CULTURE AND NATIONAL IDENTITY

The culture of the Philippines is a combination of cultures of the East and West. Filipino identity was created
primarily as a result of pre-colonial cultures, colonial influences and foreign traders intermixing and gradually evolving
together. In pre-colonial times, the Philippines was a divided set of nations, islands and tribes being ruled by their own
kings, chieftains, lakans, rajahs, datus and sultans. Every nation has its own identity and some are even part of a larger
empire outside of what is now the Philippines. Manila, for example, was once part of the Islamic Sultanate of Brunei,
and the Sulu Archipelago was also part of the Hindu Majapahit. The advent of colonial rule in the islands marked the
beginning of the Philippines as an entity, a collection of Southeast Asian countries united under Spanish East Indies.

Chinese influence has been felt throughout Southeast Asia through trade, specifically by the Ming dynasty and
other earlier dynasties from as early as the 9th century. The blending of indigenous, colonial and external influence is
very evident in the historic arts and traditions of the country.

Our culture is our identity, and part of that identity is a complex and heterogeneous mix of cultures. Our
different ethno-linguistic groups — each with a distinct heritage of traditions, dance, art, music, folklore, beliefs, value
systems — make up the identity of the Filipino people.

We cannot subscribe to the Machiavellian principle that differences in language, customs and laws divide
people, making them difficult to hold together. On the contrary, diversity breeds richness in our culture and heritage.
Diversity brings everyone together for as long as there is understanding and respect — for as long as no one thinks he
or she is superior and more deserving than the rest.

Diversity should not be used as an instrument to divide.

Culture is what binds people, the public and living spaces, and the beliefs and practices of people. Culture
defines our soul as a people.

Cultural considerations cannot anymore remain on the sidelines of policy making. These need to be integrated
in education, economic planning, urban and rural development, technological innovations, among others.

Filipinos, without a collective appreciation of our culture, would have no shared understanding of our past,
continue to be divided in the present, and will not have a shared vision for the future. A person without a keen sense
of his or her culture simply will not care.

References:
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/arts-and-culture/2016/12/26/1656880/culture-and-our-national-identity-
pursuing-change-unites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_Philippines