Brief History
PREHISTORY
Philippine history began with the arrival of the first humans some 30,000 years ago. It is believed that these first settlers traveled across land bridges which connected most Southeast Asian countries before.
Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, was the first person from the West to set foot in the Philippines on 1521.
CLASSICAL STATES (900AD-1521)
Negrito tribes, supplanted by Austronesians roamed the islands, prior to Magellan’s arrival. They were mostly nomads formed of hunter-gatherer tribes and warrior-clans. These tribes and clans eventually bloomed into kingdoms, rajahnates, sultanates, confederations and principalities.
SPANISH RULE (1565-1898)
Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, was the first person from the West to set foot in the Philippines on 1521.
1565 signaled the onset of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi from Spain led the first Philippine expedition, and following Magellan’s maps, they landed on the island of Cebu. After establishing a permanent settlement in Cebu, the colony then spread more, eventually reaching the islands of Luzon and the bays of Manila.
The Spaniard settlers introduced western versions of printing, the Gregorian calendar, firearms, taxes and Christianity.
The Spanish rule lasted more than three centuries.
BRITISH RULE (1762-1764)
In 1759, tensions between Spain and Britain in Europe boiled over into what they call The Seven Years War. This caused Spaniards to lose control of the Philippines over to the British. A small delegation of British army-men, led by Brigadier General William Draper, reached the Philippine shores in 1762. A tug-of-war between Spain and Britain began, as both tried to seize control of, then bustling, Manila.
The war ended with the signing of the Peace of Paris in 1763, which “informally” handed back the Philippines to Spain.
AMERICAN SETTLEMENT (1898-1946)
The Spanish rule was ended by a two-year revolution by the Filipinos, spearheaded by Jose Rizal, Apolinario Mabini and Emilio Aguinaldo, who then established the First Philippine Republic. With the signing of the Treaty of Paris, control of the Philippines was transferred from the Spaniards to the Americans. The treaty however, was not recognized by the Filipinos after declaring their independence from Spain. Inevitably, a war broke out between the Philippines and America, resulting in thousands of casualties. Having vanquished the Filipino rebels, and having sustained massive damage themselves, the American troops took time to rebuild. Control eventually stabilized in 1905.
JAPANESE OCCUPATION – WORLD WAR II (1941 -1946)
The Filipinos, having been promised full independence by the Americans, anxiously prepared for this in 1946. However, during that time, the Second World War broke out, with Japan launching a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii followed by an air raid of Manila. The Filipino-American troops defended valiantly but were forced to retreat to Bataan due to the sheer number of the Japanese invaders. The Japanese however, were not able to take full control of the Philippines, as they were under constant pressure from the Filipino guerillas called “HUKBALAHAP”.
The war ended with the surrender of Japan to America. The Philippines, particularly Manila, however suffered massive infrastructural damage and countless lives lost.
INDEPENDENT PHILIPPINES (1946-PRESENT)
The Philippines finally received its independence on July 4, 1946, with Manuel Roxas being elected as the first president of this republic. From 1946 to 2001, the Filipinos had ten different presidents, with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo currently running the country.
Geography, Demographics and Climate
Area
Total: 300,000 km2
Land: 298,170 km2
Water: 1,830 km2
Coastline: 36,289 km
Rank City Population in 2007
1. Metro Manila 11,553,427
2. Metro Cebu 2,314,897
3. Davao City 1,363,337
4. Zamboanga City 774,407
5. Antipolo City 633,971
6. Cagayan de Oro City 553,966
7. General Santos City 529,542
8. Bacolod City 499,497
9. Iloilo City 418,710
10. Iligan City 308,046
The Philippine archipelago lies in Southeast Asia in a position that has led to its becoming a cultural crossroads, a place where Malays, Arabs, Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, Japanese and others have interacted to forge a unique cultural and racial blend.
The Philippines is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 km2
The islands are divided into three groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The largest of the three is Luzon at about 105,000 km2
CLIMATE
The Philippines has a tropical wet climate dominated by a rainy season and a dry season. The summer monsoon brings heavy rains to most of the archipelago from May to October, whereas the winter monsoon brings cooler and drier air from December to February. Manila and most of the lowland areas are hot and dusty from March to May. Even at this time, however, temperatures rarely rise above 37 °C.
TERRAIN
The islands are volcanic in origin, being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and are mostly mountainous. The highest point in the country is the peak of Mount Apo in Mindanao, which is 2,954 m above sea level.
Many volcanoes in the country are active, the most recent eruption being that of Mount Pinatubo on Luzon in 1991. Mount Mayon is another of the active volcanoes and has the world’s most perfectly-shaped cone.
The islands typically have narrow coastal plains and numerous swift-running streams. Every island has sand beaches, but few open onto spacious lowlands. There are few large plains or navigable rivers.
People, Religion, Culture and Arts
About two-fifths of the Philippines live in urban areas, while three-fifths of the people live in rural areas, although the proportion of people living in towns and cities is steadily increasing. The majority of the people follow age-old traditions as well as contemporary lifestyles and trends.
The culture of the Philippines reflects the complexity of the history of the Philippines through the blending of several diverse traditional Malay heritage mixed with Spanish, American and other Asian cultures.
Hispanic influences are visible in traditional Philippine folk music and dance, cuisine, festivities, religion, and language, though usually integrated with other influences. The most visible example of this are the Spanish names of Filipinos, which were given through a tax law, the thousands of Spanish loanwords in native languages such as Tagalog and Cebuano, and the majority Catholic religion.
American influences are evident in the use of the English language, and in contemporary pop culture, such as fast-food, music, film and basketball.
Other Asian ethnic groups such as the Chinese and Japanese have been settling in the Philippines since the colonial period and their influence is also present in the popularity of gambling games such mahjong, jueteng, Eskrima and other Asian cuisine.
Filipinos cook a variety of foods influenced by Spanish and Asian cuisines.
A typical Philippine diet consists of at least three meals a day served with boiled or fried rice, corn and other dishes. Filipinos regularly use spoons together with forks and knives. Some also eat with their hands, especially in informal settings, and when eating seafood. Rice, corn, and popular dishes such as adobo (a meat stew made from either pork or chicken), lumpia (meat or vegetable rolls), pancit (noodle dish) and lechón (roasted pig) are served on plates.
Most Filipino families eat together with their relatives and friends. They say that food tastes better when you eat it with someone.
Sipa is the national sport in the Philippines. Other popular sports include basketball, boxing, football (soccer), billiards, chess, ten-pin bowling, volleyball, horse racing and cockfighting. Dodge ball and badminton are also popular.
General Information
LANGUAGES
Two official languages — Filipino and English. Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education. Eight (8) major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense. There are about 76 to 78 major language groups, with more than 500 dialects.
CURRENCY
The currency in the Philippines is the Peso (PhP) and the Centavo. 100 centavos = P1. Coin denominations are: 1, 5, 10, and 25 centavos, P1, and P5. Bill denominations are : 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1, 000 pesos.
Foreign currency may be exchanged at your hotel, and in most of the large department stores, banks and authorized money changing shops. Exchanging money anywhere else is illegal and the laws are strictly enforced.
Most large stores, restaurants , hotels and resorts accept major credit cards including American Express , Visas and MasterCard. Traveller’ s checks preferably American Express are accepted at hotels and large department stores. Personal checks drawn on foreign banks are generally not accepted.
UNIT OF MEASURE
The Metric System is used in most trade and legal transactions.
ELECTRICITY
220 volts a/c is the common standard. 110 volts a/c is also used, especially in major hotels.
CLOTHING
People in the Philippines dress for the weather. Casual attire during the day for women are light blouses and shorts. For men collared T- shirts worn over slacks. In the evening skirts are substituted for shorts and the T-shirts are tucked in.
For Men Only: If you expect to have to attend any occasion which would usually require a jacket and a tie (which is torture in this weather) there is a wonderful substitute. Go immediately to a department store and buy a barong tagalog. It is an embroidered shirt that is considered a formal dress. It will cost more or less PhP1,000.00, but it is worth every centavo.
WATER
Water supply in Metro Manila and in all the other major cities are considered potable. Bottled purified water, spring water or mineral water is often supplied by hotels and resorts, and sold in all grocery stores.
TELEPHONE AND MOBILE PHONE
Telephone service is modern and you can direct dial anywhere in the world. Public phones are plentiful. Public phones require a minimum of two one-peso coins for a local call.
Bayantel – Bayan Telecommunications, Philippines.
Globe Telecom – Forward thinking Philippine telephone company. Offers mobile phone services.
PLDT – Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company.
Smart – Smart is one of the leading mobile phone companies in the Philippines and also offers mobile banking.
Some Important Telephone Numbers: (24-Hour Hotline)
Police & Fire: 757 or 116
Emergency No.: 501- 650 or 501- 728
Directory Assistance: 114
National Operator: 109
International Operator: 108
For other emergency numbers, please refer to Directory.
NOTE: It is advisable to always have the telephone number and the address of your embassy or consulate with you.
BUSINESS HOURS
Most businesses are open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays and 8:00 AM till noon Saturdays. Banks are open from 9:00 AM till 3:00 PM Mondays through Fridays. When banking in the Philippines, it is advisable to have your passport with you for identification.
The post offices are open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays only. Stamps for postcards are frequently available from the Concierge Desk at most major hotels. The Philippines uses ZIP codes, please include them in addressing local mail.
NOTE: The Standard lunch hour is noon to 1:00 PM. Most businesses and government offices are closed.
TIME DIFFERENCE
Local time is GMT plus 8 hours.
Business English is the language used. Sexual equality is more widespread in the Philippines than in other Asian countries. Make sure you have business cards.
AIRPORT TAX
Passenger Terminal Fee is levied on all passengers embarking for:
1. International travel (including Security Fee): PHP 750.-.;
2. Domestic travel: PHP 200.-.
Place of payment: Airport of departure.
Exempt:
1. Children under 2 years of age.
2. Transit passengers remaining in the transit area and not leaving the airport.
3. Crew members.
TIPPING
Tipping is expected for most services. The standard practice is 10% of the total bill. Tipping is optional on bills that already include a 10% service charge.
ANTI-SMOKING LAW in Enclosed Places, etc.
MANILA, Philippines — Section five of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 (Republic Act 9211) prohibits the carrying of any lighted tobacco product in public vehicles, schools, health centers, elevators, cinemas, malls and in places where fire hazards are present. Smoking is also banned in recreational facilities for minors. Fines imposed on violators of this section range from P500 to P10,000.
Trivia
- The Philippines comprises the two thousand years old Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras. These are accredited as World Heritage Sites.
- About 80% people of the country’s total population are Roman Catholics.
- This nation was baptized the Philippines, after King Philip II of Spain.
- Its capital city Manila was named after a white-flowered mangrove plant, the nilad.
It was the first Southeast Asian country to gain independence in 1946, following World War II.
- The Pacific Ocean is known to contain the deepest ocean trenches in the world. The Mindanao trench, which lies close to the Philippines, is six and a half miles deep.
- The Philippines is regarded the “text capital of the world”. About 350 to 400 million SMS (Short Message Service) or text messages are sent daily by 35 million cell phone subscribers in the country, which is more than the total daily text messages sent in the U.S. and Europe, together.
- In the Philippines, Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans.
- The Philippines is the world’s 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to the USA and the UK.
- Filipino national hero Dr. Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese. What were his last words? “Consummatum est!” (“It is done!”)
With an estimated population of about 92 million people, the Philippines is the world’s 12th most populous country. It is estimated that there are an additional 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. Its tropical climate sustains one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity in the world.