Philippine society

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. 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.

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