Philippines

The Philippines consists of 7.108 islands of which only about 880 are inhabited. The two largest islands are Luzon, where the capital is located, and Mindoro. The Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia and is the world's third largest English-speaking country.

People

Most of the Filipino people are of Malaysian heredity with influence from the Chinese, American and Spanish. About 4% of the people living in the Philippines are ethnic minorities.There are more than 100 cultural minority groups in the Philippines. The Negrito is considered to be the aboriginals of the Philippines. Many of which still makes a living by hunting and gathering. The traditional religion of all Philippine Negritos is animism. The Negritos are nomads. In the north you will find another minority group, the Ifugao. This group has achieved world fame because of their gigantic rice terraces. They are also known as skilled farmers and former headhunters.

Language

The official languages in the Philippines are Filipino (based on the Tagalog) and English. However, there are a lot of local dialects and languages, some say that there are over 80 different dialects and languages.

Nature

Deep oceans separate the Philippine islands from each other. The nature is very varied; you can find everything from mountains covered with rainforest to long white coral beaches.

There are approximately 50 volcanoes in the Philippines, 15 are still considered to be active. Mount Mayon, situated in the south of Luzon, is the most famous volcano with its 2421 meters above sea level. Its almost perfect cone shape has made it one of the most photographed volcanoes in the world.

The Philippines has been an isolated group of island for a very long time. This has left the Philippines with a unique flora and fauna. According to scientists almost half the species in the Philippines are unique for the country. One of the most famous animals is the Tarsier that lives on Bohol. There are also a rich marine life with a lot of corals, coral reefs, turtles, sharks, whales and dolphins. Unfortunately, dynamite fishing has damaged many of the reefs. The government has started to play a more active part in protecting the reefs, introducing marine sanctuaries. Despite the dynamite fishing the diving is great, not least the wreck diving.

Climate

The climate is tropical with an average temperature of 26-28 degrees (Celsius). However, in the mountains the temperature can drop to about 6 degrees. The weather is depending on the monsoons. The south-west monsoon comes with rain in the west in June to September while the north-east monsoon gives rain in the east during November to March.

History and politics

The Philippines are a relatively young country if you count years of independence, but the first findings of human life are 75 0000 years old. The first findings of the "modern man" were found on Palawan and are 30 000 years old. In 1519 Magellan, a Portuguese seafarer in the service of Spain, set foot on the Philippine Island of Samar. This was the start of the Spanish era. It lasted until the 19th century, when the Americans took control over the country. It was not until 1946 that the Philippines became an independent state. The first president elected was Manuel Roxas (many of the streets around the country carry his name).

The Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed on July 4, 1946 and ever since; the Philippines has been a democratic country with the exception for the Marco regime 1965-1986. The present constitution is from 1987. The Philippines are governed by a president, a congress and a senate. Elections are held every six years.

Economy

The Marco regime led to severe consequences for the economy. But since the 1990's the country is recovering economically. In the last couple of years the GNP has been steady at 5-6%. The Philippines is developing towards a more and more industrialised country. A majority of the people, however, is still depending on fishing and farming for survival. The most important crops are rice, corn, sugar, bananas, pineapple and mango. Since it is hard to find a well-paid job in the Philippines more than 7,5 million Filipinos have moved abroad to make a living, sending money home to their families.

Amusements

People in the Philippines love TV, movies and karaoke. Almost everywhere you go you will find a karaoke bar. Basketball is the number one sport. However, what attracts most attention, especially if you are not use to it, is cock fighting. In Manila you can find big modern arenas just for cockfighting, and it is also shown on TV.

Food and drinks

Food is a little bit different from other parts of South East Asia. The food tends to taste as the main ingredients, meat or fish. One popular Filipino dish is Adobo. It is pig, squid, or chicken cooked with soy sauce, garlic and onions and served with rice. There are lots of tropical fruits such as mango. You should not miss the Calamansi. It is a small fruit that tastes like a mix between lemon and oranges. Halo-halo is a popular dessert made of ice cream, crushed iced, fruit, candy, and more. The Filipinos are proud of their own rum, Tanduay, and the local beer, San Miguel.

Disturbance

During the last couple of years, there has been some disturbance in the south part of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. Because of this we do not have any tour to offer in this area.

More information

Here you can find some additional information about the Philippines: The official website of The Republic of the Philippines .