HISTORICALLY SPEAKING THE PHILIPPINES PATCH PROGRAM
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1. The Philippines has more than 7,000 islands within the Pacific Ocean. Only about 1,000 of the islands have people residing on them. Locate The Philippines on a map. What continent is it on? What is the capital city? Identify the flag.

Refer to the activity sheets in the manual for maps and flags.

2. Filipinos that live in the countryside are usually rice farmers. The entire family helps plants the rice and harvest it to sell at the local roadside stands. Filipinos eat rice almost every day. Try some foods from The Philippines or make a recipe from a book or website. Examples include: Sticky rice cakes, adobo, meat stew, halo-halo, fruit dessert and Misua Soup.

Refer to the “ Recipe section” section in the manual for recipes.

3. Dancers in costumes participate in the most popular festival called Panagbenga Festival, a month long celebration in February. Most of the festivals the Filipinos wear their traditional clothing or costumes representing the festivals. Some examples of holidays and festivals include: Dinagyang Festival, Pista Ng Anihan, Alikaraw Festival, Sinulog Festival, Coconut Festival, and Christmas. Visit a cultural celebration or re-creation of a holiday event, OR celebrate the event, OR learn the background of the celebrated holiday or festival. You may also create a drawing or art project, or prepare a food.

Refer to the “ Festival and Craft section” section in the manual for activities and information.

4. Families teach children pakikisama. It is a way of showing kindness and consideration to others. Practice pakikisama by completing a good deed to others.

5. Located on the island of Bohol is the land forms called the chocolate hills. They are green rounded hills that turns the color of chocolate in the dry season. Learn more about the terrain, animals, and plants of The Philippines. Identify flowers and animals found there by having a scavenger hunt in websites, or books about The Philippines. Examples of animals and flowers: Tarsier, gecko, orchid, parrot, binturong, dugong, and water buffalo.

6. There are a large number of languages spoken in the Philippines due to the different backgrounds of people that reside there. Filipino is the official language based for the country. Learn some common words or write some common phrases in the Filipino language.

Refer to the language activity sheet located in the manual..

7. Folktales are an important part of Filipino culture. The stories are passed down for many years and sometimes explains certain animals existence, heroes, good over evil battles, or have a moral. Read a folktale or story such as “Abadeha the Princess” or “The Ape and the Firefly” OR write your own story or act out a play OR draw a character from a tale OR create an art project.

Refer to the “ legend section” section in the manual for stories.

8. The tiniking, stick dancing, and the binusian, dancers balance jars on their head that hold lit candles. There are a variety of dances and songs sung at celebrations. Listen to a song, learn more about the instruments played, try to dance Filipino style, watch a musical show, or play an instrument such as a biyula, (violin), gongs, or drums.

Refer to the “ craft section” section in the manual for stories.

9. Millions of years ago, volcanoes and earthquakes pushed the islands of the Philippines above the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines is part of the Ring of Fire, the chain of volcanoes that circles the Pacific Ocean. It has 21 active volcanoes and over 200 inactive, dormant. Due to their location in the Pacific Ocean they also experience earthquakes, typhoons [hurricanes], tsunamis, and monsoons. Learn how you can prepare for a natural disaster in your area or complete a community service project that assist families that have experienced a natural disaster in their area.

Refer to our Emergency Ready kit for more detail information. Manual offers craft information on how to create a volcano.

10. Some men wear barong tagalongs, or embroidered shirts with pants. Women wear a terno, long dress with puffy sleeves or colorful sayas, long skirt, wrapped around her waist with an embroidered blouse on holidays and special occasions. Draw a picture of the clothing, dress up in a Filipino costumes, create and accessory, or view traditional clothing through books or the internet. Paper dolls dressed in traditional clothing are included in the manual.

There are paperdolls located in the manual to color and read about their clothing.

11. Artists in The Philippines use a variety of materials to create unique items to sell at the local markets. Due to the large variety of seashells found on the island they create wind chimes, jewelry and other crafts. A common item is a sleeping mat woven from sweet pandanus grass. They place the mats underneath their pillow and helps them have sweet dreams. Other handicrafts include: Weaving, carving, knitting, sewing, jewelry making, painting, pottery, sculpting, or artistic crafts depicting the traditional patterns. Create a craft or a drawing using a traditional a Filipino skill OR representing The Philippines OR a festival or holiday craft.

Refer to the “ craft section” section in the manual for activities..

12. Colorful jeepneys, decorated jeeps, are public transportation vehicles on the streets. They are painted in bright colors and covered with stickers, metallic designs, and other bright decorations. Learn more about jeepneys OR decorate your own jeepney on paper.

Activity sheet to decorate your own jeepney in the back of the manual.

14. Do you know where the yo-yo came from? It came to America in the 1930’s but it has been played with by children for many years before that. Fly a boka-boka, kite, through the air or learn to play luksong tinik, players try to jump over a stick that keeps getting higher. Play a game or with a toy from The Philippines or create a game representing a holiday or festival celebrated there.

Refer to the “ game or craft section” section in manual for activities.

15. The Philippine Debut is a coming-of-age celebration for Philippine girls of age 18. They throw a large party, with her own court of 18 people. She wears a beautiful ball gown. There is also an "18 Roses Dance" where 18 males picked by the celebrant beforehand dance with her after presenting her with a single red rose, afterwards the "Father and Daughter Dance" is performed. Other birthday celebrations in The Philippines include enjoying noodles, representing long life, piñatas, and birthday cakes. Attend a father daughter dance celebration, design a ball gown or cake for a coming of age celebration on paper.

Activity sheet to decorate your own gown or cake in the back of the manual.