Philippine Symbols: Carriers Of Philippine Culture And Identity

Symbols are representation of things and ideologies. Philippine symbols of the country are the perfect representation of what the Philippines is as a country, it's culture and a representation of its people as well.

The national symbol is roughly defined as a symbol of an entity considering itself and manifesting itself to the whole world as a national community even though there will be that absence of political autonomy. National symbols like the symbols of the Philippines are intended to unify and unite its population by effectively creating that visual, verbal and iconic representation of the people, its values, goals or even history. Often these symbols are used as well as a rallying point in order to fan patriotism.

In most countries the traditional and common official national symbols may include the following:

. Philippine Flag

. Coat of arms, or the seal

. Motto

. National color

. Emblematic animals and plants

. Abstract symbols

. National anthems

. Buildings unique to the state

. Office of head of state and a few more symbols

In terms of Philippine symbols, the interested student will be surprised to know that there are a lot of symbols associated with the country and these symbols carry the national identity. The following is a listing of some of the famous Philippine symbols used by the country.

. 'Bahay Kubo'. This is a type of house unique to the country and used as a major country symbol. The roofs of the first houses in the country are called nipa huts and the houses are soon named 'Bahay Kubo'.

These roofs are often high pitched and these are usually open-gabled in order to allow proper ventilation. The special construction of the house will protect the house during the typhoon season. Usually the roof of this type of house will have wide overhang eaves that can effectively provide shade from the hot sun.

. 'Sampaguita'. This is considered as the national flower of the country and this was adopted as the national flower or the national symbol of the country in 1934. This flower is also made the national flower of Indonesia.

. Philippine Eagle. This is considered as the national bird of the country. This eagle is also known as the monkey-eating eagle and this is a powering predator in the lush forests of the country. This is also one of the rarest eagles in the world right now. And according to some studies, there are only 500 birds left in the country.

. Carabao. This is known as the 'kalabaw' in the Filipino language. This is the domesticated type of water buffalo. This animal is often associated with the farmers of the country in the countryside and this animal is used in the farm to plow the fields and this animal is also used to haul farm produce from the farm to the market.

. Narra. This is the national tree of the Philippines and this is a large and a shady tree. This grows in almost all parts of the country, and this tree is abundant in Mindanao, Cagayan Valley and the forests of Bicol.

. Barong Tagalog. If there is one type of clothing that carries the Filipino identity and spirit, then that clothing will be the Barong Tagalog. This clothing is loose and airy and the design and the construction of this piece of clothing is similar to the Indo-Malay. The elongated effect of the clothing is reminiscent of the Hindu dressing and its use of restraint in terms of ornaments is similar to European men's clothing. Through the years, this piece of clothing has retained much of its look.

. Maria Clara. The Maria Clara is used as a symbolism for the true Filipina. The name can be traced to the character created by Jose Rizal in one of his books. The Maria Clara can refer to the person, pure and simple in ways and this can also refer to the clothing itself which is rich in detail and known for its vibrancy.

All these Philippine symbols tell a story about what the Philippines as a nation is and tells the foreigners what the Philippine culture and identity means.