Philippine Society and Culture

Exactly 123 years ago, a group of Filipino revolutionists led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo triumphantly hoisted the national symbol in Kawit, Cavite, the Philippines on June 12, 1898, that marked the country’s independence from more than 300 years of colonial rule. The symbolic raising of the national flag was witnessed by hundreds of captive Spanish soldiers along with their captors, the American soldiers.  The Filipinos’ hard-earned independence was the fruit of years of bloody battles against the colonizers. In those sporadic, yet bloody battles, thousands of Filipino revolutionists lost their lives. Outgunned and outnumbered by their foreign enemies, the Filipinos bravely fought them with determination and patriotism. Sadly, after more than a century of independence, the Filipinos are still embroiled in controversies and debates surrounding their independence particularly on the existence of the original national flag hoisted on June 12, 1898.  On Existence of Real Flag  Some Filipinos

Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal became famous not only in his beloved country but also in other countries around the world for his intellectual brilliance, patriotism, and for leading a revolution against the colonizers.  It has already been more than a century since his untimely death, yet his martyrdom and heroism are still alive in the hearts and minds of the Filipinos. To them, Dr. Jose Rizal was a great hero and a patriot for leading a revolution against the Spaniards that led to his execution at the very young age of 35 (1861-1896).  Dr. Jose Rizal exemplified that revolutions aren't only fought and won by deadly weapons but also by pen and paper. Being a literary writer himself, Dr. Jose Rizal fought the colonizers with his literary pieces, particularly his two famous novels, The Social Cancer (Noli Me Tangere), The Reign of Greed (El Filibusterismo), where he expressed his frustration and strong resistance against the colonizers.  His Popularity  Dr. Jose Rizal was

Many people may not know that Filipinos are food lovers and love to cook. They love to try and discover new food recipes and share these with others on their food vlogging channels and websites.  In the Philippines “carenderias” or micro-stores popularly known in the Philippines as "Sari-Sari Stores. These stores are found all over the country whether in the city, town, or barrios. Carenderias sell a variety of foods like vegetables, fish, meat, and processed foods.  These carenderias are patronized by jeepney, bus, and taxi drivers, street vendors, ordinary workers, and even office workers for their affordable, tasty foods. In these “carenderias” one can already have a hearty meal consisting of a cup of rice or two, one or two serving of viand, and a bottle of soft drink for just less than P100 pesos or $ 2.  Generally, when it comes to foods, the Filipinos are not choosy; they cook and eat different kinds of foods as long as these foods do not cause them abdominal discomfort or

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 especially those

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 pesos each depending on the size,