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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Satellite image of Laguna de Bay in 2020

Laguna de Bay (Spanish for "Lagoon/Lake of Bay"; Tagalog: Lawa ng Bay, [baɪ]), also known as Laguna Lake and alternatively spelled "Laguna de Bae", is the largest lake in the Philippines. It is located southeast of Metro Manila, between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north. A freshwater lake, it has a surface area of 911–949 km² (352–366 sq mi), with an average depth of about 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) and an elevation of about one meter above sea level. The lake is shaped like a crow's foot, with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore and filling the large volcanic Laguna Caldera. In the middle of the lake is the large island of Talim.

The lake is one of the primary sources of freshwater fish in the country. Its water drains to Manila Bay via the Pasig River. Environmental issues such as water quality problems created by population pressure and industrialization, invasive species and overfishing are of concern for the lake, hurting its economic importance to the country. As population expands in the Bay, its expected to rely more heavily on the lake for freshwater supply, thus water quality directly affects human populations. (Full article...)

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... that Angeline Quinto became the first Filipino singer to release a soundtrack album for a television series that featured a single artist?
... that foreign nationals wishing to gain Philippine citizenship need to demonstrate proficiency in English or Spanish as well as a Philippine language?
... that while Philippine Spanish has been described as an endangered language, a new generation of speakers has emerged?
... that at the height of the war between Iraq and the Islamic State, diplomats of the Philippine embassy in Baghdad agreed to die together rather than be taken hostage?
... that the continuing influence of the Catholic Church in the politics of the Philippines means that the country lacks a divorce law?
... that VMB-611 was the only United States Marine Corps bombing squadron to operate in the Philippines during World War II?
... that the sound for the film A Rustling of Leaves: Inside the Philippine Revolution was recorded using a Walkman?
... that the Chicago Police Department regularly cited vehicles of the Philippine consulate general in Chicago for parking in a no-parking zone, causing a diplomatic incident?

Selected picture

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

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Things you can do

Go to the Tambayan (Philippine WikiProject) and help out with articles.

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Arroyo in 2006

Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (Tagalog: [ˈɡloɾja makapaˈɡal ʔaˈɾojo]; born April 5, 1947), often referred to by her initials PGMA and GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who previously served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010. She is the longest serving president of the Philippines since Ferdinand Marcos. Before her accession to the presidency, she served as the 10th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001 under President Joseph Ejercito Estrada, making her the country's first female vice president, despite having run on an opposing ticket. She was also a Senator from 1992 to 1998. After her presidency, she was elected as the Representative of Pampanga's 2nd district in 2010 and later became the Speaker of the House of Representatives on 2018 to 2019. She was also serving in the congress as a Deputy Speaker from 2016 to 2017 and from 2022 until 2023. She is one of the only 2 Filipinos to hold at least three of the four highest offices in the country: vice president, president, and house speaker, alongside former President Sergio Osmeña.

The daughter of former president Diosdado Macapagal, she studied economics at Georgetown University in the United States, where she began a lasting friendly relationship with her classmate and future U.S. president Bill Clinton. She then became a professor of economics at Ateneo de Manila University, where her eventual successor, President Benigno Aquino III, was one of her students. She entered government in 1987, serving as the assistant secretary and undersecretary of the Department of Trade and Industry upon the invitation of President Corazon Aquino, Benigno's mother. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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In the news

30 April 2024 – China–Philippines relations: China's coast guard expels a Philippine Coast Guard ship and another vessel from the waters near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. (Reuters)
29 April 2024 – ISIL insurgency in the Philippines: Five Dawla Islamiya militants are killed and three soldiers are wounded during two shootouts in Munai, Lanao del Norte, Philippines. The military were hunting the group's leader, Nasser Daud, who however escaped from the scene. (MindaNews)
28 April 2024 –: The Philippines announces that it will close all schools on Monday and Tuesday, due to an extreme heat wave currently affecting the country. (The Straits Times)
26 April 2024 – Moro conflict: The Philippine Army announces that it has killed Nawapi Abdulsaid, an Abu Sayyaf militant, during a shootout two days ago in Hadji Mohammad Ajul, Basilan, Philippines. Abdulsaid was involved in fifteen beheadings as well as in attacks against security forces. (AP)
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)

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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?