PHILIPPINES GEOGRAPHY |
| My research is about Philippine Performing Arts. Philippine arts are not really mentioned in art or history classes, so I am glad to have a chance to present my country's culture. I introduce Philippine geography to make it easier to understand and know the Philippines. The Philippines is located between the Pacific Ocean and Celebes Sea. The Philippines consist of approximately 7,000 islands. The main islands are Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. We also have 86+ dialects which means that even though we live in one country, we do not understand each other's native language. There is a language conflict. But since our second language is English, we can communicate in a common language. Luzon is located in the northern part of the Philippines. Luzon is the most important island because all the resources such as jobs, museums, businesses, and higher education are there. Most people prefer to live in Luzon. Most of the opportunities to become successful are there. It does not mean that Luzon is a perfect place. It has become overpopulated, the air is polluted, there is a water shortage, and it has become harder for the college-educated to find a job. Opportunities have been taken away, and many people turn to prostitution, drug dealing, and smuggling to survive. Some people, especially those who are from wealthy families and are well-educated, prefer to work abroad. According to National Geographic, The Philippines is one of the poorest countries in the world because we have poor leaders and educated Filipinos go overseas. Visayas, located in the middle of the Philippines, consists of small islands. This area is famous and popular because it is surrounded by bodies of water which attract foreigners to visit our islands. Visayas is one of the most beautiful places because the people have retained their traditional culture compared to those in Luzon. There is amazing scenery: blue, green, or white sand beaches, fresh air, high mountains, and fresh fruits. The festivals are the best, especially those performed on the street, and everyone is welcome to come to people's houses to sample festivals foods. Free shows are held in the streets. There is dancing and theater on the basketball courts, free food in street stands, and sometimes women's and men's basketball league games. Mindanao is located in the southern part of the Philippines. Mindanaoans have adapted the culture of Indonesia, and are not called "Filipinos," but "Muslims". They have their own language, culture, customs, government leaders, and they live in tribal groups. The Muslims demanded their independence from the Philippine President Fidel V. Ramos. Mindanao's leader went to Malacanang (The Filipino White House) to make a proposal, but the President denied their freedom. President Ramos confidently told everyone that if we would look back and study the history of the Philippines, we would understand why we should be proud that we have become one nation, one people, and one country. Our heroes gave their lives in order for us to have our freedom, and to live happy and free. As time went by, the Muslims from the Mindanao islands gave up asking for their freedom. Based on history that we learn in school, the first settlers in the Republic of the Philippines were Indonesians, Malays, and Ita (blacks). We basically adopted culture, customs, and performing arts from each of the settlers. In fact, we (Filipinos) have similarities with Malays and Indonesians in our physical appearance. Most of the Philippine performing arts are from the Spaniards. Carinosa, Maria Clara, Cha-cha, Tango and other dances, and some words in our language, clothing styles, Catholicism, and other customs are of Spanish origin. We've also learned some folk dances from Visayas such as "Pandango sa Ilaw." Its a type of dance with 3 glasses: the performer has to put one candle inside the glass on top of her head and one on each hand, and they have to make sure that the glasses will not fall off. As I recall, the most popular dances are the Muslim dances because of their gracefulness, costumes, and facial expressions. I admire the talented performers because they can stand on top of bamboo sticks. When I was in my country I performed on the stage at school, and I performed Muslim cultural dances, but I never tried to stand on bamboo sticks because I was scared. My instructor told me I had that mean look which was appropriate in the role that I was perfuming. It was fun back then and I will never forget what I experienced. I therefore conclude that doing Internet research is really fun. I am exploring knowledge about my culture. It was interesting to me, and I hope I have helped make it interesting for you as well.
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