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The various peoples of the Philippines spoke different languages and thus used different terms to describe their religious beliefs. While these beliefs can be treated as separate religions, scholars have noted that they follow a "common structural framework of ideas" which can be studied together. [3]
The culture of the Philippines is characterized by cultural and ethnic diversity. [1] Although the multiple ethnic groups of the Philippine archipelago have only recently established a shared Filipino national identity, [2] their cultures were all shaped by the geography and history of the region, [3] [4] and by centuries of interaction with neighboring cultures, and colonial powers.
Christianity is the predominant religion in the Philippines, [1] with the Catholic Church being its largest denomination. Sizeable minorities adhering to Islam , Dharmic religions ( Buddhism and Hinduism ), and indigenous Philippine folk religions (Anito or Anitism) are also present.
Filipino values are social constructs within Filipino culture which define that which is socially considered to be desirable. The Filipino value system describes "the commonly shared and traditionally established system of values underlying Filipino behavior" within the context of the larger Filipino cultural system. [1]
The 7,000 Philippines islands divide into three main regions: [35] Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao (which is subdivided into North and South). The difference in mythologies and belief systems is by ethnic group rather than geography. Some ethnic groups have influence in only a few towns, while others span provinces.
The original faith of the people of the Philippines were the Indigenous Philippine folk religions. Belief systems within these distinct polytheist-animist religions were later influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. With the arrival of Islam in the 14th century, the older religions slowly became less dominant in some small portions in the southwest.
Taotao carvings sold in a souvenir shop in Siquijor Island. Anito, also spelled anitu, refers to ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities in the Indigenous Philippine folk religions from the precolonial age to the present, although the term itself may have other meanings and associations depending on the Filipino ethnic group.
Ancestral lands are referred to in the Philippines Constitution. Article XII, Section 5 says: "The State, subject to the provisions of this Constitution and national development policies and programs, shall protect the rights of indigenous cultural communities to their ancestral lands to ensure their economic, social, and cultural well-being." [13]