Religion in the Philippines
Is basically spiritual beliefs practised by Philippine citizens. Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos, including Jewish, Catholics, Muslims, Buddhists, Protestants, and Animists. It is central not as an abstract belief system, but rather as a host of experiences, rituals, ceremonies, and adjurations that provide continuity in life, cohesion in the community, and moral purpose for existence.
Animism
for lack of better terminology, can be used to describe the indigenous spiritual traditions practiced by people in the Philippines during pre-colonial times. However, today only a handful of the indigenous tribes continue to practice it. It is a collection of cultural beliefs and anchored in the idea that the world is inhabited by spirits and supernatural entities, both good and bad, and that respect be accorded to them through nature worship. These beliefs are very similar to those of the native American Indians & the Australian Aborigines.
These spirits all around nature are known as “diwatas“, showing cultural relationship with Hinduism (Devatas). In the Visayan regions, there is a belief in the existence of witchcraft or barang and mythical creatures such as the “aswang”, “balay sa dwendi” and “Bakonawa”, despite the existence of the Christian and Islamic faiths.
Variations of animistic practices occur in different ethnic groups. Magic, chants and prayers are often key features. Some worship specific deities, such as the Tagalog supreme deity, Bathala, and his children Adlaw, Mayari, and Tala, or the Visayan deity Kan-Laon; while others practice Ancestor worship (anitos). Its practitioners were highly respected (and some feared) in the community, as they were healers, midwives (hilot), shamans, witches and warlocks (mangkukulam), priests/priestesses (babaylan/catalonan), tribal historians and wizened elders that provided the spiritual and traditional life of the community.
Christianity and Islam have been superimposed on ancient traditions and acculturated. Folk religion remains a deep source of comfort, belief and cultural pride among many Filipinos. Elements of folk belief melded with Christian and Islamic practices to give a unique perspective on these religions. Nominally animists constitute about one percent of the population. But animism’s influence pervade daily life and practice of the colonial religions that took root in the Philippines.
The unique religious blends that have resulted, when combined with the strong personal faith of Filipinos, have given rise to numerous and diverse revivalist movements. Generally characterized by antimodern bias, supernaturalism, and authoritarianism in the person of a charismatic messiah figure, these movements have attracted thousands of Filipinos, especially in areas like Mindanao, which have been subjected to extreme pressure of change over a short period of time. Many have been swept up in these movements, out of a renewed sense of fraternity and community.
In general, the spiritual and economic leadership in many pre-colonial Filipino ethnic groups was provided by women, as opposed to the political and military leadership which was provided by men. Although suppressed by the early Spanish occupation, these matriarchal tendencies run deep in Filipino society and can still be seen in the strong leadership roles modern Filipino women are assuming, not just in the family home, but in business, politics, academia, the arts and in religious institutions.
With the landing of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, came not just Spanish rule, but also Christianity. In the late 16th century, soldiers and missionaries firmly planted the seeds of conversion when they officially claimed the archipelago for Spain. Missionary activity during the country’s long colonial rule by Spain and the United States transformed the Philippines into the first predominantly Christian nation in East Asia, with approximately 90% of the population belonging to the Christian faith as can be seen by the map on the left, which depicts Christianity in blue & Islam in green.
