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Education is deeply regarded in the Philippines, as both the national government and individuals of all economic statuses invest heavily in schooling. Most Filipinos view proper schooling as the main means of upward mobility in society. As of 2015, 97.5% of Filipinos were literate, though that number has increased in recent years.

Six years of schooling is compulsory and free and begins at age six; students graduate high school at 16 before going onto college, and over recent decades the Filipino government has worked to improve public schooling in the country as well as working to offer financial support to help low-income residents receive high education (Aspect Foundation).

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An archipelagic democratic republic consisting of more than 7,600 islands, written history in the Philippines dates back to the 10th century, with evidence of pre-recorded society suggesting cultures well before that.

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Colonization of the Philippines began in the 16th century, when Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos landed there and claimed it for Spain. The name comes from then-Prince (eventually king) Philip.

Spanish settlement there lasted until 1898, at the culmination of the Filipino Revolution, when the Philippines declared its independence. However, the country was ceded to the United States as a ramification of the Spanish-American War, and the U.S. immediately annexed it. This led to a wave of Philippine-to-U.S. immigration, the first of multiple which was seen during the 20th century.

After the United States granted the Philippines Commonwealth status in the mid 1930s, Japan invaded during WWII. It wasn't until the mid-20th century that the Philippines achieved true independence.

As a result of the country's history of forced settlement by other countries, the Philippines has a culture influenced by Spain, the United States, and geographically local Southeast Asian countries.

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As a result of centuries-long Spanish occupancy, Roman Catholicism dominates Filipino religion. About 80% of Filipinos identify as Roman Catholic, with another 11% identifying as another Christian sect. About 5% of the population practices Islam.

Although the constitution decrees the separation of church and state, religion can be taught in some public schools, and 60% of Filipinos report going to religious services at least once per week.

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Like many countries, food is a major part of Filipino culture, and Filipinos are proud of their cuisine, which is usually described as a blend of Southeast Asian, Chinese and Spanish: “Dishes such as lumpia (egg rolls), pancit (noodles) and the country's most famous dish lechon (roast pig), originated in China. Some traditional dishes are still called by their Spanish names” (Aspect Foundation). Filipinos tend to eat three meals per day, with snacks in between, and dinner being the largest (Aspect Foundation).

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Other tenets of Filipino culture include crotchet and weaving, “ranging from the pinya cloth, a sheer fabric made of fibers of the leaf of the pineapple plant, to colorful tapestries and waist cloths hand-woven by different tribes of Western mercerized cotton threads” (Aspect Foundation). Music is also an important part of the culture, with the two most traditional instruments of Filipinos being gongs and the kutyapi, a two-stringed plucked lute, though the piano and guitar and modernly more popular (Aspect Foundation). Studying and practicing playing an instrument is a sign of status in the Philippines, and contrary to many music programs in the United States, practicing an instrument is viewed as an extra-curricular activity rather than a school-offered program as a part of the educational curriculum (Aspect Foundation).

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Since the end of World War II, the Philippines has been one of the largest sources of American immigrants, and as Gallardo & Batalova report: “The pace [of Filipino immigration] escalated towards the end of the 20th century. In 2018, just over 2 million Filipinos lived in the United States, accounting for 4.5 percent of the country’s 44.7 million immigrants. This was a quadrupling since 1980, when there were 501,000 Filipino immigrants in the United States.” The pace slowed slightly during the 2010s, and Filipino-Americans now represent the fourth-largest immigrant group in the United States, behind India, China and Mexico (Gallardo & Batalova, 2020). Furthermore, the United States is “home to by far the largest number of Filipinos abroad” (Gallardo & Batalova, 2020).

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Although teenagers have similar recreational activities in both American and Filipino culture (e.g., dances, movies, shopping, sports), often Filipinos do these activities in groups rather than alone or with one other person (Aspect Foundation). Similarly, although Filipino teenagers tend to begin dating around the same age as Americans, Filipinos have a lesser focus on physical intimacy; in fact, discussions on sex and having sex are looked down upon in Filipino culture not only by elders, but also by peers (Aspect Foundation). Because public drunkenness is a source of embarrassment for Filipinos, few Filipino teenagers engage in drinking alcohol, as opposed to many American teenagers, who tend to begin alcoholic and sexual experimentation during adolescence and young adulthood (Aspect Foundation).

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Manila is the largest city and capital of the Philippines.

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Public schools in the Philippines are taught bilingually (Filipino and English). As is the case with language, Filipinos are exposed to some American norms from a young age, and “Because of the years of U.S. military presence in the Philippines, most North American gestures are recognized and understood” (Aspect Foundation). However, this is not all-encompassing, and there are certain American standard practices that are viewed differently by Filipinos. For example, pointing at people or objects is considered rude by many people in the Philippines, and physical interactions between males and females in public (e.g., a handshake) is a relatively recent development (Aspect Foundation).