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. Extensive overseas trade with neighbors such as the late Tang or Song empire brought Chinese people to the archipelago as well, which would also gradually settle in and intermix over the centuries. 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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Modern Filipino painting of the battle, depicting Ferdinand Magellan's death

The Battle of Mactan (Filipino: Labanan sa Mactan; Spanish: Batalla de Mactán) was fought on a beach in Mactan Island (now part of Cebu, Philippines) between Spanish forces led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan along with local allies, and Lapulapu, the chieftain of the island, on the early morning hours of April 27, 1521. Magellan, a Portuguese-born commander serving the Spanish Empire who led an expedition that ultimately circumnavigated the world for the first time, commanded a small Spanish contingent in an effort to subdue Mactan led by Lapulapu under the Spanish crown. The sheer number of Lapulapu's forces, compounded with issues on the location and armor, ultimately resulted in a disastrous defeat to the Europeans and the death of Magellan. Surviving members of Magellan's crew continued the expedition under the command of Juan Sebastian de Elcano, who completed the journey in September 1522.

The battle's exact details is lost to history, with Antonio Pigafetta's account being the only source for much of the known information today. It is remembered in the Philippines as the first battle won by a native Filipino against the Spanish forces, with Lapulapu being hailed as the country's first national hero. The Spanish Empire would continue to send expeditions to the archipelago with little to no success until Miguel Lopez de Legazpi's expedition to Cebu and Manila in 1565, starting a 333-year Spanish rule on the archipelago. (Full article...)

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... that Sharon Cuneta and Regine Velasquez's concert Iconic has been referred to as a venture of two unrivaled names in the music scene of the Philippines?
... that staff members of the Embassy of the Philippines to the Holy See would stack rosaries by the windows so they could be blessed by the Pope?
... that the continuing influence of the Catholic Church in the politics of the Philippines means that the country lacks a divorce law?
... that the Filipino musician No Rome took his stage name from people doubting his career choice?
... 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?
... that VMB-611 was the only United States Marine Corps bombing squadron to operate in the Philippines during World War II?
... that while Philippine Spanish has been described as an endangered language, a new generation of speakers has emerged?
... that former Philippine secretary of national defense Norberto Gonzales said that a Chinese invasion was "not unthinkable"?

Selected picture

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

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Official portrait, 2019

Francisco Moreno Domagoso (born October 24, 1974), also known as Isko Moreno Domagoso (Tagalog pronunciation: [isˈkɔʔ mɔˈɾɛ.nɔ dɔ.maˈɡɔ.sɔ]) or simply Isko Moreno, is a Filipino politician, actor, host and entrepreneur who served as the 27th Mayor of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, from 2019 to 2022. Before entering politics, Moreno first gained notability as an actor and television personality.

Moreno was born and raised in the slums of Tondo, Manila, and spent his childhood in poverty. After a modest career in show business, he entered politics in 1998, standing for election as a city councilor of Manila; he was elected for three consecutive terms. He then pursued higher education, including some non-degree postgraduate education at Harvard Kennedy School and Oxford Saïd Business School. In 2007, he was elected as vice mayor of Manila for the first of three consecutive terms. In 2016, he was term-limited as vice mayor and unsuccessfully ran for senator in the 2016 senatorial elections, being placed 16th out of 50 candidates. He then served in the cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte as social welfare undersecretary for a few months in 2018, before successfully standing as mayor of Manila, winning in a landslide victory against his former allies Joseph Estrada and Alfredo Lim in the 2019 local elections becoming the youngest elected mayor of Manila since the People Power Revolution. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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In the news

20 May 2024 – 19th Congress of the Philippines: Migz Zubiri resigns as President of the Senate of the Philippines and is replaced by Francis Escudero. (KPL/VNA)
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)

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More did you know - show different entries

... that during the construction of the Manila Film Center (pictured), its scaffolding collapsed, where at least 169 workers fell and were buried under quick-drying wet cement?
... that several karaoke bars in the Philippines had banned the song "My Way" due to the deaths attributed to it?
... that Filipino men and women engage in a form of courtship that is far more subdued and indirect compared to Western cultures?
... that Rafael de Izquierdo was the Governor-General of the Philippines during the 1872 Cavite mutiny which led to the execution of the martyrs Gomburza?