As Filipinas Heritage Library commemorates 15 years of promoting Philippine history, art, and culture using the latest in information technology, we also celebrate the growing community of researchers, students, and professionals who have been part of our journey.

This year, FHL offers a Balik Filipiniana Promo to all of the library’s former Filipinana members. The promo entitles you to a 15% discount in membership fees if they renew your membership anytime from August 25, 2011 to August 25, 2012. By renewing your membership, you will be given the following perks:

• One-year admission to the Filipiniana library
• Discounts for Libros Filipinos Bookstore purchases, room rentals, workshop fees, and other library fees
• Discounted rate for the next membership renewal (10%)
• Free Internet/Wi-Fi access

Filipinos are said to celebrate the longest Christmas season in the world. As early as September, Christmas carols are heard on the air; and people do not take down their Christmas decor until the New Year celebrations have passed.

The celebration of Christmas formally begins with the Misa de Aguinaldo or Simbang Gabi. Misa de Aguinaldo (Gift Mass) alludes to the Magi’s gifts to Baby Jesus after he was born in a manger in Bethlehem.

Presidential Decree 1083 (1977) first recognized and enforced Philippine Muslim holidays “to reinforce the unity of the Filipino people.” The observance of these holidays was initially limited to Mindanao. In Republic Act 9177 (2002), however, the Philippines recognized Eid’l Fitr as a regular holiday of nationwide observance.

The Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 identifies indigenous peoples (IPs) as “homogeneous societies…who have continuously lived as organized community on communally bounded and defined territory…or who have, through resistance to political, social and cultural inroads of colonization, non-indigenous religions and cultures, become historically differentiated from the majority of Filipinos.” Indigenous cultural communities/indigenous peoples (ICCs/IPs) also include cultural groups that have been displaced from their ancestral land and have resettled in another territory while still maintaining their social institutions.