All About The Philippines

Topics/Table of Contents:

                                                                                      Pages:

1. Introduction………………………………………………………4

2. The Three Main Islands and their 

Traditions……………………………………………………………..9

3. The Biggest Disadvantage 

of the Philippines………………………………………………….21

4. The Capital City of The Philippines…………………….24

                                                                                   Pages:

5. The History of the Philippines:

a.) The Definition of the Philippines…………………..29

b.) The Countries that colonized 

the Philippines…………………………………………………..32

6. The Destinations for Tourists………………………...40

7. Tips when visiting The Philippines………………….49

8. The Characteristics of Filipinos……………………….59

9. Fun Facts………………………………………………………..66

Introduction:

What is the Philippines?

The Philippines is a group of tropical islands in one country. It is a beautiful destination for tourists to visit. It is located in Southeast Asia next to the South China Sea. This country has 2 Official Languages, English and Tagalog. Tagalog is spoken ONLY in the Philippines. It is a combination of the Indonesian-Malaysian language (Bahasa) and Spanish.

Ex. You say "Kamusta ka?" to say "How are you?".

The Philippines is located in the south of Taiwan, between the South China Sea in the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east. It is bordered by China, Japan, Malaysia, Palau, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

Tip: Did you know that the Philippines only has 3 common seasons? The rainy, sunny, and Summer seasons?

Its white-sanded beaches and a hot, tropical climate attracted thousands of tourists to come and visit the Philippines. It has 7,640 islands in total, and it is separated into 3 main islands: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The flag (page 9) has 3 stars and a sun. The 3 stars represent the 3 main islands of the Philippines. while the yellow, glowing sun represents liberty. 

We will talk about the White, Red, and Blue colors in the Philippine flag in the Historical Topic of the Philippines. (pg. 32)

The Three Main Islands and their Traditions:

What is Luzon?

Luzon is the Philippines' most populous island. It is located in the North. This main island is home to Manila. (Capital City of Luzon) 

What is Visayas?

Visayas is one of the Philippines' 3 main islands that has a lot of Tourist Destinations. The Main City of Visayas Represents by "Cebu City",

A city inside the island of Cebu. Visayas also consists of some colorful festivals.

What is Mindanao?

Mindanao is a large island that is also known as "The Surf Capital Of The Philippines". It is being represented by "The City of Davao" as it is known as the largest city in Mindanao. 

The Food:

The National Food of the Philippines is Adobo (Stew)

Filipinos like to eat any delicious meals with rice.

But Why?

Rice was people's favorite food. They said that "rice was a gift from the Gods to ensure long life." Rice was not always the main choice for Filipinos. It was ONLY served for several festive occasions. 

*Adobo

Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines; it can be either Pork or Chicken, and it's the Filipino version of Stew.

*Balut

Balut is one of the popular exotic street foods of the Philippines. A fertilized-developing duck egg embryo that is boiled and eaten from the shell.

*Batchoy

Batchoy is a noodle soup made with a mixture of pork, beef, and Chicken with pork cracklings. Originating from La Paz, Iloilo City, in The Visayas.

*Pancit Molo

Pancit Molo is a pork dumpling soup that is one of the popular dishes in the Visayas, specifically, Iloilo. It is made up of meatballs wrapped in wonton wrappers.

*Lechon

Lechon is the most popular dish in Visayas. It is a crispy suckling pig roasted into a crispy perfection.

*Palabok

Pancit Palabok is a noodle dish with shrimp sauce. It is topped with several ingredients such as cooked shrimp, boiled pork, crushed chicharron, tinapa flakes, fried tofu, scallions, fried garlic, and some eggs.

Desserts:

*Halo-Halo (Mix-Mix)

Halo-Halo is a popular cold dessert in the Philippines made up of Crushed ice, milk, tapioca, ice cream, purple yam, and many more.

*Turon 

Turon is a popular Filipino snack made up of jackfruit and banana wrapped in a spring roll wrapper with caramelized sugar.

*Ube halaya

Ube halaya is a famous Filipino dessert made from boiled and mashed purple yams and coconut milk.

*Puto

Puto is a steamed cake made with rice flour, which is soft and fluffy. 

*Leche Flan

Leche Flan is a dessert that melts in your mouth. It is also called "Creamy Caramel Pudding". 

*Taho

Taho is a Filipino's best friend, which is usually served in a cup. It is made up of soft and silken tofu, tapioca, and arnibal syrup.

Popular Festivals in the Philippines:

1. Panagbenga - is an annual flower festival that happens every February. This takes place in Baguio City. It is also called "Season of Blooming".

2. Sinulog - is a traditional celebration in the Queen's City of the South, called "Cebu City". This is held every 3rd Sunday of January.

3. Dinagyang - is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City held on the 4th Sunday of January.

4. Kadayawan - is an annual festival in Davao City. Which means "A Friendly Greeting". 

5. Moriones - is a Lenten festival held annually during Holy Week in the island of Marinduque. 

The Biggest Disadvantage of the Philippines:

The Philippines experienced a lot of typhoons/hurricanes, especially in May, June, July, and August. Many cities and towns are getting hit by hurricanes most of the time. One example is in Ormoc, Leyte. A country located in the East Visayas. Tropical Storm Thelma (It is called Uring in their native language) was one of the deadliest tropical cyclones that ever existed from November 1, 1991, up to November 8, 1991, in the Philippines, killing at least 5,081-8,165 people.

The damage is $27.67 million pesos or approximately $2,000.00 USD. The good news is, the Philippines set up a fundraiser. A lot of countries were able to respond and donate some money to help the city of Ormoc. Soon enough, Ormoc went from being destroyed to becoming a city that is even better than before.

The picture on the right shows what Ormoc looks like when it was hit by the hurricane. 

The Capital City of the Philippines:

Have you ever heard of the city of Manila? 

It is the Capital city of the Philippines. This city is very populous and full of modern skyscrapers and buildings. Metro Manila has some cities in the "NCR or National Capital Region." These are the cities of Metro Manila:

* Manila

* Makati

* Caloocan

* Pasay

* Mandaluyong

* Muntinlupa

* San Juan

* Valenzuela

* Quezon (City)

* Las Piñas

* Taguig

* Parañaque

and many more towns, cities, and municipalities.

In Manila, People speak their original language. (Tagalog)  

Quezon City is the richest in the Philippines, with over 60 Billion Pesos (approximately $1,200,000 USD)

and the Philippines has three of one of the biggest malls in the whole world:

S.M. Megamall - 5th

S.M. EDSA - 4th

S.M. Mall of Asia - 9th

Tip: Did you know that Manila is only 42.88 km², which can fit up to 42,857 persons per square km? Yes, the population in Manila was a total of 14,158,573 in the year 2021. They have only had 1.78 million people since 2015.

How are Filipinos similar to Indonesians and Malays?

Well, back in the 9th Century, Indonesia and the Philippines were both archipelagic countries with ethnic populations and national languages that had common Austronesian ancestry.                                

According to the Internet, it is believed that around 3000 B.C. Malay people—or people that evolved into the Malay tribes that dominate Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines—arrived in the Philippines.

Tip: Did you know that the Bahasa Indonesia and the Bahasa Melayu or Malay are similar to Tagalog? (The original language spoken in the Philippines.)

Yes, Malay, Indonesian, and Filipino are 3 languages that are similar to each other. Even though they have different histories and religions, these 3 nationalities are still similar. The only difference is that Filipinos, Malaysians, and Indonesians cannot understand each other when they are speaking their native language to one another.

The History of The Philippines:

The Definition of the 3 colors in the Philippine Flag:

First, let us talk about the flag of the Philippines.

We already talked about the 3 stars and the sun. Now, let us talk about the white, blue, and red colors in the flags. 

* The White Equilateral Triangle symbolizes: liberty, equality, and fraternity. 

* The Blue Horizontal Stripe symbolizes: peace, truth, and justice.

* The Red Horizontal Stripe symbolizes: patriotism and valour. *

Note: The Philippine flag has a secret meaning. When you flip up the red and blue stripes (just like the flag above), it will signify a declaration of war.

The Countries that colonized 

The Philippines:

Let us talk about the history of the Philippines.

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, was the first European to visit the Philippines. He docked in Mactan, Cebu. He died from Lapu-Lapu, A national hero from the Philippines. As he came into the shores of Mactan, Lapu-Lapu, along with his soldiers, charged to attack and kill Ferdinand Magellan, along with his assigned soldiers. Lapu-Lapu was hiding with his soldiers inside one of the trees. Magellan's Death was in the

Year 1521 of April, 2017. Sadly, even though Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan, the Philippines became a colony of the Spanish Empire. 

Why did Spain invade the Philippines?

Spain invaded the Philippines to acquire a share in the spice trade and to develop contacts with China and Japan, and to convert Filipinos to Christianity.

The Spanish ruled from the year, 1571 up to 1898 

before the Americans attacked the Philippines.

Tip: Did you know that King Philip II of Spain changed the name of Tondo (Old name of Manila) To Manila and also named the country after him?

After the Spaniards left the Philippines, the Americans conquered the Philippines and ruled for 48 years. From the year 1898 to 1946 (World War 2)

But why? 

Because Americans who advocated annexation evinced a variety of motivations: desire for commercial opportunities in Asia, concern that the Filipinos were incapable of self-rule, and fear that if the United States did not take control of the islands, another country, such as Germany or Japan, might do so.

The Filipinos gave a special trade to the Americans, which was a special pearl and some natural resources like gold, silver, copper, and many more. The Americans traded back the Filipinos with the English Language. They teach English to the Filipinos, and a lot of them can be able to speak as much English as the Americans taught them in the present time. 

Tip: Did you know that the Philippines is one of the top 5 of the top English-speaking populations?

On December 8, 1941, during World War II, the Philippines, along with the Americans, was captured by the Japanese.

Why?

The objective of the strikes at Pearl Harbor and the Philippines was to shield Japan's drive southward to take the oil and natural resources of Southeast Asia and the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). The plan was to clear the US forces in the Philippines out of the way. Key targets were the fighter bases. 

What the Japanese traded to the Filipinos are: Manufactured Cars (such as Toyota), their traditions like: Sushi, Anime, and Karaoke. That's why many Filipinos love to sing (Karaoke), eat sushi, and watch a lot of anime. They like to do these Japanese traditions.

The Filipinos traded some iron, copper, manganese, and chrome. To get these traditions and modern stuff. The Americans got their revenge by coming back even stronger. They invaded the Philippines and bombed Nagasaki and Hiroshima. (Two places in Japan)

The Americans ruled the Philippines for the next 5 years.

Finally, on July 4th, 1946, the Americans had left the Philippines. This makes the country independent and free. Sadly, some buildings were ruined or destroyed during World War II, but soon enough, the Philippines constructed a lot of buildings, and the construction workers upgraded their cities until the present day (now). Manila has become even better than before. It has a lot of buildings and skyscrapers standing. Metro Manila is so rich that plenty of people have come to live in the capital city of Manila. And soon in the future, it will develop even more buildings. 

The Destinations for Tourists:

When tourists visit the special landmarks of every country, they learn and share their experiences with other people. Now, I am about to tell you the landmarks/wonders of the Philippines.

1. Banaue Rice Terraces - A man-made wonder. Irrigated Rice Terraces in the mountains of North Central Luzon, which were created more than 2,000 years ago by the Ifugao people. The total length is estimated at approximately 20,100 kilometers. These terraces were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. 

It is described as "A living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty."

2. Mayon Volcano is an active stratovolcano located in the province of Albay in the Bicol Region on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is a popular tourist spot. It is called "The world's most perfect volcanic cone" because of its symmetric conical shape and is regarded as very sacred in Philippine mythology. It has a base of 130 kilometers, a circumference, and rises to 2,462 meters. 

 3. Chocolate Hills are a geological formation in the province of Bohol. There are at least 1,260 hills. The area of each hill is about 50 square kilometers. They are covered in green grass that turns brown during the dry season, hence they are called "Chocolate Hills".

4. Boracay Beach - is located in Western Visayas. It is famous for being one of the world's top destinations. It was awarded as the 2012 best island in the world by the International Travel Magazine. (Travel + Leisure) Boracay is a small island known for its Pristine white sand beach and coral reefs.

5. Palawan's Underground River - is located in Puerto Princesa, it is a subterranean river national park. This park features a spectacular limestone karst landscape with an underground river. The River also represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation. It is also considered one of the world's most impressive cave systems, an intact old-growth forest, and distinctive wildlife. It was a complete "mountain-to-the-sea" ecosystem which is considered"one of the most significant forests in Asia."