Philippine Society and Culture

In today's blog, we'll talk about the Lomboy tree and its many uses from its fruits, wood, and leaves. These trees grow not only in the Philippines but also in other tropical countries in Asia. In the Philippines, Lomboy trees grow well with any type of soil be it in rural or urban areas. Wood  The Lomboy tree wood is used as reliable materials for building houses, furniture such as tables, chairs, and other house furniture.  Lomboy Fruits Lomboy fruits are sweet, purple in color, and oblong in shape. Unfortunately, children cannot easily get their fruits as these trees grow bigger and taller. Aside from its tasty fruits, black plums fruits also have health benefits. Black plums fruits are packed with vitamin c, iron, and magnesium, and other nutrients.  In the Philippines, some fully-grown trees grow as high as 30-40 meters in height. With its size it would be hard for children to get its fruits. Lomboy Leaves  The Lomboy leaves have been used by the Filipinos espec...

The Philippines is blessed not only with natural beauty like stunning scenery, white sand beaches, hospitable people, but the country is also home to tasty tropical fruits and one of which is the fruit favorite by many, the mango fruit.  Different Varieties  There are different varieties of mango in the Philippines like Indian mango, carabao mango, senorita mango, and many others. Among the varieties, the Carabao is the most favorite for its sweet, fleshy, and aromatic. In fact, this variety is exported to different countries around the world like Japan.  Different Recipes  Among the tropical fruits in the Philippines, there are several recipes that can be made from mango either ripe or raw.  Eaten Raw  Raw, green mango is perfect if eaten with table salt, fermented small fish (bagoong in Filipino), or fermented small shrimp (hipon in Filipino)  Raw mango fruits are favorite not only by Filipino women but also by men. Raw mangoes are sold at P20 to P50...

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...