Did you know that the Philippines was the first country to gain independence in Southeast Asia after World War 2? Keep reading to find out more interesting facts about Filipino culture and its people!

The history of the Philippines is both valuable and important for the people of the country. Let me tell you a brief summary of their history. Initially, the island were populated by competing tribes, and and each part had their own king or queen. Ferdinand Magellan, a well known Spanish explorer, claimed the islands in 1521 and began colonizing the locale in 1571. Evidences of the Spanish rule can be seen Baroque churches and the walled Intramuros located in the district of Manila. After being able to defend the country and its people from the Europeans and indigenous groups, they were able to gain their independence in 1945.

The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia, and they are an archipelago containing more than 7,000 islands. The landscape was influenced by Spanish, American, Japanese, Arabic and Indonesian culture. Did you know that about 90.06 of Filipinos are Christians? The Philippines is one of the few Asian countries to have a Christian domination. On the other hand, Islam is the second largest practiced religion in this country with about 5.6% of citizens being Muslims.

The music in the Philippines is influences internationally, and the traditional folk songs are inspired by native customs and beliefs.Lucio San Pedro and Antonio Buenaventura are well known music composers in the Philippines. Art in the Philippines is traced back to the years of 5000 BC, and these arts were pottery that was discovered in the Sanga-Sanga Cave. Additionally, Filipinos were known to be “tattoo artists” as they enjoyed decorating their bodies with colored designs. Since the Portuguese were so amazed by their artistic work, they called these people “Painted People” or “Pintados”.

Filipino cuisine is influenced by both local and foreign cultures. Rice is the essential food in this culture, and it is often served with side dishes and other foods. During festivals, one popular Filipino dish is lechon, which is roasted pig, mechado includes beef with tomato sauce and lastly afritada which is a dish that involves meat prepared with vegetables and tomato sauce. As explained above, Filipino cuisine is also influenced by European cuisine, specifically Spanish because of the colonization history.

History is what defines this cultural country for me, as it is mainly influences and modernized by its people and other countries. I hope you have learned interesting facts about this country!