A Cultural Perspective

A Cultural Perspective

The Philippines is part of South East Asia but it many ways it is different from the rest of the region . For one , almost every Filipino (that is how they are called ) can speak English aside from their indigenous dialects (Erickson , 1982 ,

. 19 . While Filipinos possess distinct Malay features such as black hair , eyes and brown skin , there are also a multitude of which has brown hair and eyes , alabaster skin and carry Spanish names . This is due to the long Spanish colonization the country underwent , starting in the

16th century and lasting for more than 300 years (Borlaza and Wurfel , 2002 ,

. 545 . The Spanish influence is also responsible for the dominance of the Roman Catholic religion in the country . However , it is the countryside of the Philippines , with its rice fields , tropical setting and beautiful beaches that seems to connect the country with the rest of its neighbors . The country is a magnet for tourist during summer vacation with its endless beaches and temperate weather . Furthermore , the Spanish heritage , along with the brief American and Japanese colonization has contributed to the shaping of the Filipino culture- different languages and dialects , food , dance and music , and societal . The country 's contact with China cannot also be discounted Starting in the 10th century , the Philippines had engaged contact with the Chinese , resulting in people with Filipino-Chinese descent (p .540 Filipinos are said to have an uncommon warmth and courtesy (p .19 The country has also...