Practices of Filipinos in the New Century

Mark Alyson P. Camero
ACS-IA
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Differentiate Early Customs & Practices from the new Century
The Early customs and traditions, the government and mode of living have, to a great extent, come down to the present and may be found in remote rural areas which have so far succeeded in resisting the impact of modern civilization. Before the coming of the Spaniards the Filipinos had a civilization of their own. The various aspects of this civilization doubtless came partly from the Malays who settled in the country and partly from a response to the new environment. For this reason, many of the customs and practices of the pre-colonial Filipinos are still operative in many parts of the country, a circumstance that is, in a sense, advantageous for it offers an observer first-hand materials for the reconstruction of the distant past.
Men, women and children walked about barefooted, for sandals and shoes were Spanish innovations. The male had a headgear consisting of a piece of cloth, called putong, which was wrapped around his head. The color of the putong showed the “manliness” of a man; a red putong for instance, signified that the wearer had killed a man in war. But he who had killed at least seven was privileged to wear an embroidered putong. The woman, on the other hand, had no putong, but wore her hair gracefully knotted at the back of her head. The Practices of The Filipino in the new century, people are some of the most hospitable that you will find anywhere. Even if their behavior is less than considerate, foreign visitors to the country are treated with the utmost respect. Although few will expect you to return the favor, it would be nice if you did. So, if you're heading to the Philippines for work, pleasure, or both, a little consideration for the local customs can be a very good thing to have. A Filipino woman, whether she's a friend, employee, co-worker, or lover, will greatly appreciate you remembering her birthday, anniversary, or an important promise. Even if it is just a small gesture, the fact that you remembered at all will be taken as a huge compliment. First impressions are very important in Filipino culture, so you don't want to put someone offside when you first meet them. A simple smile, a gentle wave, or a cheery Hi or Hello is all that's required. Keep it short, sweet, and friendly or they may think you are hitting on them. Although some locals will greet you instantly, the majority will wait for you to do the first move.

Describe the Filipino Revolts
Since being under Spanish rule can be quite revolting. Three hundred and thirty-three years of occupation is just about a bit too much for anybody to swallow. High time to revolt from a revolting situation. There are many reasons why Filipinos revolted against Spain, and on far many different occasions. First of all, Spain never did treat the Filipinos as equal and the fact that they subjected them to unfair taxation while not giving them representation and redress for grievances. The justice system was unfair and corrupt, and forced labor was imposed on some sections of the country. I say in some sections of the country because the Philippines are a large archipelago of more than 7,000 islands. These revolts largely failed because of the geographical condition of the country, fragmented into many different islands. The Filipinos largely lacked arms, lack of command training beyond company size groups. They suffer logistical difficulties and basic organization, plus communications afield to make it a truly unified resistance. There is a list of Filipino revolts against Spain and gives the reasons for them and its outcome at Wikipedia. However, this needs a bit of cleaning up, and many entries need expansion. It began in August 1896 after Spanish authorities discovered a Philippine revolutionary society founded by anti-Spanish Filipinos who wanted Independence from Spain. They planned on gaining independence from Spain through armed revolt. Then in a mass gathering in Caloocan, the Katipuneros leaders organized themselves into a revolutionary government and openly declared a nationwide armed revolution. Bonifacio called for a simultaneous coordinated attack on the capital Manila. The attack failed, but the surrounding provinces also rose up in revolt. The aims of the Katipuneros where to develop a strong alliance with each and every Katipuneros, to unite Filipinos into one solid nation, to win Philippine independence by means of an armed conflict and to establish a communist republic after independence.

What is the real Essence of the Love of Country Now that I’m much older, I can’t help but wonder if the “love of country” propaganda of my school during my elementary days has ever affected my sense of patriotism. One of the few things that I clearly remember was the Flag Raising Ceremony every morning for the morning classes and the Flag Retreat Ceremony every afternoon for the afternoon classes. It was required for us to attend one of these ceremonies while we sang the National Anthem and recited the “Panatang Makabayan,” sometimes we also sang other very patriotic songs like “Ang Bayan Ko” especially in the afternoon before we all went home and call it a day. Come to think of it, standing up and putting my right hand on the left part of my chest whenever they play the “Lupang Hinirang” has become a routine thanks to years of practice during elementary school. Other than that, I can’t name anything that I’ve learned from the subject except some stuff that are no longer relevant like how to fold the Philippine Flag after a Flag Retreat Ceremony and how should it hang when it’s on the flag pole. I never knew until later on that the term “love of country” is such a strong ideal. Our national heroes like Bonifacio and Rizal died because of their love of country. They were considered heroes because they’ve sacrificed their lives so we can have independence and be free from foreign powers. It’s probably right to include “love of country” in the aspect of our early education. But it should be more than just requiring people to attend flag ceremonies and oblige them to stand up whenever they play the National Anthem. I know now that a better understanding of our history can help ignite our love for the Philippines. It was a good thing to initiate ‘love of country’ as part of the curriculum of the elementary schools but it somehow lacked essence. Patriotism should transcend through symbols and traditions. While it should revolve around respecting the flag and being faithful to the constitution, a citizen should involve oneself in the development of the nation, the welfare of one’s fellow citizens and to aspire for progress. In the midst of the call for change and the clamor for national unity, love of country means proactively doing ones share in nation building to make sure that the future generations of Filipinos, just like what Rizal and Bonifacio envisioned during their time, will have a better future.