William+Smith



By Harrison Smith 5/6 A

**Introduction **

Good morning everyone or ‘Magadang umaga sa lahat’ ( in Filipino)

My talk today is about the Philippines and how the Filipino people contribute to our wonderful Brisbane community.

The Philippines is a chain of over 7,000 islands in the Pacific ocean just South of Asia. The Capital city is Manila. The main focus group in the Philippines is Malay Ethnic. The Philippines is named after King Phillip II of Spain. The two main languages spoken are English and Filipino. The currency is Peso and centimos. In 2010 the population was 93,260,798.



The Filipinos can be: Roman Catholic, Muslim, Evangelical, Iglesia ni Christo, Agelipayan, or Christian. Many people live in cities and their lifestyle is like ours where they love to shop and go to the movies or watch TV and other people live in rural areas where life is harder.

Many extended families live together in compounds which include Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Children are thought of as gifts from God. Mothers teach their children the custom of pakikisama which is a way of showing consideration and kindness to others. Filipinos have a high regard for the dignity of all people and respect authority and the older members of the community.

Many extended families live together in compounds which include Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. Children are thought of as gifts from God. Mothers teach their children the custom of pakikisama which is a way of showing consideration and kindness to others. Filipinos have a high regard for the dignity of all people and respect authority and the older members of the community.

** Cultral clothing ** people wear clothes like we do in Australia jeans and a t-shirt but may Most of the time dress up for special occasions such as religious ceremonies or festivals. Some men might occasionally wear Barong Tagalogs an embroidered shirt. Country women might wear a Saya a long Colourful skirt. APEC Leaders are wearing Barong Tagalogs in the Philippines

** Food ** American, Chinese, Spanish, Arab, Indian and Malay cultures have influenced the Filipino foods. Filipinos eat rice almost everyday and sometimes every meal has rice in it. The most popular food is adobo a stew of pork or chicken. Fish and shellfish are served daily in the Philippines. Filipino food is not spicy. In the country food may be cooked on a gas burner or wood or charcoal fire. Coca Cola is also very popular in the Philippines. Mango is their national food. Lechon is a suckling pig roasted until the skin is crispy. This is served on important occasions.

This is a feast with a suckling pig or Lechon

Halo-halo is a dessert made with fruit chunks, ice and gelatine.

** Cultural Arts ** Ancient Philippine folklore was passed down to the children by storytelling. Folktales teach lessons about life. These are some of the folk tales of the Philippines :- Hudhud and Alim, Makahiya, Dama de Noche, The Ape and the Fire Fly, Banana, Monkey and Turtle, Upo Plant and Maria Makaling.

Theatre was popular and the Moro-moro plays were about conflict between Christians and Muslims. Now most people like to go to the movies.

Philippine dance has Spanish and Malay influences. Tinikling is a dance using two bamboo sticks tapping on the ground as the dancers hop in between like birds. I saw two ladies doing this dance at the Mabuhay festival on the weekend.

TINIKLING in King George Square, Brisbane

** Rituals, Customs and Beliefs **

Most Filipinos are Christians but there are still a lot of people who believe in witches, ghosts and voodoo. A magical herb called Odom is believed to make a person invisible.Farmers have beliefs about how they plant their crops to get a good harvest. Such as they must plant 3 rows of corn about every week or when planting you must never use a stick when planting cassava.

** Sports ** The Philippines are influenced by many cultures around the world. There sports are basketball, boxing, golf, bowling, Jai Alai ( a type of handball),Sipa ( a game where you try to keep a small ball in the air without using your hands or palo sebo (climbing a greased bamboo pole for a cash prize at the top).

** Festivals and Celebrations **

The Philippines are influenced by many cultures so they have many festivals including religious festivals for Christmas, Lent, Easter, Palm Sunday, Holy week, Good Friday, Muslims celebrate Ramadan and Hari Raya Puasa,. They also celebrate there Independence from Spanish rule o June 12. Farmers celebrate to honour their patron saint .during the harvest season.Filipinos love to celebrate they may have a feast, a parade, marching bands, singing and dancing, beauty pageants and fireworks.

** Mabuhay Festival **** November 19th 2011 King George Square **

Mabuhay means welcome.

I saw and smelled lots of delicious food like adabo, cassava jelly and halo-halo.

I saw people in traditional dress.

I saw the tinikling dancers and heard some singing.

Munching on Churros

I went to the Mabuhay Festival and got to feed the pig (they were collecting money to help the poor families in the Philippines. I got to eat a churro (a Spanish doughnut) which was really yummy.

** Conclusion **

I think that the Filipino people have contributed a lot to Brisbane. They have a lovely gentle spirit and a great sense of family togetherness. Dancers and Singers perform at the Philippines Independence Day Festival (June 12 at Yeronga State School) and the Mabuhay Festival and other multicultural events around Brisbane. The Filipino food is really yummy and you can buy it at these events or at the Filipino shop in Darra or at the stall at the Rocklea Markets on Sunday.

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