PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES: FILIPINOS, IDENTITY, CHARACTERISTICS

PEOPLE OF THE PHILIPPINES

Participants and facilitators during the youth discussion session at Silliman University in 2016, photo from the World Bank

The people pf the Philippines are of Austronesian descent like most of the people in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Pacific. They are also considered Malays or at least Malay-related like most of the people of Malaysia and Indonesia. Some Filipinos have some American, Latin American, Spanish, Chinese and/or Arab ancestry. Christian Malays constitute 91.5 percent of the total population; Muslim Malays 4 percent; Chinese 1.5 percent; and others 3 percent.

Three hundred years of Spanish occupation left behind the Roman Catholic religion and 75 years of American presence has left the English language, yet Filipino culture and people have an identity that is very much its own, and the people on each island have their own distinct character. Before it was forged into a colony and later a nation, the Philippines was a group of islands, with different ethnic groups that lived largely independent of one another on individual islands, groups of islands and different regions on big islands. The ethnic breakdown of country still more or less follows the pattern set by the archipelago's early inhabitants.

More than 100 cultural minority groups are scattered throughout the country. Filipinos are ethnically similar to Malays but culturally they are more like the Spanish. They are generally smaller and more slender than Europeans and have brownish skin, dark eyes and heavy, straight black hair. It is hard to distinguish accurately the lines between stocks. From a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture. [Source: Philippines Department of Tourism]

Philippine society was relatively homogeneous in 1990, especially considering its distribution over some 1,000 inhabited islands. Muslims and upland tribal peoples were obvious exceptions, but approximately 90 percent of the society remained united by a common cultural and religious background. Among the lowland Christian Filipinos, language was the main point of internal differentiation, but the majority interacted and intermarried regularly across linguistic lines. Because of political centralization, urbanization, and extensive internal migration, linguistic barriers were eroding, and government emphasis on Pilipino and English (at the expense of local dialects) also reduced these divisions. Nevertheless, national integration remained incomplete. [Source: Library of Congress]

Filipinos

Filipino school kids, from UNDP

People in the Philippines are collectively called Filipinos, with men also referred to as Filipinos and women known as Filipinas. Philippine is used as an adjective pertaining to the country. Filipino is used as an adjective regarding the people, in some cases in particular reference to Christian Filipinos (Muslim are known as Moros). The term, "Filipino", as is the case with names for national people, can also be used as a cultural identifier, such as in “Filipino products”, “Filipino food” and “Filipino values.” Many Filipinos call themselves Pinoys.

Lonely Planet called Filipinos ‘among the most ebullient and easy going people anywhere.’ According to the Philippines Department of Tourism: “Don’t be shy about coming up to a Filipino and starting a conversation. We’re not just fun, we’re officially friendly too. Forbes.com ranked us the friendliest country in Asia – eight in the world! [Source: Philippines Department of Tourism]

Many Filipinos view other Filipinos through common stereotypes. Tagalogs are often described as proud and talkative; Pampangans as independent and materialistic; Ilocanos as hardworking and forward-looking; and Bisayans as musical, passionate, and fun-loving. Despite their simplifications, these perceptions reflect strong group identification, which remains an important marker of identity even among overseas Filipino communities. [Source: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East / Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993]

Filipino National Identity

Before the nineteenth-century revolutionary period, Filipinos had little sense of a shared national identity. The term “Filipino” did not refer to the native population until the mid-1800s. Earlier unifying influences included Spanish colonial rule, which governed the islands as a single unit, and widespread conversion to Catholicism. As the movement for independence gained strength in the late nineteenth century, symbols of nationhood emerged. A national flag was created, national heroes were celebrated, and a national anthem was composed. In 1936, a national language was officially designated, and national costumes were promoted to help foster unity. [Source: Sally E. Baringer, Countries and Their Cultures, Gale Group Inc., 2001]

At the beginning of Spanish colonization In the sixteenth century the Philippines was called Las Islas Filipinas. The inhabitants of the Philippines were called "Indios." The term "Filipino" was first applied to Spaniards born in the Philippines (also known as insulares, Creoles and Spanish mestizos) to distinguish them from Spaniards born in Spain (peninsulares). Later, Spanish and Chinese mestizos were also identified as Filipinos. [Source: “Culture Shock!: Philippines” by Alfredo Roces and Grace Roces, Marshall Cavendish International, 2010; Google AI]

Coat of arms of the Philippines

In the late nineteenth century, the meaning of “Filipino” began to change dramatically. Reformists and revolutionaries, most notably José Rizal, redefined the term to include all native inhabitants of the archipelago, regardless of race or regional background. This shift was deliberate and political: it fostered unity among diverse groups and strengthened the growing nationalist movement against Spanish rule.

During the American colonial period (1898–1946), the United States administration officially adopted “Filipino” as the standard term for all inhabitants of the Philippines. The Americans did not continue the Spanish racial classifications such as indio, and the broader usage of “Filipino” became firmly established, solidifying its meaning as a national identity rather than a colonial category. “Filipino” is also the name of one of the official languages of the Philippines along with English. The Filipino language is derived from the Tagalog language.

Despite these developments, national identity remained fragile. Many Filipinos continued to place stronger loyalty in their family networks, town or village, ethnic group, provinces, or municipalities rather than in the nation as a whole.

Historical Development of the Philippine People

Through centuries of intermarriage, Filipinos had become a unique blend of Malay, Chinese, Spanish, Negrito, and American. Among the earliest inhabitants were Negritos, followed by Malays, who deserve most of the credit for developing lowland Philippine agricultural life as it is known in the modern period. As the Malays spread throughout the archipelago, two things happened. First, they absorbed, through intermarriage, most of the Negrito population, although a minority of Negritos remained distinct by retreating to the mountains. Second, they dispersed into separate groups, some of which became relatively isolated in pockets on Mindanao, northern Luzon, and some of the other large islands. Comparative linguistic analysis suggests that most groups may once have spoken a form of "proto-Manobo," but that each group developed a distinct vernacular that can be traced to its contact over the centuries with certain groups and its isolation from others. With the advent of Islam in the southern Philippines during the fifteenth century, separate sultanates developed on Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago. By the middle of the sixteenth century, Islamic influence had spread as far north as Manila Bay. [Source: Library of Congress *]

Spain colonized the Philippines in the sixteenth century and succeeded in providing the necessary environment for the development of a Philippine national identity; however, Spain never completely vitiated Muslim autonomy on Mindanao and in the Sulu Archipelago, where the separate Muslim sultanates of Sulu, Maguindanao, and Maranao remained impervious to Christian conversion. Likewise, the Spanish never succeeded in converting upland tribal groups, particularly on Luzon and Mindanao. The Spanish influence was strongest among lowland groups and emanated from Manila. Even among these lowland peoples, however, linguistic differences continued to outweigh unifying factors until a nationalist movement emerged to question Spanish rule in the nineteenth century. *

Philippine national identity emerged as a blend of diverse ethnic and linguistic groups, when lowland Christians, called indios by the Spaniards, began referring to themselves as "Filipinos," excluding Muslims, upland tribal groups, and ethnic Chinese who had not been assimilated by intermarriage and did not fit the category. In the very process of defining a national identity, the majority was also drawing attention to a basic societal cleavage among the groups. In revolting against Spanish rule and, later, fighting United States troops, the indigenous people became increasingly conscious of a national unity transcending local and regional identities. A public school system that brought at least elementary-level education to all but the most remote barrios and sitios (small clusters of homes) during the early twentieth century also served to dilute religious, ethnic, and linguistic or regional differences, as did improvements in transportation and communication systems and the spread of English as a lingua franca. *

Characteristics of Filipinos

Ambivalent Filipino values and traits, Researchgate

Christian Filipinos primarily live in coastal lowlands and valleys, especially on Luzon, Samar, Leyte, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Panay, and Negros. On Mindanao, most Christian residents are relatively recent migrants. The islands were likely settled through successive migrations from mainland Southeast Asia. Chinese influence was early and significant, while cultural influence from what is now Indonesia was limited outside Mindanao and the southern islands. [Source: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East / Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993]

Philippine languages share grammatical and phonetic similarities and belong to the Austronesian family. Filipino, based on Tagalog, is the national language, while English serves as a major second language. Although Spain ruled the country for centuries, Spanish was never widely spoken among the general population.

Filipino Roman Catholicism blends the Catholic faith introduced by Spain with older animistic traditions. Beliefs in spirits of the land and the continuing influence of ancestors remain important elements of popular religious practice. The Philippines economy has long centered on agriculture, particularly rice, sugarcane, and hemp. Forestry has also been important, though deforestation has become a serious concern. Industry is concentrated mainly around Manila and focuses largely on processing agricultural goods.

Filipino Society, Villages and Political Organization

Family life is central to Filipino society. The nuclear family, extended kinship networks, personal alliances, and godparenthood (compadrazgo) form the foundation of social relations. Loyalty to family often takes precedence over individual identity. Social hierarchy in the Philippines is shaped by age, occupation, wealth, place of residence, ethnicity, and sometimes inherited status. Although social mobility has blurred class lines—producing poor noble families and wealthy commoners—status differences remain visible at both local and regional levels. Patron-client relationships reinforce hierarchy, often linking ordinary citizens to local officials and petty bureaucrats through personal networks. [Source: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993 ~]

Politically, the Philippines is divided into provinces, each with its own capital. Provinces are subdivided into districts, municipalities, and barangays (formerly barrios), which often correspond to villages or clusters of hamlets. Governors and provincial councils are elected to oversee provincial policies, while municipalities elect mayors and councils. Barangays elect their own captains and councils. Chartered cities function independently of provinces. The national government provides public services such as elementary education, selected secondary schools, state universities, health clinics, hospitals, courts, police, highways, and water systems. Regions closer to Manila generally have better access to these services, while more remote areas, such as Sulu, have limited facilities.

Philippine settlements are classified as cities, towns, or villages. Manila stands as the national capital, while chartered cities form the next highest urban level. Towns and small cities are often similar in size and are organized around clusters of villages. In predominantly Christian areas, a Catholic church typically marks the town center, while in Muslim areas, a mosque often identifies a village or ethnic neighborhood. Among in villages, many villages consist of houses on stilts. Traditional thatched houses have increasingly been replaced by more durable materials like galvanized iron, lumber, and concrete.

Multi-Cultural, Multi-Regional Filipinos

The Filipino character is actually a little bit of all the cultures put together. The bayanihan or spirit of kinship and camaraderie that Filipinos are famous for is said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino. Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today. Pilipino is the official national language, with English considered as the country's unofficial one. [Source: Philippines Department of Tourism]

The Filipinos are divided geographically and culturally into regions, and each regional group is recognizable by distinct traits and dialects - the sturdy and frugal llocanos of the north, the industrious Tagalogs of the central plains, the carefree Visayans from the central islands, and the colorful tribesmen and religious Moslems of Mindanao. Tribal communities can be found scattered across the archipelago. The Philippines has more than 111 dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and cultural groups.

The country is marked by a true blend of cultures; truly in the Philippines, East meets West. The background of the people is Indonesian and Malay. There are Chinese and Spanish elements as well. The history of American rule and contact with merchants and traders culminated in a unique blend of East and West, both in the appearance and culture of the Filipinos, or people of the Philippines.

Hospitality, a trait displayed by every Filipino, makes these people legendary in Southeast Asia. Seldom can you find such hospitable people who enjoy the company of their Western visitors. Perhaps due to their long association with Spain, Filipinos are emotional and passionate about life in a way that seems more Latin than Asian. The Spaniards introduced Christianity (the Roman Catholic faith) and succeeded in converting the overwhelming majority of Filipinos. At least 83 percent of the total population belongs to the Roman Catholic faith. The American occupation was responsible for teaching the Filipino people the English language. The Philippines is currently the third-largest English speaking country in the world

Philippines’s Multitude of Ethnic Groups

Each of the Philippines 50 or so ethnic groups has its own language or dialect, with no single ethnic group making up a majority of the population. The main groups are the Cebuano (24.1 percent of the population), Tagalog (21 percent), Ilocono (11.7 percent), Hiligaynon or Illongo (10.4 percent), Bucolano, or Bikolan (7.8 percent), Pamanga (3.2 percent). Other groups make up 21.8 percent of the population. The include (in descending order based on population): Pangasinan, Ibang, Aklan, Hantik, Samabal, Ivantan, Itawas and Isinai. Bisayan, or Visayan, is a generic label that encompasses Cebuans, Panayans and Samarans. The largest non-Filipino minorities are Chinese, Americans, and Spanish.

To Filipinos, each ethnic group is associated with distinct cultural and character traits and stereotypes. The Ilcocanos in the north, for example, are regarded as sturdy and frugal. The Tagalogs of the central plains are considered industrious, while the people of the Visayans are thought of as carefree and fun loving. The Tagalog dominate the Philippines culturally and politically because they are ethnic group indigenous to the Manila area.

Like their counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, the Chinese minority are very active in trading and business and their influence far exceeds their numbers (about a half million people). In the remote highlands there are still some tribes relatively untouched by the modern world. The Tasadays, a stone-age tribe, weren't "discovered" until 1971 (although some of the claims originally made about them have been questioned); the Ilongots continued to hunt heads up until the middle seventies; and Negritos still live a pygmy-like existence in the forest.

Spanish Influence on the Philippines

Spain ruled the Philippines for more than 300 years, leaving a deeper cultural impact than any other foreign power. During the height of its global influence in the 1500s and 1600s, Spain sought to expand its empire, spread Roman Catholicism, gain wealth through trade—especially spices—and increase political power. These goals shaped the transformation of Philippine society. [Source: by Rebecca, Philippines Baguio Mission, 2009-2011, the missionary website, preparetoserve.com]

One of Spain’s strongest influences was on language. Over time, thousands of Spanish words entered local languages, and today roughly 20 percent of Tagalog vocabulary has Spanish roots. Common everyday terms, greetings, and expressions reflect this legacy, showing how deeply Spanish became woven into daily communication.

Spain also influenced systems of money, governance, and national identity. The peso-based monetary system was introduced, and Spanish numerals are still commonly used in business transactions. Manila was designated as the capital, and the country was named “Filipinas” after Prince Philip of Asturias, who later became king of Spain.

Religion remains Spain’s most enduring legacy. The Philippines became the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia after Spanish missionaries converted much of the population to Roman Catholicism. Today, Catholic traditions, holidays, churches, and religious imagery remain central to Filipino life, and the Church continues to exert social and political influence.

Spanish rule reshaped social customs and institutions. In 1849, families were required to adopt Spanish surnames to standardize record-keeping, which explains the prevalence of Hispanic last names today. Western cultural elements—including music, dance, and education—were introduced, along with Catholic-run schools and colleges such as the University of Santo Tomas, founded in 1611.

Spanish influence extended to everyday life, including food and dining habits. Many ingredients and dishes—such as corn, potatoes, sausages, coffee, and bread—were introduced during the colonial period. The Spanish also popularized the use of forks and spoons, which remain standard utensils in Filipino meals, blending European customs with native traditions.

Lowland Christian Population of the Philippines

Although lowland Christians maintained stylistic differences in dress until the twentieth century and had always taken pride in their unique culinary specialties, they continued to be a remarkably homogeneous core population of the Philippines. In 1990 lowland Christians, also known as Christian Malays, made up 91.5 percent of the population and were divided into several regional groups. [Source: Library of Congress *]

Because of their regional base in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces to the north, east, and south, Tagalogs tended to be more visible than other groups. Cebuanos, whose language was the principal one in the Visayan Island area, inhabited Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, Negros Oriental, Leyte, and Southern Leyte provinces, and parts of Mindanao. Ilocanos had a reputation for being ready migrants, leaving their rocky northern Luzon homeland not just for more fertile parts of the archipelago but for the United States as well. The home region of the Ilongos (speakers of Hiligaynon) included most of Panay, Negros Occidental Province, and the southern end of Mindoro. Their migration in large numbers to the Cotabato and Lanao areas of Mindanao led to intense friction between them and the local Muslim inhabitants and the outbreak of fighting between the two groups in the 1970s.

The homeland of the Bicolanos, or "Bicolandia" was the southeastern portion of Luzon together with the islands of Catanduanes, Burias, and Ticao, and adjacent parts of Masbate. The Waray-Warays lived mostly in eastern Leyte and Samar in the Eastern Visayas. The Pampangan homeland was the Central Luzon Plain and especially Pampanga Province. Speakers of Pangasinan were especially numerous in the Lingayen Gulf region of Luzon, but they also had spread to the Central Luzon Plain where they were interspersed with Tagalogs, Ilocanos, and Pampangans. *

As migrants to the city, these lowland Christians clustered together in neighborhoods made up primarily of people from their own regions. Multilingualism generally characterized these neighborhoods; the language of the local area was used, as a rule, for communicating with those native to the area, and English or Pilipino was used as a supplement. Migrants to cities and to agricultural frontiers were remarkably ready and willing to learn the language of their new location while retaining use of their mother tongue within the home. *

Philippines Man Holds World’s Shortest Man Title For Several Months

In June 2011, Junrey Balawing of the Philippines was declared the world’s shortest man by Guinness World Records when he turned 18. Standing 59.93 centimeters (23.6 inches) tall, he was more than seven centimeters shorter than the previous record holder, Khagendra Thapa Magar. Balawing, from Sindangan in Mindanao, reportedly stopped growing at age two due to an undiagnosed condition. [Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, AFP, February 10, 2012]

Despite difficulty standing and walking, he was warmly supported by his community and received gifts at his birthday celebration. "Thank you to all of you for supporting my son, the world's shortest man," Mr Balawing's father said. Mr Balawing blew out a candle on his birthday cake and said "I'm tired". His father said he had been a sickly child and doctors had not been able to say why he stopped growing. His three siblings are all of normal size.

In early 2012, Balawing was invited to Italy for a photo session with the world’s tallest man, Sultan Kösen, who stands 251.46 centimeters (8 feet 3 inches). The trip was expected to be Balawing’s first time flying. However, his title was soon challenged by Chandra Bahadur Dangi of Nepal, who claimed to measure just 56 centimeters (22 inches). Guinness officials planned to verify Dangi’s height, which, if confirmed, would surpass Balawing’s record and make him the shortest adult ever documented.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture Shock!: Philippines” by Alfredo Roces and Grace Roces, Marshall Cavendish International, 2010; National Geographic, Live Science, Philippines Department of Tourism, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated March 2026