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| Filipino youth |
Undeniably, the Filipinos have a rich, diverse culture. Having been a colony to the three powerful countries, the Philippines assimilated its local and foreign cultures brought and introduced by these foreign invaders.
Though the Filipinos already have local cultures long before the colonizers set foot on the country's soil. It is the assimilation of the foreign and local cultures that makes the country's culture diverse and rich.
Unfortunately, for still undetermined reasons, some of these Filipinos' long - embraced cultures have slowly been fading and some of them are no longer observed and practiced by many Filipinos.
But can the Filipinos still revive and preserve their fading cultures? If so, how and in what ways? In this blog post, we'll try to determine the possible factors behind the fading of these cultures and the effective ways to revive them.
Below are just some of the Filipino cultures which are feared of permanently losing their significance and importance among the Filipinos.
- Kissing the hands of elders
- greeting someone on the way
- eating together as a family
- respecting and helping out elders.
- being religious
- expressing patriotism and practicing the "bayanihan" or community cooperation.
Kissing the hands of the elders.
For centuries, it has been the tradition for Filipino children to kiss the hands and forehead of the elders when they got home from school, from church or coming home from other places.
Filipino children never fail to kiss the palm and forehead of older siblings, parents, grandparents and even to older people not related by blood.
Sadly, this tradition is fading and seldom practiced by Filipino children today. Though there are still few Filipino children who practice this tradition in the country.
Religiosity.
Another virtue of the Filipinos that is slowly fading is their virtue of religiosity. None other than priests themselves have confirmed the Filipinos' declining church attendance.
Churches across the country used to be packed with parishioners during church Masses, but these days church attendance has been declining.
Some reasons behind the declining attendance in church activities are the personality of the priests.
Some of them often scolded parishioners, while some priests appeared boring to Catholic faithful.
Other factors are Sunday activities like going to beaches, Malling, and other leisure activities that are preferred by parishioners over attending church masses.
Sadly, for still unknown reasons, the Filipinos' religiosity is on a decline as evident in the decreasing church attendance of Catholic faithful in the country.
Nationalism
Sadly, these days, Filipino children can hardly recognize the country's historical celebrations associated with the country's heroes like Independence Day (celebrated on June 12), National Heroes Day which is celebrated every last Monday of August and the Day of Valor which is celebrated every 9th of April (Araw ng Kagitingan).
The ambivalence and indifference among the younger generation of Filipinos of historical events is very saddening.
Greeting the elders
In the Philippines, particularly in the provinces, children who meet elders on the way would immediately greet good evening, good morning or afternoon and in any other situations appropriate for greetings.
But for still undetermined reasons, this long-established tradition is no longer observed and practiced by the new generation of Filipino children.
Unlike decades ago, in many schools in the country, many of today's generation of Filipino children never greet their teachers be it in school or outside the schools.
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| Mabolo Elementary School |
Ironically, the schools are supposed to be the institutions where good manners and right conduct starts.
Eating together as a family
For a very long time, eating together as a family is a common practice among Filipino families.
Being together at a dining table sharing foods with family members is a perfect opportunity for a family to talk about problems among family members, sharing light moments, and updating progress in schools and work of the family members.
Sadly, eating together as a family is seldom practiced today. There are factors for this and one of which is the use of digital devices such as smartphones. Children and even some parents are busy with their gadgets during mealtime.
Respecting the elders
Respecting the elders is used to be a remarkable value of the Filipino children and adults as well.
Refusing to talk back when scolded or disciplined, helping out elderly in crossing a street or helping out in carrying heavy baggage, and greeting older people when they meet on the street are just some of the remarkable virtues of the Filipinos. But these values are only shown on television programs and Philippine movies.
Bayanihan (Cooperation)
The Filipinos are known for their spirit of Bayanihan (Community Cooperation). This particular value of the Filipinos has been manifested in different situations and times particularly during and after a destructive calamity like earthquake, flooding or a typhoon.
In the country, after a disastrous calamity, Filipinos will help disaster -stricken fellow Filipinos by providing them with food, temporary shelter and clothing.
In the Philippine countryside, there's this interesting particular community cooperation where able - bodied men in the community will relocate a wooden house to another place.
And as a gesture of gratitude, the owner of the house prepares food and drinks consisting of pancit (flour in strand), soup mongo, rice or ground corn and paired with coconut wine.
Right after the successful relocation of the house, the foods and drinks will be shared among the people in the community. Sadly, this particular Bayanihan is seldom practiced by the Filipinos, maybe because houses in the countryside are already fixed in a particular situation.
Besides, houses in the provinces are now mostly made of concrete. Ways to preserve and revive fading Filipino values.
It's really sad and painful to lose one's values, but it's even more painful if we don't act and look for ways to preserve and revive our values and traditions. Fortunately, there's still a ray of hope of recovering these lost values of the Filipinos.
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| Magsaysay Drive, Tubigon Bohol |
Cultural shows Fading values should be included in the community. celebrations/gatherings such as the celebration of feasts and other cultural activities.
Values should also be included in the feasts(fiestas) festivities. In this way, lost values will be revived. Integrate in the entertainment industry.
Philippine television programs and movies are another way of reviving the fading Filipino values considering the wide reach and viewership of these platforms where even children can watch.
School curriculum
Though Philippine values and culture are already included in the school curriculum there's really an urgent need for intensified value awareness and revival programs beginning in the elementary levels.
Begin at home Inculcating the values at home can be the best way of success. Children are It's quite alarming that some of the long-embraced virtues that the Filipinos have been known for are slowly fading.
It is hoped that with the implementation of the aforesaid value preservation and revival, all is not lost.
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