An island state in Southeast Asia is not the most frequent tourist destination among Russian travelers. Mostly lovers of quality diving and secluded beach recreation come here. But the culture of the Philippines is a huge layer of interesting national customs and traditions, acquaintance with which will make your vacation varied and very exciting.
Colorful cauldron
The civilization that has emerged in the Philippines is a motley mixture of descendants of a wide variety of nationalities. As in a giant cauldron, different cultures were brewed here, as a result of which an amazing country with rich and interesting characteristics was born.
The culture of the Philippines is woven from the heritage of the indigenous population of the islands, immigrants from China who arrived in the 8th century from Taiwan, the Spanish colonialists who opened the archipelago to the Old World, and even the Arabs who appeared here in the 14th century.
Hand to hand
The archipelago has repeatedly passed from hand to hand as a result of wars and the carve-up of colonial possessions. As a result, the culture of the Philippines was strongly influenced by Spanish traditions, and the majority of the population was successfully imposed on Catholicism as the main religion. Then transferred to the United States, the islands were subjected to a new colonial diktat, and during the Second World War they managed to be under Japanese occupation.
Typhoon predictors
As in the rest of the world, the culture of the Philippines is largely based not only on national traditions. Its formation also depended on the climatic features and weather conditions in which the peoples inhabiting the country live. One of the oldest astronomical laboratories in the region has been operating in the capital Manila since 1865. Founded by the Jesuits within the walls of the University of Manila, this nature observation laboratory is engaged in predicting the origin and appearance of typhoons.
Today, researchers at the Manila Observatory are working towards the study of seismological and meteorological phenomena, and an asteroid was even named after the director of the facility.
Great Master's Silver Palette
A notable trace in the culture of the Philippines was left by the local native, the artist Juan Luna y Novisio. He graduated from a naval school and participated in voyages in different seas. After becoming a Bachelor of Arts, Juan Luna studied in Spain, Paris and Rome. His famous work "Daphnis and Chloe" was awarded the "Silver Palette", the highest artistic award of the Manila Art Lyceum.
