Source: http://filipinotimes.ae/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/map1.jpg

The Republic of the Philippines 

It is an archipelago is Southeast Asia that is located in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of 7,107 islands, which is divided into 3 clusters: Luzon Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital of the Country is Manila.

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_map_of_the_Philippines.svg

LUZON

Source: www.flickr.com 

         The island of Luzon is the largest Philippine island. It is located in the northern part of the archipelago.The largest percentage of the country’s population is concentrated in the island of Luzon. Most of the more progressive cities and town are within the boundaries of Luzon. The country’s capital is also located in the island of Luzon making it the country’s economic and political center. One of the most historic and one of the finest harbors in Asia is the very beautiful and captivating Manila Bay. One of the most beautiful sunsets in the world can be seen at Manila Bay. Majority of the residents of Luzon Island are Christians under different denominations but the most dominant Christian denominations are the Catholics.

VISAYAS

Source: myanmarietta.wikia.com 

          The Visayas is commonly referred to as Central Philippines. Visayas is one of the 3 geographical divisions of the Philippines. The residents of the Visayas are called Visayans. It is composed of several islands and islets. The 6 major islands of the Visayas are Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Panay, Negros and and Samar. Cebu City, the Queen City of the South and a highly urbanized city, is the most progressive city in Cebu Island and is regarded as the oldest city in the Philippines. Among the most popular and most beautiful tourist destinations in the Visayas are Boracay Beach, Magellan’s Cross, Panglao Island, Chocolate Hills, Malapascua, Leyte Landing Memorial in Red Beach, San Juanico Bridge, Blood Compact Shrine and many others. Major Languages in the Visayas include Ilonggo or Hiligaynon, Cebuano and Waray-waray.

MINDANAO

Source: justkalinaw.wordpress.com 

          Mindanao is the only part of the Philippines where there is significantly noticeable population of Muslims particularly in the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao. The largest city in Mindanao is Davao City and the highest peak in the Philippines is Mount Apo. Mindanao is the 8th most populous island in the world. It is larger in size than 125 countries in the world. The tallest Philippine waterfall is Limunsudan Falls in Iligan City with a height of 240 meters. Another popular waterfall in Mindanao is Maria Cristina Falls in the province of Lanao Del Sur. Mindanao is comprised of 26 provinces. These provinces are grouped into 6 regions namely Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao Region, SOCCSARKGEN, Caraga and ARMM. One of the largest pineapple plantations in the world is the Del Monte Pineapple plantation in Bukidnon. Beautiful mosques can also be found in Mindanao areas where Muslim population is dominant such as Marawi City, Cotabato City and others.




















MANILA: THE CAPITAL OF THE PHILIPPINES

Source: www.starmometer.com

Source: www.philippinetrails.com

        The official language in Manila is called Tagalog. It is located in the Southern part of Luzon. Britain ruled Manila for 2 years. Manila was originally named Ginto, which means "Land of Gold."

FAMOUS TOURIST SPOTS:

BORACAY

Source: www.travelonline.com

         Boracay is the most famous island in the Philippines. It's famous for its long sand white beach. It is located in Malay, Aklan, Western Visayas. It is a paradise for certified beach and sun-worshippers around the world.

VIGAN CITY

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New7WondersCities#/media/File:VIGAN_CITY.jpg

         Vigan is the capital city of the province in Ilocos Sur. According to UNESCO World Heritage Site, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. It is one of the few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines where its structures remained intact and is well known for its cobblestone streets and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial European architecture. In May 2015, it is one of the New7Wonders Cities.

BANAUE RICE TERRACES

Source: en.wikipedia.org

         The famous and beautiful Banaue Rice Terraces is considered by Filipinos as the "8th wonder of the world." This tourist spot is one of the most admired and most visited attraction in the Philippines. This amazing human achievement was built over 2,000 years ago by the Ifugaos using primitive tools such as stones and woods.

CHOCOLATE HILLS

Source: www.thepoortraveler.net

         The Chocolate Hills are famous worldwide, and have secured a place on provincial flags and seals. It is located on the island of Bohol, which is in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. The hills are covered in green grass almost all year round. However, in the dry seasons, this grass turns to a chocolate brown color. Hence, they are called "Chocolate Hills."

PUERTO PRINCESA UNDERGROUND RIVER

Source: www.oceanislandtravel.com

          The Puerto Princesa Underground River is located within the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park. The river is also called St. Paul Underground River. Geologists and environmentalists discovered a second floor to the river in 2010. This led them to believe that there are waterfalls in the cave as well.The river has gained worldwide admiration and attention, leading it to be included as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature in 2012.

MAYON VOLCANO

Source: famouswonders.com

          Mayon Volcano is the most famous of the active volcanoes in the Philippines. It is a perfect stratovolcano on Luzon Island. It is renowned as the "perfect cone" because of its almost symmetrical conical shape, the mountain and its surrounding landscape was declared a national park on July 20, 1938.

TUBBATAHA REEF

Source: triportreats.blogspot.com

          Tubbataha reef plays host to 600 kinds of fish that frolic with 360 types of coral. It was formed from the eruption of the undersea volcanoes nearly 15 million years ago. Its fertile reefs constantly seed adjoining regions including eastern Palawan, western Visayas and western Mindanao. It was declared as a World Heritage Site in 1993.

Filipinos are not famous for some tourist attractions but also for their cuisines. Here are some famous Filipino dishes:

LUMPIA

Source: olqw.org

Lumpia is a type of spring rolls in the Philippines. The filling is made of meat or vegetable wrapped in egg based wrapper. It can be served as deep-fried or fresh.



INGREDIENTS:


1 tbsp. vegetable oil


1 pound ground pork


2 cloves garlic, crushed


1/2 cup chopped onion


1/2 cup minced carrots


1/2 cup chopped green onions


1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage


1 tsp ground black pepper


1 tsp salt


1 tsp garlic powder


1 tsp soy sauce


30 lumpia wrappers


2 cups vegetable oil for frying




DIRECTIONS:


1. Place a wok or large skillet over high heat, and pour in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Cook pork, stirring frequently, until no pink is showing. Remove pork from pan and set aside. Drain grease from pan, leaving a thin coating. Cook garlic and onion in the same pan for 2 minutes. Stir in the cooked pork, carrots, green onions, and cabbage. Season with pepper, salt, garlic powder, and soy sauce. Remove from heat, and set aside until cool enough to handle.2. Place three heaping tablespoons of the filling diagonally near one corner of each wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space at both ends. Fold the side along the length of the filling over the filling, tuck in both ends, and roll neatly. Keep the roll tight as you assemble. Moisten the other side of the wrapper with water to seal the edge. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap to retain moisture.3. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat, add oil to 1/2 inch depth, and heat for 5 minutes. Slide 3 or 4 lumpia into the oil. Fry the rolls for 1 to 2 minutes, until all sides are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

(Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/35151/filipino-lumpia)

SINIGANG

Source: lutuingbahay.blogspot.com

Pork Sinigang is a sour soup native to the Philippines. This particular soup dish uses pork as the main ingredient though beef, shrimp, fish, and even chicken can be used. its sour and savoury taste most often associated with tamarind.


INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs pork ribs, chopped into 1 inch piece

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

1 packet sinigang tamarind soup mix

16 cups water

1 bok choy, chopped into 1 or 2 inch slices

1 daikon radish chopped in thin round slices (optional)

1 small tomatoes, chopped fine (optional)

2 small potatoes, chopped in large chunks (optional)

salt

DIRECTIONS:



Sauté ribs garlic onions and salt to taste until brown.
In Separate large pot add water Sinigang tamarind soup packet (found in international food section) to taste I like the whole packet but less is more in this case if it is to sour for you.
Then add the tomato and the pork, cook on medium heat for about 40 min and then add the potatoes cook for another 10 min and then add the Daikon Radish and the Bok choy cook about 10 more min. Serve immediately.

(Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/filipino-sinigang-tamarind-soup-81583)

PANCIT PALABOK

Source: www.bigsale.ph

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






INGREDIENTS:


1 pack (1 lb) rice noodles (bihon)


Sauce ingredients:


2 tbsp cooking oil


½ lb ground pork


1 tbsp anatto powder


3 cups pork broth


1 piece shrimp cube


6 tablespoons all-purpose flour


2 tbsp fish sauce


½ tsp ground black pepper


Topping ingredients:1 cup boiled pork, thinly sliced and cut into small pieces


2 pieces fried firm tofu, cubed


½ cup tinapa flakes (smoked fish)


½ cup chicharon (pounded)


2 hard boiled eggs,sliced


½ cup cooked shrimps (boiled or steamed)


¼ cup green onion or scallions, finely chopped


3 tbsp fried garlic


2 pieces lemon, sliced (or 6 to 8 pieces calamansi)









DIRECTIONS:

Soak the rice noodles in water for about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Cook the sauce by heating a saucepan. Pour-in the cooking oil.
When the oil is hot enough, put-in the ground pork and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes
Dilute the annato powder in pork broth then pour the mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a boil (If you are using anatto seeds, soak them first in 3 tbsp water to bring-out the color)
Add the shrimp cube and stir and simmer for 3 minutes
Add the flour gradually while stirring.
Add the fish sauce and ground black pepper then simmer until sauce becomes thick. Set aside.
Meanwhile, boil enough water in a pot.
Place the soaked noodles in a strainer (use metal or bamboo strainer) then submerge the strainer in the boiling water for about a minute or until the noodles are cooked. (make sure that the noodles are still firm)
Remove the strainer from the pot and drain the liquid from the noodles.
Place the noodles in the serving plate.
Pour the sauce on top of the noodles then arrange the toppings over the sauce.
Serve with a slice of lemon or calamansi.





(Source:http://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/09/10/asian-filipino-food-noodles-pansit-pancit-palabok-recipe/)

CHICKEN ADOBO

Source: www.youtube.com

It is the national dish of the Philippines. The protein is braised in vinegar until pungent and rich, sweet and sour and salty at once, then sometimes crisped at the edges in high heat, and always served with the remaining sauce. Cooking softens the acidity of the vinegar, which then combines with the flavor of the meat to enhance it.


INGREDIENTS:

4 to 5 pounds chicken thighs

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

Steamed rice, for serving



DIRECTIONS:
Combine the chicken thighs, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours
Bring the chicken to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and simmer until the sauce is reduced and thickened and the chicken is tender, about 20 more minutes. Serve with steamed rice.





(Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/filipino-chicken-adobo-recipe.html)

KARE-KARE

Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/filipino-chicken-adobo-recipe.html

Kare Kare is a traditional Filipino stew complimented with a thick savory peanut sauce. The commonly used meats for this dish are ox tail, tripe, and pork leg; on some occasions goat and chicken meat are also used. Besides the peanuts, this dish depends on the shrimp paste (on the side) in order to be fully enjoyed. Traditionally, clay cooking pot is used to cook this dish and it is also used as the serving pot.






INGREDIENTS:
4 and 1/2 pounds beef oxtails
3 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 pound bok choy, chopped
1/2 pound long beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound eggplant, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon achiote powder
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

DIRECTIONS:



Combine the oxtails and water in a large pot; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer at least 2 hours.
Skim as much fat from the top of the liquid as possible. Crumble the beef bouillon cubes into the liquid and allow to dissolve. Remove the meat from the broth and set aside. Add the bok choy, long beans, and eggplant to the broth and simmer until tender.
While the vegetables simmer in the broth, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion and garlic in the hot oil until tender. Stir the achiote powder into the mixture to add a little color. Add the peanut butter and stir until it's melted into the mixture. Add about half the broth to the pot; bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Add the oxtails and cook another 5 minutes before adding the remaining broth with the vegetables. Serve hot.





(Source:http://allrecipes.com/recipe/212983/kare-kare-pata-oxtail-stew/)

EARLY CIVILIZATION

FIRST WRITING: BAYBAYIN

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         Tagalog is the most widely spoken tongue in the Philipines today. Nowadays it is written in a Roman alphabet, but prior to Spanish colonial rule, Tagalog speakers employed a syllabic alphabet named Baybayinto record their language.


          The Tagalog Baybayin is one of the many indigenous scripts of pre-colonial Philipines The development of scripts in Philipines remains somewhat of a mystery due to destruction of native literature by Spanish authorities as well as poor preservation of the plant-based writing material in the Tropics. It is thought that scripts in Philipines derived from the Kawi script of Java around the 14th century CE. Ultimately, scripts in Philipines derive from Indian scripts. Like Indian scripts, every Tagalog letter inherently carries the vowel /a/. Furthermore, in order to represent a different vowel, diacritical marks called kudlit are added to the basic letter. In the case of Tagalog, a dot above the letter represents either /e/ or /i/, whereas a dot below represents /o/ or /u/.


         During the 17th century CE, in order to more fully represent Spanish loanwords, especially those used to translate the Bible, the Spanish priest Father Francisco López introduced a new kudlit in the form of the plus sign or cross (+) which if placed under a letter that removes the vowel.


          The Tagalog script was largely abandoned by the 17th century CE and was replaced by the Spanish (Roman) alphabet. Modern Tagalog writing employs the Roman letters A, B, K, D, E, G, H, I, L, M, NG, O, P, R, S, T, U, W, and Y.

FIRST MAN: CALLAO MAN

Source: unibersidadngpilipinas.tumblr.com

        The earliest human remains known in the Philippines are the fossilized remains discovered in 2007 by Armand Salvador Mijares in Callao Cave, Cagayan, Philippines. It definitely proven to be the remains of the Homo sapiens. It would antedate the 47,000 year old remains of Tabon Man to become the earliest human remains known in the Philippines, and one of the oldest human remains in the Asia Pacific.

EARLY FILIPINOS

AETAS

Source: www.existences.info

They were also called Negritos or Atis. They came across land bridges from Mainland Asia about 25,000 years ago. They were very small people and less than 5 feet tall. They have black skin, short kinky hair, thick lips and black noses. They wandered in the forest and lived by hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants and fruits. They used bow and arrow for hunting.

THE INDONESIANS

Source: www.dfi.dk

         They were the first immigrants to come by the sea to the Philippines. They came about 5,000 years ago and sailed in boats from South Asia. They were drove into the mountains and lived in the lowlands. Indonesians were more advanced than the Negritos or Aetas. They lived in permanent homes and used fire to cook their food. They lived by hunting, fishing, and small farming. They painted their bodies with colorful figures.

THE MALAYS

Source: kl.coconuts.co

          They came after the Indonesians 2,000 years ago. They also arrived in boats from Southeast Asia. They were medium in height, brown-skinned with dark eyes, flat nose and straight black hair. They drove Indonesians to the forest and lived in lowlands. They are more civilized than the Indonesians. They lived in larger villages, had government, writing, music, arts, and sciences. They lived by agriculture, fishing, mining, and trading.

MARAGTAS

Source: www.iloilo.net.ph

         It tells how the first 10 Malay dates left Borneo and came to Panay. They bought the land from the Negritos. This legend is now celebrated in the famous "Ati-Atihan Fiesta" and dance. The Filipinos today come from the Malay or Brown Race.

NATIONAL SYMBOLS:

NATIONAL FLAG: THE THREE STARS AND A SUN

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Philippines

Symbols:

White: It stands for peace and unity. The white triangle represents equality and the Katipunan nationalist organization

The 3 stars: It represents the 3 main geographical regions of the Philippines: Luzon Visayas, and Mindanao

The Sun: It represents Independence and its 8 rays represent the 8 provinces that led the Philippine uprising against Spanish rule

Blue Stripe: It symbolizes patriotism and justice

Red Stripe: It represents valor and the blood spilt for freedom and independence

COAT OF ARMS

Source: en.wikipedia.org

• the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines, each ray representing the eight provinces (Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Manila, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga and Tarlac) placed under martial law by Governor-General Ramón Blanco during the Philippine Revolution
• the three five-pointed stars representing the three primary geographic regions of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao
• in the blue field on the left is the Eagle of the United States; in the red field on the right is the Lion-Rampant of Spain

Official Description of the Blazon: “Paleways of two (2) pieces, azure and gules; a chief argent studded with three (3) mullets equidistant from each other; and, in point of honor, ovoid argent over all the sun rayonnant with eight minor and lesser rays. Beneath shall be the scroll with the words “REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS,” inscribed thereon.”

NATIONAL ANTHEM: Lupang Hinirang

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FUBJY6nco0

        The Philippine national anthem lyrics, versions, facts and complete information are contained in this article. Lupang Hinirang, the Filipino people’s national anthem was originally composed by Julian Felipe in 1898 in the proclamation of independence of the Philippines from Spain. The original lyrics were in Spanish and adapted from the words of Jose Palma’s poetry Filipinas which was written in 1899. The national anthem soon was translated and revised into Tagalog (Filipino) in the 1960s as it is the country’s national language.


Lyrics:

Bayang magiliw,
Perlas ng Silanganan
Alab ng puso,
Sa Dibdib mo'y buhay.

Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula,
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.

Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya,
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim,

Lupa ng araw ng luwalhati't pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo,
Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi,
Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.

NATIONAL HERO: Jose Rizal

Source: asianhistory.about.com

         Jose Rizal became a national hero of the Philippines as a reformist who advocated peacefully for liberty rather than violent means. He was forerunner of Gandhi and along with Sum Yat Sen and Tagone, the thought climate will change throughout Asia. His work and the work of others led to the attrition of colonialism.

         He became a national hero of the Philippines because he fought from freedom in a silent but in a powerful way. He expressed his love for the Philippines through his novels, essays, articles and poems rather than a force of aggression.

NATIONAL LANGUAGE: Filipino

Source: communicatetagalog.blogspot.com

                Filipino  is based on Tagalog and is the official language of the Philippines. In spite of being the national language, only about 55 percent of Filipinos speak the language. In addition to Filipino are about 111 distinct indigenous languages and dialects, of which only about 10 are important regionally.
           English is generally used for educational, governmental and commercial purposes and is widely understood since it is the medium of instruction in schools. The Philippines are the third largest group of English speaking people in the world, after the United States and the United Kingdom.

NATIONAL TREE: Narra

Source: mdnps.blogspot.com

          The Philippine national tree is the sturdy and durable narra, which symbolizes the Filipino people’s indomitable spirit and strength of character. It is known to easily adapt to a wide range of soil varieties but grows best in fine-grained fertile soil set down by overflows coming from river beds or flood plains. The tree is agriculturally useful as a windbreaker to protect vegetations of food crops and as natural fencing for pastures. In addition, their presence in secondary forests contributes to soil stabilization because of its nitrogen fixing properties. The tree’s broad canopy is capable of providing ample shade as a place of rest for farmers and agricultural workers in open fields or grazing lands.