Fun facts about the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago in Southern Asia. Tourist destinations of Australian surfers and Asian people, the Philippines, are increasingly becoming a vacation spot for Westerns too. To drive this decision is the successful marketing campaign promoted by the Philippine tourism department. Tourists can tag their photos using on Instagram the hashtag #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines. With this call to action, the mediatic exposure has increased. And more people are visiting the Philippines lured by crystalline waters and the untouched nature. I was hosted by the Philippines marketing tourism board to visit the country in November 2019 and these are the fun facts I have discovered about the Philippines.
Facts about Philippines history
During the 16th century, the Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony until 1898 when, at the end of the Spanish-American War, they passed to the US. Self-Government under the commonwealth since 1935, the Philippines became independent in 1946. Strangely, US president Harry S. Truman declared the Philippines independence on the 4th of July. However, the Philippines shared with their former colonizers the date for less than two decades. In detail, in 1962, Filipino president Diosdado Macapagal changed the country’s official Independence Day to June 12. In this way, Filipinos are still celebrating their Independence Day on the date when the Philippines declared independence from Spain in 1898.
Fun facts about the Philippines and its geography
When it comes to geography, there are many fun facts regarding the Philippines. First, the number of islands that made the archipelago has recently increased. According to the longest tradition, the Philippines has 7107 islands. However, in 2016 the National Mapping Authority noted several new islands, increasing the total amount of islands in the archipelago to 7641. Due to this impressive number of islands, the Philippines are frequently considered the second-largest archipelago in the world after Indonesia. However, Indonesia, with more than 17.000 islands and the Philippines altogether, is part of the Malay archipelago, the largest archipelago in the world.
Why are there typhoons in the Philippines?
Unfortunately, from time to time, the Philippines goes in the news because of some natural disaster that hit this beautiful country. The reason is that the Philippines is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt around the Pacific Ocean compromising 75% of the world’s volcanoes and 90% of its earthquakes. In detail, according to the CIA, Central Intelligence agency, “the Philippines sits astride the Pacific typhoon belt, and an average of 9 typhoons make landfall on the islands each year — with about 5 of these being destructive; the country is the most exposed in the world to tropical storms.” Moreover, the typhoon season is from June to November, occurring occasionally outside this season. The hottest months are March and April, and this is why tourists prefer to visit this country between December and February.
Interesting facts about Filipino people
The 100 million Filipinos mainly live around the farmlands. Moreover, the capital of the Philippines, Manila, is home to one-eighth of the entire population. To these people, a consistent number of 10 million Filipinos work overseas. It doesn’t have to surprise that given the long colonization of Spanish, the majority of the population in this Southeastern Asian country belong to the Roman Catholic faith (80.6%). Only 5.6% are Muslim, while the rest are Protestant or belong to other Christian churches. Besides the religion, locals joke saying that the more significant Spanish heritage is in the siesta, the short early afternoon nap. Moreover, three generations after the end of WWII, people, especially the wealthiest and more educated, speak with a marked American accent.
How the houses in the Philippines look like
The typical, historic homes in the Philippines are made of bamboo. Visiting the Motag living Museum in Caticlan, a must-do experience, especially if you decide to take a vacation in Boracay, you can enter inside a bamboo house. Elevated from the ground thanks to a few steps, the house contains the typical materials: Bamboo, rattan, and palm leaves. However, away from the museum, you can see many similar edifices along the paved roads in the Philippines. This ancient way of building houses is still prevalent in the poorer areas as some huts along the streets testify. In detail, it is not unusual to find cabins selling weaving palm leaves used as ceiling covers.
Money in the Philippines
The local currency in the Philippines is the Philippine peso or PHP. When traveling in the country, it is better to change at the international airport. Here the exchange rate can be cheaper. Moreover, in many parts of the Philippines, there are no exchange offices nor the opportunity to pay using credit cards. The banknotes and coins carry the logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, the Philippine central bank. In detail, the notes are colorful and come in twenty, fifty, one-hundred, five hundred, and one thousand — bills. The coins come in one, five, and ten pesos.
What is pina weaving?
Local crafts are what denotes the uniqueness of a place. That’s why it is always fascinating, visiting local artisans and discovering their way of realizing their creations. On Panay Island, one of the biggest islands of the Philippines, in the central area of the country, there is unique textile production. In detail, the area of Aklan is the historical center of the piña weaving industry. Here they realize threads, fabrics, and clothes using local pineapples. Differently from the most common ones, these have red skin, with a tiny edible yellow suit inside. Once cut, a worker takes out single threads from the leaves and washes them to eliminate all the impurities. These are then knocked before being processed on a spindle.
Travel facts about the Philippines
To enter the Philippines, foreigners need a readable passport. Many passport holders that want to visit the country for business and tourism purposes can enter the Philippines without visas for a stay not exceeding thirty days. In particular, this action applies to European, North, Central, and South American Citizens, Oceania citizens, and many passport holders of Asian and African countries. However, the limit of 30-days VISA free extends to 59 days for citizens of Israeli and Brazil.
What are the Capiz seashells?
Among the fun facts about the Philippines, one pertains to a region and its local handicraft products. Capiz, also known as the seafood capital of the Philippines, compromises one city, Roxas city, and 16 municipalities. However, the word Capiz does not only denote a region on Panay island, but the term is commonly used to indicate the local and expensive production of crafts made of shells. While the local economy heavenly relies on fish harvesting, local handicrafts are made using windowpane oyster shells. This important icon of the Philippines’ local culture is often associated with the wealthiest that can afford seashells windows to embellish their homes. Capiz seashells are durable and translucent. these qualities make them ideal for making lampshades, jewelry, and even beautiful three-D star-shaped Christmas decorations.
Fun Facts about the Philippines: Education
The Philippines guarantees a free public education. However, as the overcrowding of some urban areas, the ratio between students and teachers is sadly impressive. For instance, in Metro Manila, classes host 60 to 80 students. In addition, schools operate in two batches from 8 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 5 pm. The situation changes slightly in the more expensive private schools, where there are 40 students per class. Unfortunately, these data find a worrying mirror in the poor scores in the PISA, the Programm for international student assessment. University is free as well, but students need to pass an admission exam and report good grades from high school. School sizes are impressive as well since, for instance, one high school can have a capacity of 4000 students.
What are the means of transportation in the Philippines?
The most common means of public transportation in the Philippines and Metro Manila is the Jeepney. The history of them dates back to the end of WWII when the local government bought the American Jeeps used during the world from the US and reconverted the means for public transport. Since then, Jeepney keeps serving as public transport. Each ride, within a radius of 4 kilometers costs 9 pesos (0.18 USD). However, tourists should avoid using them as the bus stops are not properly indicated. Moreover, more comfortable electric buses are nor riding along Manila. Unlike many other Asian countries, like Sri Lanka or Thailand, there are no tuk-tuk in the Philippines but sidecars. Furthermore, colorful tricycles are among the most common means of transportation.
