Culture of the Philippines
The culture of the Philippines is one of the most unique and diverse among the nations in Southeast Asia. Throughout Filipino history, no distinct national cultural identity was formed. The reason for this was partly due to the existence of an exorbitant number of languages spoken throughout the country. It is for this reason that rather than being national in nature, the cultural development of the Philippines has been local. Despite this, and despite their variety, a common aspect that most Filipino cultural traditions share today is that they have all been enriched and influenced by various foreign elements from both the East and the West; from China, Malaysia and Indonesia to Spain, Mexico and the United States, and from Hinduism and Islam to Christianity.
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
Main article: Filipino cuisine
Entertainment
Film
Games
Gardening
Handicraft
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.
Hobbies
Internet
Music
Main article: Music of the Philippines
Literature
Main article: Literature of the Philippines
Radio
Sports
The national unofficial sports in the Philippines is basketball. Basketball is so popular among Filipinos that virtually every barangay in the country has 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 rabid support from students and alumni of the country's top universities that are members of the UAAP.
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.