Philippines Survival Kit: Who is the Filipino?

by: Mary Ann Bolanos

The Filipinos have a wide collection of cultures
from different nationalities. Museum hopping is
one of my favorite past time to understand
the culture of my ancestors which hails from
the Spanish,the American, the Chinese and
 the authentic Filipino.

Most Filipinos are now a mixture of several
nationalities. One time I saw a young person whom
I thought is from the Middle East. I was
expecting him to talk in his native country tongue.

I was surprise to hear him speak fluently in Tagalog!
It turned out that he was brought up in the Philippines
since birth.

Growing up in the Philippines -  can also open up horizons
and wonderment - studying with other
nationalities speaking not Tagalog but the Mindanao
dialect which ranges from Cebuano to Chabacano.
I literally blinked my eyes many times just to make sure
that the British looking girl or an Italian Boy talking to
me was actually speaking Cebuano, Visayan, Ilonggo,
Chabacano and Tagalog.

We are in a cosmopoliltan era in the Philippines.

Gone the typical orator saying..."in my blood reigns the
blood of Lapu-Lapu! I think now the typical Filipino orator
would say... in my blood runs the blood of the "Spanish
Conquistadores, Italian Artists, efficient British...and the ever
enterprising Japanese, Chinese or the cool headed American...
the inventive philosophical Polish or diligent Canadian... and
the sportive Icelandic."

So here are some photos of a place which you may plan to visit
once you land the Philippines.

Museum in the Philippines