Philippine Society and Culture

Tomorrow April 14, 2021, Filipinos, the Cebuanos in particular will celebrate one of the biggest religious events in the history of Philippine Christianity, the Quincentennial Celebration with a theme “ Victory and Humanity.” Several religious activities have been prepared for tomorrow’s historic religious event. Tomorrow's celebration will be very big that the Archdiocese of Cebu, together with the officials of Cebu City has been preparing for this momentous event as early as last year.  Symbolic Visit  The Spanish Navy training ship, Juan Sebastian Elcano visited some places in the Philippines and recently in the port of Cebu on March 20, 2021. Aboard the ship were the beautiful and handsome Spanish Navy crew.  The ship was named after the first person who circumnavigated the world, Juan Sebastian Elcano along with Ferdinand Magellan and his men who, unfortunately, met their tragic deaths at the hands of a local chieftain, Lapu-Lapu, and his men on the island of Mactan....

  Nilusak/Nilubak  This delicious delicacy is called by different names depending on what province or region in the Philippines you are in. In the provinces of Bohol and Cebu, it is called Nilusak or Nilubak Saging (pounded boiled banana). People in other provinces have their own name for this tasty, affordable delicacy.  Among the Filipino delicacies, the Nilusak/Nilubak may not be that popular and available as compared to other delicacies like the Puto Maya, Bibingka, and Biko, but it doesn't mean it's not delicious.  This delicacy has been the favorite snacks among Filipinos, particularly in the Philippine countryside. Its soft, sticky, and sweet taste make it a favorite, especially for children. Back in the province of Bohol, during class recess, schoolchildren would race outside the classroom to buy this tasty delicacy from vendors selling different native delicacies. During those years, Nilusak was only priced less than a P1 Peso.  Ingredients  The Ni...

Today, Catholics all over the world celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the Philippines, Easter Sunday is considered a triumphant day for Filipino Catholics as their savior, Jesus Christ has come back to life.  As part of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, Easter Sunday activities are held such as the “Sugat” a dramatization of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. The “Sugat” is a regional dialect spoken by people in Central Visayas provinces. In the Filipino language, the term Sugat means “Salubong.” While in English it means “welcome or meet” in reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”  The Resurrection  For a very long time, Filipino Catholics welcome the resurrection of Jesus Christ with religious activities like the “Sugat”, the dramatization of the meeting between the resurrected Jesus Christ and His mother, Mary.  The dramatization involves two separate foot processions held at dawn within the vicinity of a church. In one procession, images of Risen Jesus ...

  Beginning Sunday, March 28 to Saturday, April 3, 2021, the Filipino Catholics will once again observe the Holy Week. In the Philippines, the observance of the Holy Week will be highlighted by week-long religious activities such as Church Masses, Visita Iglesia, or the visit of seven Churches, the station of the Cross, and it culminates with the Siete Palabras ( The 7 last words of Jesus hours before His painful death on the cross), and other religious activities associated with the observance of the Holy Week.  Sadly, this year’s Holy Week may not be the same as compared to past years due to the Some of these religious activities may not be observed because of the current global health crisis. Local government units have imposed restrictions that may hinder the observance of the Holy Week.  Aside from the Holy Week activities, and as part of the religious traditions, the Filipinos also prepare and cook different delicious native delicacies to be served during the Holy W...

  The Philippines is an archipelagic country comprising more than seven thousand islands scattered all over the country. During low tide, the number of islands is higher as some of the islets are submerged in seawater during high tide. With this kind of topography, traveling from one island to another requires a boat or any form of seacraft to be able to reach their destination.  Diverse Culture  Aside from being an archipelagic country, the Philippines is also culturally-diverse which is the assimilation of different cultures from the colonizers. Each of the three colonizers brought with them their culture and had been embraced by the Filipinos. Aside from cultural diversity, the country also has thousands of different dialects spread across the country.  The Waray is spoken by Filipinos who live in Samar and parts of Leyte, Cebuano is spoken by people in Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental, Ilonggo spoken by the people of Ilo-Ilo and the island of Panay, and Kapampang...

  It is said that culture is the mirror of a country. Being able to know a country’s culture is also like knowing its people and their traits. In a country, a culture, whether desirable or not, is preserved by its people not only because it is a good culture but because it has become part of their daily life and has been passed on from the old generation to the new generation.  In the Philippines, for instance, the Filipinos have been able to preserve most of their culture in different ways. Admittedly, there are a few Filipino cultures that are not worth preserving and should have not been passed on from the old generation to the new generation because of their perceived negative connotation to the Filipinos.  Some of the Philippine Cultures Still Practice Today  Bayanihan (community cooperation)  It refers to a collective community effort in helping one another particularly during and after a disaster. It is during the times of hardships and suffering where th...