The Spaniards colonized the Philippines for over three centuries and by the Americans for about half a century. Because of this long period of colonization, it is to be expected that there will be some elements in our culture that are left-over from much earlier times. Many Filipinos today still follow Spanish customs like the celebration of fiestas, some of which are religious. Many Filipinos have surnames from the Spaniards, for example, Cojuangco. Still, there are also Filipinos with Chinese names like Co Lee or Ong, so these were derived from the southern traders before Spanish rule.
The Western colonial mentality believes that it's better to be white, that other races are inferior. The colonial mentality is the belief that it's better to be rich than poor. The colonial mentality is also acceptance of authority without question and thinking there's nothing wrong with having an authoritarian leader. This type of mentality was transmitted through the education system, where it was ingrained in students' minds that Westerners were superior.
Filipinos today are exposed to foreign cultures through television, books, magazines and the Internet. But Filipinos need to remember that they should not be influenced by foreign culture because if their own culture is being marginalized, then it's no longer Filipino anymore.
