The Importance Of A Filipino Culture

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One might think that being stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba that there might be a lack of cultures since we are stuck on base and can only take leave in the States, they would be wrong. Upon arriving here I soon realized that half of the bases population of over 6,000 individuals is either Jamaican or Filipino. They are contract workers and help run several facilities on base and while doing so they have become part of the cultural that makes this a wonderful place in my eyes. I recently had the opportunity to not only interview a Filipino resident, but I also had the opportunity to go to a Filipino celebration as well.
The country of the Philippines is located in the south pacific and is made up of 7,107 islands although 2,000 of them are uninhabited. There are over 81 million people and the countries capital is Manila. According to PBS.org America paid 20 million to the Spanish at the end of the Spanish-American war in 1998 for the right of ownership. The transition …show more content…

The first one was almost like a warriors dance. Guys coming out with vibrant headdresses and skirts and they sung in powerful voices that demanded your complete attention. After the warrior dance was a quite unique dance. It consisted of women dancing between two sticks that other ladies were holding on both sides. It reminded me a little like kids jumping rope back home in the streets, but the dresses were very colorful and it was hypnotizing to watch. I later found out the dance was called the Tinikling a traditional that is based upon a myth that after the Spanish invasion, the King of Spain ordered for the massive plantation. All the Filipinos obeyed the orders and those who disregarded the rules of the King; they were penalized by standing between two bamboo poles. At that time, a practice was established among the common Filipinos to perform a traditional folk dance (Nazir, J.,

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