Philippine Society and Culture

Mabolo National High School   With the country’s midterm elections just less than a year away, politicking in various forms has already started in the Philippines. This has been the brand of Philippine politics tainted by violence, electoral fraud, mudslinging and vote-buying.  While the Filipinos are known for their innate virtues, there is the other side of the coin-the dirty politics of the Filipinos magnified during election season.  But what is confusing is the die-hard support shown by the Filipinos towards their candidates. Like popular celebrities, Filipino politicians are also idolized, adored, and revered by their followers. Whatever they command their supporters follow.  Political bias  This phrase refers to the personal opinion of a supporter towards his/her favored candidate. Regardless of the candidate's projected image in the society, political bias prevails. Filipino die-hard supporters never mind the personality of their favored candidates.  Whether the candidate h

  In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven life, everything is done at our fingertips. Technological advancement has brought changes into our social life, significantly changing our way of living.  One of these changes is the dating practices among young Filipinos, shifting from traditional to modern. Inherent in the modern Filipino dating is the utilization of modern communication devices such as smartphones, laptops, computers and other modern devices.  Digital Courtship  Digital courtship is a new approach to courtship utilizing different modern digital communication devices and social media platforms. Digital courtship has been characterized as direct, quick and less effort on the part of a man courting a woman.  But how do Filipino men exactly utilize these devices in courting women?  When looking for partners . During the search period, Filipino men use their smartphones, laptops or computers in looking for their potential partners on social media and on dating sites.  When a pot

Laura Arellano/Cogon Grass   Oftentimes, people are associated and identified by their culture, their traits in particular. Filipinos, for example, are known for their values. These values shaped their identity and were helpful in their pursuit of livelihood not just in the Philippines but also in other countries. One of their famous values is hard work and manifest this particular value in their respective workplaces and any personal or professional endeavors.  Like other people, Filipinos also have values that are perceived as unpopular. Despite the negative perception attached to these negative traits, Filipinos still practice these negative traits because they have become part of their culture.  Below are just some of the Filipino traits that have perceived negative meanings  Ningas Cogon  Ningas cogon is a unique, yet fascinating trait of the Filipinos. Figuratively, it refers to one’s burning desire to start and finish a project or any endeavor, yet, all of a sudden make a u-turn

  Marcus Wockel Honesty and gratitude are two important values of a person. Being honest not only to others, but also to oneself. This value is manifested in different ways on different occasions. Returning lost items to rightful owners and admitting one’s fault are just some of the examples of honesty. Being honest to yourself and to others does not diminish our self-worth. Instead, it increases our credibility, integrity and reputation.  On the other hand, gratitude is expressing one’s appreciation to things given or extended by others. We can also express gratitude to ourselves and to the Almighty for the Divine Guidance and protection He has given to us. Like honesty, gratitude is expressed in various ways at any given time or situations. Being grateful to our friends, loved ones, neighbors, classmates and even strangers.  Manifestations of honesty  Filipinos have proven their honesty in many circumstances like returning bundles of paper bills to authorities(usually in US dollars)