The Spanish Influences in Philippine Cultures
The Philippines has successfully established its own legitimacy to be declared and recognized by the United Nations as a State. It has people who recognize its State policies and constitution and adhere to them wholeheartedly. On its economic aspect, the country is engaging in international economic activities such as participating in a free trade market system by being a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the newly established Chinese development institution called the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
When it comes to culture, the Philippines is an outstanding one. Its cultures and traditions are widely practiced and even patronized by non-Filipinos. The Filipinos speak many local languages and dialects. They also have their own clothing, forms of amusement, eating techniques and many more that are distinct only to the Filipinos. However, these possessions are not original to the Filipinos. There are some which are totally Filipino in origin but contain foreign elements or a mix between or among cultures.
Almost all of the Philippine cultures including the Filipinos' ways of thinking are the influences of the Spanish cultures. The Spaniards brought the Philippines into the attachment of the Western culture. Particularly, the Spaniards introduced their own Philosophy of life to the Filipinos as well as their habits, language, clothing, ways of amusement including games, religion, arts, and even cooking.
Filipino ethnic cultures were then mixed with Spanish cultural elements. They borrowed almost of what the Spaniards did have. As time passed by, these were no longer Spanish but retained the characteristics of both Filipino and Spanish cultures. These modern cultures, which were Spanish and Filipino in origin, today have been recognized as Filipino yet colonial in function and impact.
Filipinos' Surnames and Change of Native Names
Before the Spanish invasion to the Philippines, the Filipinos had no surnames. The native Filipino parents were acquainted in naming their sons and daughters according to their physical characteristics, qualities, or to some coincidental events. For instance, if a baby girl was born with a tan skin then the name to be made for her was nearly the same with that skin color. Additionally, if a newly born male baby was looking strong, that baby would be named Si Malakas. The lack of surnames confused the Spaniards especially those names that are the same. As a result, they prepared a long list of surnames for the Filipinos to choose from.
Changes of name of the native Filipinos also happened when the Spaniards replace their names into the names of Saints such as Santo Tomas, San Jose, San Carlos and many more. While there were still native Filipino names that were retained, the Spaniards, however, changed their spelling to fit in to the Spanish standard.
Spanish Language Influence
The Filipino language, derived from the Tagalog language, which is the national language today, was even a Spanish influence. The Filipino vocabulary came from the Spanish language and was only changed in spelling over time. Among other Filipino languages influenced by the Spaniards are Ilocano, Bicolano, Sugbuhanon, Hiligaynon, Visaya and many other dialects existent within the country.
Learning the Spanish language as much as Spanish education as a whole was not really made public to the Filipinos. However, Some natives, who had direct contacts with the Spaniards, learned the language. Such attachment led the Filipino natives to adopt some of the Spanish vocabulary and mixed them to the Filipino languages. Also, the Spaniards inevitably talked to the natives in a Spanish language during the trading and other dealings with them in the market and also in churches. This made the Filipino to learn the foreign language slowly.
Catholicism and its Patriarchal Politics and Cultures
The Spaniards brought with them the Catholic religion to the Philippine. They introduced it to the Filipinos which led to some uprisings of the natives who did not want the new belief system. Luckily for the Spaniards, the indoctrination of Catholic faith to the Filipinos happened. Along with the building of the churches, the political life of the country was also revolutionized with religious teachings.
There was a union between the Church and the State during the Spanish era, so the constitution or the body of law of the colony was mainly Catholic in orientation. The Philippine government, aside from being ruled by the friars and the governor-general from Spain, was dominated by male servants. This patriarchy has continued to exist nowadays even though women are already allowed to have a government seat but to sum up all the positions in the government, women are only less in number.
The Philippine constitution today still contains Spanish elements. One example is the prohibition of the same-sex marriage. The Philippine laws lie deeply on the religious set-ups which is rooted during the Spanish time. One can hardly erase it totally from the present state. On the other hand, today's cultural orientations in the Philippines is still patriarchal. Men are portrayed as stronger than women as if the women can never exceed the capacity of men. This idea can also be noticed in the current ways of enculturation of the young Filipinos.
Fiesta Culture
The social lives of the native Filipinos during the colonization of the Spaniards only revolved around the church since the priest or friars was the so called over-all manager of the whole community. The fiesta was one of the religious events of the Catholic church. All Filipinos must attend to it or else, they would be labelled as rebels or traitor. The fiesta was always the honoring of the town patron saints respectively held in different barrios or towns. This has given birth to other occasions done together in fiesta such as food gathering and street parades. More contribution of the Spanish people to the Filipinos are noticeable in the current educational system, arts and poetry, clothing, dances, houses and others.
The overall impact of the cultural changes brought by the Spaniards in the Philippines could be both beneficial and destructive. On the positive side, the Filipino people have merged into one nation as the three islands, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao became one in name -- the Philippines. Spanish cultures have served as their framework for further developments.
Furthermore, different uprising of the native Filipinos have strengthened their motivation to defend the land and plans for progress without fear against the colonizers including the later sets of invaders --the Americans and Japanese. On the negative side, these cultures have given ways for exploitation, monopoly of power, patriarchy, negative positioning of women in the society, and the feeling of inferiority over other people.
No matter how good or bad the Philippine history is with the Spaniards, the important thing is that the Filipinos were able to progress themselves and have reached to what they are today.
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Wow, I have learnt a lot from reading this article, thanks a bunch and namaste :)
Thanks @eric-boucher, can you share what have you learned from this article that you have not heard before?
That'll be much shorter if I tell you what I knew! Over the past few years I had the occasion of coming across quite a few families from the Philippines and they told me about a bit of history and, the #1 thing that stuck with me was the presence of Spanish language in their culture. From there, they were only able to tell a tiny bit about it, almost nothing. So, the great majority of what you talked about was greatly educational, for me. Thanks again, namaste :)
Actually, I was too late to learn the spanish dialect. :)
How do you feel about the current President of the R.P, and his sentiment towards the west?
Majority of the people are happy with the newly elected president of the Republic. What he is currently doing right now are the platforms he had during the election campaign. He has a huge won which give him encouragement to pursue everything that has been said during the campaign. People love and liked him even before he was not the president because he is a man of courage and principle.
Regarding his sentiments about the west, there was no problem with that. What he wanted is that before they give him comment or lecture, they should have first know the real truth because sometimes what was reported in media is not true.
This was his style long time ago when he was still a mayor in Davao. Running the presidency was not his plan, he was urge by many non-government groups to run because the people wanted to achieve the real change that the country never had after the Marcos regime.
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I say I have Spanish in me, but I'm not just Spanish. I'm proud of my ethnicities, and I will always be proud of being a Filipino.
Yes you are right bro, I'm also proud to be a Filipino.
Filipinos have unique ancestry and Spain has a major role in the lives and culture and tradition of every Pinoy.
Yes you are right @cjclaro
It sounds like the Spanish had a lasting effect on the culture of the Philippines. As a Filipino, do you experience it as an impact that benefited the Philippines?
The Spanish colonization in the Philippines extended up to 300 years, although based on history our ancestors had experience bad treatment but somehow the cultures and the traditions that they taught remained in the hearts of the Filipinos.
Part of my childhood was spent in the Philippines and would gladly return to have a home there as well. Most of my history knowledge are of western civilization due to studying here in the U.S. but am always keen on learning my roots, namely Malay culture and it's development.
Glad to know that you are @escapethink
Are you half pinoy?
Kamusta na!? No, born in Davao. How about you?
Ok lang. I was born at misami occidental but grown up and currently living at iligan city.
So how you end up living in western country?
With the grace of God. I'm very thankful to be in the US.
You work there? Wow nice.
Yes. Much have bigger plans to work anywhere. :-)
Anywhere? I think US is much better for now :) Good salary rate. Unsa pud imong work dra