Vianey Myle Bigornia

As a student, how can knowing the Spanish influences in literature allow you to look at our country in
an entirely different light?

When the Spaniards arrives in the Philippines, we got influence by their language, the name of
our country Philippines, people, religion, festivies, values, business, arts, literature and music, cuisine.
Philippine Spanish is a variant of standard Spanish spoken in the Philippines. It is a Spanish dialect of
the Spanish language. Chavacano, a Spanish-based creole, is spoken in the Zamboanga Peninsula,
Davao, and Cotabato in Mindanao, and Cavite in Luzon.

The name of the Philippines comes from the king of Spain Philip II. It was by the Spanish
explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos who named the islands of Samar and Leyte “Las Isla Felipinas”,
during the expedition in 1543.

According to a Spanish census in 1798 as much as 1/3rd of Filipinos, in which case, the Filipinos
living in Luzon; possess varying degrees of Spanish and Latin-American ancestry.

All major Roman Catholic holidays are observed as official nation holidays in the Philippines.
Spanish-Mexican culture and Christianity has influenced the customs and traditions of the Philippines.

Initially composed of egalitarian societies, values of pre-colonial Philippines were focused on

resiliency, creativity, respect, and acceptance. The purge on indigenous belief systems during the
Spanish era resulted in colonially-imposed toxic masculinity, notions that a woman must be quiet and
submissive towards men (presently known as the Maria Clara perception), inferiority complex among
the commonfolk and children and superiority complex among the elites and perceived adults,
backward notions on marriage and virginity, backward notions on divorce and women's
rights, religious fanaticism, and disregard for the natural world and its wildlife.

Hispanic influence is based on Indigenous, and European tradition. Folk dance, music, and
literature have remained intact in the 21st century. These were introduced from Spain, and Mexico in
the 16th century, and can be regarded as largely Hispanic in constitution, which have remained in the
Philippines for centuries.

The cuisine in the Philippines reflects the influences of Spanish, and Asian cuisine like adobo,
afritada, chorizo, empanadas, flan, and paella.

In the business community, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) plays an
integral role in the economic, political and social development of the nation. Historically, the chamber
can be traced back as early as the 1890s with the inauguration of the Cámara de Comercio de
Filipinas. This organization was composed mainly of Spanish companies such as the Compañia
General de Tabacos de Filipinas, Fábrica de Cerveza San Miguel, and Elizalde y Cía, among other
Spanish, and Philippine companies.