The arrival of the Spanish colonizers in the 16th century brought the beginning of the Christianization of the people in the Philippines. This phase in history is noted as the tipping point for the destruction of a variety of Anitist beliefs in the country, which were replaced by colonial belief systems that fitted the tastes of the Spanish, notably Christian beliefs. Christianity in form of has influenced Filipino culture in almost every facet, from visual arts, architecture, dance, and music. Presently, the Philippines is one of the two predominantly Catholic (80.58%) nations in Asia-Pacific, the other being East Timor. The country also has its own independent Philippine church, the Aglipayan, which accounts for around 2% of the national population. Other Christian churches are divided among a variety of Christian sects and cults. From the census in 2014, Christianity consisted of about 90.07% of the population and is largely present throughout the nation.[15]
Indigenous Philippine folk religions, also referred collectively as Anitism,[16][17] meaning ancestral religions,[18][19] are the original faiths of the diverse ethnic groups of the Philippines. Much of the texts of the religions are stored through memory which are traditionally chanted, rather than written in manuscripts. Written texts, however, have been utilized as well in modern times to preserve aspects of the religions, notably their stories which are important aspects of Philippine mythology and traditional rites and other practices. These stories consist of creation stories or stories about important figures such as deities and heroes and certain creatures. Some popular, but distinct, figures include the Tagalog's Bathala and Makiling, the Ilocano's Lam-Ang, and the Maranao's Sarimanok.[20]
Many cultures have influenced the indigenous Philippine folk religions due to trade, with many stories from them having similarities with Indonesian and Malay myths, as well as Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian traditions, such as the notion of heaven (kaluwalhatian, kalangitan, kamurawayan, etc.), hell (kasamaan, sulad, etc.), and the human soul (kaluluwa, kaulolan, etc.). The stories from these sacred Filipino religions explain various indigenous concepts, including the nature of the world through the lives and actions of deities (gods, goddesses), heroes, and creatures. The majority of the stories about these religions are passed on through oral tradition, and preserved through the aid of community spiritual leaders or shamans (babaylan, katalonan, mumbaki, baglan, machanitu, walian, mangubat, bahasa, etc.) and community elders, although written texts have also been helpful in the preservation of certain aspects of the religions.
Indigenous Philippine folk religions have already been recognized by scholars as valid religions on their own right. Each ethnic group's indigenous religion in the Philippines has their own distinct stories or myths, pantheon of deities, and belief systems. For example, the religious beliefs of the Maranao people is completely different from the religious beliefs of neighboring Subanon people, while the religious beliefs of the Hiligaynon people is also completely different from the religious beliefs of the neighboring Suludnon people. The Philippines is composed of more than a hundred distinct ethnic peoples, according to a 21st-century map published by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino, the Atlas Filipinas.[21][22][23][24]
Today, many ethnic peoples continue to practice and conserve their unique indigenous religions, notably in ancestral domains, although foreign and foreign-inspired Hispanic and Arabic religions continue to interfere with their life-ways through conversions, land grabbing, inter-marriage, and/or land-buying. Various scholarly works have been made regarding Anitism and its many topics, although much of its stories and traditions are still undocumented by the international anthropological and folkloristic community.[18][25][16][26] Unlike dead religions such as Norse mythology, the indigenous Philippine folk religions are living religions that continue to develop up to this day due to inevitable dynamics in belief systems in the modern century. Because of this natural phenomenon, folk literature or oral stories on a variety of Philippine mythologies concerning the deities, heroes, and creatures have sustainably been multiplying since the pre-colonial era up to the 21st century. Presently, around 2% of the population are adherents to the sacred natives faiths, while more than 90% of the Philippine national population continue to believe in certain indigenous Philippine folk belief systems, despite adhering to another religion, which constitute into forms of Folk Catholicism or Folk Islam.[27][28]
Revitalization attempts
In search of a national culture and identity, away from those imposed by Spain during the colonial age, Filipino revolutionaries during the Philippine revolution proposed to revive the indigenous Philippine folk religions and make them the national religion of the entire country. However, due to the war against the Spanish and, later, American colonizers, focus on the revival of the indigenous religions were sidelined to make way for war preparations against occupiers.[29]
Due to the influx of Christianity, Islam, and other world religions, the indigenous practices, rituals, and spiritual performances and knowledge of Filipinos are fast disappearing. Cultural workers in the country suggest the Paiwan Model to preserve indigenous religions in the country. The model pushed for the preservation of indigenous religions and the establishment of schools of shamanism where religious leaders teach their apprentices the native religion of their specific ethnic group so that it will never be lost. The model showed great results when it was first undertaken in neighboring Taiwan. As of 2018, there is no established school of shamanism in the Philippines, making the hundreds of indigenous religions in the country in great peril from extinction due to influx of colonial-era and colonial-inspired religions.[30]
Islam
Islamic mythology arrived in the Philippines in the 13th century through trade routes in Southeast Asia. The spread of Islam established a variety of belief systems, notably in the southwestern portions of the archipelago, where the sultanate system was embraced by the natives without the need for forced conversions, as the religious traders did not intended to colonize the islands. Presently, around 6% of the population are Muslims, concentrating in the Bangsamoro region in Mindanao. Most Filipino Muslims practice Sunni Islam according to the Shafi'i school.[15]
Others
Hinduism arrived in the Philippines in 200–300 AD while Vajrayana Buddhism arrived around 900 AD. Most adherent of Hinduism have Indian origins while those practicing Buddhism have Chinese or Japanese origins, notably those who immigrated in the Philippines in the last few decades. Shintoism arrived prior to the 12th century due to Japanese traders, while Judaism arrived in the 16th century due to the Inquisition. Taoism is also practiced by some Chinese immigrants. Atheism is also found in the Philippines.[31][15]
