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The Filipino is
basically of Malay stock
with a sprinkling of
Chinese, American,
Spanish, and Arab blood.
The Philippines has a
population of 76.5
million as of May 2000,
and it is hard to
distinguish accurately
the lines between
stocks. From a long
history of Western
colonial rule,
interspersed with the
visits of merchants and
traders, evolved a
people of a unique blend
of east and west, both
in appearance and
culture.
The Filipino character
is actually a little bit
of all the cultures put
together. The bayanihan
or spirit of kinship and
camaraderie that
Filipinos are famous for
is said to be taken from
Malay forefathers. The
close family relations
are said to have been
inherited from the
Chinese. The piousness
comes from the Spaniards
who introduced
Christianity in the 16th
century. Hospitality is
a common denominator in
the Filipino character
and this is what
distinguishes the
Filipino. Filipinos are
probably one of the few,
if not the only,
English-proficient
Oriental people today.
Pilipino is the official
national language, with
English considered as
the country's unofficial
one.
The Filipinos are
divided geographically
and culturally into
regions, and each
regional group is
recognizable by distinct
traits and dialects -
the sturdy and frugal
llocanos of the north,
the industrious Tagalogs
of the central plains,
the carefree Visayans
from the central
islands, and the
colorful tribesmen and
religious Moslems of
Mindanao. Tribal
communities can be found
scattered across the
archipelago. The
Philippines has more
than 111 dialects
spoken, owing to the
subdivisions of these
basic regional and
cultural groups.
The country is marked by
a true blend of
cultures; truly in the
Philippines, East meets
West. The background of
the people is Indonesian
and Malay. There are
Chinese and Spanish
elements as well. The
history of American rule
and contact with
merchants and traders
culminated in a unique
blend of East and West,
both in the appearance
and culture of the
Filipinos, or people of
the Philippines.
Hospitality, a trait
displayed by every Filipino,
makes these people legendary
in Southeast Asia. Seldom
can you find such hospitable
people who enjoy the company
of their Western visitors.
Perhaps due to their long
association with Spain,
Filipinos are emotional and
passionate about life in a
way that seems more Latin
than Asian.
The Spaniards introduced
Christianity (the Roman
Catholic faith) and
succeeded in converting the
overwhelming majority of
Filipinos. At least 83% of
the total population belongs
to the Roman Catholic faith.
The American occupation was
responsible for teaching the
Filipino people the English
language. The Philippines is
currently the third-largest
English speaking country in
the world.
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