Indigenous Filipino Spirituality

Indigenous Filipino

Spirituality

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5. Strong faith and Religious Rituals of Aetas

1. Filipino Spirituality

2. Anito Religion

3. Aetas of Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales

4.Relationship with Anitos

Filipino Spirituality

Spirituality is related to the search for the sacred in a person, object or ritual that is above self. Filipinos are known to be religious and spiritual people even before the Spaniards came. Filipinos express their faith by offering sacrifices and rituals.

The Early Filipinos had many animistic practices across different places in the Philippines. They also believe in "Anito".

ANITO RELIGION

Anito Religion - is the belief of entities knows as "Anito" which is considered to be a pure soul, pure spirit or a god. Anito religion is still thriving in some parts of the Philippines today and can be seen in different Catholic practices.

the relationship of anito and filipinos

Example

Mt. Banahaw- On this mountain: caves, rocks, trees, and bodies of water are considered sacred by the devotees. It is believed that Aetas are animist who believed in spirits bound in Nature and Animals.

Pakikipagkapwa

Viewed form to the relationship of Filipinos with anito can be considered as something deep. This deep relationship of Filipinos with “anitos” can still be seen in their religious traditions.

pamumuwesto

Symbolic of a prayerful journey through this life into a future life.

puwesto

Sacred spaces in Banahaw which Filipinos for generations have acknowledged as holy places.

FILIPINOS DEVOTIONS

Mangyans

They consider their departed loved ones as their Gods. These practices in Catholicism, commonly called “popular piety,” can be traced to the long tradition of Filipinos in a religion that has animistic qualities.

Kapampangans

Their devotion is like this Catholic folk practice of venerating the dead Christ. Thus, with their devotion to the Sto. Entierro, whom they call Apung Mamacalulu.

Aetas of Zambales, Bataan and Pampanga

The Aetas are one of the group that preserved their traditional or indigenous spiritual ideas despite the introduction of Christianism. They believe in “anito”(good spirit) and “kamana” (bad spirit).

The Aetas belived in one or more “anitos” and some of these “anitos” are:

Apo Malyari-(the god who make things happen) the supreme being which lives in Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales.

Apo Malyari

Tigbalog

Lueve

(The Great Creator) considered to be the source of life.

God of production and growth of goods.

binagewan

amas

Who moves people to pity, love, unity and peace of heart.

Responsible for change, sickness and death.

Relationship with anitos

If Aetas disturb or offend an anito, the anito can cause illness or death, like Apo Namalyari can cause a natural disaster like the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. So that’s why the spirits must be appeased and a spiritual medium is called to perform ritual and sacrifice.

As historian mentioned that filipinos were predominantly animists, it is believed that Aetas are also animists who believe that spirits abound in the environment in rivers, seas, plants, trees and animals.

Maganito- The link between the Aetas and the spirits.

Anitos resides in some springs, trees, rocks or forested areas which people avoid because they might disturbed or offended them, like;

And also, Mt. Pinatubo is also believed to be the final resting place of the souls of Aeta's ancestors, where their souls will find peace upon their deaths. So the aetas would pray or perform rituals and sacrifices when they faced Mt. Pinatubo.

Mt. Pinatubo

-is considered to be the center of their universe since it is the home of their supreme being or creator, "Apo Namalyari" or Apo Mallari.

Strong Faith and Religious Rituals of Aetas

Aetas religous rituals

Aeta women perform dances and collect shellfish before pig hunting to show gratitude and apology for the killing at the same time.

Aetas have strong faith in God and they still preserve their religious practices to this day. They believed that all of their experience, happy or sad, is the will of god that is for their greater purpose.

Aeta men were also observed to offer a bee dance before collecting honey

Kagon- A ritual were Aetas try to exorcise the demon from the sick person using sticks that are strung together.

Thank you! Thats all.

Jan Steven ButayaFeby Angela Felices Sedrick James Camiguing

1. It is related to the search of sacred in people, object or rituals that is above self.

Questions

2. They are objects or entities considered by the Indigenous Filipinos as pure soul, pure spirit, or a god.

3. Religion that arised from the belief of entity they considered as pure soul, pure spirit, or a god.

4. A viewed form of the relationship of the Filipinos with the anito can be considered as something deep.

5. It is the sacred spaves in Banahaw which Filipinos for generations have acknowledged as a holy places.

6. It is a symbolic of a prayerful journey through this life into a future life.

7. Kapampangan Devotion is like this catholic folk practices of venerating the dead christ. Thus, with their to the Sto. Entierro, whom they call ___?

8. What is the practice that is commonly practiced in catholism, that can be traced to the long tradition of Filipinos in a religion that gas animistic qualities?

9. Aetas believed in anito (good spirit) and ______(bad spirit).

10. One of the Aetas gods, the god who make things happen) the supreme being which lives in Mt. Pinatubo in Zambales.

11. One of the Aetas gods, (The Great Creator) considered to be the source of life.

12. One of the Aetas gods, God of production and growth of goods.

13. One of the Aetas gods, who moves people to pity, love, unity and peace of heart.

14. One of the Aetas gods, Responsible for change, sickness and death.

15. It is believed that Aeta are also_____ who believe that spirits abound in the environment in rivers, seas, plants, trees and animals.

16. What happened if an anito is disturb and offended?

17. It is the link between the Aetas and the spirits.

18. A mouintan that is considered to be the center of their universe since it is the home of their supreme being or creator, "Apo Namalyari" or Apo Mallari.

19. Mt. Pinatubo is also believed to be the ______of the souls of Aeta's ancestors.

20. A ritual,were Aetas try to exorcise the demon from the sick person using sticks that are strung together.