Philippine Society and Culture

Oftentimes, a country would be known for its culture, natural beauty like stunning scenery, pristine beaches, culture, foods, and of course a country would also be known by the traits of its people..  The Filipinos, for example, are easily identified by their innate virtues like their being kind, resilient, hardworking, and they’re being happy people. Aside from the aforementioned, the Filipinos are also known for their distinctly tasty foods, pristine beaches, stunning landscape, and their hospitable people.  Although, the Filipinos are not perfect people; they also have their own weaknesses and undesirable traits inherited from their ancestors such as the Ninjas-Cogon, a particular trait of the Filipinos which is only good at the beginning but later fizzles out like cogon grass in which the fire shines brightly at the beginning but fades after a few seconds. Ironically, another trait of the Filipinos is to laugh at their own mistake, and of course, the infamous one-time millionaire a

Despite being a small country, the Philippines pride itself as one of the top producers and exporters of high-quality fruits in Southeast Asia. Tons of  Philippine fruits including bananas are exported yearly to different countries all over the world particularly in the country of Japan.  Among the so many fruits grown and produced in the country, the bananas are popular among Filipinos because of their affordability, availability, and of course, they are also preferred for their rich potassium.    Affordability One of the reasons why Filipinos buy bananas is because of their affordability.  In the Philippines, a banana can be bought for as low as P7 to as high as P15  pesos depending on the size, quality, and seller. Bananas priced even cheaper if bought at the farms and if bought in bulk.  Different Varieties of Banana In the Philippines, there are several varieties of bananas that are grown and produced. Some of these varieties are still color green even when already ripe. While the

 Another traditional courtship custom that used to be popular among Filipino men for its unique, marriage-like setup is ‘ Paninilbihan’ or servitude in the English language. Paninilbihan is just one of the many traditional Filipino courtship customs which used to be observed and practiced by Filipino suitors to help them win Filipina women’s hearts and at the same time to prove their sincerity and patience to the women they are trying to woo.  In this particular courtship tradition, the suitor stays in the house of a woman he is courting for a particular period of time. Throughout the Paninilbihan period, the man would do various farm and household chores while being observed by both the woman he is courting and her parents. The duration of Paninilbihan (Servitude) may vary depending on the suitor and the parents of the woman. The Paninilbihan is a perfect opportunity for both the woman’s family and her suitor if they could get along with one another based on the relationship establish

                                                         Scouse Smurf/Flickr In its simplest term, courtship is defined as a romantic relationship between two people. A courtship comes in many forms depending on a person’s established courtship customs. Traditionally, it would be men who would initiate and pursue courtship with women. There's no standard way or method of courting a woman but only established informal traditional courtship customs.  Despite the modernity of life brought about by digital technology, courtship has not lost its appeal among the younger generation. It is still observed and practiced regardless of culture, socioeconomic, and nationality. Though courtship customs differ from country to country. Men of different cultures have different ways of courting a woman.  Filipinos have their own indirect, romantic ways of courting women, writing a love letter to a woman is just one of them. For a very long time, it has been practiced by many Filipino men as a way o

Not too many people know that the Philippines are abundant not only with tasty, tropical fruit trees but also with wild fruit trees.  Ironically, most of these wild fruits are not found in the wild but are found and grown in densely populated residential areas such as in the backyard and even along the roads. And contrary to the popular belief, most of these fruits can be eaten without having to worry about fruit poisoning.  These wild fruits are favorite among Filipino children because aside from the excitement of racing to get these fruits, they are also good to satisfy a hungry stomach.  Below are just some of the wild fruits found in the Philippines:  Aratiles/cherry trees Aratiles are fruit-bearing wild trees found mostly in residential areas. Its fruits are favorite for birds and children alike. Its fruits’ color differs depending on the ripeness of the fruits.  Aratiles fruits are very small, soft, and sweet. Ripe fruits are colored pink and turn red when very ripe. Childr

The Holy Week is one of the solemn, sacred times for Filipino Catholics. This week-long religious activity a demonstration of the Filipinos' religiosity. The Philippines, whose population is predominantly Catholics give importance to the observance of the Holy Week through religious activities and practices which begin from Palm Sunday until Easter Sunday, Christ’s resurrection , and the meeting of His mother, the Virgin Mary. During the Holy Week, Filipinos show their penitence in different ways like fasting and abstinence, physical harm or self-flagellate, and prayer.  Below are just some of the Holy Week activities practice and embrace by the Filipinos for centuries: 1. Palm Sunday Storm Crypt/Flickr Palm Sunday is the start of the Holy Week. The Catholic faithful will bring palm fronds to the church and have them blessed by a priest. Once blessed, the palm fronds (palapas) are placed usually at the doors