The Philippines was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Based on temperature, the warmest months of the year are March through October. The coldest months of the year are November through February. But what is it about the Philippines that makes it different from the rest of the world? Well, for one thing, it is all about their culture. The traditional culture of the Philippines is influenced by both the east and the west and by the traditions of the indigenous Austronesian people. The cultural landscape also features Spanish, American, Japanese, Arabic, and Indonesian influence. The major religions in the country are Christianity and Islam which have played a significant role in shaping the culture of the Philippines.
Filipinos are very resilient, in times of calamities and catastrophes, they always, manage to rise above the challenge. Instead of wallowing, they manage to pick themselves up and smile. Filipinos are very respectful they are taught how to use these simple catchphrases po and opo, words that end sentences when addressing elders. They have a culture of pagmamano, they raise the backhands of the elder and put it to their forehead as a sign of respect. Filipinos help one another, more popularly known as bayanihan, they help one another without expecting anything in return, so that undertaking their tasks and responsibilities become much easier. Filipinos are very religious, they go to church every Sunday with all of their family members. Filipinos love to sing this is the reason why karaoke has become so prevalent. As part of their recreation, Filipinos spend some quality time with their families or friends singing or belting out new and old songs. The national sport in the country is Arnis, a type of martial arts. Boxing is one of the most popular sports in the Philippines with the country producing global superstar boxer and the only eight- division champion in the world, Manny Pacquiao.
There are so many characteristics that can define what a Filipino is – hospitable, helpful, cheerful, industrious, optimistic, etc. It gives us the privilege to enrich our tradition and culture. Filipinos are different in unique ways. That is what, we Filipinos must be proud of. We view things in different perspective. We live our lives the way we wanted to. We have determination to fight for what we believe is right. We are not scared to face the world and tell them that we can. I must say that it means a lot to me a being a Filipino because of our wonderful culture, colorful heritage and our optimistic attitude towards life despite the struggles were facing right now, we Filipinos still get to put a smile on our faces. It does not end here, there are still other things that we Filipinos proud of. 😊
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