Philippine Cultural Diversity, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The culture and traditions of Philippine people is unique and highly spiritual at the same time. The below essay will focus on different areas of Filipino life, including family life, education, belief systems, spirituality and religion, as well as the impact of Western civilization on today’s people with Filipino heritage.

Cultural Background

Filipino culture is unique in Asia, as it is the only Catholic country in the region. As the islands are separated by water from the rest of the continent, the culture of the Philippines is different from other countries’. As the islands were under Spanish rule for a long time, Catholicism spread rapidly in the country, and created a completely new form of spirituality. The country, however, has been influenced by other religions and belief systems, as well, such as the Islam, in the 16^th Century, and the intervention of the United States during the Spanish-American war, and the Japanese invasion in 1944 (Everyculture.com). However, the standard language in the country is a mixture of English and Tagalog, often called “Taglish”, and the Philippines has the third largest number of English speakers in the world. The common usage and knowledge of English makes the Filipino culture more open to Western influences than other countries.

According to Shapiro (2), the culture of the Philippines is collectivist, and social, family relations have a higher importance than in Western civilizations. The identity of a person living in the Philippines is closely influenced by their family and social relationships. As traditions and norms are strong in the country, every person needs to consider their decision based on how it would affect their family’s reputation.

People

People consider relationships (social and blood)  important in their lives. The role of aunts, uncles, and grandparents is greater in the culture than in the western world. The decision making process of Filipino people also differ from Americans’ and Western Europeans’. All major life decisions are discussed in the family, including education, marriage, career, and even friendships (Shapiro). There is also a strict family hierarchy in the family. The head of the household is usually the father, however, the elder brother is responsible for the younger family members. The role of the youngest daughter is to look after aging grandparents. When the youngest daughter gets married, this role falls on her mother. In the Filipino culture, unmarried children are not allowed to live alone, and stay with their parents until a suitable marriage has been agreed to.

Castes and classes still exist in the Philippines, according to Everyculture.com. One’s class and social status is determined by various things, such as the color of their skin, wealth, and beauty. Light-skinned individuals are considered to be more intelligent. Those who have influential and wealthy friends or family members are able to succeed easier than those without such relations.  Money is highly associated with power in the Filipino culture, and having a car provides the family with a social status. However, higher social classes also distinguish themselves by sending their kids to elite schools and higher education.

There is one important and interesting aspect of the culture, and this is related to education. The family supports children throughout their lives to gain a formal education and build a successful career. Education is a tool for achieving both social status and power.

Customs

A sign of real friendship in the Philippines is to walk hand in hand. Family members of all ages and sexes do this. Women are more restricted by social norms than men, as they are not supposed to drink in public or cross their legs. While 85 percent of the population is Catholic, there are some customs that originate back to times before the Spanish arrived. The Constitution of the country provides every citizen with the freedom of religion.

Tremlett (1) mentions amulets and talismans being used as symbols of spiritual power. Further, the author states that tattoos are often based on symbols of power, such as depicting Saint Francis and the serpent, or Jesus. Latin words of power are also often used in tattoos, clearly showing the influence of Christianity (Tremlett, 4).

Lifestyles

A family’s lifestyle highly depends on their social status. Most people live in extended family communities, and occupy large, Spanish style buildings with verandas. In rural communities, outside of Manila, people usually live in nipa huts, constructed of palm trees and cinder blocks. Some new houses have two kitchens; one that is the traditional “dirty kitchen” for preparing food, and a “clean kitchen” for eating. People in the middle class have tiled roofs. 46 percent of the land in the Philippines is forest. Those in rural areas often visit the local market to obtain goods that are not produced in their community. Women manage the money, and they enjoy equality. While male heirs are desirable, women can inherit as well. Interestingly, the value and power of women is determined by their beauty, and in many cases beauty pageant winners succeed better in marriage and business than others. Families usually share childcare duties, and the youngest daughter remains at home to look after elderly or sick family members, however, she can still marry. Grandparents living with the family usually look after small children.

Society

The society of the Philippines is based on unequal distribution of wealth. One of the most significant problems in the society, according to Everyculture.com is that “Spanish and American rule left arable land concentrated in the hands of 2 percent of the population and those owners will not give up their land without compensation”. Unemployment rate is high. Eighty percent of people living in rural areas live in poverty, while fifty percent of the urban residents are considered to be below the poverty line. Many people from poor rural areas try to relocate to the cities, but they cannot find work or adequate housing, and they settle in Shanty towns, garbage dumps, or public places.

Men and women have different roles in the society, and labor is divided into male and female work. Women usually work in the garden, while men often take on construction or driving jobs. Educated women often become teachers or administrators.

Values

The main focus of the Filipino value system is family. Every person defines their role based on their family’s history, traits, and take on the advice of elders. Every individual aims for social acceptance, status, economic security, and social mobility. Education is highly valued in the Philippines. Value and virtue is often associated with one’s physical appearance. Bahala na, or the absolute trust in the Divine (Dy, 67) means that human effort combined with faith is always favored by God. Dy, however, also states that Filipinos tend to leave everything for God, and sit back relying on their faith. As the belief system is deeply founded in Christianity, Filipino is a humane society, caring for the elderly, family members, and the poor.

Education

According to Everyculture.com, “Filipinos regard education as the path to upward mobility”. Therefore, education is important for all families. Literacy rate over the age of 10 is 90 percent, even though education is only compulsory up to the age of 12. The poorest children, however, do not attend school, and work around the house, being looked after and educated by older family members. While children start learning in Filipino, English is introduced at an early age. There are between 25 and 50 children in each class, and there is a great difference between public and private schools’ teaching quality, as well as equipments. School is only open between June and March, due to the extremely hot weather in April and May.

Those who can afford it do everything to get their children into college. Every province has its own colleges and universities. However, those living in remote areas might need to travel to the university.

Healthcare

Life expectancy for males is 64 years for men and 70 years for women in the Philippines (Everyculture.com). Free basic health care is provided for all citizens. Polio was eliminated in 2000, and regional public hospitals treat all patients, arrange vaccination and screening. Infant mortality rate is extremely high in the Philippines: 48.9 percent.

The use of alternative medicines is common in the country, and folk doctors are often used instead of health centers. Massage oils, herbal medicines are used by folk healers, however, there are also faith healers, who promise instant cure for chronic illnesses (Shapiro, 2). High blood pressure is a significant health problem in the country, and without adequate management, it can become deadly. One in ten people aged fifteen or over have high blood pressure. Another health concern is tuberculosis, followed by dengue fever and malaria (Everyculture.com). Government has not yet introduced adequate mosquito control. According to the WHO (12), there is a great inequality in health outcomes based on social status and wealth. Those who can afford can take part in screening and prevention programs, attend private clinics, and generally have a greater knowledge about diseases and their prevention.

Death Rituals

One of the most significant customs of the Philippine culture is related to death and mourning. After one passes away, relatives hold a 24-hour vigil at their house, and then escort the coffin to the cemetery (Everyculture.com). Relatives are to wear a black pin on their clothing, or black clothes, but close family members are required to wear these symbols for one year. Some tribes still have their pagan traditions, such as the Benguets, blindfolding the dead for eight days, or the Ilokanos, who believe that the spirit of the dead is still present, and it is possible to communicate with it (Thefuneralsource.net).

Other Interesting Aspects of Filipino Culture

Tremlett (3) describes how the people of the Philippines combine Christianity with shamanism and other pagan beliefs. He describes some groups wearing a T-shirt with latin prayers printed on it in order to obtain magic powers and the ability to fight enemies. Indigenous tribes often believe that the use of tattoos and amulets, often consisting of Christian symbols provides them with invulnerability and power.

Works Cited

Dy, M. Values in Philippine Culture and Education. 1994. Print.

Everyculture.com “The Philippines” n.d. Web. <http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/The-Philippines.html>

Shapiro, M. “Asian Culture Brief: Philippines”. 2010. Web.  <Asian Culture Brief: Philippines >

The Funeral Source. “Asian Funeral Traditions. Filipino Funeral Traditions”. n.d. Web. <http://thefuneralsource.org/trad140208.html>

Tremlett, P. “Religion, Culture and Politics in the Philippines”. 2007. Web. <http://www.anpere.net/2007/8.pdf>

WHO “The Philippines Health System Review” 2011. Web. <http://www.wpro.who.int/asia_pacific_observatory/Philippines_Health_System_Review.pdf>