Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila)

PHILIPPINE STATISTICS ON RELIGION (Analysis)

Submitted by: Jastine Hyacinth B. Diaz BSN III-3 Saturday 10 AM- 1 PM GK 306

Submitted to: Mr. Antonio Regalario (Professor)

Date Submitted: September 8, 2012

According to Census data From August of 2007, the population of the Philippines totals 88.57 million people and divided among the following religions: STATISTICS OF RELIGION IN THE PHILIPPINES (2007) RELIGION ROMAN CATHOLIC PROTESTANT IGLESIA NI KRISTO (CHURCH OF THE CHRIST) PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE CHURCH (AGLIPAYAN) ISLAM BUDDHIST 5.1 % 0.1 % 2.0 % PERCENTAGE 81% 7.3% 2.3 %

The predominantly Roman Catholic population is spread over most of the archipelago. However, the Muslims, which form the largest non-Christian group, are concentrated on the southernmost island of Mindanao (the island closest to Indonesia and Malaysia). The other Christian groups, specifically the Protestants, the Iglesia ni Kristo, and the Philippine Independence Church, comprise another 11.6 percent of the population, more. The Iglesia ni Kristo is an indigenous Christian church established in 1913 by a local preacher. The Philippine Independence Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente) was born during the Philippine Revolution for independence from Spain and was formally created in 1902 by a federation of Filipino labor unions. The Pentecostal or charismatic movements has flourished among Christian Filipinos. A survey shows that 4 out of 10 Catholics, and 7 out of 10 Protestants, identify themselves as either Pentecostal or charismatic. The two largest charismatic groups are the El Shaddai and the Jesus is Lord Movement. There are also indigenous peoples in the Philippines, the non-Christian tribes in the now-obsolete category formerly used by the national census office, which includes 110 ethno-linguistic groups comprising some 8 million people.
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ANALYSIS Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion and the largest Christian denomination, with estimates of 81% of the population belonging to this faith in the Philippines. The country has a significant Spanish Catholic tradition, and Spanish style Catholicism is highly embedded in the culture, which was acquired from priests or friars (prayle in Filipino). This is shown in traditions such as Misa de Gallo, Black Nazarene procession, Santo Nio and Aguinaldo procession, where large crowds gather, honoring their patron saint or saints. Processions and fiestas are conducted during feast days of the patron saints of various barrios or barangays. Roman Catholicism is also the de facto state religion in the Philippines. Every year on October 31 to November 2, Filipino families celebrates the Day of the Dead or popularly known as "All Souls and Saints Day" which they spend much of the 3 days and 3 evenings visiting their ancestral graves, showing respect and honor to their departed relatives by feasting and offering prayers. Christmas in the Philippines is a celebration spanning just more than the day itself. Many traditions and customs are associated with this grand feast, along with New Year. Holy Week in the Philippines is also an important time for the country's Catholics. To spread more the gospel, the Roman Catholic Church established Catholic Media Network with its main TV station TV Maria as a tool for evangelization. Other large Roman Catholic television channels like EWTN and Family land are also available and watched in the Philippines. A major factor in the development of Philippine Protestantism is the explicit expression of religious freedom found in the Philippine constitution. The Philippine Youth Movement founded in 1926 boosted the move to develop the indigenous church nationwide. A continuing theme in the development of Protestantism in the Philippines is the tension between the religion and nationalism. After an initial period of resentment toward American missionaries, Filipinos gradually accepted Protestant Christianity. During the 1920s and '30s, American Methodist missionaries openly supported Filipino independence from the United States. Iglesia ni Cristo (the Filipino translation of Church of Christ) is a non-Trinitarian, independent, religious organization in the Philippines that was founded by Jesus
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Christ and a messenger on the person of Felix Manalo re-establish it on July 27, 1914. Manalo believed that he is the final messenger of God and that the church he formed is the true church of Christ. Members of the congregation invite people through different means. They invite people to their Bible studies and through media, by publication, radio, and television. Members of the congregation invite people through different means. They invite people to their Bible studies and through media, by publication, radio, and television. The Philippine Independent Church, locally known as the Aglipayan Church, is the second largest Christian congregation in the Philippines. The church was founded by Catholic priests who had been excommunicated for protesting against racial discrimination, exploitation and oppression by the Roman Catholic Church during the Spanish colonization. Today, the Philippine Independent Church is affiliated with the Old Catholics and the Anglican Communion. Aglipayans number around 6 million members. They constitute about 2.0% of the total population of the Philippines, while 81% of the population are members of the Catholic Church. Iglesia Filipina Independiente (Philippine Independent Church), an independent church, has Concordat relationships with the Anglican provinces and the Old Catholic Church. Its members are currently spread throughout the Philippines, the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. The spiritual head is called Obispo Mximo (Supreme Bishop). His Eminence Ephraim S. Fajutagana is the incumbent and the 12th Obispo Mximo. Most of the members of the church, like the founders Aglipay and De Los Reyes, are activists, often involved in progressive groups as they advocate for nationalism, anti-imperialism, democracy, as well as opposing extrajudicial killings. They have been victims of forced disappearances and been branded as leftist by the government for being aligned with progressive groups, specifically after Obispo Mximo IX Alberto Ramento was killed for being an anti-government critic. Islam reached the Philippines in the 14th century with the arrival of Malay and Javanese merchants and Arab merchants from Malaysia and Indonesia, although the spreading of Islam in the Philippines is due to the strength of Muslim India. India brought Islam to Southeast Asia, specifically Malaysia and Indonesia, and in turn the latter two brought Islam to the Philippines. Filipino Muslims make up about five percent of the population and are concentrated in the western portion of the island of Mindanao. The Bangsamoro or Muslim Nation, a term used to define the disparate
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ethnic groups that profess Islam in the Philippines as their religion, have been fighting the most protracted war of independence in world history. These include the Tausugs and the Maranaos. The Islamic separatist movement in the Philippines had been and is being waged for almost five centuries -- against the Spanish, the Americans, the Japanese and the predominantly Christian Filipinos of today's independent republic. Filipino Muslims follow the Sunni tradition. Buddhism has the least population in the Philippines which is only 0.1 of the population. But several schools of Buddhism are present in the Philippines. There are Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist temples as well as Theravada followers, lay organizations, meditation centers and groups, such as Soka Gakkai International.

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