Spanish influence on Filipino culture

The 1st millennium saw the rise of the harbor principalities and their growth into maritime states composed of autonomous barangays independent of, or allied with larger nations which were either Malay thalassocracies, led by Datus or Indianized kingdoms governed by Rajahs.

Chavacano, a Spanish-based creole, is spoken in the Zamboanga Peninsula (where it is an official language), Davao, and Cotabato in Mindanao, and Cavite in Luzon.

However, the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the fourteenth president of the Philippines and a Hispanophone, reintroduced the study of Spanish into the state school system.

After the Spanish conquest of the Philippine islands, many early Christianized Filipinos assumed surnames based on religious instruments or the names of saints.

This produced the Catálogo alfabético de apellidos ("Alphabetical Catalogue of Surnames") listing Hispanicized Chinese and Filipino words, names, and numbers.

During fiestas, most communities organise church services and religious processions in honor of a patron saint, hold funfairs and concerts, and feast with a variety of Filipino foods.

Every year on the 3rd Sunday of January, the Philippines celebrates the festival of the "Santo Niño" (Holy Child Jesus), the largest being held in Cebu City.

They include: In the business community, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) plays an integral role in the economic, political and social development of the nation.

During the first half of the 20th-century commerce, and industrial trades with other Hispanic countries declined due to the United States administration of the Philippines and the Second World War.

1998 marked the centennial celebration of Philippine independence and opened a new opportunity for both Hispanic and Filipino businesses to reconnect their historic ties as trade partners.