Philippines - Why I Love This Beautiful Country

What's with Philippine/Filipino Culture and Traits?

A Kaleidoscope Nation

The Philippine Culture and Filipino people, to begin with, are a collection of different backgrounds, races, and ethnicities. It all begun with the migration of Malay and Austronesian people during the early centuries to the colonization of Spain, the Americans, and then the Japanese. Add to that the continuous migration of Chinese, Indian and other nationalities, the Philippines is undoubtedly a diverse nation. And with this diversity come the different cultures and traditions, which, after hundreds of years of mixing and matching, define the very unique culture and tradition that makes the Filipino race.

The Fiesta

The first thing foreigners notice about the Philippine Culture is our fondness on festivities, locally known as fiesta or "pista". The Filipino fiesta list usually -and unusually- begins with Christmas. Christmas carols can already be heard from radios, as early as September, decorations pop up by October, then after a brief break for the Halloween (Pinoy fashion) on November, the actual Pinoy Christmas enters with style for 9 days (or nights, or dawn, or whatever) on December with the Simbang Gabi, that ends with the Christmas eve dinner "Noche Buena". But wait, there's more, the Christmas season does not end until the January of the next year, coinciding with the New Year's celebrations, and finally, the Feast of the Three Kings.

During the midsummer, there's the Holy Week or Semana Santa, a Christian holiday that begins with the Palm Sunday, followed by Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday and finally culminating with Easter Sunday.The Holy Week celebration is usually marked with a whole week of school and work off, that's the reason why it is the best time for Filipinos to return to their provinces and spend time with their relatives, as part of Philippine culture and tradition.

Then, by May comes the Flores de Mayo or the Santacruzan. The Flores de Mayo is a Catholic festival, honouring the Virgin Mary. This feast culminates with the Santacruzan or Sagala, a parade that presents how Queen Helena and Constantine found Jesus's true cross from Jerusalem. For the Philippine culture, the Sagala is held with such regard that it is made sure that it only shows each Barangay's most beautiful ladies.

Aside from the usual festivities, different regions all throughout the Philippines host various local fiestas that reflect its own history, religion, nature, people and wildlife. There's the Ati-atihan of Aklan, the Pahiyas Festival of Quezon, the Pintados Festival of Leyte, Kadayawan Festival of Davao and Dinagyang Festival of Ilo-Ilo.

This year of festivities culminates with the All Saints Day and All Souls Day of November. It is a time where Filipino families pay tribute to their departed relative and friends by visiting cemeteries and saying prayers for the dead. It is one of the well-known traditions including in the Philippine Culture.

Religions

Being a nation of various ethnicities, it also follows that the Philippines is a nation of various religious beliefs. Different religious beliefs were included in Philippine Culture as well. The Anito-worshippers of the early pre-Spanish era are now replaced Catholic devotees. Add to that the Islam of the south, and the different Protestant religions brought by American occupation, coupled with Buddhism from the Chinese. The Filipinos are into religion to the point that we have our own branch of the Christian faith, The Philippine Independent Church or the Aglipayan Church.

Food

Filipino cuisine consists of foods and dishes with Hispanic, Chinese and American origin adapted to indigenous ingredients.Probably the most popular Filipino dish is the lechon, whole roasted pig cooked over charcoal. Some other popular and Filipino dishes include:

• Longganisa, Filipino version of a sausage

• Tapa, beef in thin slices, cured on salt and spices

• Torta, omelette with various ingredients

• Adobo, chicken and/or pork braised in garlic, vinegar, oil and soy sauce

• Kaldereta, meat in tomato sauce stew

• Mechado, larded beef in soy sauce and tomato sauce

• Pochero, beef in bananas and tomato sauce

• Afritada, chicken and/or simmered in a tomato sauce with vegetables

• Kare-kare, oxtail and vegetables cooked in peanut sauce

• Crispy-pata, deep-fried pig's leg

• Hamonado, pork sweetened in pineapple sauce

• Sinigang, meat or seafood in sour brooth

• Tinola, chicken in tamarind broth

• Pansit, Filipino-style fried noodles

Gambling

Another part of Philippine culture is gambling. From the "Sabungan" of rural barrios to the casinos of the urban cities, gambling is a pervasive social activity. The "sabong", however, is the most ubiquitous of these gambling activities, making the Philippine the world centre for cockfighting. Filipinos both have legal and illegal "sabong". The latter, usually done in secluded areas away from police raids. Sabungeros use two kinds of knives or gaffs, which is attached on the left leg of the cock. Bets are collected by the Kristo, and the Sentesyador is the one who deliberates the winning cock.

Sports

Philippine sport scene usually consists of basketball, boxing, billiards, football and volleyball. Filipinos athletes are rather competent in these fields, garnering multitudes of awards on almost every competition they enter. Some of the successful Filipino athletes are:

• Lydia de Vega (sprinting)

• Elma Muros (track and field)

• Eugene Torre (chess)

• MikeeCojuangco (equestrian)

• Philippine Dragon Boat team

• Onyok Velasco (Boxing)

• Efren "Bata" Reyes (Billiards)

• Manny Pacquiao (Boxing)

Music

Music is also part of Philippine Culture. Music in the Philippines is composed of different genres and styles, with influences from across the world.From the get-go, Filipino folk music is already a mix of indigenous and European/Asian music, usually adapted to different dialect among regions. Some of popular Filipino folk songs are:

• Bahay Kubo

• Sitsiritsit

• Alibangbang

• Leron Leron Sinta

• Paruparong Bukid

• Magtanim ay Di Biro

The Harana, a courtship song, and Kundiman, a song that typically has romantic themes, are also popular in the Philippine culture dating back to the Spanish period. Some of it is adapted to modern style.

Popular music in the Philippines is usually branded as OPM or Original Philippine Music. In the 70's, the OPM scene was mostly dominated by the jukebox idols like Claire dela Fuente, Rico Puno, Ryan Cayabyab, Freddie Aguilar, Hajji Alejandro and Rey Valera.

By the 1980s and 1990s, OPM was led by artists such as Regine Velasquez, Sharon Cuneta, APO Hiking Society, José Mari Chan, Dingdong Avanzado, Rodel Naval, Janno Gibbs, Ogie Alcasid, Joey Albert, Lilet, Martin Nievera, Manilyn Reynes, Pops Fernandez, Lea Salonga, Vina Morales, Raymond Lauchengco, Francis Magalona, and Gary Valenciano.

Art

Pottery is probably the most popular craft early Filipinos have mastered. Evidence found in Sanga-sanga Cave, Sulu and Laurente Cave, Cagayan proves that pottery was already widespread as early as 6000 BC.The products of this craft were popular among the neighbouring lands, with Filipinos enjoying trade relations with Japan and China.

Art can also be seen on traditional tattoo of early Filipinos as part of the Philippine Culture before, from which the term pinatados came into effect. Various designs referencing flora and fauna with heavenly bodies decorate their skin in various coloured pigmentation.

With the arrival of the Westerners came a new light on Filipino art. Filipinos began creating paintings that mostly deal with religion and politics. Juan Luna and Felix Hidalgo are among those who enjoyed fame and prestige both in the Philippines and abroad.

In Mindanao, there are tribes who are famous for their intricate weaving production. Some tribe, such as B'laan, Mandaya, Mansaka and T'boli are skilled in dyeing abaca fibre. Others, like the Ilongot make jewellery from pearl, red hornbill beak, plants and metals.

The Filipino Character

Filipinos are sensitive when it comes to social interaction. Filipinos have the term "pakikisama" which means adapting to the people you get involved with, and it's the centre of all Filipino values. Filipinos also know the importance of paying one's debt, especially when the Filipino trait "utang na loob" comes in play. Filipinos are also known for being hospitable. They treat visitors with utmost care and diligence.

Filipinos are family-oriented. Most Filipino homes are a tightly knit abode for extended family members like the Lolas, or Titas. Filipinos strongly believe that blood is thicker than water.Filipinos are happy people. Despite problems arising from poverty and such, Filipinos never fail to flash a smile or flaunt laughter at jokes and even misfortunes.Filipinos rely on their faith among others, thus the saying "bahala na", which attaches ones action to fate and God.

Filipinos know a good deal about respect. From childhood, Filipinos are taught to mano with their parents and older relatives. A typical Filipino child's sentence usually ends with po and opo, and they are taught to address elders with kuya or ate.

The Filipino Ethnicity

Philippine's geography helped shape the Philippine culture. Filipinos are mostly divided into various regional and ethnical groups. Some of these groups are the Ilocano, Cebuano, Pangasinense, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano and Waray. Mindanao was, for the longest time, home for the Filipino Muslims, whom was called Moros during the Spanish regime.

Then, there's the Aeta or Negritoes: famously known as the first people to settle into the islands. They mostly live in isolated mountains or forest, which leaves them free to live away from Western and Islamic influences.

Aside from these regional groups, there are also at most 100 highland, lowland and coastland tribal groups in the Philippines. To name a few:

• Badjao

• Igorot

• Ilongots

• Lumad

• Mangyan

• Batak

• Tagbanwa

• Tumandok.

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New Country Day – Romania

New Country: Romania
Date: 9 September 2011

I have a tradition where I celebrate New Country Day – the first day in a country I’ve never been to. This year I have been to a number of countries for work and pleasure that I have visited previously. I have been to the UK so many times now that I don’t even think about it when I get on the train at Gatwick or the Picadilly line at Heathrow. New countries are different. I’m looking at everything around me completely aware of little details, like how the Icelandic passport control guys are wearing wooly jumpers, to seeing new country URL’s everywhere, like .is for Iceland (yes of course I would notice that). And in the case of Iceland, a new language with all sorts of wonderful accents and umlauts.
New Country Day is something you can only do around 200 times in your life, depending on what country definition list you use and if you plan to visit every country. Technically I have been to Romania before, but I am calling this new country day. I never count airport layovers as a country visit, but what about border posts? I have previously trodden on soil at a Romanian border town, though I’m not counting that. Here is what happened.
In 2006 I was on my way to Romania from Budapest. On the train I was talking to a group of other non-European who mentioned needing to get a visa. A visa? I had not considered that I would need one. Australian passports are good to go for everywhere in Europe, or so I thought. I didn’t say anything, but I was sweating it out for the next hour while the train trundled towards the border. Passports were stamped at the Hungarian border, and upon arrival at the border town in Romania our passports were taken for processing.
Moments later everyone got their passport back, except me. Another customs official came on the train holding up a dark blue passport. They found the owner (me), and marched me off the train. Everyone on the carraige turned their heads like sunflowers as I did the walk of shame. There I was, Mr Long Term Traveller who forgot to check if he needed a visa. To be fair New Zealanders could at that point enter Romania no problem (everyone loves New Zealand), but for some reason Australians were required to get a visa (a few months later Romania joined the EU and a visa was no longer required).
I was taken off the train and stood on Romanian soil for the first time. From there I was taken to the station and to be interviewed in a run down office by two customs officials. They were friendly enough, but it still didn’t stop my imagination running away in all directions. I’ve always had a fear of customs officials in small dingy rooms, which probably stems from seeing Midnight Express as a young boy. I’m surprised that movie didn’t stop me from travelling at all. Ok, I’m not a drug runner, but I padded myself to make sure I didn’t accidently tape blocks of hash to my body that morning (all clear). I once got a half an hour grilling in a small room at Newark when I entered the USA in 2001, which has added to my dislike of border crossings.
Fortunately the Romanian guys were soft on me. I was given a Romanian entry stamp, then it was crossed out in red with another stamp on top of it. From there I was driven to the motor vehicle border crossing and dumped there. The nearest town was over an hours walk away. I got back to Budapest the next day and discovered the Romanian visa questions to be so tedious that I didn’t bother applying.
It was a frustrating 24 hours, but weird things started happening after that. I went to a hostel to work out what to do next. While I was there I met a local girl who was to become my girlfriend for the next two years. Later on I met up with a guy who became a business associate and a good friend today. I don’t know when I would have come back to Budapest again, but due to not getting a visa for Romania my life changed in one day. strange how stuff like that happens.
So here I am, five years later, having another go at visiting Romania. While Romania is now in the EU, it is not in the Schengen travel area, so there is still a border control. Once again on the train from Budapest passports were taken for processing. There were few people on the train and it looked like I was the only non-European in my carraige. Once again a customs official come back on the train holding up a dark blue passport. Fortunately I was all clear. I am in Romania at last.
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New Country Day: Iceland

New Country: Iceland Date: 26 August 2011

My first new country for 2011 brings me to Iceland. I haven’t been to a new country since Brunei last November, even though I have been to eight countries since.

I am visiting Iceland as a stopover between New York and London. This is a trip I have been wanting to do for years, but I have previously not found a reasonable fare.

Upon arrival the air hostess announced that it was 6 degrees (c) outside. 6 degrees, in August! Did I hear that right? After spending much of the year in tropical extremities, I found the crisp morning a refreshing change, once I had dug out the cold weather clothes from my bag.

So far Iceland is everything I thought it would be. I love the space and sense of remoteness of the lava plains. Not loving so much the high cost of living (though I note that bananas are cheaper here than in Australia).

Photos to follow.

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