Name: Pia Charlene Canlas

Course & Section: Industrial Engineering 31

Subject: Mga Babasahin Hingil sa Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas
Professor: Mr. Jumel G. Estrañero

Spanish cultural influences: Is it still relevant in the Filipino children nowadays?

I. Introduction and Background of the Study

The Philippines is known as an archipelagic country consisting of 7,107 Islands located

in Southeast Asia. The country is visited by tourists for its beautiful beaches and delicious
tropical fruits (Favre, 2019). It was recorded that Philippine history started in the 13th century
when ten datus from Borneo, each one having a hundred kinsmen, arrived on Panay Island in
Visayas, Followed by the Chinese and Tibetans, who were the first wave of settlers in the
Philippines. They have influenced the negritos with the Chinese language and tools and weapons
for hunting. In the 10th century, the Chinese introduced trading in the Philippines. The Goods
from China and Southeast Asia were traded for natural resources of the Philippines. In the 15th
century, Islam came to the southern Philippines and propagated Islamic religion in Palawan and
Manila. Islams also introduced the political concept of territorial states ruled by rajas or sultans
who exercised sovereignty over the datu. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Philippines did
not have a national identity. The country consisted of a hundred territories occupied by different
trivial groups. The spice trade paved the way for the Spaniards to the Philippines and was led by
King Ferdinand to claim their part of the trade (Facts and Details, 2015).

In the past, influential countries such as Spain, America, and Japan became interested in
the Philippines and colonized the country. The Spaniards ruled the Philippines from 1521 to
1898, the Americans from 1898 to 1946, and the Japanese from 1941 to 1946. It was in 1946
when the country was only recognized as an independent nation. The Spaniards were the longest
colonizer of the Philippines, which had an impact on the customs, traditions, and cultural norms
of the Filipino people. 20% of the Filipino language originated from the Spanish language as
well as Spanish numbers, and the monetary system was also adopted by the Philippines. A few
Spanish words in the Filipino Language that have the same meaning are Baby - Pig, Kutsara -
Spoon, Silya - Chair, and Mukha - Face (Vamospanish, 2023). The Spaniards also brought
catholicism, naming conventions, culinary influences, and educational changes to the country.
Catholicism remains the dominant religion in the country. However, with the advancement of
technology and the recent generation, these cultural practices are slowly fading away.
 II. Conceptual / Theoretical Framework

Cultural Imperialism
Cultural Imperialism is a field of study about the relationship of culture and imperialism.
According to Oliver Boyd-Barret (2018), there are four points that include cultural changes that
are either, (1) imposed on a weaker entity, (2) occur within both stronger and weaker entities
through contact, competition, and resistance, which includes (3) the assimilation of social
practices that the stronger entity encountered in the weaker entity, as well as (4) original hybrids
that show cultural traces of both the stronger and weaker entities. Culture is the overall social
practices executed in a country. These social practices are seen in the everyday lives of the local
people in terms of their interaction in their family, education, healthcare, religion,
communication, and decision-making where the imposed culture from the colonizer is adopted
and still exists in the country.

III. Analysis

The most dominant influence from the Spaniards is Catholicism. Numerous Filipinos
were converted to Catholicism, which resulted in the building of churches, cathedrals, and the
celebration of festivals for various saints. Several festivals are celebrated in the Philippines each
year, depending on the provinces such as, Sinulog festival in Cebu, Ati-atihan festival in Aklan
and maskara festival in Bacolod. In terms of Linguistic impact, Filipinos still use Spanish words
in their everyday lives, including the use of Spanish numbers for the monetary system and time.
Examples of the use of time are Ala-una, alas-dos, and alas-tres, which means one o’clock, two
o’clock, and three o’clock. For the monetary system, Filipinos also use Spanish numerals such as
veinte for twenty pesos, treinta for thirty pesos, cuarenta for fourty pesos, cincuenta for fifty
pesos, and so on. As for naming conventions, Filipinos adopted Spanish surnames, which still
exist. According to Evason (2021), some common Spanish surnames are Santos, Reyes, Cruz,
Bautista, and Garcia. Also, the capital of the Philippines, Manila, was named by the Spaniards.
Foods such as avocado, coffee, and sausage were also introduced by the Spanish. The Filipino
dish, Adobo, was patterned from Spanish cooking techniques, as well as lechon came from the
roasting technique introduced by the Spaniards and Sinigang, similar to Spanish food, escabeche.
In terms of education, Catholic schools in the Philippines are common. The education system in
the country includes Christian education or religious studies in its curriculum as introduced by
the Spaniards, as they aim to convert Filipinos and spread Catholicism.

Despite Spanish influence, the gradual changes in the Filipino culture are evident as the
generation today struggles to understand the Filipino language. According to Torralba (n.d.),
Parents of the current generation worry about their children being able to understand Filipino but
unable to speak the language. Commonly, the first language of most Filipino children today is
English, as they live in the world of modern technology and social media. Electronic gadgets are
their companions unlike children in the past, millennials and Generation Z experienced playing
outside their houses with other children, learning and adopting the Filipino culture.
Consequently, if teenagers nowadays go to the public market or speak to older people, they will
not be able to understand words such as treinta, cuarenta, Alas-onse, or Alas-dose as they are
more fluent in the English language. It is prominent that Filipino parents prefer English as their
children's first language. The recent generation is more inclined to entertainment in Western
countries, such as TV shows from Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon (Co,
2023). Western YouTube influencers are also one of the children's amusements today. Moreover,
children today show less Filipino traits, such as the saying “po” and “opo” and even the honoring
gesture “pagmamano” to the elderly.

IV. Policy Recommendation

In this modern world and fast-paced period, cultural practices and values gradually fade,
which is evident in today's generation. It is crucial to preserve this culture that has been in
practice for decades as this shows the Filipino identity. Language being the first concern, Filipino
parents should allow their children to practice and be exposed to the Filipino language,
communicate, and introduce different Filipino words, as it will also help their children fully
embrace their nationality. Avoid too much exposure to Western entertainment as it is one way of
adopting Western culture and practice. Filipino and History subjects should also be maintained in
the educational curriculum for children to be introduced to Filipino History and practice the
Filipino Language.

V. Message to your professor

I am truly grateful to Sir Jumel Estrañero for the wonderful experience of studying the
subject as he explains each lesson admirably. It is detailed but presented in a way that is easily
understood. I also admire sir for always sharing facts in class about different things that he is
exposed to and inclined to. I always leave the classroom full of knowledge not only about our
lesson but also about the recent events in our country.

I salute Sir Jumel for his dedication to his work, being a student and a teacher at the same
time. Studying itself is hard, what more, teaching students. I truly appreciate his efforts in
attending our classes despite having no sleep and still being able to deliver the lessons well.
Thank you for the great experience of being part of your class this semester, and I hope you
never lose passion for what you love to do.

VI. References

Alex. (2023, October 19). The Spanish Influence on Filipino Culture and Language.
Vamospanish.com.
https://vamospanish.com/discover/the-spanish-influence-on-filipino-culture-and-language
/#:~:text=The%20Spanish%2DFilipino%20influence%20is%20deeply%20ingrained%20i
n%20Filipino%20culture

Boyd-Barrett, O. (2018). Cultural Imperialism and Communication. Oxford Research

Encyclopedia of Communication.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.678

Evason, N. (2021). Filipino Culture. Cultural Atlas.

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/filipino-culture/filipino-culture-naming
 Favre, L. (2019). 10 Things to Know About the Philippines. US News & World Report;
U.S. News & World Report.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2019-06-20/10-things-to-know-abo
ut-the-philippines#:~:text=The%20Philippines%20is%20known%20for

Hays, J. (2015, June). PHILIPPINES BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE SPANISH | Facts
and Details. Factsanddetails.com.
https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6a/entry-3833.html

‌ y child can understand Filipino but has difficulty speaking it. Why? (n.d.). The
M
Learning Library.
https://www.learninglibraries.com/learning-center/my-child-can-understand-filipino-but-
has-difficulty-speaking-it-why