The Filipino is
basically of Malay stock
with a sprinkling of
Chinese, American,
Spanish, and Arab blood.
The Philippines has a
population of 76.5
million as of May 2000,
and it is hard to
distinguish accurately
the lines between
stocks. From a long
history of Western
colonial rule,
interspersed with the
visits of merchants and
traders, evolved a
people of a unique blend
of east and west, both
in appearance and
culture.
The Filipino character is actually a little bit of all the cultures put together. The bayanihan or spirit of kinship and camaraderie that Filipinos are famous for is said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino. Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today. Pilipino is the official national language, with English considered as the country's unofficial one.
The Filipinos are
divided geographically
and culturally into
regions, and each
regional group is
