In this age of technological development, people can learn about the culture and

art of other countries while staying in their own country. Filipino culture and arts are
equally integral to the cultural history of the Philippines and to the strengthening and
development of Filipino identity. Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a
particular group of people, such as language, religion, cuisine, social conventions,
music, and art. Art is the expression or application of human creativity and imagination,
usually in visual form such as painting or sculpture, to produce works that are valued
primarily for their beauty and emotional empowerment.
Filipino art reflects a society with diverse cultural influences and traditions. Most
of the modern aspects of Philippine cultural life developed under the foreign rule of
Spain and then the United States. Today, technology has improved and advanced, and
given the Filipino likes and dislikes of Filipino culture and art, the preservation of
traditional Filipino culture and art may be in jeopardy.
The Philippines is a culture where the East meets the West. Filipinos have a
strong Asian background with strong Western heritage. Modern Filipino culture
developed under the influence of Chinese merchants, Spanish conquistadors, and
American rulers. Filipinos are generally very hospitable, especially to Western visitors.
With strong ties to Spanish culture, Filipinos are emotional, fun-loving, and more Latino
than Asian. This is clearly seen in the works of comparative artists, such as the painting
"Unahan sa Durhan" by Roddy Herrera.
The construction of culture must begin with a foundation, and if it can be
separated from the vestiges of colonial rule, that foundation must necessarily be the
culture of the Filipinos.'' It is very different from nationalist culture, according to national
literary artist Bienvenido Rumbera in his book Revaluation: Essays on Philippine
Literature, Theater and Popular Culture (1984). In other words, folk culture is a way of
living in a certain place at a certain time, which indicates the customs of certain people
and how they relate to nature. A nationalist culture is a culture created by colonial
resistance with an assemblage of people at a particular place and time. The two are
distinct from the popular culture that can be traced back to the era of Hispanicization in
the Philippines.
According to Lumbera, famous lifestyle withinside the Philippines changed into
created and utilized by the Spaniards to the local Filipinos or Indios thru performs and
literature to get the coronary heart of the natives and win it. The colonial origins of
famous lifestyle observed withinside the Philippines may be traced through searching at
salient tendencies in Philippine literature. The first everlasting Spanish agreement
commenced changing the local lifestyle with a Christian and European tradition. The
kids of the local elite below the tutelage of missionaries have become a middle
institution of intelligentsia called 'ladinos', as they have become instrumental "in bringing
into the vernacular, literary bureaucracy that have been to be automobiles for the
"pacification" of the natives". Forms of famous theatre and literature such as "the
pasyon, sinakulo, and korido ensured the attractiveness and unfold of Christianity, and
the komedya and awit did the identical for the monarchy." Popular lifestyle as delivered
through the Spanish changed into "famous" to the quantity that it changed into a
"watering-down of Spanish-European lifestyle for the cause of triumphing the overall
population over to the 'ideology' of the colonial regime." The colonial government used
the local intelligentsia as a resource to develop popular culture at the time in order to
promote the interests of the Church and the State.
Popular culture was introduced first and imbued with flesh and blood through the
study of Rumbella. It laid the foundation for the media we see today and embodied why
the media has economic, political and social power in the Philippines. Some media
theories show that the goal is to create a commercialized world in which income is
earned through social media, and whoever controls economic power also controls
political power. Media companies also have a monopoly on the flow of information, so
they can also support pop culture and force viewers to act in their favor. This can also
be countered by democratizing the media by enabling social networking sites and
projecting ideas as netizens on the internet. While this can create leverage, it may not
realize the full potential of full democratization if all members of society become fully
accessible to this technology. Media companies can also have detrimental effects by
using Internet users as their primary source of information, as if to "empower them."
This can also be countered by education by educating the general public on how to use
social media for profit.
Popular culture is power, and those who use it to manipulate minds find that
literary and technological machinery turns against them when the mind it manipulates
discovers power as a political weapon. The future of social media's political, economic
and social institutions as a tool or weapon against media conglomerates, advertising
machines, governments or any institutional agenda is that the general public, especially
those around Victims of common misconceptions should discover their potential and
make the most of it.
Spain was the first country to colonize the Philippines in 1565. Spain ruled the
Philippines very early and for so long that it had a great influence on modern Filipino
culture. The biggest influence seen so far is religion. The Roman Catholic is the most
widespread religion in the country. This is very clear, as Spain's goal during its rule was
to convert as many countries as possible to Roman Catholicism. Another Spanish
influence can be seen in the art as most forms of Filipino art are very Hispanic. The
paintings and architecture are reminiscent of classical Spanish works and can be
attributed to artists coming from Spain to produce art from Spain and to build Spanish-
influenced buildings. The influence of the long Spanish rule from the 16th century to her
19th century can be seen elsewhere, but the greatest sources of influence are Catholic
churches and architecture, as the Spaniards used churches to govern.
The Philippines eventually gained independence after World War II with the help
of American and Allied forces overtaking the Japanese forces occupying the
Philippines. Since then, the Philippines has developed a unique culture. It was shaped
by the Western influences of Spain and America, which once dominated the country.
This mixture of Western and Asian cultural ideals makes the Philippines so unique
today. Whether it is the religious and artistic influence of early Spanish colonization or
the economic and cultural. The Philippines has a deep-rooted culture where East meets
West.
The characteristic of Modern Society was revealed through Pop Culture. Filipino
pop culture is mostly superficial, spewing only fun-loving propensities. Most (if not all) of
these items are visible to everyone on social media. This is no surprise, as Filipinos are
the top social media users in the world, according to creative agencies We Are Social
and Hootsuite. There's a lot going on in this country, but here are some of the trends
that are dominating Philippine pop culture. Hugot is Life. Hugot is basically a deep and
enduring feeling evoked by a person's situation or experience, usually heartbreak or
growth. The term evolved into the practice of finding the saddest lines from everyday life
that evoke specific experiences.

Memes and humorous online content (such as images and videos) have fostered
a tendency to use context and illustrations to have an intended impact. Tagalog (the
capital's primary language) is commonly spoken, but English and other dialects are
sometimes mixed. Television series and primetime television series are often criticized
for their seemingly endless storylines. For example, take Ang Probinsyano (titled
Brothers on Netflix). Brothers premiered in 2015 and aired 970 episodes during
weeknight hours. There's also the invincible protagonist, who specializes in betraying
death after countless near-death experiences. Ironically, the same people still watch it.
Perhaps in anticipation of taking part in its historic ending.

Recently, a meme in the mid-afternoon drama his scene joined the most famous
scene in Philippine television history. While everyone wore red dresses, chic bags,
heels, and matching red luggage, the show favorites who turned antagonists on the hit
series wandered the alleyways of impoverished neighborhoods in search of a place to
stay. The locations for next season have yet to be announced, but the Filipinos have
taken them around the world.
Popular culture appears and disappears as beliefs and activities change. They
aren't technically important, but they add color to the mundane and add flavor to the
drab.

The Philippines belongs to an archipelago of over 7,000 islands. The country's

history revolves around immigration and occupation. It is influenced by most of the
people they interact with. The mix of Marayo Polynesian and Hispanic cultures with
Chinese, Indian Arab and other Asian influences add to Filipino customs and traditions.
The Filipino culture is unique compared to other Asian countries, and the beliefs are
applied to the daily life of Filipinos, showing how rich and endowed the people's culture
is. Filipinos, or Pinoy as they are affectionately known, have values that have remained
true to their identity and culture. The Code is a compilation of ideologies, moral
compasses, ethical practices, etiquette, and even personal values that have been
passed down through generations.
These values mainly focus on a strong desire for social harmony and
acceptance. It's just the tip of the "iceberg" when it comes to viewing. Family, humor,
adaptability, faith, viability, and hospitality are among the key values that make up
Filipino culture and customs. When you look up and study the Philippines, it is easy to
see that it has deep Christian values similar to those in Europe, democratic values
similar to America, i.e. America, and deep spiritual values found in Asia.

References:
Masanga, Avery (2021). Influenced Culture in the Philippines: Colonization and
occupations that have influenced modern Filipino culture. Retrieved from
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/69aeb0ce761e42babe138b32186cde90
Lumbera, Bienvenido (1984). Revaluation: Essays on Philippine Literature, Theatre and
Popular Culture. Retrieved from http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/ronda2014/Culture-
Philippines.pdf
Sabido, Abigail (2019). Philippine Pop Culture Retrieved from
https://www.xiliumvirtual.com/blog/philippine-pop-culture