The Catholic faith has become more than a religion to millions of Filipinos. It is a way of life. The fiestas we celebrate, the Christmas season we anticipate, the noche buena and the caroling we prepare, the remembrance of our dead every first of November, all these and more are rooted in the faith despised by Duterte. Even most of our surnames, though decreed by our former colonizers, reflect the religion --De Jesus, Cruz, Santos, De Los Angeles, Sta. Ana, San Jose, San Pedro, Calbario, and many more.
Even our forgiving attitude, the sense of sacrifice and hope, is rooted in Catholic doctrine. From birth to death, the Catholic faith has some role in our existence and they are not intrinsically bad at all.
Even if not each and every individual Filipino is a Catholic, or a practicing one, it cannot be denied that Catholicism (and the Catholic Church) has contributed to the formation, and is thus a substantial part of, our unique culture -- similar to how, say, Confucianism has become an integral part of the cultures of China, Korea, and Japan.
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=85298.0