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This diversity is reflected in a core concept of Filipino society: the Bayanihan spirit. Weaving all these cultural threads into a cohesive social fabric, Bayanihan is the essence of kindness and cooperation that steered these communities through centuries of various waves of inhabitants.

A Pacific ‘Rosetta Stone’?

One of the many Austronesian languages that developed across the Pacific Ocean, Tagalog shares its proto-Philippine linguistic heritage with Hawaiian, Māori, and Malay. Unsurprisingly, there are few records of pre-Colombian languages in the Pacific Region.

However, in 1992, the Laguna Copperplate Inscription was discovered. Dating back to the 9th century, this ancient tablet is engraved with Javanese, Malay, and Sanskrit script. This hints at a mysterious culture with Hindu influences in the Philippines, long before the arrival of Muslims in the 12th century, or the Spanish expedition headed by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in March 1521.

Casting off 500 Years of Subordination

This was the start of Spanish colonization. Quashing several uprisings, Spain ruled the Philippines until 1898, when it ceded the islands to the USA after losing the Spanish-American War. Crushing Filipino hopes of independence, the U.S. extended this colonial rule. Nevertheless, its three main islands saw significant economic and educational reforms, with structural modernization and urbanization.

After its liberation from Japanese occupation during World War II, the next step was recognition as an independent republic in 1946. An upside of this patchwork history is that most Filipinos are multilingual, fluent in the standardized Wikang Filipino, as well as Tagalog and English. Its young and fast-growing population learns both official languages under the 1987 Bilingual Education Policy Act.