Philippine folk songs and dances as a tool of cultural development
INTRODUCTION
We are proud of being Filipinos. There were people, places and things which serves as our pride as a nation and make us known throughout the world. A thing that makes us distinct as a nation is our culture. Culture is derived from the Latin word “cultura” or “cultus” which means care or cultivation. We must care and cultivate the Filipino culture which serves as our identity. The poet T.S. Eliot described culture as simply the way of life of a particular people living in one place. (Society and Culture: p 222) We as Filipinos have our own way of life. From the traditions of the past, emerged the culture we have today. We are ruled by colonizers throughout many centuries. We’ve been traded by Eastern and Western countries. Thus, Philippine culture is a product of varied enrichments. Filipinos being a musical people have a diverse and rich music. The traditional folk music reflects and depicts the lives of the common people. This music serves as clues for other nations to distinguish the particular culture that we have. Indispensable in the lives of the Filipino during that time are the folk songs and dances. Folk songs were used to express the ideas and sentiments of the people. These emerged from the different regions in our country mostly on rural areas. Traditional Filipino music deserves to be promoted and preserved. It is highly important to utilize folk music in schools for the pupils to learn the cultural heritage of our country. They will learn the beginning and root of our present culture. More importantly, to provide a better understanding of our Filipino culture to instill the positive values of Filipinos such as hospitality, respect, industriousness, responsibility, etc. These values are reflective in the traditional folk music of our country. “More than any type of dance and perhaps, far greater than any of the other fields of art, the folk dance has been a strong factor in the expression of the Filipino soul and identity
We are proud of being Filipinos. There were people, places and things which serves as our pride as a nation and make us known throughout the world. A thing that makes us distinct as a nation is our culture. Culture is derived from the Latin word “cultura” or “cultus” which means care or cultivation. We must care and cultivate the Filipino culture which serves as our identity. The poet T.S. Eliot described culture as simply the way of life of a particular people living in one place. (Society and Culture: p 222) We as Filipinos have our own way of life. From the traditions of the past, emerged the culture we have today. We are ruled by colonizers throughout many centuries. We’ve been traded by Eastern and Western countries. Thus, Philippine culture is a product of varied enrichments. Filipinos being a musical people have a diverse and rich music. The traditional folk music reflects and depicts the lives of the common people. This music serves as clues for other nations to distinguish the particular culture that we have. Indispensable in the lives of the Filipino during that time are the folk songs and dances. Folk songs were used to express the ideas and sentiments of the people. These emerged from the different regions in our country mostly on rural areas. Traditional Filipino music deserves to be promoted and preserved. It is highly important to utilize folk music in schools for the pupils to learn the cultural heritage of our country. They will learn the beginning and root of our present culture. More importantly, to provide a better understanding of our Filipino culture to instill the positive values of Filipinos such as hospitality, respect, industriousness, responsibility, etc. These values are reflective in the traditional folk music of our country. “More than any type of dance and perhaps, far greater than any of the other fields of art, the folk dance has been a strong factor in the expression of the Filipino soul and identity