Dynamism, Diversity and Eclecticism as Key Themes in

Philippine History

-An Essay-
 Overarching concepts and ideas throughout a nation’s history serve as threads in a
loom, weaving up the tapestry that is its historical identity. The Philippines’ historical
distinctions – that which makes it “special” amongst a cornfield of other countries – from
Austronesian times up until 1872, are delicate but simple: dynamism, diversity and eclecticism.
Before any supporting statements are made, it is crucial to clarify that terms such as
“Filipino”, “Nation” and “Philippines” may be used liberally in this essay, despite said terms
being developed mainly from the latter part of the covered scope of history to modern times.
This is to refer to the Philippines as a whole, be it pre-colonial or otherwise. It may be referring
to either the geographical archipelago or all that “Philippines” encompasses, including but not
limited to culture and people.
According to Oxford Dictionaries (2013), the word “eclectic” is defined as “Deriving
ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources.” To support the idea that the
Philippines is and has been a colossal mixing pot of different cultures and influences, one
must first look at the country’s geography; the Philippines’ eclectic and diverse natures are
brought upon by its geographical features.

Figure 1. The Murillo Velarde Map is the first scientific map of the Philippines, made by
Murillo Velarde (1734).
The Philippines is an archipelago – of more than seven thousand islands, no less! With
this comes two facts. The first one is that there were vastly different cultures depending on
which island or group of islands one was on. The second fact is that some Filipinos were forest
dwellers, while others were coastal dwellers.
Besides the Spanish Colonization Period, works such as that of Teh-Ming (1964) and
Churchill (1977) show that there were foreign countries such as China and India involved with
pre-colonial Philippines. This not only implies that the Philippines at the time was influenced
by said countries but also that, because of the archipelagic character of the Philippines,
different areas were influenced in at least slightly different ways.
One example for this is the prevalence of Islam in some southern areas of the
Philippines compared to the northern areas. Bueza’s (2015) article on Islam in the Philippines
states that Islam is the Philippines’ second largest religion. While this information is based on
modern statistics, it can not be denied that the coexistence of Christianity and Islam within the
Philippines along with either being more prevalent depending on the geographical location are
two things that are rooted in the Philippines being an archipelago.
The highlanders and lowlanders of the Philippines were called Ilaya and Ilawod,
respectively. Dynamics between the two types of communities in terms of trade and difference
in lifestyle add to the diversity of the Philippines as a whole. Add to this the startling amount
of society types based on political systems developed even before colonial times, and the
degree of diversity from that time alone (Austronesian to pre-colonial Philippines) is obvious.
 Besides the geography of the Philippines, another supporting point was tackled in the
previous paragraphs. What further proves that the Philippines is eclectic is the amount
of influences from other countries to the Philippines’ base Austronesian culture.
Crucial to this argument is clarifying how much of an impact the Spanish colonization
had on the Philippines. Abuses from the Spaniards according to the Filipino narrative aside,
the Spanish culture clashed greatly with what pre-existed in the Philippines. Contrary to the
Spanish standard of a Maria Clara – all demure, beautiful and submissive – Philippine
societies were built upon contributions of both men and women in society. Against the Spanish
norm of Christianity, the Philippines had pre-existing religions that transcended what the
Spaniards at the time perceived as paganism.
A quick comparison can be made between the Philippines and a country such as Japan.
While time has proven that both are culturally diverse, the latter was influenced almost solely
by China for many centuries according to Baker (2004). Coupled with the Japanese
archipelago being far more geographically connected, this lead to a relatively homogenous
historical identity. This is the direct opposite of the Philippines, an archipelago with a large
amount of islands, receiving influences from a multitude of countries. While this resulted in a
less unified culture, it also gave birth to a historical identity that is, again, more eclectic and
diverse. A key point can be stated: the Filipino culture as a whole can not be viewed as one
large culture and its variations. It is an amalgamation of many distinct cultures; not many of
one, but many as one.
All in all, the Philippines’ geographical character combined with foreign countries and
the prominent seafaring culture in the country made way to an interwoven, infinitely
labyrinthian web of cultures going to and fro, back and forth, over and over while making the
Philippines far more culturally flavorful and diverse.
Further adding to the eclecticism of the Philippines, however, is the issue of
incorporation. It is logical that cultural influences from foreign sources are not copy and paste
jobs. When a foreign influence attempts to influence a part of the Philippines, the
corresponding Philippine community may settle anywhere from totally consuming the culture
as is or resisting change, perhaps even violently. This was the case in the Battle of Mactan,
wherein a culture of the Philippines bore arms to deny the influence that was being pushed
towards them. On the other hand, many Filipinos were eventually converted to Catholics
during the Spanish Colonization Era. This gradation of the spectrum between total
acceptance and total resistance further made the Philippines even more diverse.
“Localization” is commonly understood to mean adjusting something to be local in
character. More often than not, what counts as foreign influence stayed as an influence instead
of totally being incorporated “as is” in Filipino culture.
Filipinos did not end up as a people that spoke Spanish as its primary language.
Nevertheless, borrowed words can be found in the Filipino vernacular, anywhere from asking
for an item’s price to calling one’s adversary a “coño” or an “hijo de puta.”
Of course, given how the colony was run, Filipinos could also do no better than
imitation at times. Spanish fashion styles can be observed in just about any photograph from
the time. However, this does not mean that all (or even most) Filipinos had access to such
clothing. Thus, at times it was not a matter of submit or resist. Things also depended on the
manner of influencing that the foreign influence chose. In these ways, how the Philippines
incorporated cultures and influences gave way to even more diversity.
Given all this, it follows that what it is to be a Filipino and to be a part of the Philippines
is truly dynamic. Even before the word “Philippines” meant anything, right then and there
from the start of the Austronesian spread to the archipelago, being a Filipino could have meant
a million different things.
 At first, it may have been implied – through a plethora of words that were not “Filipino,”
as the word had yet to be coined – that you were part of a seafaring community, dining on the
ocean’s blessings, braving life at sea. It might have made you a mighty Datu, trusted by your
people. Or a wise Babaylan, or an Aeta, or an Ilustrado, hungry for more.
Some parallels to even modern times can be drawn, as the Philippines has only since
grown in its three key aspects. With the advent of the internet and globalization, the Filipino
people are far more than what they were before.
Imagine that you are the Philippines itself, in all its glory. Based on how influence has
been described and analyzed within this essay, how complex and multidimensional must
Filipino culture be?
The story starts in 4000 BCE. From an already rich base culture, you are given
millennia. Each foreign influence, from so many foreign sources, changes you by a tiny bit.
But those same foreign sources travel to different parts of you, and those different parts
change differently. Those different parts interacting with each other, in turn, changes them as
well, in another different manner. Each and every interaction between thousands of cultures
within and without your soil gives birth to another culture, different by an iota. You are an
everchanging mass. You are not a rigid set of interconnected LEGO blocks, no… you are akin
to a painting on a canvas, with a million drops of paint dripping onto it every second. You are
never just one thing, and you are never a certain set of a thousand things for too long.
You are eclectic.
You are diverse.
You are dynamic.
You are the Philippines,
and you are beautiful.
Bibliography
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Murillo Velarde, P. (1734). A Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the Philippine
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Teh-Ming, W. (1967). Sino-Filipino Historico-Cultural Relations. University of the Philippines,
Quezon City, Philippines.
Churchill, M. (1977). Indian Penetration of Pre-Spanish Philippines: A New Look at the
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