The culture of the Philippines is one of the most unique and diverse among the nations in Southeast Asia. It is without doubt a Hispanic country, with a strong Spanish cultural background blending in with the Native Malay culture and other ethnic cultures.

Customs and traditions of the Philippines are strongly influenced by those of Spain, and by the Roman Catholic religion. Each year, Filipinos from around the country hold major festivities known as Barrio Fiestas which commemorate the patron saints of the town, villages and regional districts. The festival season is celebrated with church ceremonies, street parades in honor of the patron saints, fireworks, beauty and dance contests for generations old and new, and cockfighting tournaments.

The Black Nazareth processions in Quipo and Manila, the Fiesta del Santo Niño de Cebu (Festival of the Child Jèsus) in the Visayas and Mindanao regional area and the Ati Atihan Carnivale are the major festivals of the country. They combine both Roman Catholic and native religious influences, and are attended by hundreds of thousands of Filipinos each year.

Other special occasions include: Semana Santa Holy Week during Easter Holidays; National Heroes day; Araw ng Kagitingan April 9; Independence Day June 12; Day of the Dead November 1 & November 2, All Saints Day and All Souls Day; Bonifacio Day November 30; Christmass Day December 25; Rizal Day December 30 and New Years Day January 1.

A starting point for understanding modern Filipino culture is a review of the accomplishments of the citizens given the country's highest recognization for their contributions to the cultural heritage of the country. They have been recognized for their contributions to architecture, dance, film, literature, music,theater, and the visual arts.

Arts

Main article: Arts of the Philippines

Cuisine

Filipinos cook a variety of national food influenced by both Castillian-Mexican and Asian cuisines such as lechon (roast pork); lechon vaca (roast beef); asado adobo baboy (fried pork); adobo manok (fried chicken); pan de sal (bread); menudo; afritadas, empanadas; ensaymadas; maize (corn); rice and pancit canton. Filipinos are fond of wine, as well as beers such as the local San Miguel.

Main article: Filipino cuisine

Heritage

Several sites in the country have been recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Baroque Churches of the Philippines and Historic Town of Vigan are the cultural World Heritage Sites. However, during World War II, much of the city of Intramuros was destroyed.

• Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park
• Banaue Rice Terraces
• Tubbataha Reef Marine Park

Music

Main article: Music of the Philippines

Literature

Main article: Literature of the Philippines

Sports

The unofficial national sport in the Philippines is basketball. Basketball is very popular among Filipinos, with virtually every barangay in the country having at least one basketball court. The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), founded in 1975 is the most watched basketball league. Corporate-sponsored teams compete in three tournaments every year and many Filipino-Americans return to the country to become popular basketball heroes. Many Americans also join the league as a stepping stone to joining the American National Basketball Association (NBA).

Another popular league is the Philippine Basketball League , often joined by players who aim to get experience for eventual drafting into the PBA. The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) also has basketball as one of its sports. Basketball in the UAAP is arguably one of the most watched basketball tournaments in the country due to widespread support from students and alumni of the country's top universities that are members of the UAAP. A less-watched league is the Metropolitan Basketball Association , or the MBA. Unlike the PBA, whose teams are sponsored by major corporations, the MBA has teams from various cities around the Philippines, much like the NBA.

Among the other sports where the Filipinos have gained international recognition are billiards (notably nine ball), ten-pin bowling, boxing, and chess. Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante are among the top ten billiard players in the world. Rafael Nepomuceno has been a world champion in bowling, Eugene Torre is Asia's first chess grandmaster, and Mansueto Velasco and Manuel Pacquiao have become world champions in boxing.

The Palarong Pambansa , a national sports festival, has its roots in an annual sporting meet of public schools that started in 1948. Private schools and universities eventually joined the national event, which became known as the Palarong Pambansa in 1976. It serves as a national Olympics for students, with victors from competitions at the school, province, and regional level emerging to participate. A recent (2002) event included the following sports: archery, badminton, baseball, boxing, chess, gymnastics, tennis, soccer, softball, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, track and field, and volleyball. It also included two lesser known sports:

• a Malaysian volleyball-like kicking sport called Sepak Takraw.
• Sipa , another kicking sport, which is related to Sepal Takraw. It is considered the national sport of the Philippines, and is played by two-to-four people passing a small rattan ball back-and-forth, somewhat similar to footbag.

There is a tradition of Filipino Martial Arts developed in response to Spanish limitations on the possession of weapons.

See also

• Hispanic culture in The Philippines

External links

• GetRealPhilippines.com - discusses issues about Filipino culture