CULTURE

Philippine Culture, Customs and Traditions

The Philippine culture is rich in customs and traditions. Philippines culture reflects the complexity of the history of the Philippines through the combination of cultures of foreign influences.
Spanish colonization of the Philippines lasted for more than three centuries. There is a significant amount of Spanish-Mexican influence within Filipino culture, customs and traditions. Hispanic influences are visible in traditional Philippine folk music, folk dance, language, food, art, and religion.
Pre-Hispanic and non-Christian Philippine cultures are derived from the Indigenous tradition of the Austronesian primitive tribes called Malayo-Polynesian.

The hospitality of the Filipino culture is one of the reasons why tourism in the Philippines is steadily growing.
Foreigners and tourists who have experienced the Philippine culture and being with Filipinos find them very hospitable. This is a common trait that Filipinos are known for to most foreigners who have traveled around the country.
The attitude of Filipino people towards foreigners and other people is said to be exceptional. Even the humblest home along the road can serve as a shelter for a stranger who has lost his way. In Filipino culture, serving other people the best of what they have gives them an honor and a promise of true friendship. A typical Filipino house is not completely called a home without any facility ready for guests. It is filled with new and nice-looking items reserved only for them while ordinary ones are for everyday use.
Arriving at your host’s house during mealtime may be awkward but if it’s in a Filipino house, you will be asked to sit down and share what they have on the table. Because eating alone without asking others according to Filipino culture is considered rude. These manners picture how Filipinos accept and properly respect the presence of their visitors. A form of hospitality that comes truly from the heart, just like how the country made its image as the land of true smiling people considering the struggling economy, political confusion and rising poverty in the country.
You may be surprised to see how such situations are handled in Philippines culture. It is like taking everything from them except their love of joking. Joking and laughing at everything perhaps give them relief and makes them see things more positively.
Traveling in this country means more of building a rapport with its people and understanding the Philippine culture, customs and traditions. Filipinos love entertaining foreign visitors; whether to help, or for whatever reason, interacting with them is unavoidable. Consequently, aside from the country’s stunning natural assets, meeting the Filipinos promises you true friendship and memories to keep.

Bayanihan: Filipino sense of community

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In Tagalog, which is a major dialect in the Philippines, the word bayanihan carries great significance. Originally it referred to neighbors carrying a hut or house to a new location. People now use it to describe an outpouring of community spirit-as people give their all to the common good, without expecting recognition or personal gain.