PHILIPPINES AND VIETNAM;

ANY DIFFERENCE?

A comparative and comprehensive study towards the differences and similarities between the
culture, traditions, and beliefs of Vietnam and the Philippines

PREPARED BY : JR N. CABERTE
SECTION: G10-RIZAL
TO BE SUBMITTED TO: MR. JOSE DELA PEA

INTRODUCTION

Vietnamese and Filipino people have always been mistaken of being the other race.
Most people couldnt really tell the difference (in terms of physical appearance).
So why did I decide to choose Philippines and Thailand amongst other countries to
choose from? My answer is simple; since there are hardly any physical difference
in both countries, it made me want to know what made Vietnam (and other
neighboring Asian countries) physically related to us and that if the physical
similarities between the two countries have something to do with the other
countrys culture and way of living.
Ive never really thought about researching about Vietnam, because, first of all, I
dont belong to their country and having knowledge about Vietnam wouldnt really
benefit me (besides making me a bit well-rounded). Ive researched about other
countries because of the want and urge to, but researching about Vietnam was all
because of the curiosity to how the Philippines and Vietnam are both similar and
different.
This research will contain information regarding the culture, literature, traditions,
and beliefs of the two countries. Under these strands would be both countries
religion, economy, government, food and delicacies.

(The following information and data Ive gathered here are mostly opinionated, as
I based them from blogs and forums of people who have traveled and experienced
both countries.)

I. OVERVIEW OF THE TWO COUNTRIES

PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is an are consisting of approximately 7,100 islands. It covers a

land area of 298,170 square kilometers that is home to more than 78,425,000
Filipinos. Its climate is classified as tropical
marine, which plays a significant role in the
nations agricultural output. These islands are
prone to natural disasters such as, earthquakes,
typhoons, and extreme rainfall during monsoon
season, which lasts from May to October. The
major crops of the Philippines include rice, corn,
coconuts, and sugarcane. Its natural resources
provide an abundant supply of maganese, nickel,
cobalt, and other minor iron ores.
With a population more than 100 million people,
the Philippines is the seventh-most populated
country in Asia and the 12th most populated
country in the world. An additional 12 million
Filipinos live overseas, comprising one of the world's largest diasporas.

Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric
times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were
followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Exchanges with Chinese,
Malay, Indian, and Islamic states occurred. Then, various nations were established
under the rule of Datus, Rajahs, Sultans or Lakans.

VIETNAM

Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is the easternmost country

on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. With an estimated 90.5 million
inhabitants as of 2014, it is the world's 14th-most-populous country, and the
eighth-most-populous Asian country. The name
Vietnam translates as "Southern Viet", it was first
officially adopted in 1802 by Emperor Gia Long,
and was adopted again in 1945 with the founding
of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam under Ho
Chi Minh.

The country is bordered by China to the north,

Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest,
and Malaysia across the South China Sea to the
southeast.[e] Its capital city has been Hanoi since
the reunification of North and South Vietnam in
1975.
Vietnam was then unified under a communist government but remained
impoverished and politically isolated. In 1986, the government initiated a series of
economic and political reforms which began Vietnam's path towards integration
into the world economy. By 2000, it had established diplomatic relations with all
nations.

Since 2000, Vietnam's economic growth rate has been among the highest in the
world, and, in 2011, it had the highest Global Growth Generators Index among 11
major economies. Its successful economic reforms resulted in its joining the World
Trade Organization in 2007.

II. VARIATIONS IN CULTURE

PHILIPPINE CULTURE

HOSPITALITY/HELPFULNESS

Filipinos are helpful people.Their bayanihan spirit makes it possible for the people
to build houses, move houses, plant crops, harvest crops, build roads and other
things with little expense. The people of the community help one another in doing
this. Bayanihan is also an occasion for fun because it brings the people of the
community together. It means getting together or helping one another in a common
project or work. Many hands make light work is the idea behind the bayanihan.
Cultural Quirks
The Philippines is a land apart from mainland
Southeast Asia not only geographically but also
spiritually and culturally. The countrys
overwhelming Catholicism, the result of 350 years
of Spanish rule, is its most obvious enigma.
Vestiges of the Spanish era include exuberant town
fiestas (festivals), unique Spanish-Filipino colonial
architecture and centuries-old stone churches.
Malls, fast-food chains and widespread spoken
English betray the influence of Spains colonial

successor, the Americans. Yet despite these outside influences, the country remains
very much its own unique entity. The people are, simply, Filipinos and proud of
it. Welcoming, warm and relentlessly upbeat, it is they who captivate and
ultimately ensnare visitors.

RELIGION
The Philippines is one of two predominantly Roman Catholic nations in AsiaPacific, the other being East Timor. From a census
in 2012, Christianity consist about 80% of the
population. Islam is the religion for about 11% of
the population. Buddhism shares 1.8% of the
population, while 3.8% practice other
religions. The remaining 0.6 did not
specify a religion while 11% are
irreligious according to Dentsu
Communication Institute Inc.

LITERATURE
The literature of the Philippines illustrates the Prehistory and European colonial
legacy of the Philippines, written in both Indigenous and Hispanic writing system.
Most of the traditional literatures of the Philippines were written during the
Mexican and Spanish period. Philippine literature is written in Spanish, English, or
any indigenous Philippine languages.

PAINTING

Early Filipino painting can be found in red slip (clay mixed with water) designs
embellished on the ritual pottery of the Philippines such as the acclaimed
Manunggul Jar. Evidence of Philippine pottery-making dated as early as 6,000 BC
has been found in Sanga-sanga Cave, Sulu and Laurente Cave, Cagayan

VIETNAMESE CULTURE

The culture of Vietnam is one of the oldest in Southeast Asia, with the ancient
Bronze age Dong Son culture being widely
considered one of its most important
progenitors. Due to 1000 years of Chinese
rule, Vietnam was heavily influenced by
Chinese culture in terms of politics,
government, Confucian social and moral
ethics, and art. Vietnam is considered to be
part of the East Asian cultural sphere.

KINSHIP
Kinship plays an important role in Vietnam. Unlike Western culture's emphasis on
individualism, Eastern culture values the roles of family and clanship. Comparing
with Eastern cultures, Chinese culture values family over clan while Vietnamese
culture values clan over family. Each clan has a patriarch, clan altar, and death
commemorations attended by the whole clan.

MARRIAGE

The traditional Vietnamese wedding is one of

the most important of traditional Vietnamese
occasions. Regardless of Westernization, many
of the age-old customs practiced in a traditional
Vietnamese wedding continue to be celebrated
by both Vietnamese in Vietnam and overseas,
often combining both Western and Eastern
elements. In the past, both men and women
were expected to be married at young ages. Marriages were general ly arranged by
the parents and extended family, with the children having limited say in the matter.
In modern Vietnam, this has changed as people freely choose their own marriage
partners.

FUNERAL CEREMONY
The surviving family wear coarse gauze turbans and tunics for the funeral. There
are two types of funeral processions:
Traditional: The date and time for the funeral
procession, le dua tang, must be carefully
selected. Relatives, friends, and descendants
take part in the funeral procession to
accompany the dead along the way to the
burial ground. Votives are dropped along the
way. At the grave site, the coffin is lowered
and buried. After three days of mourning, the
family visits the tomb again, le mo cua ma, or worship the opening the grave. After
49 days, le chung that, the family stops bringing rice for the dead to the altar.
[clarification needed] And finally, after 100 days, the family celebrates tot khoc, or
the end of the tears. After one year is the ceremony of the first anniversary of the
relative's death and after two years is the ceremony of the end of mourning.
Modern: Nowadays, mourning ceremonies follow new rituals which are
simplified; they consist of covering and putting the dead body into the coffin, the
funeral procession, the burial of the si ke into the grave, and the visits to the tomb.

RELIGION
Religion in Vietnam has historically been
largely

defined by the East Asian mix of

Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism,
known locally as the Tam Gio, or "triple
religion." Beyond Tam Gio, Catholicism
is also practiced in modern Vietnam.
Vietnamese Buddhism has typically been
the most popular. This fits perfectly with the "triple religion" concept, making it
difficult for many Vietnamese to identify exactly which religion they practice.[4]

LITERATURE
Vietnamese literature includes two major components: folk literature and written
literature. The two forms developed simultaneously
and are profoundly interrelated.
Vietnamese folk literature came into being very early
and had a profound effect on the spiritual life of the
Viet. The folk literature contributed to the formation
of Vietnam's national identity with praising beauty,
humanism, and the love of goodness. Legends, fairy
tales, humorous stories, folk songs, epic poems have a
tremendous vitality and have lived on until today.

SILK PAINTING

Vietnamese silk painting is one of the most popular forms

of art in Vietnam, favored for the mystical atmosphere
that can be achieved with the medium. During the 19th
and 20th centuries, French influence was absorbed into
Vietnamese art and the liberal and modern use of color
especially began to differentiate Vietnamese silk
paintings from their Chinese, Japanese and Korean
counterparts.

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND VIETNAM

The Philippine Islands and Vietnam share a number of important similarities that
make their cultures similar. The Philippines is a group of islands while Vietnam is
a long coastal piece of land.
The Philippines is made up of islands and form a part of the geography of the
Malay Archipelago. The islands are about 750 miles east off the coast of Vietnam.
On the east is the Philippine Sea and on the south is the Celebes Sea and the on the
west is the South China Sea. The Philippines has about 7100 islands, and only 460
are more than 1 sq. mile. The plain rains goes into the Agno River in the north and
by the Pampanga River in the south. Luzon has a narrow, mountain range to the
southeast called the Bicol Peninsula. On Mindanao, another one of the largest
islands of the Philippines, the Diuata Mountains borders the pacific coast and in
the west is the valley of the Agusan River. The coast lines all of the islands giving
the Philippines the longest coastline.
Though the Philippines and Vietnam have two distinct cultures, physical
similarities between the two nations make it a solid basis of comparison for
differing economic systems. Because of these outward similarities between the
two, we can better understand how political and economic ideology can play a
crucial role in a countrys development.
The Philippines, which runs under a free market economy, similar to the USs
economic system, contrasts Vietnams centrally planned economic system.
Though there have been efforts for economic transition in Vietnam, it has been a
slow process under a socialist republic based government.

CONCLUSION

It is in my opinion that the long-run economic standing of the Philippines will

outpace that of Vietnams. Though the Philippines suffered a much greater blow
than Vietnam during the Asian Crisis, this is only a temporary occurrence. The
market must fluctuate up and down, and sure enough, it is eventually going to
rebound. Since Vietnam does not enjoy the same trading privileges with the US as
the Philippines does, it will not have the same wide range market as the latter.
Because of its political standing, Vietnam is not eligible for most favored nation
status given by the US and other countries.
I have had the privilege of traveling to the Philippines every few years and have
first-hand experience with the sweeping changes taking place there. Going into
Manila and surrounding provinces, I saw many new office buildings, businesses,
and heavy investment from foreign firms. I noticed that it had become much more
westernized than when I previously visited. I believe that the potential growth of
the Philippines had been stymied by corrupt governments of the past. Marcos and
crooked politicians like him set Philippine growth back by several years. Once
political and economic confidence is recaptured, it is my belief that the Philippine
economy will grow at a steady, improving pace. This however will take some
time, since the current conditions in the Philippines is quite poor. Approximately
11% of the population is unemployed and an approximate 14% are underemployed.
Historically, Communist states have seldomly survived for more than two or
three generations. With more that 41% of the current Communist Party members
over the age of fifty, I expect to see political reform in Vietnam within the next
generation of Vietnamese. Vietnam will not be able to sustain or significantly
improve its current economic state in the long-term future.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PHILIPPINES AND VIETNAM

NATIONAL IDENTITY:
The Philippines has long been struggling to attain democratic state. The ideals of
its people are based on the American model of democratic government and
competitive markets. The most contemporary example of this struggle can be seen
from 1965 to 1986, when Marcos declared Martial Law, giving himself dictator
status over the islands. Under his reign civil rights were ignored, the Philippine
Congress suspended, and corruption drained the national economy of billions. He
had jailed or killed political enemies and gave selective raises/ promotions to
friends and associates. After Marcos dictatorship was overthrown in 1986 by a
civilian coup led by Aquino, it was made clear that the toleration of crooked
government parties were a thing of the past. Since then Filipinos have done
everything to make sure that their democratic way freedoms and way of life are
preserved. On November 29, 2000, President Joseph Estrada, a supposed friend of
the poor in the Philippines, was impeached for his acceptance of more than $10
million in bribes and his role in illegal gambling organization.
In Vietnam, sentiment regarding political power seems to be mixed. By definition
a Socialist state, Vietnams Communist Party membership is 2.4 million out of the
77 million citizens. The growing discontent of many Vietnamese stems from the
recent human rights violations the government committed when its security forces
arrested several religious leaders and political dissidents in February 2001.The
Vietnamese government has denied several allegations of police beating,
surveillance, and movement restrictions on other ethnic minorities in Vietnam. As
a Result, many of these persecuted parties have chosen to flee to nearby Cambodia.
There has also been tension from within: The Vietnamese Communist Party has
expelled veteran party members who have emerged over the past twelve months as
the most outspoken advocate of fundamental reform in the countrys political
system. Criticisms by the people have been directed towards the stagnant pace of
economic transition being implemented by the government. These people tended
to favor a democratic government over the existing government.
However, those who support the government believe that preserving political
control and stability is more important than speeding up economic transition.
Among these supporters there exists a mentality that socialism is the most justified
form of organization and that the welfare of the state supercedes the welfare of the
state of economy, no matter how inefficient or poor it becomes.
ECONOMIC COMPARISON:

Though geographically close in proximity to each other, the Philippine and

Vietnamese economic systems are worlds apart. Vietnam is one of the few
Communist countries that still exist today. Its centrally based economy leaves
much of the economic planning to its government, while the Philippines runs on a
market economy that features privately owned businesses and corporations.
Since 1989, Vietnam has launches a reform program called, doi moi (meaning
renovation), which was intended to help boost the national economy and raise the
living standards of the people. The basis of doi moi was to introduce aspects of
market economy and the allowance of market driven forces to shape agricultural
and industrial sectors. However, change has been a slow process. There are still
approximately 7,000 to 7,500 state-run enterprises and many of these state firms
operate with major losses because of overall inefficiency. They are kept solvent
primarily because of huge government support.
Under doi moi, Vietnam had a basic liberalization of prices and foreign
trade/investment, which allowed it to compete with other countries a bit more
competitively. The program also attempted to tackle its problems with state
enterprises. Equitiztion planned for the privatization of some state enterprises, but
largely has been a failure. Of the more than 7,000 state firms, only three have
been successfully prepared of privatization.
Much of Vietnams economic future still lies in the hands of the state; however,
there have been some notable improvements in the economy under the doi moi
plan. GDP per head has increased from $362 in 1997 to $403 in 2000. Real GDP
growth for 1999 was 4.8%. And industrial GDP has grown by 13% annually
between 1995 and 1999.[10] Despite promising improvements, the Vietnamese
Politburos reluctance to adopt more changes in market structure stems form its
political ideology. Generally speaking, Vietnamese government views some
capitalist methods as a means to achieve a better socialist state. Like Marx, they
see capitalism merely as a tool to further socialism, but never had the notion of
replacing the Communist Party for a democratic one.

SOURCES/REFERENCES

http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/culture-and-people/philippine-culture
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_Philippines#Religion
http://www.philippinecountry.com/philippine_culture.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/philippines/introduction
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Vietnam#Organization
http://www.vietnam-culture.com/articles-221-34/Tale-of-VietnameseDragon.aspx
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/vietnam.html
http://country-facts.findthedata.com/compare/25-111/Vietnam-vsPhilippines