Philippine Culture and Tourism Geography PDF

# Lesson 1 ## LEARNING MODULE TOUR 1033 - Philippine Culture and Tourism Geography ## AY 2024-2025 ## Lesson 1: The Philippines ### Topic: The Philippines ## LEARNING CONTENT **Lesson Proper:** Culture is considered as the way of life. It refers to the customs and beliefs, art, way of life an...

# Lesson 1 ## LEARNING MODULE TOUR 1033 - Philippine Culture and Tourism Geography ## AY 2024-2025 ## Lesson 1: The Philippines ### Topic: The Philippines ## LEARNING CONTENT **Lesson Proper:** Culture is considered as the way of life. It refers to the customs and beliefs, art, way of life and social organization of a particular country or group. ### Manifestations of Culture Cultural differences manifest themselves in different ways and differing levels of depth. Symbols represent the most superficial and values the deepest manifestations of culture, with heroes and rituals in between. #### Symbols Symbols are words, gestures, pictures, or objects that carry a particular meaning which is only recognized by those who share a particular culture. New symbols easily develop, old ones disappear. Symbols from one particular group are regularly copied by others. This is why symbols represent the outermost layer of a culture. #### Heroes Heroes are persons, past or present, real or fictitious, who possess characteristics that are highly prized in a culture. They also serve as models for behavior. #### Rituals Rituals are collective activities, sometimes superfluous in reaching desired objectives, but are considered as socially essential. They are therefore carried out most of the times for their own sake (ways of greetings, paying respect to others, religious and social ceremonies, etc.). The core of a culture is formed by values. They are broad tendencies for preferences of certain state of affairs to others (good-evil, right-wrong, natural-unnatural). Many values remain unconscious to those who hold them. Therefore they often cannot be discussed, nor they can be directly observed by others. Values can only be inferred from the way people act under different circumstances. Symbols, heroes, and rituals are the tangible or visual aspects of the practices of a culture. The true cultural meaning of the practices is intangible; this is revealed only when the practices are interpreted by the insiders. ## Republic of the Philippines ### Pearl of the Orient Seas The Philippines is named after King Philip II of Spain. Explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the Eastern Visayas "Felipenas" first, and the name was later applied to the entire archipelago. Located in the Pacific Ocean near the equator, the Republic of the Philippines consists of around 7,641 islands - about 2,000 of which are inhabited - that form an archipelago (An archipelago is a group of islands closely scattered in a body of water). The country can be divided into three main areas: Luzon (the largest, northernmost island); a group of islands called the Visayas; and Mindanao, the second-largest island in the Philippines, found at the southern end of the archipelago. The Philippines' location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator makes the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons, but also endows it with abundant natural resources and some of the world's greatest biodiversity. - The Ring of Fire, also referred to as the Circum-Pacific Belt, is a path along the Pacific Ocean characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. The majority of Earth's volcanoes and earthquakes take place along the Ring of Fire. ### Plant and animal life Although many of the mountain regions and some of the lowlands remain heavily forested, the country's forests have been shrinking rapidly for decades. Between the mid-20th century and the early 21st century, the country's forestland was reduced by more than half-largely a result of logging, mining, and farming activities- and now accounts for less than one-fourth of the country's total land area. Where forests remain in northern Luzon, the principal mountain tree is pine. In other areas, lauan (Philippine mahogany) often predominates. Most of the Philippines' vegetation is indigenous and largely resembles that of Malaysia; the plants and trees of the coastal areas, including the mangrove swamps, are practically identical with those of similar regions throughout the Malay Archipelago. Himalayan elements occur in the mountains of northern Luzon, while a few Australian types are found at various altitudes. The islands are home to thousands of species of flowering plants and ferns, including hundreds of species of orchids, some of which are extremely rare. Tall, coarse grasses such as cogon (genus Imperata) have arisen in many places where the forests have been burned away. The Philippines are inhabited by more than 200 species of mammals, including water buffalo (carabao), goats, horses, hogs, cats, dogs, monkeys, lemurs, mice, pangolins (scaly anteaters), chevrotains (mouse deer), mongooses, civet cats, and red and brown deer, among others. The tamaraw, a species of small water buffalo, is found only on Mindoro. Of more than 50 species of bats, many are peculiar to the Philippines. Fossil remains show that elephants once lived on the islands. Hundreds of species of birds live in the Philippines, either for all or part of the year. Prominent birdlife includes jungle fowl, pigeons, peacocks, pheasants, doves, parrots, hornbills, kingfishers, sunbirds, tailorbirds, weaverbirds, herons, and quails. Many species are endemic to the island of Palawan. The endangered Philippine eagle is limited mainly to isolated areas on Mindanao and in the Sierra Madre on Luzon. The seas surrounding the islands and the inland lakes, rivers, estuaries, and ponds are inhabited by no fewer than 2,000 varieties of fish. The Tubbataha Reefs in the Sulu Sea were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 in recognition of their abundance and diversity of marine life; in 2009 the boundaries of the World Heritage site were extended to triple its original size. The milkfish, a popular food fish and the national fish of the Philippines, is plentiful in brackish and marine waters. Sea horses are common in the reefs of the Visayan Islands. A number of species of marine turtles, including the leatherback turtle, are protected, as are the Philippine crocodile and saltwater crocodile. The islands are home to a diverse array of reptiles and amphibians. Water monitor lizards of various sorts have been prized for their skins. Geckos and snakes are abundant, and more than 100 species are endemic to the Philippines. The country is also host to many types of frogs, including several flying varieties; most are endemic to the islands. The Philippines has the highest rate of discovery of new animal species with 16 new species of mammals discovered just in the last 10 years. ### How many islands are there in the Philippines? While most people would say "7107 islands," this is no longer the case. The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) has discovered previously unknown islands that have increased the count to 7,641 ## Profile ### Capital City: Manila (population: 1.8 million; Manila is part of a much larger metropolitan area with an estimated population of 13 million people (in 2020). The largest city is Quezon City, both are part of Metro Manila ### Government: * Type: Republic * Independence: 12 June 1898 (from Spain) ### Geography: * Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. ### Climate: * Tropical. March to May is hot and dry, rainy season from June to October, November to February moderate. ### People: * Nationality: Filipino(s) * Adjective: Philippine ### Population: 108 million (in 2020) Luzon, the largest island group, accounts for more than half of the entire population. ### Ethnic Groups: * Malay, Chinese. ### Religions: * Catholic 80% * Muslim 15% * Christian denominations, and Buddhists. ### Languages: * Filipino and English (official). Filipino, which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. ### Literacy: 92% ### Natural resources: Timber, limited offshore petroleum, extensive mineral deposits of copper, gold, silver, nickel, lead, and chromium. ### Agriculture products: Rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples, mangoes, pork, eggs, beef, fish. The national symbol of the Philippines is the Philippine, or monkey-eating, eagle. It is the largest of all eagles and was declared the national bird of the Philippines in 1995. It is critically endangered; there may only be around 180-500 eagles remaining. Killing one is punishable by Philippine law by 12 years in jail and a heavy fine. The traditional embroidered Filipino male garment, the barong Tagalog or baro, is woven from piña, pineapple plant fibers, or jusi, banana tree fibers, and worn on formal occasions The Philippines is one of the most westernized nations in Southeast Asia, a unique blend of eastern and western cultures. The Philippines is the world's largest supplier of nurses, supplying roughly 25% of all overseas nurses worldwide. ## 9 Facts You May Not Know About Philippine National Symbols October 03, 2014 Article from NCAA (National Commission for Culture and Arts) ### Author: Leon Pangilinan, Jr. Our national symbols represent our ideals and represent our sovereignty as a nation. This symbols have been enacted in our laws and here are some facts which you may not know about. 1. **You don't throw away an old Philippine flag** Section 14 of Republic Act 8491 (Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines) states that a flag worn out through wear and tear, shall not be thrown away. It shall be solemnly burned to avoid misuse or desecration. The flag shall be replaced immediately when it begins to show signs of wear and tear. That is why the CCP was doing the right thing when it burned 100 worn-out out flags recently. 2. **For more than a year, the national anthem, Lupang Hinirang remained without words.** Our national anthem was just music when it was first played by Banda San Francisco de Malabon on the occasion of the declaration of Philippine Independence on June 12, 1898. The words of Jose Palma's "Filipinas, Letra Para La Marcha Nacional" published on September 3, 1899 was used as lyrics for the national anthem. In 1943, the Institute of National Language was ordered by the late President Jose P. Laurel to translate the original Spanish text into Filipino and English. But a more spontaneous and apt translation was produced by a committee formed by the Department of Education thirteen years later. This was entitled "Lupang Hinirang." (From the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, vol. 6, p. 238-239) 3. **A special permit is needed when cutting Narra, our national tree which is already considered an endangered species.** Ramon F. Velasquez via Wikimedia Commons It was declared by Gov. Gen. Frank Murphy as the national tree through Proclamation No. 652 s. 1934. Narra and other premium hardwood trees requires special permit under DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources). And under DENR Memorandum Order dated February 5, 2013, the cutting of Narra needs to be approved by the DENR Central Office, particularly by the Office of the Undersecretary for field Operations (Gold Star Daily News) 4. **The national flower sampaguita symbolizes purity, simplicity, humility and strength.** Juna's World via Wikimedia Commons Declared as the national flower by Gov. Gen. Frank Murphy through Proclamation No. 652 s. 1934, the sweet-smelling white flowers of sampaguita (the plant is a woody vine or shrub) has long been celebrated in song, stories and legends. Originally from India, they are often made into garlands and its essence made into perfumes. The tiny flowers display their purity in the evening when the flower buds begin to open at dusk. 5. **The Philippine Eagle knows a thing or two about monogamy.** Image by creaturesoftheworld Declared by Pres. Fidel V. Ramos as the national bird through Proclamation No. 615 s. 1995, the Philippine eagle is monogamous, with pairs mating for life. If one of the pair dies, however, the surviving eagle will usually find another companion. 6. **The world's largest pearl was discovered by a Filipino diver in a giant Tridacna (mollusk) under the Palawan Sea in 1934.** image by Natural History Mag Known as the “Pearl of Lao-Tzu” and “Pearl of Allah," the gem weighs 14 pounds and measures 9 1/2 inches long and 5 1/2 inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at US$42 million. It is believed to be 600 years old (Department of Tourism). Though it has now been trumped by another pearl in the Guiness World Records, its size is still worthy of adoration. The Philippine pearl was declared as the national gem by Pres. Fidel V. Ramos through Proclamation 905 s. 1996. 7. **The national sport Arnis is also known as Eskrima, Kali, Garrote and other names in various regional languages, such as Pananandata in Tagalog; Pagkalikali in Ibanag; Kabaraon and Kalirongan in Pangasinan; Kaliradman in Bisaya; and Didja in Ilokano.** image by culture trip Arnis was declared as the Philippine National Martial Art and Sport on December 11, 2009 through Republic Act 9850 signed by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. As per R.A. 9850, the official adoption of arnis as the national martial art and sport shall be promulgated by inscribing the symbol of arnis in the official seal of the Philippine Sports Commission and by making it as the first competition to be played by participating teams on the first day in the annual Palarong Pambansa. The Philippine Sports Commission is be the lead agency to implement the provisions of this Act. 8. **No law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as national hero.** However, because of their significant roles in the process of nation building and contributions to history, there were laws enacted and proclamations issued honoring these heroes. Even Jose Rizal considered as the greatest among the Filipino heroes, was not explicitly proclaimed as a national hero. The position he now holds in Philippine history is a tribute to the continued veneration or acclamation of the people in recognition of his contribution to the significant social transformations that took place in our country. Despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming them as national heroes, they remain admired and revered for their roles in Philippine history. Heroes, according to historians, should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left to academics. Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough. 9. **Finally, Carinosa is not the national dance of the Philippines, neither is it Tinikling. It has no basis in Philippine law such as the claims that the Philippines' National Animal (Carabao), National Fish (Bangus), National House (Nipa Hut), National Leaf (Anahaw), National Fruit (Mango) that are circulating through various sources and have been taught to all of us in grade school. Even adobo (or sinigang depending on your preference) is not our national dish. Unless a law is passed proclaiming the aforementioned items as our national symbols they will all remain unofficial.**