Culture of the Philippines

The culture of the Philippines reflects the complexity of the history of the Philippines through the blending of cultures of diverse indigenous civilizations, and foreign influences.

Spanish colonization of the Philippines, governed from Spain and Mexico, lasted for over three centuries thus, there is a significant amount of Spanish-Mexican influence in many facets of Philippine custom and tradition. Hispanic influences are most visible in Philippine folk music, folk dance, language, food, art, and religion.

Pre-Hispanic indigenous Philippine culture had similar cultural influences from Malaysia, Indonesia and throughout Southeast Asia, particularly the Srivijaya Empire and the Majapahit Empire. Philippine Mythology, like Asian mythologies, has been influenced by Islamic, Hinduism and Buddhism.

The Philippines were a territory of the United States from 1898 until 1946. American influences are evident in the use of the English language, and in contemporary pop culture, such as fast-food, music, movies, and basketball.

The Chinese and the Japanese have been settling in the Philippine Islands since pre-colonial times, and their influence is evident in the popularity of gambling games such mahjong, jueteng, Filipino martial arts, cuisine like mochi and palitao, seaweed salad, and other Asian cuisine.

Various Muslim Filipinos living in the southern Philippine Islands also celebrate their own customs and traditions, such as concepts of local law (Agamat), and personal honor (Maratabat), which are related to both Islamic, and native concepts. The martial art of Kali emerged from the island of Mindanao.

The Kulintang gong-chime ensemble, which is still played by various groups in the south, is a celebrated icon of surviving ancient Philippine culture. Kulintang has a history that dates back hundreds of years before the Spanish period, and shares concepts with other court and folk gong ensembles in Southeast Asia, such as Gamelan.

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