Nearly 400 years of Spanish rule left an unremovable mark on the Philippines. Spain brought with them all aspects of their culture to the Islands. This includes the Catholic faith, clothing, and dance. The barong tagalog and the terno are Philippine interpretations of Spanish dress made to fit the humid climate of the Philippines. Aside from creating their own versions of European fashion, Philippine aristocrats created Filipino adaptations of European dance as well. These include jotas, fandanggos, mazurkas and waltzes that were danced by young socialites to the stringed music of the rondalla.
