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Understanding Culture
Society and Politics
Quarter 1: Week 4 - Module 4

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Understanding Culture Society and Politics
Grade 11/12 Quarter 1: Week 4 - Module 4
First Edition, 2020

Copyright © 2020
La Union Schools Division
Region I

All rights reserved. No part of this module may be reproduced in any form without written
permission from the copyright owners.

Development Team of the Module

Author: JERMIE B. SOTERO, T-II

Editor: SDO La Union, Learning Resource Quality Assurance Team

Illustrator: Ernesto F. Ramos Jr., P II

Management Team:

Atty. Donato D. Balderas, Jr.

Schools Division Superintendent

Vivian Luz S. Pagatpatan, Ph.D.

Assistant Schools Division Superintendent

German E. Flora, Ph.D., CID Chief

Virgilio C. Boado, Ph.D., EPS in Charge of LRMS

Mario B. Paneda, Ed.D., EPS in Charge of Araling Panlipunan

Michael Jason D. Morales, PDO II

Claire P. Toluyen, Librarian II

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Understanding Culture
Society and Politics
Quarter 1: Week 4 - Module 4

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Target

Due to our current situation brought by COVID pandemic, the face-to-face

way of conducting schooling is not advisable for our own safety. However, the
importance of education to our learners is indispensable. Thus, formal education
must be acquired in any means that both educators and learners can do. Let us
continue our learning process in this new normal of education.

This course aims to provide students’ ideas about human cultures, human
agency, society and politics; recognize cultural relativism and social inclusiveness
to overcome prejudices; and develop social and cultural competence to guide their
interactions with groups, communities, networks, and institutions.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

 Analyze the significance of cultural, social, political and economic symbols

and practices.

Specific Learning Objective

 Trace the biological and cultural evolution of early to modern humans.

 Explore the significance of human material remains and artefactual evidence

in interpreting cultural and social, including political and economic,
processes.

 Recognize national, local, and specialized museums, and archaeological and

historical sites as venues to appreciate and reflect on the complexities of
biocultural and social evolution as part of being and becoming human.

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Jumpstart

Let us start with a few activities in order to understand the lesson

Activity 1: Recall Me! The result will determine your prior knowledge.

I. Correct or Incorrect. Write the word Correct if the idea of the statement is
true and the write word Incorrect if otherwise.
1. Apes and human have similarities in biological anatomy and capacity
for culture.

2. As the environment changes, our society and way of life also change.

3. Stone tools offer archaeologists hints about the lifestyle of early homo
sapiens.

4. Earliest people believed in supernatural being or gods.

5. The market economic system was founded during the agrarian stage of
society.

6. Foraging was an economic activity started during the Metal Age.

7. The practice of agriculture was known during the late Paleolithic

period.

8. Producing more food allowed societies to become larger.

9. Language has a little influence on our ways of perceiving, behaving,

and feeling.

10. The expansion of trade sparked the growth of cities as economic and
political centers.

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Identification. Identify what is being asked.
11. A symbolic system through which people communicate and through
which idea values, beliefs, and knowledge are transmitted,
expressed, and shared.
12. It refers to our cultural heritage in the form of structures,
monuments, historical sites, and other artifacts.
13. Sociologists refer to this as the combination of objects and rules of
using them that speaks about their culture.
14. Cultural period where the used of metal such as bronze, copper, and
iron flourished.
15. The Thinking Man –species to which all modern human beings
belong

III. Match Column A to Column B to identify what field of Social Science is

referring to.

Column A Column B
1. Their study on social relationship and A. Sociology
interactions will provide information that will
help in understanding society objectively
through the use of scientific investigation
and methodology.
2. The study of the nature, causes, and B. Archaeology
consequences of collective decisions and
actions taken by groups of people embedded
in cultures and institutions that structure
power and authority.
3. It seeks to studies human as both biological C. Anthropology
and social creatures. It seeks to answer this
primary question: What does it mean to be
human?
4. Examines the remains of ancient and D. Economics
historical human populations to promote an
understanding of how humans have adapted
to their environment and developed.
5. It is the study of how people allocate scarce E. Political Science
resources for production, distribution, and
consumption, both individually and
collectively.

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IV. Contributions to Civilization . Can you identify the ancient civilization that
brought the world some of these greatest inventions or achievements? Choose your
answers inside this table and write them at the space provided below each picture.

Mesopotamia Chinese Indus Egypt

Civilization Civilization Civilization Civilization

Tigris/ Euphrates Huang Ho/ Yangtze Indus Nile

river-valley river-valley river-valley river-valley

Cuneiform –First System of Writing Great Pyramids of the World

6. 7.

Inventor of first paper Mohenjo-daro –one of the world’s greatest cities

8. 9.

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Discover
Human Capacity for Culture

Culture is defined as “that complex whole which encompasses beliefs,

practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and
everything that a person learns and shares as a member of a society” (Taylor,
2010). It is by-product of the attempt of humans to survive their environment and
to compensate for their biological characteristics and limitations. Our evolution
toward humanity as we know it has been a long journey of survival against the
elements of the environment and against competing species. As our ancestors
evolved biologically in response to their environment, they have also developed
cultural technologies that aided them to efficiently obtain food and deter predators.

Evolution is a natural process of biological changes occurring in a

population across successive generations (Banaag, 2012 p.31). It helps us identify
and analyze man’s physiological development and eventually the emergence of
different society. Moreover, man’s progression and characteristics are essential in
understanding the capability for adaptation. Most scientists currently recognize
some 15 to 20 different species of early humans.

Human Biocultural Evolution

Species Characteristics
Hominids The development of the different species of primates
“Manlike which were able to evolve in 40 million years ago. There have
Primates” been various relics of hominids which could be described as
manlike primates. They are Ramapithecus, Lucy and
Australopithecus.
Homo Habilis The apelike men who first to used stone tools as weapons
“Handy Man” and protection of their enemies. They are recognized as the
first true human. Lived about 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago.
Homo Erectus It was believed to be the first man like creature that lived
“The Upright Man” about 500,000 years ago in Asia, Africa and Europe. This
manlike specie could walk straight with almost the same brain
with modern man. He made refined stone stools for hunting
and weapons for protection of the enemies.
The following are the major discovered fossils:
a. Pithecanthropus Erectus “Java Man” –Discovered by
Eugene Dubois at Trinil, Java, Indonesia in 1891.
b. Sinanthropus Pekinensis “Peking Man” –Discovered at
Choukoutien village, Beijing, China in 1929.
Homo Sapiens It was believed that this was the direct descendant of
“The Thinking modern man who lived about 250,000 years ago. They had
Man” similar physical descriptions with modern man. They
originated as the primitive men whose activities were largely
dependent on hunting, fishing and agriculture. They buried
their dead, used had tools and had religion. The following are
Homo Sapiens subspecies:

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a. Neanderthal Man –Discovered in Neanderthal valley
near Dusseldorf, Germany in 1856 who lived in cave
and dependent in hunting and fishing.
b. Cro-Magnon Man – Discovered by a French
archaeologist Louis Lartet in the Cro Magnon Cave in
Southern France. It was believed to live in Europe, Asia
and Africa. As a prehistoric man, they were the first to
produce art in cave paintings and crafting decorated
tools and accessories.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

1. Our Thinking  The primary biological component of humans that allowed
capacity for culture is the developed brain. It has the necessary
parts for facilitating pertinent skills such as speaking,
touching, feeling, seeing, and smelling.
 Compared with other primates, humans have a larger
brain, weighing 1.4 kg. Due to the size of brain and the
complexity of its parts, humans were able to create survival
skills that helped them adapt to their environment and
outlive their less adaptive biological relatives.
2. Our gripping  Look at your hands. Notice how your thumb relates with
capacity your other fingers. This capacity to directly oppose your
thumb with your other fingers is an exclusive trait of
humans. It allowed us to have a finger grip.


Figure 1. Hands of selected primates

 The hand of human has digits (fingers) that are straights,

as compared with the curved ones of the other primates.
Notice that the thumb of the human is proportionately
longer than those of other primates. These characteristics
of the human hand allowed for two types of grip” power
and precision.
a) Power grip enabled humans to wrap the thumb and
fingers on an object; it became the cornerstone of our
capacity to hold tool firmly for hunting and other
activities.
b) Precision grip enabled humans to hold and pick objects
steadily using fingers. This capacity was crucial for tool-
making activities.
3. Our speaking  As the brain is the capacity source of humans’ capacity to

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capacity comprehend sound and provide meaning to it, the vocal
tract acts as the mechanism by which sounds are produced
and reproduced to transmit ideas and values.
 Humans have longer vocal tract compared with
chimpanzee. A longer vocal tract means that there is a
longer vibration surface, allowing human to produce a
wider array of sounds than chimpanzees.
 The tongue of human is also more flexible than of a
chimpanzee, allowing for more control in making sounds.
4. Our walking/  Primates have two forms of locomotion: bipedalism and
standing quadropedalism. Bipedalism is the capacity to walk and
capacity stand on two feet, whereas quadropedalism uses all four
limbs. Although apes are semi-bipedal, humans are the
only fully bipedal primates.
 Being bipedal, humans gained more capacity to move while
carrying objects with their free hands. It gave humans
more capacity or productivity with their hands like hunting
and foraging.

Cultural and Sociopolitical Development

The physical as well as the mental development of early human beings
helped them understand and adapt to their existing environment. Thus, their
adjustment served as the onset of their culture. Culture enables the members of
society to develop ways of coping with exigencies of nature as well as ways of
harnessing their environment (Panopio, et.al 1994). The changes made by man
through his interaction with the environment establish the different cultural
evolution which determines man’s socio-cultural development.

Cultural Period Cultural and Socio-political Development

Paleolithic Period  Use of simple pebble tools.
(Old Stone Age)  Learned to live in caves.
 Discovered the use of fires.
3 million years  Developed small sculptures; and monumental painting,
to 8,000 B.C. incised designs, and reliefs on the wall of caves.
 “Food-collecting cultures”
Neolithic Age  Stone tools were shaped by polishing or grinding.
(New Stone Age)  Settlement in permanent villages.
Occurred sometime  Dependence on domesticated plants or animals.
about  Appearance of such crafts as pottery and weaving.
10,000 BCE  “Food-producing cultures”
Age of Metals  The used of metal such as bronze, copper, and iron
produced a new historical development form cradles
civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, including
4,000 B.C. – 1,500 India and China which later on spread throughout
B.C Asia.
 The civilization which defines to a more developed
social, cultural, political and economic system.
 It had already direct contacts through tribes,
kingdoms, empire and later on state which the
constant political activities were through conquest,
wars and trade.

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The Early Types of Societies
During the course of human history, people have organized themselves into
various types of societies depending upon their level of technology and the related
methods of subsistence. The earliest societies confined themselves in gathering and
hunting for food. When man invented the plow, it enabled him to increase the
amount of available food. The introduction of modern technology and equipment,
mass computerization, and white-collar service occupations, has changed the
man’s society into a more complex one.

Type of Technology Economy Settlements Social

Society Organizations
A. Hunting Very simple – Bare Nomadic All resting within
and fire, arrow, necessities – 25-40 people family.
Gathering baskets no surplus
Society
B. Digging Simple crop Semi- Family-centered;
Horticultural sticks, cultivation, permanent – Religious system
And occasionally some surplus some cities begins to
Pastoral blade tools. and occasionally develop,
Society exchange. kingdoms. moderate
specialization;
Presence of social
inequality.
C. Agrarian Irrigation, Largely Permanent Family loses
Society Fertilization, agricultural urbanization significance as
Metallurgy, but much becoming distinctive
Animal-drawn surplus; important religious,
plow. increased empires political, and
market covering economic system
exchange continent. emerged.
and Increased
substantial presence of social
trade. inequality.
D. Industrial Advance Industrial Permanent – Complex set of
Society sources of – few engage urban living interdependent
energy; in agriculture predominating. institutions.
Mechanized or direct Cities now
production. production; contain most
Much of the
surplus; population.
Fully The rise of
developed state.
market
economy

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COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

The beginning of early man is a proper reference in treating the interesting

subject of culture. Man’s adaptation to his society, his conformity with the culture
of his time and his education have worked alongside each other in putting him in
his present status as the strongest and the most intelligent creature in the world.

As perceived by sociologists and anthropologists, culture is rather a complex

concept. To understand culture, one must examine its major elements:

1. Material Culture –It is the physical objects a society produces, things people
create and use. These are tools, furniture, clothing, automobiles, and
computer systems, to name a few. Thus, the awareness of the kind of objects
created and how people use them brings about greater understanding of the
culture and of a society.

1.1. Technology. A Society’s culture consists of not only physical objects

but also rules for using those objects. Sociologists sometimes refer to
this combination of objects and rules as technology. Using items of
material culture, particularly tools, requires various skills, which are
part of the nonmaterial culture.

2. Non-material Culture –It consists of elements termed norms, values,

beliefs, and language shared by the members of a society. Non-material
culture is considered as the carriers of culture.

2.1. Language. Perhaps, the most defining characteristics of human being

is the ability to develop and use highly complex systems of symbols
like language. A symbol, as sociologists say, is the very foundation of
culture. The essence of culture is the sharing of meanings among
members of a society. Unless one shares the language of a culture,
one cannot participate in it. (Fishman, 1985; p.128)
Language influences our ways of perceiving, behaving, and
feeling, and thus, tends to define and shape the world around us. It is
through language that idea values, beliefs, and knowledge are
transmitted, expressed, and shared. Without language, there will be
no culture.

2.2. Beliefs. These are ideas that people hold about the universe or any
part of the total reality surrounding them. These are the things how
people perceive reality. The subject of human beliefs may be infinite
and may include ideas concerning the individual, other people and
any all aspects of the biological, physical, social, and supernatural
world be it primitive or scientific.

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2.3. Values. They are shared ideas about desirable goals. They are the
person’s ideas about worth and desirability or an abstract of what is
important and worthwhile. Values make up our judgements of moral
and immoral, good and bad, right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, etc.

2.4. Norms. These are shared rules of conduct that specify how people
ought to think and act. A norm is ideas in the minds of the members
of a group put into a statement specifying what members of the group
should do, ought to do or are expected to do under certain
circumstances. (Homans, 1950; p. 123).

Norms are usually in the form of rules, standards, or prescriptions and

social shared expectations. Norms has three forms:

2.4.1. Mores. These are norms associated with strong ideas of right and
wrong. Mores are standard of conduct that are highly respected and
valued by the group and their fulfilment is felt to be necessary and
vital to group welfare.
They are considered essential to the group’s existence and
accordingly, the group demands that they be followed without
questions. They represent obligatory behavior because their infraction
results to punishment –formal or informal.

2.4.2. Folkways. These are norms that are simply the customary, normal,
habitual ways a group does things. These customary ways are
accumulated and become repetitive patterns of expected behavior
which tends to become permanent traditions.
One of the essential features of folkways is that there is no
strong feeling of right or wrong attached to them. If one violates
folkways, there is no punishment attached to it.

2.4.3. Laws. These are often referred to as formal norms. They are rules that
are enforced and sanctioned by the authority of the government.

The Legacy of Early Humans to Contemporary Population

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) is the primary transnational entity that manages and negotiates matters
relating to human heritage. It defined cultural heritage as follows:

Cultural heritage is not limited to material manifestations, such as

monuments and objects that have been preserved over time. This notion also
encompasses living expressions and the traditions that countless groups
and communities worldwide have inherited from their ancestors and
transmit to their descendants, in most cases, orally (UNESCO, 2010)

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This definition us with a two-part meaning of cultural heritage. On one end, there
is heritage being tangible in the form of structures, monuments, historical sites,
and other artifacts. On the other hand, there is heritage being intangible in the
form of literature, oral, traditions, concepts, and values.

Tangible heritage could be divided into two categories: movable and

immovable. The primary difference in these categories is the size of the heritage.
For example, the Stonehenge is an immovable tangible heritage, whereas the
sarcophagus of the pharaoh Tutankhamun is a movable tangible heritage.

Movable tangible heritage pieces are often removed from the sites where they
were found and transferred to museums for safekeeping and maintenance.
Immovable tangible heritage pieces are often left to the elements of nature (i.e.,
rain, wind, sand, sun), which makes them vulnerable to decay and corrosion. This
does not mean that conservation efforts are not being made. However, due to the
constant exposure of these objects to these elements, conservation becomes more
challenging.

Explore

Enrichment Activity:

The Evolution of Man

A. Write inside the boxes the corresponding name of the species.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com

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Explain how society was formed.

Content of answer – 5 pointsClarity of ideas – 5 points = 10 points

B. Enumerate practices or activities of early people that are still being practiced or
observed by the people today.
Socio-cultural Political Practices/ Economic Practices/
Practices/Activities Activities Activities
1 1 1

2 2 2

3 3 3

4 4 4

5 5 5

C. Essay: Your answers will be rated based on the rubric shown in the next
page.
1. What is the role played by fiestas and museums in preserving our
cultural practices and symbols?
Fiestas:

Museums:

2. Conduct an interview. Ask your parents or elders of your community of

some significant symbols or meanings of old farming practices.

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Rubric for Activity C

Criteria Fair Good Very Good

2 points 3 points 4 points
Description has Description Description was
no new provides some written neatly,
Quality of information and new information very well
Writing ideas are poorly and organized informative and
organized well organized
There are Few misspelled Virtually, no
misspelled words and spelling,
words, and punctuation punctuation or
Grammar, punctuation errors but were grammatical
Usage and and able to provide a errors and were
Mechanics grammatical description able to provide
errors that a very good
interferes with description.
the description
provided

D. Cultural Heritage is an expression of the ways of living developed by a

community and passed on from generation to generation. There are two kinds:
Tangible cultural heritage and Intangible cultural heritage. Can you give examples
of them?

TANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL

HERITAGE
Give specific name / examples found around the world
1. 9.
2. 10.
Give specific name / examples found in Asia
3. 11.
4. 12.
Give specific name / examples found in the Philippines
5. 13.
6. 14.
Give specific name / examples found in Cordillera Administrative Region
7. 15.
8. 16.

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Deepen

“Ang
hindi marunong
lumingon sa pinanggalingan
ay hindi makakarating sa
paroroonan”
National Indigenous Peoples Month is observed every October by virtue of Proclamation
No. 1906 signed on October 5, 2009, by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
According to the proclamation, the celebration highlights Philippine indigenous peoples’
rights and the preservation of indigenous cultural communities as part of the life of the
nation.

Make a poster slogan following the 2019 IP Month celebration “Vital Wisdoms: Learning
with the Indigenous Peoples” (Buháy na Dúnong: Pagkatúto Kasama Ang Mga Katutúbo) Use
long coupon bond and any prefer writing and coloring materials. See rubrics below:

RUBRIC FOR THE POSTER ACTIVITY

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Required The poster includes All required elements Few of the Several required
Elements all required elements are included on the required elements elements were
as well as additional poster & bookmarks. are included on missing.
information. the poster.

Picture The poster is The poster is attractive The poster is The poster is
and/or logo exceptionally in terms of design, acceptably distractingly messy
attractive in terms of layout and neatness. attractive though or very poorly
design, layout, and it may be a bit designed. It is not
neatness. messy. attractive.

Content - 2 accurate reasons 1 accurate reason is Less than 1 Inaccurate

Accuracy are displayed on the displayed on the accurate reason is reason(s) are used.
poster. poster. displayed on the
poster.

Slogan Slogan is catchy and Slogan is weak but Slogan is catchy Slogan's meaning
supports the idea of supports the idea of but doesn't isn't clear and
the importance of the importance of our support the idea of doesn't support
our culture culture the importance of the idea of the
our culture. importance of our
culture

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Gauge
Gauge

Group Multiple Choices. Select the right answer from the choices inside the box.
Choices for 1-4:
A. Hominids C. Homo Erectus
B. Homo Habilis D. Homo Sapiens

1. They were the first hunters with improvised tools such as axes and knives,
and were the first to produce fire.
2. First to make stone tools.
3. Described as manlike primates.
4. They were the first to produce art in cave paintings and crafting decorated
tools and accessories.

Choices for 5-8:

A. Paleolithic Period C. Metal Age
B. Neolithic Period D. Age of Modern Technology

5. Also known as the computer age.

6. Trading flourished in and among tribes, kingdoms, empires and later on state.
7. The period when the considered new people learned farming,
domesticating animals and use wove cloth as protection of their skin.
8. People during this period are nomadic.

Choices for 9-12

A. basket C. plough
B. weaving of cloth D. banga/clay pot

9. Used for food preservation and storing of water.

10. What materials they produced or made to help them in harvesting crops?
11. With great skills, a loom is a device for;
12. Traditional tool in farming.

Choices for 13-15:

A. Language C. Values
B. Beliefs D. Norms

13. Performing rituals -butchering of animals, offering of foods, for the dead
relatives.
14. Killing, stealing and many more are strictly prohibited by society.
15. Elders are given high respect in the society.

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What I Know What’s In What New
I. Correct or Incorrect I. Matching Type Cave paintings
Incorrect 1. Sociology -animals possible living or not
Correct 2. Political Science during this time
Correct 3. Anthropology -they have rituals
Correct 4. Archaeology -beliefs in gods/ underworld
Incorrect 5. Economics - presence of arts
Incorrect II. Pictures - Evaluate other answers of
Incorrect 6. Mesopotamia the students
Correct 7. Egypt What Is It
Incorrect 8. China Process Questions:
Correct 9. India -evaluate the students’ answers
II. Identification III. Short essay based on our discussions and
Language History is the study of the past his/her other readings.
Tangible events. To study our history is
Technology to learn our past to be able to What I Can Do
Metal Age understand our present and -Student’s answers
Homo Sapiens predict our future.

What’ More Activity 3

Tangible/ Intangible
Activity 1
Cultural Heritage
Hominids
- Check the students’
Homo Habilis
answers.
Homo Erectus Assessment 3
Homo Sapiens See rubrics for slogan
Assessment 1 What I Can Do
Evaluate students’ Student’s answers
answers. Additional Activity
*key answers: The -research/interview
discovery of agriculture Parents or elders

Post Assessment
1. C 5. D 9. D 13. B
2. B 6. C 10. A 14. D
3. A 7. B 11. B 15. C
4. D 8. A 12. C 16. A
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References:

Leaῆo, Roman Jr. D., Society and Culture for College Students: A Modular
Approach Makati City: Mindshapers, 2005, 6-27, p. 221-242.

Alejandria-Gonzalez, Maria Carinnes P., Understanding Society, Culture and

Politics Makati City: Diwa Learning Systems Inc., 2016, p.13-39.

Marquez-Alimbuyuguen, Marivic, Guiang-Franco, Weena, Cruz-Sa-ao, Beverly,

Sagandoy, Tecah C., Lumidao, Cherry L., Understanding Society, Culture and
Politics Bulacan: IPM Publishing, 2017, p.15-29, 49-69.

Baleῆa, Ederlina D., Lucero, Dolores M., Peralta, Arnel M., Understanding Society,
Culture and Politics Quezon City: Educational Resources Corporation, 2016, p.16-
32.

Arcilla-Serapio, Ma. Perpetua Understanding Society, Culture and Politics Manila:

Mindshapers Co., Inc. 2016, p.15-57.

Photos credited to https://www.facebook.com/tinongshan/, Liza Pineda

Dimbanan photos

Cover photo credited to LUSDO Management Team

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