The culture of the Philippines is influenced by one too many
countries which colonized the Philippines for years – such countries are Spain, America and Japan. A lot of traditions from these countries have been adapted by Filipinos. Despite being colonized, Filipinos still have many traditions and a very unique culture of their own. Filipinos’ most important priority is their family. The young highly respect the elderly that they use polite words, “po” and “opo”, to show respect which in Tagalog means “yes” in a very respectful way. Filipinos are very friendly. In fact, the Philippines is known as the “Land of Smiles”. They always smile despite the tough life and the corrupt politics. Tourists from other countries are fond of the Filipinos’ exceptional hospitality. Not only are there many tourists in the Philippines because of their hospitality, but also because there are many natural sites that invite tourists to explore the beauty of nature. Such spots are the famous beaches, mountains and hills, and ancient caves. The Filipinos also have unique tastes for food. Rice is their staple diet, considering agriculture is the main job field of Filipinos. Filipinos are known for their being very energetic and lively which is why they held many colourful festivals every year. They are also famous for having unique kinds of transportations which are the jeepneys and tricycles. In spite of them being very lively and energetic, they also know how to live peacefully and very simply with their one of a kind architecture called the Nipa hut which is a small shelter made of just leaves and tree branches. Even though they are very much influenced by western culture, they still have many traditions of their own. Nowadays, many Filipinos, specially the children, still play the ancient game called the “Sipa” (means kick in English) although they started to love other western games like basketball and football. To honour more their culture, Filipinos celebrate the Filipino month during August when every Filipino gets to wear the traditional Filipino clothing – Baro’t Saya for girls and Barong Tagalog for boys, eat traditional Filipino foods and dance the Cariñosa, the national dance of the Philippines. Filipinos also believe in many superstitions that are invented by ancestors and some of them are from the Chinese fortune telling. There are many Filipinos who are famous now around the world with Manny Pacquiao being the most famous today and is declared as the Filipino Boxing Hero since Filipinos are proud of him for bringing pride to the Philippines.