Portal:Philippines

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Welcome to the Philippines Portal / Maligayang pagdating sa Portal ng Pilipinas

The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. In the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of 7,641 islands, with a total area of 300,000 square kilometers, which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the south. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. It is the world's twelfth-most-populous country, with diverse ethnicities and cultures. Manila is the country's capital, and its most populated city is Quezon City. Both are within Metro Manila.

Negritos, the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, were followed by waves of Austronesian peoples. The adoption of Animism, Hinduism with Buddhist influence, and Islam established island-kingdoms ruled by datus, rajas, and sultans. Overseas trade with neighbors such as the late Tang or Song empire brought Sinitic-speaking Sangley / "Langlang" merchants to the archipelago, which would gradually settle in and intermix. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Castile, marked the beginning of Spanish colonization. In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of King Philip II of Castile. Spanish colonization via New Spain, beginning in 1565, led to the Philippines becoming ruled by the Crown of Castile, as part of the Spanish Empire, for more than 300 years. Catholic Christianity became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade. Hispanic immigrants from Latin America and Iberia would also selectively colonize. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, and became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War. Spain ceded the territory to the United States, and Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic. The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States controlling the territory until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II. After the United States retook the Philippines from the Japanese, the Philippines became independent in 1946. The country has had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship in a nonviolent revolution.

The Philippines is an emerging market and a newly industrialized country, whose economy is transitioning from being agricultural to service- and manufacturing-centered. It is a founding member of the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, ASEAN, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and the East Asia Summit; it is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and a major non-NATO ally of the United States. Its location as an island country on the Pacific Ring of Fire and close to the equator makes it prone to earthquakes and typhoons. The Philippines has a variety of natural resources and a globally-significant level of biodiversity. (Full article...)

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Buildings along Binondo

Manila (/məˈnɪlə/ mə-NIL-ə; Filipino: Maynila, pronounced [majˈnilaʔ]), officially the City of Manila (Filipino: Lungsod ng Maynila, [luŋˈsod nɐŋ majˈnilaʔ]), is the capital and second-most-populous city of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on the island of Luzon, it is classified as a highly urbanized city. As of 2019, it is the world's most densely populated city proper. It was the first chartered city in the country, and was designated as such by the Philippine Commission Act No. 183 on July 31, 1901. It became autonomous with the passage of Republic Act No. 409, "The Revised Charter of the City of Manila", on June 18, 1949. Manila is considered to be part of the world's original set of global cities because its commercial networks were the first to extend across the Pacific Ocean and connect Asia with the Spanish Americas through the galleon trade; when this was accomplished, it was the first time an uninterrupted chain of trade routes circling the planet had been established.

By 1258, a Tagalog-fortified polity called Maynila existed on the site of modern Manila. On June 24, 1571, after the defeat of the polity's last indigenous Rajah Sulayman in the Battle of Bangkusay, Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi began constructing the walled fortification Intramuros on the ruins of an older settlement from whose name the Spanish-and-English name Manila derives. Manila was used as the capital of the captaincy general of the Spanish East Indies, which included the Marianas, Guam and other islands, and was controlled and administered for the Spanish crown by Mexico City in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. (Full article...)

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... that in 2005, the Philippine embassy in Paris regularly had a flooded basement due to a lack of funds?
... that Michael Barredo campaigned for Filipino athletes competing in disabled sports to receive government incentives?
... that protesters demanded the closure of the embassy of the Philippines in Lisbon?
... that Angeline Quinto became the first Filipino singer to release a soundtrack album for a television series that featured a single artist?
... that while Philippine Spanish has been described as an endangered language, a new generation of speakers has emerged?
... that VMB-611 was the only United States Marine Corps bombing squadron to operate in the Philippines during World War II?
... that the Filipino fraternity Alpha Phi Beta has been involved in instances of violence, including getting mauled by rival fraternities, such as Sigma Rho?
... that the continuing influence of the Catholic Church in the politics of the Philippines means that the country lacks a divorce law?

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Image 1Picture of a Carabao in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Image 2A skyline view of Manila
Image 3Banaue, Philippines: a view of Banaue Municipal Town
Image 4A selection of dishes found in Filipino cuisine
Image 5Banaue, Philippines: A man of the fugao tribe in traditional costume
Image 6A view at Francisco Bangoy International Airport, 2019
Image 7A view of Barlas Island, Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines
Image 8A leaning belfry of St. Andrew Church, in Bacarra town, province of Ilocos Norte
Image 9Shipping on the Pasig River, 1899
Image 10The Bangui Wind Farm is a wind farm in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Image 11A map of the Philippines showing the location of all the regions and provinces

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Official portrait, 1995

Fidel Valdez Ramos CCLH GCS KGCR (Tagalog: [pɪˈdɛl bɐlˈdɛs ˈɾamos]; born March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure. Rising from second lieutenant to commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ramos is credited for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy during his six years in office.

Ramos rose through the ranks in the Philippine military early in his career and became Chief of the Philippine Constabulary and Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos. During the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Ramos was hailed as a hero by many Filipinos for his decision to break away from the administration of Marcos, and pledge allegiance and loyalty to the newly established government of President Corazon C. Aquino. Prior to his election as president, Ramos served in the cabinet of President Aquino, first as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and later as Secretary of National Defense from 1986 to 1991. He was credited with the creation of the Philippine Army's Special Forces and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force. After his retirement, he remained active in politics, serving as adviser to his successors. He died at the age of 94 from complications of COVID-19. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Philippines-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The MassKara Festival of Bacolod. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 2Noli Me Tángere (novel) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 3A grandmaster of Arnis. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 4Kalesa, a traditional Philippine urban transportation, in front of Manila Cathedral entrance (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 5Filipino traditional dance at a festival (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 6Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 7Dominant ethnic groups by province. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 8Vega Ancestral House, Misamis Oriental (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 9The Sinulog Festival is held to commemorate the Santo Niño (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 10Carabao is a major symbol of Filipinos hard labor. And is known to be the "Filipino farmer's bestfriend". (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 11Filipina in traditional attire (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 12Cockfight (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 13A Tboli woman weaving t'nalak from South Cotabato. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 14A performer depicting a babaylan (shaman) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 15Vigan City in Ilocos Sur (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 16Original image of the Santo Niño de Cebú. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 17The University of Santo Tomas, located in Manila, was established in 1611. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 18The Kutkut art from Samar (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 19An Itneg shaman offering pigs to anito spirits, 1922 (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 20Flores de Mayo (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 21Loboc Church in Bohol (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 22Parol (Christmas lanterns) being sold during the Christmas season (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 23Harana (serenade) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 24Aguinaldo Shrine in Cavite (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 25Old Senate Hall with Estilo Tampinco style of carving and ornamentation (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 26Tortoise-shell and silver Salakot (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 27Letras y figuras painting by Jose Honorato Lozano (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 28Manny Pacquiao, the only 8-division world boxing champion in history. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 29Pahiyas Festival in Lucban Quezon (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 30Museum Agrifina Circle (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 31Sungka, a traditional Filipino game. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 32Villa Escudero exhibit depicting 19th century Filipino family in traditional attire (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 33Good Friday observance in Pampanga (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 34Pineapple fiber is used to create traditional Philippine garments. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 35A PBA game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 36Bahay na bato, a traditional Filipino house (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 37Mila del Sol starred in one of the earliest Filipino movies, Giliw Ko (1939), along with Fernando Poe Sr. (from Culture of the Philippines)

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In the news

22 April 2024 – Moro conflict: Twelve Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters militants are killed and seven soldiers are wounded during a shootout in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. (AP)
11 April 2024 –: A Robinson R22 helicopter owned by the Philippine Air Force crashes near a public market in Cavite City, Philippines, killing both pilots. (AFP via Barron's)
3 April 2024 – China–Philippines relations, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea: The Philippines says that it will respond to any Chinese attempts to interfere with its resupply of troops in the South China Sea. (Reuters)

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More did you know - show different entries

...that the Arch of the Centuries (pictured) of the University of Santo Tomas at Manila was disassembled from the University's original campus at Intramuros, carried piece-by-piece, and was re-erected at the current campus at Sampaloc?
... that despite sweeping the elimination round of the 2007 UAAP men's basketball tournament, the University of the East was still beaten by De La Salle University-Manila 2-0 in the finals series?
...that journalist Néstor Mata was the sole survivor of the 1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash which killed Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay and 24 others?
... that Fernando Poe, Sr. was incorrectly identified as the model of the U.P. Oblation?