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= Philippine Culture: Value in Religion = Most if not all of the Philippine population belong to a specific religion. More than 86% of the citizens are adherents to the Roman Catholic faith, while 6% belong to several distinct Christian cults, and 2% practice Protestantism. Moreover, 4% of the people, which mostly originates from the Southern areas of the archipelago, represent the Muslims that preach the Islam faith. The leftover 2% follow indigenous beliefs and such. The fact of the matter is that a significant portion of the Filipinos is affiliated with a specific religion in one way or another.

It is to be noted that Filipinos greatly relish the traditions passed on from generation to generation, they cherished it so much that it has developed to become a significant aspect of Philippine culture. This can be observed upon seeing Filipinos going about their daily lives wherein they display their deep religiousness by participating in masses, processions, and other activities done by the Church. In addition, as a sign of their unyielding faith in God, they pray with all their heart at any time of the day, whether it be thanking God for a meal or simply wishing for a bright future ahead.

Practicing the faith of their religion in their everyday living through means of praying and attending mass does not stop there. There is simply no limit as to how much religious devotion can be expressed by the Filipinos, which brings them to organize events on a larger scale to bring together the people in commemoration of meaningful occasions, resulting in the birth of different festivals and special events over the course of the year. Notable occasions such as Holy Week, Black Nazarene, and Simbang Gabi are widely observed to be among the most awaited celebrations of the country.

Hispanic Origins
Religion in the Philippines was first established in 1350 as the Islamic faith from Indonesia reached out to the Philippine Islands. Upon the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century, Islam already had a strong foundation in Mindanao, Sulu, and other areas spanning the archipelago. If not for the intervention of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1565 wherein he introduced Christianity, it is safe to assume that the entirety of the Philippines would have remained as Muslims. Thanks to Legaspi, Luzon and Visayas underwent the process of Christianization. However, they were not able to influence the Muslim population in Mindanao and Sulu over three centuries under Spanish rule.

Celebrating Festivals
The celebration of festivals is an essential event within the religious community of many Filipinos. Every year, the people of a local community come together and celebrate the special day of the patron saint of their town or barangay. Aside from its primary purpose of gathering the community through serving plenty of food, the celebration of fiesta also includes a mass, a parade, and various activities and games. Altogether, it is a time for bonding, feasting, and paying respect to the patron saint.

Holy Week
Holy week is traditionally a solemn occasion in the Philippines. It is a time of serious atonement for Catholics to celebrate the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. More commonly known as Semana Santa, the celebration starts from Palm Sunday to Black Saturday, followed by Easter Sunday.

Palm Sunday remembers the entry of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem. Catholic church goers bring palm fronds or palaspas to church to be blessed by priests.

For most of the entire week, communities and households are eerily quiet. Television shows and radio stations go off-air. Catholics do fasting. Various activities such as passion plays or senakulo and reading and chanting or pabasa are also held.

On Good Friday, Catholics commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Religious figures at home are usually covered with black veils to mourn for the death of Jesus Christ. On Black Saturday, Jesus Christ is buried. Catholics usually use this day to prepare for Easter Sunday.

On Easter Sunday, the Catholics celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A salubong ceremony is done to commemorate the meeting of the Risen Jesus Christ and the sorrowful Virgin Mary.

Simbang Gabi
To open the Christmas season, Filipino devouts participate in Simbang Gabi or Misa de Gallo. It is a nine-dawn reverential mass that starts on December 16 and ends on December 24 in deference to the Virgin Mary anticipating the birth of Jesus Christ. The celebration is also seen as a way of praying for blessings, as most people believe that their wishes will come true if they complete the whole series of nine dawn masses.

The modern tradition of Simbang Gabi entails the nativity scene of Belen being displayed to show the preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It shows Mother Mary and Saint Joseph with baby Jesus Christ. There are also shepherds and farm animals. The three wise men, guided by the star of Bethlehem in their journey, carrying their gifts for the infant Jesus Christ are also included.

Role In The Modern World
It is without a doubt that religion plays a pivotal role in the development of culture in the Philippines. One can say that the community centralizes itself around religion. The beliefs and teachings learnt from the followers’ practices manifest in their day-to-day activities. Without religion, the Filipinos would not be who they are in the present. It provides them with comfort and hope for their current circumstances to take a positive turn for the betterment of not only themselves but others they care about as well, especially during the dire situation everyone is facing as a result of COVID-19. Religion will continue to remain an essential factor as the Philippines strives toward modernity along with the rest of the world.