ancestors and passed on to descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge, and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts
• Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Philippines

  • Buklog ritual of the Subanen of Zamboanga Peninsula
  • Piña handloom weaving of the Aklanon of Panay Island
  • Igal, the traditional dance of the Sama people of Tawi-Tawi
• Ritual system


  The most powerful cultural symbol of the Subanen's individual and collective identity and the greatest uniting force of the community
• Piña handloom weaving


  Made from pineapple leaf fibers and woven using a handloom, the whole procedure has remained almost unchanged since it began, deemed the finest among handwoven textiles, used in fashion and finery and passed down as heirlooms, decreasing number of practitioners due to the tiresome conventional means of production
• Igal


  The traditional dance of the Sama people of Tawi-Tawi, performed for different occasions and reasons with many variants, distinguished by graceful movements imitating natural motions, known for the use of finger extensions called janggay
• Lepa and other watercraft and boat-building practices

  The Sama people of Tawi-Tawi are famous for making boats, the lepa being the most common, used for fishing, traveling and as a house for an entire family, constructing these boats is passed on from father to son and from the elders to the younger generation
• Feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia

  The centuries-old image of Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia (Our Lady of Peñafrancia) is the subject of solid devotion in the Philippines, particularly in Bicol, where she is considered as the region's patroness and the Queen of Bicol, millions of devotees flock to Naga City every September for prayers, masses, and fluvial processions
• Traditional dyeing process of the Ifugao

  Using the ikat technique and natural dyes obtained from plants and mud, which also act as a mordant to repair the colors on the materials, make them more vivid, or create a unique shade, the most fitting iron-rich mud is collected in particular areas in the rice paddies or ponds with calmness and reverence as they believe that spirits reside there
• Traslacion of the Black Nazarene


  A reenactment of the transport of the Black Nazarene's replica image from Intramuros to Quiapo Church in 1787, the original statue was initially brought to the Philippines by the Augustinian Recollects in 1606, it attracts millions of devotees who pray to and honor the Black Nazarene image, try to touch it, and help carry it to its destination
• Mask making for the Moryonan Lenten tradition


  The unique feature of the Lenten penitential rite in Marinduque is wearing moryon masks, sculpted from wood and designed by traditional artisans who learned the craft from their elders, there are less than 10 moryon mask-makers in Marinduque, all concentrated in Mogpog, where the most conventional form of the moryonan is still practiced
• Most of the celebrations in the Philippines are traditionally rooted in Christianity, being under Spanish colonial rule for hundreds of years has largely shaped the country's festival scene
• Sinulog Festival


  Held in Cebu City every 3rd week of January, one of the largest festivals in the country, features a dance ritual that indicates the Filipino's pagan past and its conversion to Christianity, parade participants dress in multi-colored costumes and dance to trumpets, drums, and native gongs
• Dinagyang Festival


  Held in Iloilo City every 4th Sunday of January, one of the country's biggest world-class festivals, commemorates the Santo Niño or the Holy Child Jesus and the arrival of Malay settlers in the city, the most famous event is the Dagyang Tribes Dance Competition where Ilonggo tribes are covered in body paint, present a tableau of folkloric scenarios, and go on parade throughout the city while donning props, dancing, and wearing extremely embellished costumes
• Masskara Festival


  Held every October in Bacolod City, a monthlong of non-stop street-dancing, drinking, and merrymaking, began in 1980 during an agricultural crisis as a means of escapism to lift the local's spirits and bring back the smiles on their faces, "Masskara" translates to "many faces" and is developed from the Filipino word mascara, meaning mask, performers, dancers, and onlookers are encouraged to wear a smiling mask
• Ati-Atihan Festival


  Celebrated every January in Kalibo, Aklan, the Philippines' oldest festival, "The Mother of all Philippine Festivals", has been celebrated for over 800 years in honor of the Holy Child Jesus, pagan in origin but turned into a Christian event by the Spaniards, a week-long event of street parties and dancing competitions
• Pahiyas Festival


  A harvest celebration held every May in the province of Quezon, the word "Pahiyas" means to decorate, the festival's goal is to see which house in the community is best adorned with farm crops like fruits, vegetables, and kiping (a type of wafer made with rice and food coloring), traces back to the 15th century when farmers would present their crops at the church to honor St. Isidore the Laborer
• Panagbenga Festival


  A yearly flower festival celebrated every February in Baguio City, lasting over a month, "Panagbenga" comes from a Kankanaey term meaning "season of blooming", showcases floral float parades, street and native dances, and food streets
• Moriones Festival


  Held during Holy Week every April in Marinduque, a yearly religious event to remember the life of St. Longinus, a centurion who pierced Jesus with a spear, the festival's name came from the word "morion" - the helmet of Roman soldiers, a week-long event to re-enact the search for Longinus and the "Passion of the Christ"
• Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival


  One of the most anticipated festivals in Tacloban every June, first celebrated in 1987 to showcase the tattooed tribespeople of Samar and Leyte called the Pintados, features lots of street dancing where participants wear vibrant costumes and ornate body paint resembling the armor used by tribal warriors
• Giant Lantern Festival


  Held every December in San Fernando, Pampanga, the Christmas Capital of the Philippines, one of the biggest Christmas-themed festivals in the country, for over a hundred years the city has been holding this festival, which traces its roots to the Christmas tradition called lubena (a nightly procession of hand-carried lanterns held during the nine-day masses leading up to Christmas Day), participants are encouraged to craft giant Christmas lanterns