“A
nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.”
A culture is a vital constituent of an individual. His
culture is like the roots of the tree; he is the tree and the leaves are his
actions. The more the roots tuck into the deep of the Earth the more nutrients
it can seek to make the tree sturdy, and a firm tree can make better foods for
its leaves thus making the leaves verdurous. It can be also said that one’s
culture is the root of his actions: the reason for his every inch of movement.
A man cannot be detached from his culture. Once he is exposed with a culture,
he will never be departed from it. Culture makes up his constitution: his heart,
mind and soul. True to Filipinos whose culture is an image of the different
epochs of his forefathers, the religion long been buried in the chest of his
memories and the accumulation of the influence of various Asian neighbors and
foreign colonizers.
The family is the core of
the Filipino society and its head, the parents, are expected to commit to their
responsibilities. A typical Filipino mother attends to the matters of the abode
and the Filipino father is expected to shed the utmost of his sweat and the
most of his capabilities to provide the needs and give his family a dignified
living. Filipino parents regard a smart and able child as their pride, seeing
the child with sparkling eyes of admiration. They also have the tendency to be
so protective they do not want their children to establish their own family
without their consent for their responsibility does not just stop on feeding
their youngs neither in the mere responsibility of clothing, housing and educating
them. Their responsibility goes beyond the next generation.
How Filipinos establish connection and relationship to
others is also affected by their culture. Filipinos recognized friendship even
beyond life, despite the status and the distance of their allies. They always
have the most comforting words and embrace for their comrades. When fate
allowed them to gather, the warmest smile and jolliest scene can be witnessed.
Even when one should spill the bean, he must consult first his friends for telling
secrets is one of the test of authentic friendship for Filipinos. It is also to
be noted how Filipinos have intimate connections. One’s loved one should never
be snatch away by somebody else; a clear reflection of Filipino men’s culture:
“Kung ano ang kay Juan ay kay Juan at
kung ano ang kay Pedro ay kay Pedro.” Naturally these men would seek
revenge to the person who covets what they own. They would never allow a
mischief of such a nature for this also damages their mighty pride.
Very salient to Filipinos is their reverence to
departed love ones even they are dead and in their culture, burial an important
event. Filipinos believe in life after death and so fervently pray for the
right journey of their dismissed beloved for a number of days. They also believe
in the wandering of spirits seeking for justice and revenge, then if solemn pleading
are given for the dead that’s the time it would be at peace. A part also of the
Filipino culture is their consideration of what other would say for what they
do may damage one’s good name.
It is also visible to the Filipino culture of how they
offer things to have a good impression and try to compensate what they lack.
The belief on bad omens and superstitions is also visible which includes the
sound made by animals, the thing that coincidentally received on the same day
of an unfaithful event and even the direction of going out on a house.
Filipino culture offers the most irrational practice
but it also offers a colorful display of beliefs. An identity can be a puzzle
itself and it can never be completed without culture. One’s constitution is not
only defined by the information available at hand, his roots- his culture,
should be a part of it.
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