Culture is what people eat, how they dress , beliefs they hold and activities they

practice. Globalization has joined different cultures and made it into something
different. There are three things that could be affected: Food culture, traditional
attire and traditional performing arts.

The Effect of Globalization on Philippine Culture

This was the speech I delivered in our speech communication class as a final
requirement. I really liked the topic of globalization because it is a very complex yet
very relevant concept today. (",)\m/ Hope you learn something...
Good morning! Ladies and Gentlemen.

Let me begin by sharing to you two of my friends. My first friend loves to eat. His
favorite food is McDonalds fried chicken. And he always craves for that crispy and
juicy fried chicken with lots of gravy. He really likes McDonalds that he even looks
like Ronald. Then, my other friend is more into music. She spends a lot of time
listening music in her 16GB Ipod. And her favorite singer is no less than Justin
Bieber or JB. She really loves JB that she would even scream each time JB appears
on T.V. Now, can you spot something common on both of them? Its the effects of
the process of globalization. This process has affected the way we communicate, we
think, we eat, we dress and we live our lives. In short, globalization has transformed
our culture, our Filipino culture.

Globalization has become one of the most popular buzzword used by different
people worldwide. So what is globalization? It is the integration of the economic,
political and cultural systems across the globe? Or is the McDonaldization or,
perhaps, Americanization of world culture and United States dominance of world
affairs? Is globalization good or bad?

These questions would receive very different answers from Washington, Berlin,
Tokyo, New Delhi, Beijing, Manila and other places worldwide. Indeed, simple
answers to these questions, answers that people from different walks of life in
different countries would agree on, would be virtually impossible to reach. But let us
have a balanced and comprehensive definition of globalization. According to
Globalization101.org,

"Gobalization is the acceleration and intensification of interaction and integration

among people, companies and governments of different nations. And this process
has effects on human well-being, on the environment, on economic development
and, most importantly, on culture. "
The process of globalization has instituted profound impact on culture since ancient
times. The Phoenician traders impact on ancient Greek culture, Chinese silk and
jars used in pre-historic Philippines and the spread of coffee, chocolate and tobacco
from Latin America to the world are few of the examples of globalization of culture.
In todays modern world, globalization has become more complex and pervasive.
And this is brought by different factors that have compounded through time. Among
these factors are as follow: The shift to a new mode of production and distribution
or, simply, capitalism; improved and cheaper cost of transportation and
communication; colonization; proliferation of mass media; and recently, the rise of
computers.
Culture, as way of life shared by a certain group of people in a certain society, has
created a unique identity as that of British, Chinese or Filipino. But today, culture
has become the arena of contention on the issue of globalization. And with the
unprecedented presence of globalization, Castells argues that globalization has
eroded differences in culture and produced a seamless global system of culture and
economic values. Hence, are we having a common culture or a dominant culture
over another? I say, it depends on how we view globalization of culture in relation to
values. It depends on whether one thinks that local cultures should be protected
from outside influence, or whether one thinks that new cultural creativity results
from interaction and mixing of ideas from different cultures.

In our own culture, the effects of globalization are immense and diverse. Now, let us
look some of these effects. The usage of English language is one of the most
apparent effects of globalization on our culture. Although English is important for us
to be globally competitive, it has undervalued our native languages. And it has
become a pre-requisite to everyone who is seeking for a higher status in society.
Another, who wouldnt recognize Avatar, Barney, Glee, Rain, Wonder Girls or Kobe
Bryant? Globalization has made it possible for us to be wired and plugged into T.V.
programmes, movies, news, lifestyles, and entertainment of other countries. In
return, many Filipinos, especially youth, have forgotten the traditional Filipino
activities such as Moro-Moro, Kundiman, Sarsuela, etc. Moreover with the growth of
access to internet, most young Filipinos would spend more time in playing computer
games and updating their statuses on Facebook or Twitter than playing sports or
doing productive work at home.

These may seem negative effects on our culture but let us look at the other side of
the coin. Heard of Mr. Kenneth Cobonpue or Ms. Monique Lhuillier? They are Filipinos
whose ideas and designs have brought international acclamation and caught the
attention of foreigners and Hollywood stars. In music and entertainment, the songs
of singer Apl d Ap of Black Eyed Peas is one of the manifestation of how he has
integrated Filipino language in his music. And globalization has also paved way for
our culture to be appreciated by the world through international fair trade, cultural
shows abroad and other international activities.

In sum, globalization of culture has created both positive and negative effects on
culture. In our own culture, globalization has improved our way of living and created
an impetus for us to strive for a better life. But in the process, it has changed some
of our traditional ways of life, practices, beliefs and ideologies. Hence, globalization
is neither good nor bad. Rather, certain aspects of the complex and multi-faceted
process of globalization have effects that can be viewed in different ways depending
on the values at stake.
effects of Globalization
As discussed earlier, Globalization refers to the greater international movement of commodities, money,
information, and people; and the development of technology, organizations, legal systems, and
infrastructures to allow this movement. The effects that Globalization has had on the modern day living of
mankind are as follows:
International Cultural exchange
Multiculturalism
Diversity
Greater international travel and tourism
Greater immigration, including illegal immigration
Spread of local consumer products (e.g., food) to other countries (often adapted to their culture)
World-wide fads and fashions
World-wide sporting events such as Cricket world cup
Formation or development of a set of universal values
Development of a global telecommunications infrastructure
Greater trans-border data flow,
Increase in the number of standards applied globally; e.g. copyright laws, patents and world trade
agreements.
International criminal court and international justice movements.
Development of world-wide commerce
Improvement in standard of living
Corporate Imperialism: Dominance of MN

the following happened in the Philippines due to globalization.

1. Further decrease in some of the older Filipino traditions. Western practices

and mentality are becoming more common.
2. Rise of Business Process Outsourcing to the Philippines. The BPO industries
have significantly helped increase the countrys GDP. The Philippines has stolen the
title Call Center capital of the world from India years ago.
3. Consumerism mentality. Mass media are widely distributed and it can easily make
an influence worldwide. International brands are more accessible locally too (e.g., iPhone,
Starbucks).

In addition to the answer given by Steven de Guzman, the major effect of globalization was the
opening of jobs overseas for Filipinos of all social classes. Examples of such are:

Filipino medical professionals (doctors, nurses, caregivers) to work in the USA, Europe,
and the Middle East;
English-speaking schoolteachers and educators to developing countries in Africa, Latin
America, and the USA;
Nannies and domestic workers to Hongkong, Singapore, Europe, and the Middle East;
Construction workers, technicians, and engineers to the Middle East and elsewhere;
Seamen/sailors to the US Navy and civilian merchant ships;
Chefs, cooks, hotel staff, and entertainers on cruise ships, hotels, and understaffed
resorts;
IT professionals and computer programmers to help companies solve the Y2K problem;
Security professionals employed by private military contractors and deployed to
troubled countries;
 Highly trained finance and administrative staff or managers to various companies
overseas.
This diaspora has led to the spread of Filipinos and their culture to all parts of the globe. It also led to
increased problems of Filipinos stranded or oppressed in foreign lands far away from government
support. The hard-working fathers or mothers were separated for years from their families even as
their children grew up in the care of grandparents, aunts and uncles, or cousins.

The cash sent home by the Overseas Filipino Workers helped prop up a stagnant economy that could
not generate enough jobs inside the country because of numerous legal restrictions on the foreign
ownership of businesses and land.

Globalization has also gone the other way to bring in more foreign visitors and long-term residents:

It was the recognition of the strength, quality, and lower costs of Philippine education
with its English-based medium of instruction that enduced foreign students to enroll for
high school and college education in local schools. English-speaking tutors and teachers
are getting increased income from the influx of foreign students.
Successful advertisement and promotional campaigns such as WoW (Worlds of
Wonder) Philippines and It's More Fun in the Philippines brought in more tourists from
North America and Europe. The rise of tourism has effectively brought new income
streams to mountain and coastal communities and stopped or reduced the destructive
gathering of forest and marine resources by poor marginalized Filipinos.
Establishment of the Philippine Retirement Authority set up a one-stop-shop to
streamline the inflow and settlement of retired foreigners into the country. This led to
increased income for residences and dormitories, domestic helpers, drivers, janitorial
services, security, etc.
The inflow of foreigners to the Philippines is warmly accepted and preferred by many Filipinos and
helps to alleviate the chronic poverty and wealth imbalance between the few super-rich clans and the
impoverished masses. Increased inter-cultural interactions will bring about faster changes in
lifestyle, language, and behaviors among the Filipinos. It also resulted in more inter-racial marriages
between Filipinos and various ethnicities and nationalities such that mixed-race individuals have
become more numerous in the local Philippine population as well as abroad.