Catholic fervor
Christianity, or more precisely the Roman Catholic faith, was introduced in the 16th century with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan and Spanish colonists in 1521. Even today, the fascination exerted by Christ, seen as the victim of political oppression, is all-powerful, and almost 80% of the population is Catholic. The icon of the infant Jesus, Santo Niño, can be found in every home. Sometimes, altars are even set up in the living room for prayer. Rosary beads, phrases from the Bible and, above all, the words " God bless you " are often found hanging from the rear-view mirrors of jeepneys, tricycles or private cars. Some Filipinos even sign their names when the vehicle starts up or passes a church. It goes without saying that Filipinos are very religious: churches are packed all day long, and night-time processions are regularly organized. Devotion takes on impressive proportions, sometimes bordering on the mystical. Every year in San Fernando, for example, during Holy Week, the faithful crucify themselves to reproduce Christ's passion by inflicting the same suffering on themselves. The religious festivals of Holy Week give rise to very special devotions. Wood carvings parade around, showing the suffering Christ and pathetic virgins. The glow of the candles and the silence of the contemplation that takes place give way to a special atmosphere. Silences are broken only by prayers and the sound of drums. The songs express the faith, pain and hope of the Filipino people.
Other Christian communities
Protestantism was introduced by the first Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries who arrived with American soldiers in 1899. Today, Protestantism is the country's third-largest religious group (5.5% of the population), behind Islam. At the beginning of the 20th century, two independent Philippine churches were organized and are still important today. These are the Aglipayan (Philippine Independent Church), named after its founder Gregorio Aglipay, and the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ), founded in 1902 and 1914 respectively. The Aglipayan church blends Catholic liturgy with Filipino traditions, and has been exported to countries such as the USA, Canada and Australia, where the Filipino community has a strong presence. The Iglesia ni Cristo advocates stricter adherence to the teachings of the Bible, and its members are required, for example, not to drink, smoke or gamble. The number of its followers has grown considerably, to almost 3% of the population. Its churches, with their unique and imposing architecture, are landmarks in almost every major city.
Importance of Islam
Islam was introduced to the Philippines in the 14th century during trade between the Arabs and Southeast Asia, and resisted evangelization by Spanish settlers. Today, it is the country's second largest religious group, behind Catholicism. an estimated 6.5% of the population is Muslim. The majority live in the south of the country, in the Mindanao region and surrounding islands, where a third of the population is Muslim. Muslim communities face numerous problems of discrimination and poverty, as well as long-standing conflicts between the government and extremist and separatist groups in the south of the region.
Pagan rituals
Pagan aborigines are Anito - " anito " means "spirit". Anito worship involves making offerings and incantations. The offerings, called " halads ", are victuals placed on an altar, a small platform made of branches and palm leaves raised in a tree. Spirit worship is cultivated and deeply rooted. For example, the tribesman uses the poison of certain plants to catch fish in the river. Occasionally, he is struck down by a strange illness. When this happens, the man believes he has offended the river spirits, and must appease them by performing rituals called " babaylans ", during which the village priest burns incense and sings by the river. He then goes before the altar to involve the river spirit in the offerings. Rituals in tune with nature are repeated. A supreme creator named Mambabaya balances earth and space. Rocks, mountains, trees and rivers are venerated. Spiritual life is closely linked to natural disasters such as typhoons, tidal waves, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, all of which are associated with mysticism and superstition.
Superstitions
All kinds of superstitions are alive and well in the Philippines. Supernatural phenomena always arouse the interest of the population. Indeed, Filipinos are very sensitive to all kinds of animistic beliefs, which are present in the legends of elders and ethnic groups. Stories are told with great verve and seem to spice up everyday life: people believe in the magic of Anting-anting, talismans carefully prepared by witchdoctors to ward off bad luck (you may be offered some as a sign of friendship); they believe in the powers of the wack-wack witchdoctors of Siquijor; they believe in the gifts of the healers of Baguio; they believe in ghosts, ghosts, fairies and mythological monsters. But most of all, we believe in the evil and over-powerful Aswang, who takes the form of a dog, cat or pig and surprises pregnant women and children at night. In the same vein, the Manananggal is believed to be a trunk woman who flies over and watches over the houses of pregnant women, and when the latter are asleep, her giant tongue pierces the roofs of the houses and captures the babies... This mixture of superstition and folklore is still very much alive today.
