The Filipino way of life and the things surrounding are in one way or another, shaped by art. And with the existence of art like music and paintings, Philippines presents a truly diversified experience.

An extensive study of Filipino art forms, of the ornaments and implements of day-to-day living, of the crafts practiced in wood, stone and metal, and in the more recognized products of painting and sculpture shows that despite obvious foreign influences, there is a truly indigenous Philippine art.

The same may be said of Filipino culture, which has manifested traditional pre-Spanish features, so that today the Filipino identifies himself with the Malay character, and accepts the varying influences of the Chinese, Indian, Spanish and American.

In Philippine art, as in its culture, one notices the various shades, lines and tones, and even the contrasting characters that have been absorbed and blended into new forms that are particularly Filipino.

For more information on Philippine arts and culture, please visit the website of the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts at www.ncca.gov.ph .