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The Philippines, having been the sole Spanish Possession in Asia , endured the least amount of Spanish influence on its culture and people out of all the Colonies of the Spanish Empire . This was primarily due to Geography , which was also the reason for why the Philippines were not administered from Spain , but from New Spain ( Mexico ). Consequently, the Philippines was able to retain its pre-Hispanic ways of life relatively intact. Nonetheless, Spanish culture has transformed the Filipino cultural landscape of today, and, as such, Filipino culture can be described as a unique blend of the East and West. Though one could easily argue that the 37 years as an American Unincorporated Territory have left a greater and more visible legacy in the country than 377 years as a Spanish Colony , many Hispanic elements have nonetheless been incorporated into the native core that is the Culture Of The Philippines . It is for this reason that many modern-day Filipinos feel they are a part of many different cultures put together. While Filipinos identify ethnically as Malay , and rightly so, they acknowledge the Hispanic and other legacies that form an important part of their national history and which have contributed various influences to their vibrant culture. History ''Main article: History Of The Philippines '' The Philippines were administered as a Colony of New Spain , ( Mexico ) from 1565 to 1821 and as a Province of Spain until 1898. In the past years the Philippines has also began to establish closer ties to its other former colonizer, Spain. The King and Queen of Spain attended the Centenial celebration of Philippine Independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 in recognition of a Shared colonial History and Cultural ties. Language ''Main article: Spanish In The Philippines '' Since the Philippines was administered by New Spain (Mexico) rather than Spain herself during the colonial period, the Spanish language as it was once spoken in the Philippines had a greater affinity to Mexican Spanish (ie. Spanish as spoken in Mexico) rather than that of European Spanish (as spoken in Spain). In fact, of the great number of Spanish loan words that exist in the various Filipino languages, a few are actually of Nahuatl origin that were first incorporated into Mexican Spanish, and which do not exist in European Spanish. These include nanay(nantl), tatay(tatle), bayabas guayaba(s), guava , abokado (avocado), papaya, zapote, etc. Since the 20th Century the use of Spanish has dramatically declined, but most Filipino languages have significantly assimilated aspects of the Spanish language and contain generous quantities of loan words. Names of the country, provinces and cities The name of the country itself comes from the king of Spain Felipe II . The name was given by Ruy López De Villalobos who gave the name to the Samar - Leyte regions in his expedition in 1543. It was later given to all of the islands in 1565. Provinces in the Philippines with Spanish names are Nueva Vizcaya, Nueva Ecija, Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, La Union, Marinduque, Antique, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Valle de Compostella. People One of the more obvious marks left by Spanish rule in the Philippines is a prevalence of Hispanic Names And Surnames among most christianized Filipinos. One aspect of this unusual naming custom is that it is much in contrast to those of other Asian peoples where names are commonly associated to their historic languages and related to their regions of residence, with the exception of Malaysia and Indonesia , where the people often have Arabic names. Another interesting aspect of this naming custom is that unlike the peoples of the Hispanic world, and to the exclusion of around 2% of the Philippine population which is comprised of Spanish- Mestizos , among Filipinos a Spanish surname does not indicate Spanish ancestry. On November 21 , 1849 Governor General Narciso Clavería ordered a systematic distribution of family names for the use of the natives. The "'' Catálogo Alfabético De Apellidos ''" (''Alphabetic Catalogue of Surnames'') was created as a source for the new Filipino surnames. The Catalogue was a collection of Spanish surnames and words, Filipino words of flora and fauna and hispanicized Chinese numerals. Certain restrictions on the surnames to be used explicitly excluded Spanish surnames of nobility, as well as preventing the use of those surnames belonging to the Spanish colonial administrators in the Philippines, which had acquired connotation of prestige in the archipielago. Approved names were then assigned to families in all towns. Name distribution was so systematic that civil servants assigned family names in alphabetical order causing some small towns with only a few families to end up with all names starting with the same letter. This interesting situation has remained until fairly recent times when people became more mobile and started seeking mates from other towns. For those many Filipinos who had already adopted unapproved (not on the list) Hispanic surnames for themselves, the sole possiblity of exemption to the decree was available only if they could prove the use of the surname by all members of the extended family for more than four consecutive generations, and that they were known amongst the community by such surname. Those already possessing Chinese and native words as appelations who met the same criteria could also challenge the decree and apply for exemption. The colonial authorities implemented this decree mainly because many early christianized Filipinos named themselves after religious instruments and saints so much so that it caused consternation among the Spanish authorities. Apparently, christianization worked much too well that there were soon too many people surnamed " De Los Santos ", " De La Cruz ", " Del Rosario ", " Bautista ", etc, making administrative efforts difficult. Another unacceptable custom was that siblings took on different last names like they had always done before the Spaniards arrived. All these "problems" resulted in a less efficient system of collecting taxes. With the Claveria Decree, the Spanish colonial administration compelled every male head of family to acquire a surname from the list. Those who lived in more remote areas, and were not subjugated, escaped this fate. Many people in the mountain areas of Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, Palawan, and other places retained their way of life, their culture, and their way of naming themselves. Another result of the Hispanization of Filipino names was the change in the way traditional names were pronounced. Since Hispanic names were just sounds that didn't mean much, names like "Dimalantá" became "Dimalanta" with the accent shifting to the Penultimate syllable, and "Julag-ay" became "Júlagay" with the accent shifting from the penultimate to the first and the glottal catch disappearing. This tended to hide the meanings of the names and made them more of an abstract entity just like Hispanic names. At the same time, the new pronunciation sounded more Hispanic and this step completed the transformation of some families, at least in their own minds, to an ersatz class of pseudo-Spaniards. Filipino surnames of Chinese origin also underwent this sound Hispanization. Surname that derive from Hispanicized Chinese names include "Pefianco" (from "Pe Piang-co"), "Locsín" (from "Xin Luk"), "Cojuangco" (from "Ko Kwan-co"), "Tanlimco" (from "Tan [Khieng Lim-co"), "Josón" (from "Ho Sun"), and many other such as "Cosico", "Coquía", "Colayco", "Chipeco", "Gosioco", "Guanzón", "Lantín", "Olimpo", "Tanseco", "Tizón", "Hizón", "Sytengco", "Sendico", "Paulín", "Pesayco", "Queveco", "Quisón", "Vinzón", etc. It is for this reason that so many Spanish-sounding Filipino surnames cannot be found among the peoples of the Hispanic world, as most of these surnames are merely Hispanic in sound. Many famous people from the Philippines have Hispanic-sounding names, such are the cases of former Presidents Manuel L. Quezon , or Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda , former world Boxing champions Frank Cedeno and Gabriel Elorde , writers Mayo Rectofic, José Rizal and Pedro Paterno , and so on. Catholic religion The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country, with (83%) of the population baptized with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholicism was introduced by the Spaniards. Friars and priests were in charge of converting the entire Filipino population from the previously practiced Islam and the many local native spiritual traditions to Christianity . Many Filipinos at home set up altars in Hispanic Catholic fashion, adorned with icons, flowers, statues, etc. On feast days, various Barrio s host processions in honor of their patron saint. Many young girls are chosen as the 'queen' of the procession. Except for the Muslim minority in the southern Philippines, concentrated mainly in Mindanao, conversion was almost universal. Filipinos, though angered by clergy abuses, widespread church corruption and hypocrisy, nevertheless maintained the religion even after Spanish and Mexican political decline. With the Hispanic governing minority withdrawing from the islands, Filipinos were able to hold more and higher positions in church life - positions that had been previously reserved for the Spaniards and Mexicans, and strictly prohibited to natives - leading to the fortification of the Filipino relationship with the faith and allowing for its continued position as the country's mainstream religion. Fiestas and religious holidays All major Roman Catholic holy days are observed as official national holidays. Spanish-Mexican Culture and Roman Catholicism has significantly influenced the culture and traditions. Every year on the 3rd week of January the country celebrates the festival of the "Santo Niño" (Spanish, "Santo Niño"), or "Holy Child Jesus", the largest being held in Cebu City . The country also celebrate's the "Patrona" (Female Patron Saint) with festivals nation wide. Millions of Filipinos around the country attend this religious Mardi Gras born from the amalgam of the native Malay cultures, devotion to the Holy Child Jesus, Christianity and the founding of the country. Religious holidays are:
Arts, literature and music Early Hispanic borrowings, although highly hybridized into a Filipino culture that is essentially based on native Filipino foundations, are plenty and varied and have given the national Filipino culture a distinctive twang. There do exist, however, a few folk dances and music that have remained relatively uninfluenced by native elements, that were introduced either from Spain or Mexico, and can be regarded as largely Hispanic in constitution which have remained in the Philippines even after the Hispanics who introduced it returned to the new world. Cooking Cuisine reflecting the adaptation of Spanish and Mexican influence include ensaymadas, natilla, chicharon, dulce de membrillo, flan, mazapan, galletas, pan de sal, avocado (introduced from Mexico), Adobo , Lechon , longaniza, tocino, jamon, relleno, embutido, caldereta, tortilla quesada, albondigas, galantina, asado, paella, picadillo, pochero de bacalao, afritada, pastel de lengua, torta del cielo. Business In the business community, the Philippine Chamber Of Commerce And Industry (PCCI) plays an integral role in the economic, political and social development of the nation. Historically, the chamber can be traced back as early as the 1890s with the inauguration of the Camara De Comercio De Filipinas . This organization was composed mainly of Spanish companies such as the Compania General de Tabaco de Filipinas, Fabrica de Cerveza San Miguel and Elizalde Y Cia, among others mandated by Spain under a Royal Grant. During the first half of twentieth century, commerce with the Hispanic world declined due to the American administration of the country, however the resurgence of trade between Spain and Latin American countries had risen toward the closing of the century. The year 1998 marked the centenial of the end of imperial Spain, however it also opened a new opportunity for both Spanish and Filipino businesses to reconnect their historic ties as trade between east and west continue to rise during the 21st century. See also |