Even the Philippines is not spare from useless religious wrangling of major and minor religious sect vying for the approval of one Filipino who is searching for a religion whom he or she will join; because the Philippines is predominantly Catholic and Christian country eclipsing Islam dominance on the Luzon and Visayan part of the Philippines. Islam religion has only dominance in the Mindanao part of the Philippines.

Founder of Dating Daan Eli Soriano

A predominant Christian country that  is divided into many variety of so-called Christian churches like the Roman Catholic church, the orthodox church, the protestant, the Methodist, the Baptist, the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC),the Jehovah’s witness, the Mormons, the charismatic, the born again, the CFCs, the SFCs, the JIL movement the “dating daan” movement, the El Shaddai group, etc.

So many variety that leads into maligning and slandering one another and calling one another “fake and satanic” and even killing one another just like what have happened to an INC pastor and his family who were massacred inside the INC compound together with his wife and children, as reported a year ago; just only to convince a Filipino seeker to join their religious group which is so vain and so senseless. There are other religious killings happening below the table but was not reported on the public because one’s religious reputation will be ruined or tainted and will lose chances of winning a proselyte if it is publicly reported. Obviously, some what they only want is the tithes or money offerings that a proselyte will donate or give to their respective churches or religious congregation because of financial poverty.

El Shaddai Head in the Philippines - Mike Velarde

Take for example, pastor Mike Velarde who founded the El Shaddai group wherein he become an instant millionaire by asking tithes and money offerings from his followers in exchange for prayer requests and his blessings as the servant of God and Christ. Actually, he have already bought his own mall and even attempted to run for a government seat.

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Another distinct Filipino attitude is the “hiya” or “shame” attitude wherein one is either ashamed to borrow money or one is oblige no matter what to pay what one owes to another, lest one will be labeled “walang hiya” or “no shame”. Another Filipino cultural trait related to this attitude is the Filipinos “utang na loob” or “reciprocity” attitude if one owes something from a favor done or anything, one should pay it, lest a ruin in relationship will happen. This “reciprocity” of Filipinos is sometimes called the “debt of gratitude”. These two cultural traits of Filipino makes their relationship not only to their families but also to other people brings harmony and good-relationship attitude. Moreover, there is another distinct cultural trait among Filipinos – the Bayanihan traits. This Bayanihan trait of Filipino promotes close friendship with their neighbors. This distinct Philippine culture is about helping your fellow neighbor when one is need of urgent help. Filipinos gather together and contribute whatever they could help their fellow neighbor in need. For this Bayanihan trait of Filipinos means togetherness in times of help and need. This is one of the beautiful traits of Filipinos that unites them one another despite of their differing beliefs and traditions which they have inherited from their respective ancestors.

Though Filipinos have distinct cultural traits, their literature is also distinct with the conglomeration of different fables, legends, and prehistoric stories and scary stories from their ancestral conquerors’ culture which has now become a colonial legacy on the Philippine literature and arts. Some of these are the belief in Jewish God which the Spaniards and Muslim conquerors have brought which is the prevalent belief of Filipinos today. The Hindu and Malay-Native American belief in Voodoo or “Arbularyo” (faith Healers) doctors and psychic surgeon is also high believed by most Filipinos today. When one Filipino does not have money to go to a medical doctor, Filipinos resort to “arbularyos” and psychic surgeons. Moreover, the beliefs in demonic creatures and evil spirits such as the “aswang” or weredog, the “tikbalang (half horse-half man creature), the kapre (giant smoking tobacco up on a tree), the beliefs in dwarf and elves, mananangal (witch that could divide oneself into two parts having a bat wings), the belief in fairies and engkanto (minor spirits),as well as belief to Christian and Muslim beliefs about Satan and arch-angel Michael still within the fabric of Filipinos cultural beliefs.

Aside from their mixed literature, their art of dancing and visual arts still have reflections of colonial influence. Such as their famous folk dance – the singkil and tinikling come Muslim influence, as well as their modern dance today have traces of American and Spanish influenced.

Furthermore, Filipinos visual arts, such the style of their paintings cinemas, and structural architecture are colonial inspired ones.

Philippine arts like Philippine literature is indeed a combination of different cultures being Filipino is the final product or child or offspring of this marriage cultures, thus, Filipinos are said be excellent peoples in terms of arts and literature and cultural values.

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