Filipinos have a unique way of welcoming the New Year. Many of these superstitions have been passed down through generations, and they become part of the Filipino customs and traditions in the belief of ushering in a prosperous New Year. To prepare for New Year’s Eve, Filipinos spend the last days of the year vigorously … More How Filipinos Welcome the New Year
Today being Father’s Day, I want to talk about Filipino families. Due to the importance of the family in Filipino culture, it is impressed upon every individual from childhood to adulthood that parents are owed a debt of gratitude for bringing one into this world. This is balanced by the belief and tradition that parents … More Filipino Families in the Philippine Culture
Kabayan is one of the oldest towns in Benguet, situated in a wide valley surrounded by mountains in Northern Luzon. It was recognized as the center of Ibaloi culture. Out of several tribes in this area, the Ibaloi tribe was the only people to practice mummification as a way of preserving their dead … More Kabayan and its Centuries-old Mummies
About 87 different languages and dialects are spoken in the Philippines. The ten main ones are: Tagalog, spoken in Batangas, Manila, Mindoro, and most of Luzon; Sugbuhanon, in Cebu, and parts of Mindanao; Hiligaynon, in Negros Occidental and Iloilo; Samarnon, in Samar and Leyte; Bikol, in Camarines North and South; Pampangan, in Pampanga and Tarlac; … More Languages of the Philippines
While everyone is thinking about the Super Bowl today, let me introduce you to a traditional, native Philippine sport. It’s not basketball which most Filipinos consider the national sport since it is played every day across the country, on the streets, in gyms, at schools and everywhere else in the Philippines. The sport “Sipa” which … More Sipa – A Traditional, Native Philippine Sport
In 1212, as legend has it, 10 Bornean datu (chiefs), fleeing the collapse of the once-mighty Srivijayan empire, sailed northwards with their followers and landed on the island of Panay. At that time, Panay was widely populated by Negritos. The Bornean Malays, although superior fighters and better armed than the Negritos, chose not to … More Ati-Atihan Festival – The Philippines’ Mardi Gras
The symbol of Christmas in the Philippines is not the Christmas Tree but the Parol that probably had its origins in the Mexican’s piñata. While parols come in all sizes, in Pampanga, the electric parols in later years stand 20 to 30 ft high, giving off a blaze of kaleidoscopic color and light that fills … More Parol – Philippine symbol of Christmas
Tradition has it that Christmas celebration in the Philippines begins on December 16, nine days before Christmas Day and ends on January 6, the feast of the Three Kings. Simbang Gabi is a series of nine predawn masses. The predawn mass was celebrated every morning from December 16 to December 24. Then on … More Simbang Gabi – Philippine Christmas Tradition
Archeological evidence suggests that the Negritos, a broad term for indigenous people of dark complexions, reached the Philippines over 30,000 years ago by a land bridge from the Asian mainland following the migration of animals. Excavation at Palawan’s Tabon cave yielded a human skull carbon-dated to 22,000 B.C. About 10,000 years ago, the ice … More The Philippines and Its People
Today, March 18, 2018 marks the 75th wedding anniversary of my parent and if Dad did not pass away in May 2007, I’m sure there would be a party. Filipinos love parties. They will find any excuse to have a party. What made their marriage endure for so long? Love, patience, total commitment and … More March 18 – My parents’ wedding anniversary
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