CULTURE & ARTS
Like a cultured pearl, Philippine culture has grown through a long and slow process of accretion. Indian, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, American and other foreign influences have added their luster to the original kernel. As a result, Philippine art, literature, beliefs, customs and traditions, morals, knowledge and laws have been significantly enriched. The preservation, enrichment and dynamic evolution of a Filipino national culture based on the principle of unity in diversity and nurtured in a climate of free artistic and intellectual expression is guaranteed in the Philippine Constitution.
The Philippines has an active artistic and cultural life. There are concerts and recitals, plays and drama presentations on stage and television, painting and art exhibitions, museum displays, lectures and discussions, dance performances and workshops, and film festivals. The Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila coordinates artistic and cultural activities throughout the country. It also serves as a national venue for the performing arts. Within the complex are the main Theatre, Folk Arts Theatre, Manila Film Center , art galleries, a museum and a library. The National Museum , together with the National Library, are the official repositories of the country's historical and cultural heritage.
Music
The Philippines has a diverse musical culture. Spanish religious and secular music have influenced the kundiman of the Tagalogs, the balitaw of the Visayans and the dallot of the Ilocanos. These are often sentimental and melodic tunes accompanied by a guitar. Distinctive music is also produced by the cultural minorities with gongs and bamboo nose flutes. Filipinos enjoy a wide range of music, from pop, rock and jazz to classical.
Dance
Dance in its various forms—from folk dance, classical ballet, jazz and modern dance to the latest craze—finds expression in the Philippines . Pioneers have done much to preserve traditional folk dances, by elevating the folk dance to the stage.
Literature
The ancient Filipinos had a strong oral tradition. Folk epics, creation myths, legends and fables, and songs and poems relating the deeds of gods and heroes were handed down from generation to generation.
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