Culture Traditions and History,particularly with

Islamic Influences and Indigenous

The culture of the Philippines is a combination of Eastern and Western culture. Before
the Spanish colonization of the country, the Philippines' culture was mainly influenced by the
indigenous Malay heritage of Southeast Asia.[1] The Spanish Empire then colonized the islands and, after
more than three centuries of colonization, Roman Catholicism spread throughout the archipelago
and Hispanic influence heavily impacted the country's culture. The Philippines, then being governed from
both Mexico and Spain, received a fair bit of Hispanic influence from the regions. For
instance, Mexican and Spanish influence can be seen in the country's dance and religion as well as many
other aspects of its culture. Then, after being colonized by Spain, the Philippines became a U.S. territory for
almost 50 years. Influence from the United States is manifest in the wide use of the English language and in
the modern pop culture of present-day Philippines.
The Philippines was first settled by Melanesians; today, although few in numbers, they preserve a very
traditional way of life and culture. After them, the Austronesians or more specifically, Malayo-Polynesians,
arrived on the islands. Today the Austronesian culture is very evident in the ethnicity, language, food, dance
and almost every aspect of the culture. These Austronesians engaged in trading with Japan, China, India,
Palau, Malay, America, Malaysia, Papua, west Pacific Islander, Indonesian Islands, the Middle
East, Borneo, and other places. As a result, those cultures have also left a mark on Filipino culture.