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Four (4) colonial cultures and influences that shaped the social life of Filipinos

 Regardless of its origin, one's culture is meant to be embraced and treasured. And knowing one’s culture is important as it represents and associates the people in a country. 

Philippine culture, for example, is assimilation from different cultures introduced by its different colonizers. For centuries, the Filipinos adapted and embraced these cultures. 

Filipinos preserve and observe these acquired cultures as they have been handed down from generation to generation. 

Although, there are cultures and traditions that should not have been embraced and practiced by the Filipinos because of their perceived negative connotation reflective of some Filipinos traits. 

Today, there are colonial cultures and influencers of the colonizers’ influences that are still evident in several aspects of the lives of the Filipinos. 

Listed below are just some of the colonial influences and the colonizers: 

The Spaniards 

Among the three colonizers, the Spaniards were the ones who significantly shaped the lives of the Filipinos with their influences. They were the ones who stayed the longest in the history of colonization. 

After more than three hundred (300) years of colonization of the Philippines, the Spaniards were able to introduce and indoctrinate their culture to the Filipinos. The Filipinos in turn adapted and embraced these cultures.

Below are some of the influences that significantly changed the lives of the Filipinos: 

● Religion 

Religion is one of the two significant lasting influences of the Spaniards on the Filipinos. The once animists and polytheists Filipinos have been converted into Christianity. 

Today, Christianity is the dominant religion of the Filipinos comprising more than 80 percent of the population. 

A century has passed, yet traces of the Spaniards’ influences are still evident in the country and in the lives of the Filipinos: centuries-old Catholic churches and other houses of worship can be seen in every barangay (village) all over the country. They were built by the Spaniards to be places of worship. 

● Houses of worship 

Replicas of religious saints, crucifixes are found inside Catholic churches. Paintings of Saints and other religious images are found on the churches’ walls and ceilings. 

Church masses are also held throughout the day, particularly on Sundays. In highly urbanized cities, church masses are held every hour and every day. 

Religious-cultural festivals and feasts such as Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May) and Santacruzan are also held in the country all year round. These religious festivals had been introduced by the Spaniards to the Filipinos.

Christianity is deeply embedded in the religious aspect of the lives of Filipinos; it has become the center of their daily life. 

In the Philippines, Filipino Catholics worship their religion several times a day: in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Some Filipino Catholics pray more than three (3) times a day. 

Filipino Catholics manifest their religiosity in every opportunity possible. Making a sign of a cross is common among Filipinos when passing a church, chapel or any house of worship. 

They also make a sign of a cross when riding a vehicle or when hearing terrifying lightning or thunder. 

Another long-established proof of the Spaniard's influence is the holding of religious festivals in the country. Today, there are numerous faith-based festivals celebrated all year round in the Philippines. 

The Sinulog and the Traslación, two of the grandest religious-cultural festivals of Spanish origin. The " Sinulog " is considered the mother of all Philippine festivals owing to its grandeur and importance. 

The Sinulog celebration honors the feast of the miraculous Child, Senior Sto. Ninyo. While the Traslación focuses on the feast of the Black Nazarene. 

These two festivals are celebrated every month of January which draws millions of local and foreign devotees and revelers.


● Language 

Another lasting influence of the Spaniards on the Filipinos is in the language. Filipinos use the Spanish language in everyday conversation. 

Many young Filipinos use the Spanish language in their daily conversation without knowing it. The Filipinos have acquired the Spanish from a conversation with the Spaniards. 

They use the Spanish language when buying things such as a pair of shoes (Zapatos), pants (pantaloon), kitchen utensils like a spoon (Cuchara), fork (tinidor). 

Places like a room (cuarto), cuadra, kitchen (cucina). Names of days and months like May (Mayo), Tuesday (Martes), Friday (Viernes). 

● Music & arts 

The Spaniards also contributed to the Filipinos in the latter's music and arts. Today, there are Filipino dances of Spanish origin. Though, Filipino choreographers have made modifications to the choreography of these dances to suit the dancing style of the Filipinos. 

But how does the young generation of Filipinos view the colonization of the Philippines? 

Well, some of the younger generations of Filipinos is indifferent towards the Spaniards. While some of them treat the Spaniards the way they treat other nationalities.

Except for the country’s historians, many Filipinos may have forgotten the things committed by the Spaniards during their long colonization of the country. This point of view is based on the warmth and hospitality accorded by the Filipinos towards their colonizers. 

The Americans 

Like the Spaniards, the Americans also contributed to the betterment of Filipino lives. Their contributions were in the aspects of language and social responsibility. 

● Language 

Like the Spaniards, many Filipinos, particularly the war veterans, had acquired the English language from the American soldiers during the latter's stay in the Philippines. 

In the Philippines, many Filipino war veterans could speak the English language fluently. The Filipinos’ fluency in the English language was the result of their daily conversations with the American soldiers. 

● Social services 

Aside from teaching Filipinos the English language, the American soldiers also helped build school buildings for the Filipino children. 

Decades have passed, yet the school buildings they built are still standing and being used by Filipino students in some places in the country.


The Japanese 

With just three (3) years of colonization, the Japanese were not able to impose their influence on the Filipinos. 

Instead, the Filipinos can only remember the hardships and misery under the Japanese three-year rule in the Philippines. 

But how does the young generation of Filipinos perceive the colonizers?

The Filipinos of today are indifferent to what had happened centuries ago.  Besides, the Filipinos are kind and forgiving people. The deep wound of the past caused by centuries of colonization may have been forgotten. 

Proof of the Filipinos' forgiving virtue is their continued use of the colonizers' such as language and religion.

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