Philippines - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
168
Philippines - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781857335521 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Kuperard |
| Publication date: | 09/01/2006 |
| Series: | Culture Smart! |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 168 |
| Sales rank: | 898,099 |
| File size: | 3 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Philippines
By Graham Colin-Jones, Yvonne Colin-Jones
Bravo Ltd
Copyright © 2004 KuperardAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-85733-552-1
CHAPTER 1
LAND & PEOPLE
GEOGRAPHY
The Philippine archipelago lies between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, stretching about 1,150 miles (1,850 km) from north to south, and 684 miles (1,100 km) from east to west. It consists of 7,107 islands and islets, only two thousand of which are inhabited. Most of the islands are very small, and the exact number depends on tide and sea level. Thus, although the land area is 115,800 sq. miles (300,000 sq. km), the Philippines covers a wide area of the western Pacific Ocean, being strategically located between Taiwan in the north and Borneo in the south. The islands are grouped into four regions: Luzon to the north, where the capital, Manila, is located; Palawan to the west; the Visayas in the center; and Mindanao to the south.
Scientists believe that the Philippine Islands were separated from the Asian continent about sixty million years ago. Volcanic activity and tectonic changes continued to occur, and today the country is still liable to be affected by earthquakes and eruptions from its two hundred active volcanoes.
The Philippines is a country of great natural beauty, with majestic mountain ranges in the interior; dense rain forests; fertile plains and valleys; and glorious beaches, lapped by a turquoise sea, along its rugged coastline.
CLIMATE
The climate is typically tropical, with three distinct seasons.
The dry cool season runs from November to February. "Cool," however, is a relative word: to northern Europeans the weather is always hot. Even in the coolest month of January the daytime temperature in Manila rarely falls below 73°F (nearly 23°C), and you can swim in the sea all year-round. In fact, Christmas and New Year are the best times to go to the beach, because it will be less crowded than in the dry hot season, with weather like a northern European summer. For much cooler weather, you can go to Baguio, in the mountains of Luzon, where the temperature can fall as low as 50°F (10°C) in the evenings.
The dry hot season, known as summer, runs from March to May. The weather suddenly gets hotter in early March, with winds spreading dust everywhere. Air-conditioning becomes a necessity to escape the heat, especially in April and May, when the temperature reaches 95°F (35°C).
The wet hot season runs from June to October. From June to September, the rain can be heavy and persistent over several days, resulting in extensive flooding. By October, it generally consists of thundery showers, often in the early evening. During these months, it is usually a little less hot than in summer, but more humid.
There are regional variations to these seasons. The heavy rains are associated with the prevailing southwest monsoon, and therefore the southeast coast of Luzon may be drier during the wet season and wetter during the summer months.
THE ENVIRONMENT
The Philippine government and many concerned influential people are making strenuous efforts to protect the environment. Regrettably, the value and importance of this is not yet generally appreciated. Filipinos are primarily concerned about their own family unit and financial interests, rather than the welfare of the general public or the environment. Factories in Manila continue to discharge waste into the Pasig River, and the goverment's aims to clean up the waters have only partially been achieved.
Over the past fifty years, extensive logging has resulted in the destruction of more than 90 percent of the original forest growth followed by a number of catastrophic landslides. There is now a law prohibiting all unauthorized logging.
Given its beautiful beaches, warm sea, and coral reefs, tourism could be a major source of income for the country. However, some reefs have been destroyed by illegal fishing techniques. Fishermen are now taught that destroying the reefs will have a serious long-term effect on their livelihood. Despite past damage, the reefs continue to provide wonderful opportunities for scuba diving, and the vast range of fish, from sharks to manta rays and the dugong (sea cow), will ensure that visitors will continue to flock to Philippine waters for years to come.
Overall, the benefits of education are beginning to be seen, with recycling of garbage in certain areas of Manila and greater concern for the environment, including the beautiful seas and flourishing forests. NGOs and other concerned groups have played a leading role in this campaign, and it is hoped that progress in this direction will continue.
NATURAL DISASTERS
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
As recently as 1991, Mount Pinatubo, on the island of Luzon, erupted, killing nearly 900 people. The deaths were largely caused by lahar (volcanic mud), which flowed down the mountainside and destroyed everything in its path. Since Mount Pinatubo is 100 miles (160 km) from Manila, residents were not alarmed when eruptions started on Monday, June 10, but on Saturday came the devastating eruption. It was dark in Manila by 4:30 p.m., and ash began to fall. The interesting phenomenon became a matter of personal concern when people were advised to wear masks. Then it was announced that Manila airport would remain closed for three days while the runway was cleared; the danger was that ash would be sucked into the engines. More than ten years later, the devastation can still be seen, with dried lahar up to the rooftops of destroyed houses, and every year during the rainy season bridges are seriously damaged as more lahar is carried down the mountainside. Other volcanoes also threaten to erupt at frequent intervals, especially Mount Mayon, in the south of Luzon.
Another recent natural disaster was the 1990 earthquake, which killed over 1,600 people in northern Luzon. Even in Manila buildings shook and developed cracks. Fault lines run through the city, and after the 1995 Kobe earthquake, in Japan, pillars supporting flyovers in Manila were further strengthened to withstand tremors.
Typhoons
Every year between May and December at least thirty typhoons pass across the Philippines. They do not normally affect the southern island of Mindanao, but often bring devastation to the rest of the country. Typhoons until August tend to go north toward Hong Kong, often passing across the remote Batanes islands located north of Luzon. From September, the likelihood of a typhoon making a direct hit on Manila increases. Current advances in predicting the course of typhoons means that storm signals are announced in plenty of time. Thus, schools and offices are closed when a serious typhoon is approaching, to give people time to return home safely.
Typhoons may cause damage to power lines, leading to power outages (cuts), known in the Philippines as "brownouts." A recent brownout affecting the whole of Luzon was brought about by jellyfish, which had caused a blockage. Despite the frustrations, the Filipinos were able to laugh, and still talk about this incident.
The Filipinos accept typhoons and other natural disasters with the words "Bahala Na," which mean, "Leave it to God," or, "If this is what God has dealt us, so be it." They have a remarkable capacity to pick themselves up and start again, even in the face of ruined homes and crops and seriously damaged infrastructure. Their resilience is amazing.
A BRIEF HISTORY
In order to understand Filipino culture, it helps to have some knowledge of the country's history. Successive waves of invaders and immigrants have influenced the molding of the Filipino mindset.
What is critical to an understanding of modern Filipinos is the recognition that despite their ethnic and religious differences they all share an essentially Asian value system, based on the importance of relationships. Later Spanish and American influences may have left their mark, but Filipino roots are Asian.
THE PRE-SPANISH PERIOD
Origins
It is believed that the aboriginal inhabitants of the Philippine Islands, who arrived over 25,000 years ago, were pygmies related to the Andaman Islanders, the Samang of Malaysia, and various New Guinea tribes. They are considered ancestors of the Aeta, or Negrito, tribes, both terms referring to small, dark-skinned people. They crossed from the Asian mainland over the remaining land bridges and settled in the lowland forests. Being fierce warriors, they fought with later settlers, but, unable to overcome the firearms of the Spanish, they moved away, mainly into the mountain regions. The Luzon Aeta in particular were affected by the Pinatubo eruption, with their ancestral lands being buried in ash and lahar.
Further Aeta migration occurred about 5,000 years ago, and so there are tribes in various parts of the Philippines with slightly different names, and different religious beliefs. Some believe in a Supreme Being who rules over lesser spirits, while others are animists. Those Pinatubo Aeta who believe in Apo Namalyan, the most powerful spirit, say that his anger at the digging of the Philippine National Oil company led to the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
From about 3000 BCE onward many other peoples crossed the seas and settled in the islands. Since these included Indonesians and Malays, it explains why Filipinos are considered to be of the same stock.
The earliest inhabitants were hunter-gatherers. With Neolithic technology and the development of basic tools, forests were cleared and agriculture begun. In the Metal Age (c. 700-200 BCE) tools became more advanced, and knives were used to cut bamboo, from which huts and utensils were made. Knives of this type (bolo) are still common in rural areas, and are dangerous weapons.
The Age of Trade
Subsequently, from the ninth century onward, traders from China, India, Arabia, and Japan began to visit the islands. Chinese porcelain, silk, colored beads, gold, and ivory were traded for forest and marine products such as teak, rattan, pearls, and precious shells. Archaeological excavation has unearthed a huge array of Chinese plates and bowls, dated to a period between the Song and Ming dynasties, between the tenth and seventeenth centuries. The Chinese have continued to trade and also migrate to the Philippines down the centuries, and many of today's leading businessmen are of Chinese descent.
The influence of the Arabian traders commenced in the tenth century, when they sought alternative trading routes, having been expelled from southern Chinese ports. The Islamic religion began to spread in the thirteenth century, and this is particularly evident in the southern island of Mindanao.
SPANISH COLONIZATION
On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed in what is now the Eastern Visayas, on the uninhabited island of Homonhon, and then sailed on to Limasawa, where, on Easter Sunday, March 31, he celebrated Mass on the shore. Having proceeded to Cebu, he was welcomed by the ruler, Rajah Humabon, who allowed the Spanish to trade with his people. On April 14, Humabon and his family converted to Christianity and were baptized. The other chieftains of Cebu, who recognized Humabon as their king, also converted to Christianity, except for Lapu-Lapu, the ruler of Mactan Island (now the location of Cebu's airport and connected to Cebu by two bridges).
Magellan and Humabon joined forces to destroy Lapu-Lapu. On April 27, 1521, Magellan took his men to Mactan to attack those of Lapu-Lapu. However, he was killed in action. He had miscalculated the tides and had not appreciated the consequences of wearing armor in hand-to-hand fighting in the water. Humabon then turned on the Spanish forces and contributed to their defeat.
The problem of kinship rivalry and regionalism is a recurring theme in the history of the Philippines, and the Spanish would later exploit local divisions to good effect. The failure to unite continues to hamper economic and political progress at both local and national levels.
The Spanish were still determined to gain access to the riches of the East. Further expeditions were undertaken during the following twenty-five years, and the islands were named Las Islas Felipinas after Prince Felipe, who later became Philip II of Spain.
The Spanish king gave instructions to his viceroy in Mexico, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, to colonize the islands. Legaspi and his fleet reached Cebu in 1565, took it by force, and built strong fortifications. When food ran short he went further north, to the natural harbor of Maynilad, but met with resistance from the ruler. In the following year, 1571, Legaspi returned with a stronger force and took control of Maynilad.
By 1580, the Spanish controlled most of the islands, which remained a crown colony of Spain for over three hundred years. The colony was under the administration of the viceroy of Mexico until 1821, when Mexico achieved independence. From then until 1898 it was under the direct control of the government in Madrid. What is the legacy of those three centuries of Spanish rule?
Conversion to Christianity
One of the main aims of colonization was to convert the natives to Christianity. Its success can be seen in the fact that over 90 percent of Filipinos are Christian, and the vast majority of those are Catholic. On Saturdays and Sundays, the churches are full, as the Filipinos take their faith very seriously.
Introduction of Central Government
The primary social unit had previously been the barangay, the village community, which was composed of a kinship group of up to a hundred families with a respected chief. Disputes between barangays used to arise, and were often settled by bloodshed. Although the barangay remained an important feature of Filipino society at the local level, with the barangay captain being a man of influence, the Spanish introduced the concept of central government. The head of the government was the Governor-General, appointed by the King of Spain. He was also commander-in-chief of the army and President of the Supreme Court (Royal Audencia), and he had authority over the Church.
The Philippines was governed by special laws, which consisted of royal decrees, and Spanish laws that the King extended to cover the Philippines. However, the Spanish administrators believed in their superiority and expected to be recompensed accordingly, particularly for favors. Corruption became a way of life.
The Landowners
Having conquered the country, Legaspi gave large pieces of land to Spanish nationals, religious orders, and soldiers, in return for their efforts in the conquest or in Christianization. These pieces of land, together with the inhabitants, were called encomiendas. The intention was that landowners would be responsible for the spiritual and physical welfare of the inhabitants living on their land, the latter making payments in cash or kind. The landowners became rich and their abuses resulted in so much dissatisfaction that the system was abolished in 1674.
In due course, the Spanish intermarried with the native Filipinos, giving rise to the mestizo class. The mestizos, who generally look more European, were eventually given the right to buy and own land. In the mid-1800s, there was an agricultural boom, and the landowning mestizos became particularly wealthy. Chinese mestizos also became landowners. Today, certain mestizo families own huge tracts of prime land in Manila and run thriving businesses.
Taxation and Forced Labor
Until 1884, every Filipino family or unmarried adult was required to pay a head tax to Spain, and the tax collectors became wealthy. People were also obliged to pay a church tax and forced to work for nothing on repairing roads and bridges, building ships, and cutting down trees. This, and even having their rations taken by the officials, caused great anger, which led to the uprising against the Spaniards.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Philippines by Graham Colin-Jones, Yvonne Colin-Jones. Copyright © 2004 Kuperard. Excerpted by permission of Bravo Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Map of the Philippines,Introduction,
Key Facts,
Chapter 1: LAND AND PEOPLE,
Chapter 2: VALUES AND ATTITUDES,
Chapter 3: RELIGION AND FESTIVALS,
Chapter 4: THE FILIPINOS AT HOME,
Chapter 5: TIME OUT,
Chapter 6: TRAVEL, HEALTH, AND SAFETY,
Chapter 7: BUSINESS BRIEFING,
Chapter 8: COMMUNICATING,
Conclusion,
Further Reading,