The Filipino culture is a product of many different cultures. Filipino culture is said to be diverse and truly a unique one compared to others. These cultures have been influencing each other time to time, both negatively and positively. One example is the mass media that affect our traits and beliefs. Sometimes this kind of media promote our culture, sometimes it lead us to forget who are we really are.
Using Internet, other people from other country can see nor learn our culture such by watching Youtube. Almost everything about our Filipino culture can be found now in just one click. Filipino kids nowadays will rather play computer games all day than playing outside with their friends. They will not able to experience some Filipino games like patintero, bato-bola, langit – lupa and the like. They will not also able to hear different folk tales stories like Biag ni Lam-ang, Ang Alamat ng Pinya and the famous Ang Pagong at ang Kuneho because they are now into the Western books. They will not able to appreciate the works of our indigenous tribes that speak so much about our culture and history. Second is the boom of social media, it helps us to connect to a large audience. It helps us to show our ideas and opinions. On the other hand, it reduced our physical activities and interaction face to face. Social media itself taught us to be the person we idolize. It always leads us to thinking that we are not good enough so we must do something about it. Like, we are now more engage in dancing HipHop because it is the new trend than learning Tinikling. Therefore, our Filipino culture embodies our history, our family ties and serves as our social heritage but because of rising of the mass media we almost lost them.
Filipinos are well known to be hospitable. They are accepting visitors with an open arm and extend the same love. For example, if some guest arrives, they will take out their good as new things such as neither blankets nor plates from the cabinets and let the visitors use it. The good as new things are the things they are not used in their everyday life. Filipinos also love to greet people they bumped into; they always smile and said “hello” or “hi”. The Filipino people are also born to be an optimistic. They always exude positivity even in their worst days. In times of calamities or disasters, we will not just see them wallowing in misery. You will see them helping each other (concept of Bayanihan) in times of need. They give foods, clothes or even support. When we are still young, our Filipino parents taught us to have “pagmamalasakit sa kapwa”. They want us to have concern and empathy to our fellow countrymen. We, the Filipino people will always love to give happiness to other even though we are facing so many problems. In some teleseryes or daily news, it is still usually can be seen.
Each of the above Filipino traits and cultures is what sets us apart from other society. Despite being influences by other countries, these are still genuine Filipino cultural legacies. By learning these, it will also enable us to learn our history and why other countries love Filipinos. Despite of our changing world, I think we must not forget our own culture. It is our responsibility as a Filipino to introduce them to the world. We must initiate to preserve them for the sake of the identity of the next generation. It not been hard but, it has been part of the Filipino culture since the ancient times and this culture makes us what we are really are. Let’s not allow new things to get rid our forefather works.
