Spanish Cultural Influences in the Philippines PDF

EXPLORE Spanish Cultural Influences When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, their way of living was introduced. Their clothing, their eating habits, their cooking, their forms of amusement, Spanish words and, most of all, the intermarriage of Spaniard...

EXPLORE Spanish Cultural Influences When the Spaniards came to the Philippines, their way of living was introduced. Their clothing, their eating habits, their cooking, their forms of amusement, Spanish words and, most of all, the intermarriage of Spaniards and Filipinos – all these resulted in the mixing of Spanish and Filipino cultural elements. Filipinos and Spanish borrowed from one another some cultural elements until what was borrowed merges with what is native. In the course of time, the thing borrowed becomes a part of the culture of the borrower. In the case of the early Filipinos, they borrowed several cultural elements from the Spanish which later become distinctly part of our own culture. Agoncillo (1974), enumerated some Spanish Cultural influences and these are the following: Change of Filipino Names – as mentioned in the previous page, pre-colonial Filipinos had no surnames. They based their names on the physical characteristic of the person or the location where they were residing. Examples were: “Juang Duling” referring to cross-eyed Juan or “Bertong Kalbo” referring to Berto who’s bald. Another example is “Mariang Makiling” referring to a fairy guarding Mount Makiling; “Pedro Tabing ilog” referring to Pedro who lived near the river. If Pedro will move to the forest, his name would then be changed to “Pedro Ginubatan”. He was the same person yet he was registered as two persons in the municipal registry book. It was during the coming of the Spaniards that the Filipino names was changed. The Spanish authorities were confused about having multiple records of one and the same person. Governor General Narciso Claveria decreed the printing of the Catalogo Alfabetico de Apellidos, a list containing over 60,000 Spanish and local surnames that were distributed to Filipino families to avoid confusion and duplication in the conduct of census and taxation. Intermarriages – the Spaniards as a rule did not intermarry with Filipinos. There were of course, exceptions and these exceptions led to limited intermarriages between Spanish men and Filipino women. The child of the marriage of a Filipino and a Spaniard was called Spanish mestizo or mestiza. The intermarriages between Spaniards and Filipinos resulted in an improved racial stock. The color of the skin become a cross between brown and white; and the result was a blending of the two, which is beautiful. Clothing- traditional clothing was baro and saya. The baro is the top (blouse) and the bottom is the saya or skirt. The Spaniards made the native Filipinos who they called indios (Indians) to wear barongs untucked to distinguish them from the ruling class. The Mestiza Dress – this mestiza dress was worn by Filipino women which was definitely influenced by Spanish Dress. It consists of an upper part made of silk, hemp, husi, or pineapple filaments. It is transparent. The lower part is called saya or skirt. Supported by the shoulders is the baksa which is made of the same materials as the upper part or camisa. THIS MATERIAL IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY AND NOT FOR SALE. Page 2 of 9  The Americana – the men were influenced in their clothing by the Spaniards. The Americana or coat came to be worn with or without necktie. If worn without a necktie, the coat or Americana was called Americana cerrada or closed coat. The town officials were also influenced in their way of dressing by the Spaniards. The capitan, for example, wore a long coat over his shirt which was not tucked under his belt. He wore top hat and had a silver, or gold-headed cane, which was the symbol of authority. The Position of Women – The position of Filipino women under the rule of Spain was a demotion from that which they occupied before the coming of the Spaniards. Before the coming of the Spaniards, the women were treated almost equally by men. However, during Spanish times, the women existed only as dependents of men. They were taught to be very obedient to their husbands even if their husbands were cruel and immoral. It was instilled in their minds to prepare themselves for marriage which was thought to be the only function of women. They were taught prayers and how to behave in public. They were taught how to use the fork, the spoon, and the knife in formal dinner. But, they were not taught how to be independent, how to help the husbands or how to work in order to earn when the husbands were sick and most importantly, they were not taught how to think for themselves. In other words, the women during the Spanish period existed only in order to raise children. However, the Filipino women were still the treasurer of the home. The husband dutifully handover their earnings to their wives, who kept the money for the family. The Influence of the Spanish Language – Filipinos were never taught the Spanish language by the Spanish administrators and the friar-curates. Nevertheless, they were able to learn the Spanish language because the Spaniards used it in dealing with them. For example, the Spaniards used the word silla for the native word with the same meaning. In the course of time, the Filipinos came to learn the meaning of the word and other words like it and used them in their daily life. It was through this process that Spanish words were incorporated into the Philippine languages like Hiligaynon, Sugbuhanon, Bikol, Tagalog, Ilokano, and others. Tagalog was especially influenced by the Spanish language because the Tagalog region was and is still in the center of the social, political, cultural, and economic set-up of the country. Example of Tagalog words such as sibuyas, kabayo, bintana, balkon, kusina and thousands of others are Spanish words pronounced and spelled the Tagalog way. They came, respectively, from the Spanish words cebolla, caballo, ventana, balcon and cocina. Amusement – The pista or fiesta was introduced by the Spaniards. They are rooted with religious beliefs of thanking the village’s (or town) patron saint or deities for blessing the place with abundance of resources. Fiestas also shows some traditions of offering to nature as a way of gratitude or sacrifice (Nunez, 2019). It gave the Filipinos a day to or so of relaxation from their toils in the farms. At the same time, the fiesta had come to mean lavish spending which, in the end, led to indebtedness and deeper poverty. Games of cards which amused their players were introduced from Spain. These games include panggingge, monte, tres siete and others. The comedia, the moro-moro, the zarzuela, and the carrillo were also introduced. They were theatrical performances which were popular not only in Manila but also in the provinces. Lottery, horse race, and the bull fight were all Spanish origin. A common Religion – The Spaniards introduced Catholicism to the Filipinos, who readily accepted it. In just a short span of time, the missionaries and the friar-curates were able to convert a great majority of the Filipinos in the Catholic religion. A Western religion with an Oriental background, Catholicism won the hearts and minds of millions of Filipinos who, to this day, remain in the majority. Geographical Unity – the Spaniards deliberately put obstacles to the unity of the Filipinos to prevent them from acting as a people conscious of their rights. Catholicism failed to unify the people politically because the friar-curates were hostile to any kind of freedom for the Filipinos. They opposed vigorously the education of the Filipinos because education would give the people the intelligence and learning to ask for reforms that would include the lessening, if not the eradication of their power and wealth. However, the conquest and colonization of the Philippines by the Spaniards gave a geographical unity in the country. Before their arrival, there were no central government because all the barangay chieftains did not bother to organize one supreme chieftains to rule the whole country. When the Spaniards came, they organized a central THIS MATERIAL IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY AND NOT FOR SALE. Page 3 of 9  government who ruled the entire country. The rules and laws promulgated by the Government of Spain or the Governor – General were recognized and followed by all people as there were already geographical unity. Education – Education was not given to majority of the Filipinos. However, in the second half of the nineteenth century, primary and secondary schools were opened to Filipino children of school age. Although many children were afraid to study because the teachers were oftentimes brutal, many were able to go to colleges like San Juan de Letran, San Jose and the Ateneo Municipal. Later, many Filipinos were admitted to the University of Santo Tomas where they finished their courses in law, medicine, pharmacy, and surveying. When taken together, Spanish cultural influences on Filipino life outweigh the bad influence. Filipino achievements in music, painting, literature, sculpture, law, medicine, pharmacy, and other professions are something any former colony can be proud of. These achievements and contributions of Spain should not be forgotten. She gave the Philippines geographical unity; she gave the Filipinos a part of her culture which forms an important strand of her national civilization; she gave the Filipinos the system of government which continue to exist even to this day. American Influences The Spaniards may have influenced us in some aspects but during the stay of the Americans, they were able to introduce activities that affects Filipinos’ way of living. Agoncillo, 1974 cited the following aspect: Democratic Partnership – America’s colonizing power in Philippines in the history of colonization is recorded to be unrivalled. While other European powers colonize Philippines for their sole benefit, the Americans exploited the Philippines for the benefit of both countries. They established a government in which they call a democratic government. In this government, Filipinos aided the Americans who were their rulers. It did not take long for Filipinos to rule the Philippines with the help of the Americans. In this short period of apprenticeship of democracy, Filipinos remained loyal to the Americans. They never forget how the Americans took them as partners in the experiment in democratic self-rule. Education and the School System – America’s greatest achievement in the Philippines was the introduction of the public school system. This school system was not based on the life beyond but the life on earth. It emphasized honesty, cooperation, civic consciousness with the government’s work of helping the people’s welfare, mutual help, love of labour and the advancement of learning. The Church and the State were separated therefore, the State and the Church had no rights to interfere with one another. The pupils’ first American teachers were the soldiers whom they treated kindly. They gave free books, pencils and writing papers which makes the public school system popular. Not just boys and girls of school age has the interest to learn English but the adults as well. Within a few years of learning, many Filipinos learned English language and were qualified to take civil service examinations. By 1904, the first group of Filipino scholars were sent to the United States to study law, medicine, engineering, education and other professions. In 1903, the literary rate of Philippines was 44.2% and rose to 49.2%. Aside from the literary rate, the number of schools under Americans increased. Education under the Americans advanced rapidly and was not equalled by any colonizing power. Public Health and Welfare – The improvement of public health and welfare is America’s second greatest achievement in the Philippines. During the Spanish regime, public health and sanitation were very poor and Filipinos suffered a lot of sickness resulting to thousands of people every year. The American authorities immediately act to control the spreading of deadly diseases. In 1901, the Americans created the Board of Public Health which later on became a bureau. They instruct people in hygiene and sanitation to combat their ignorance and superstitions which were the enemies of medicine and public health. The steps taken by the Americans progressively decreased the mortality rate of the Philippines. Not only the Americans taught Filipinos of hygiene and sanitation, they also taught them nutrition. As a result, the Filipinos became healthier and taller. Improvement in Trade Industry – The Philippines and United States were in free trade relationship which led both countries to artificial prosperity. This means that Filipino products entering United States were not taxed and American products were likewise not taxed. Thus, the Philippine exports to the United States increased. In industry, the Philippines prospered under Americans. Coconut oil mills, cigar and cigarette factories, rope factories, fishing and fish-canning, alcohol distilleries and sugar centrals were established throughout the Philippines. More people were employed and Filipino capital began to be invested in industries. Mining was encouraged and became an important industry. In 1929, gold mining industry produced almost seven million pesos worth of gold and thirty-two million pesos worth of gold in 1935, the year of Commonwealth. THIS MATERIAL IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY AND NOT FOR SALE. Page 4 of 9  Transportation and Communication – The Americans also improved the various means of transportation and communication. In 1898, the Philippines had less than 2,000 kilometers of road. When Commonwealth begin, the length increased to more than 20,000. The bridges and culverts were less than 3,000 during the Spanish period. In 1935, it rose to 8,000. The railway line was extended. In 1935, the railway rose to almost 800 kilometers. The Manila-Dagupan Railway which was founded during the Spanish period was acquired by the government and became Manila Railroad Company. Individual Freedoms – The American regime recognized the equality of men before the law and the right of every man to all the freedoms. These freedoms are the freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech, freedom to complain and freedom to change one’s domicile. The Americans did not introduce democracy to the Philippines for they already know what it means. The election at Tejeros in 1897 and to the election of Malolos Congress were democratic. The Malolos Constitution provided for a bill of rights which recognized human dignity and freedom. The Americans widen the democratic base and propagated the democratic principles throughout the country not only in words but also in deeds. Political Consciousness – Americans introduced many American institutions during their colonization. Political parties and elections was one of them. The municipal elections, then the provincial elections and last is the national elections. It was first held in 1907 to elect the delegates to the Philippine Assembly that resulted in formation of political consciousness among the Filipinos. It was after the stay of Americans that real political parties existed in the Philippines. They had political platforms which was taught by the Americans. The Federal Party had a definite platform which was to work for the incorporation of the Philippines into the American Union while the Nacionalista Party had an opposite platform which was the absolute independence for the Philippines. The Filipinos came to know about the party system practiced in the United States based on the political platforms. In time, Filipinos adopted characteristics of the political party system in the United States. Language and Literature – Within the ten years of the American occupation, some Filipinos learn to write in English. President McKinley ordered that the English language be the medium instruction in all public schools. Filipinos who learn how to write in the English language wrote poems, stories and essays. American culture came to be popularized through the English language being taught. The Filipino students came to know the works of American writers such as Longfellow, Bryant, Poe, Whitman, Lanier and many others. Many Filipinos were inspired to become writes as they were continuously exposed to American culture. The contact between the English language and Filipinos resulted in the adaptation of the English words and phrases. Up to this day, many English words and phrases are still incorporated into Tagalog. Bad Results of American Occupation – There may be great improvement and development in the Philippines with the help of Americans but not all are heavenly during their occupation. Instead of developing other foreign market and not only one big market, which is the American market, Filipinos relied too much which halt them to export products to other countries. By having American market as the Philippines only one big market, the Americans could dictate the prices of the Philippine commodities. Another bad result of the American occupation was that through the educational system, subjects in schools emphasized more on American culture and history rather the Philippines. Thus, the pupils and students learn more about American’s leaders than Rizal, Bonifacio, del Pilar and other heroes. In short, Filipinos learned to appreciate American culture and activities than their own. Japanese Influence General Masaharu Homma, in a speech after the seizure of Manila, exhorted the Philippines to “liquidate the unnatural culture borrowed from a far away country”. He stressed that a nation which indulged in pretty dresses, nice food, physical enjoyment and expensive fashions could not succeed in establishing a strong nation (Motukawaa, 1944). Japanese countlessly reminded the Filipino people to follow Japan and be guided equally by strong moral and political ideals. They encouraged them not to follow the lifestyle of the Americans and be misguided with what they are truly after. They pointed that Americans were only after of the economic interest in Asia, particularly of the Philippines. It did not take the Japanese long to realize that the Filipinos cultural and economic dependency on the United States was in a far worse State than they had imagined. They wondered how a nation could take pride in speaking foreign languages rather than their own. They also found out that the country was turning into a cheap imitation of America, and to prevent its shameful and total transformation, the school curricula were drastically revamped. Books THIS MATERIAL IS FOR EDUCATIONAL USE ONLY AND NOT FOR SALE. Page 5 of 9