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THE FILIPINOS ARE A BLEND OF SEVERAL ETHNICITIES, MAINLY MALAY ANCESTRY, DUE TO THEIR TRADE AND COLONIZATION HISTORY.

• PRE-COLONIAL - TRADES WITH DUTCH AND ASIAN INDIANS.
  
  
• 10^th CENTURY - BEGINNING OF EXTENSIVE TRADE WITH CHINA
  
  
• 12^th CENTURY - ARRIVAL OF ARAB TRADERS, ESTABLISHMENT OF ISLAM RELIGION IN THE SOUTH.
  
  
• 1521 TO 1898 - SPANISH CONQUEST, CATHOLIC RELIGION AS MAJOR INFLUENCE.
  
  
• 1762 - BRITISH INVASION (BRIEF)
  
  
• 1899 TO 1946 - AMERICAN COLONIZATION, PROTESTANT RELIGION
  
  
• 1941 TO 1945 - WAR WITH JAPAN (WW II)
  
  
• 1946 - PHILIPPINE INDEPENDENCE (CONDITION: U.S. RETAIN MILITARY BASES AND CONTROL OVER ECONOMY)

THIS CULTURAL GROUP IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT POSSESSES THE CONGLOMERATION OF SPIRITUAL VALUES OF ASIA, ISLAMIC INFLUENCE, RICH CHRISTIAN VALUES OF EUROPE AND PRAGMATIC AND DEMOCRATIC VALUES OF AMERICA.

THE VALUES AND WAYS OF LIFE ARE SHAPED BY SEVERAL (SOMETIMES CONFLICTING) CULTURES RESULTING IN A BLEND KNOWN AS FILIPINO.