Portal Philippines

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

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...)

More about the Philippines...

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

The Legazpi-Sikatuna Blood Compact or Sandugo (Spanish: Pacto de Sangre) was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, chieftain of Bohol, on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship following tribal tradition. This is considered the first treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and Filipinos. "Sandugo" is a Visayan word which means "one blood".

The Sandugo is depicted in both the provincial flag and the official seal of the government in Bohol. It also features the image of the blood compact. The top of the seal explains the history behind the Sandugo event that occurred in Bohol, the fleet and the location where the Spaniards anchored and the place where the treaty was conducted which was dated on March 16, 1565. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

... that Ploning and Mindanao, films starring Judy Ann Santos, were the Philippine submissions for Best International Feature Film at the 81st and 93rd Academy Awards, respectively?
... that the continuing influence of the Catholic Church in the politics of the Philippines means that the country lacks a divorce law?
... that while Philippine Spanish has been described as an endangered language, a new generation of speakers has emerged?
... that Dolly de Leon was the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe or a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress?
... 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 foreign nationals wishing to gain Philippine citizenship need to demonstrate proficiency in English or Spanish as well as a Philippine language?
... that at one point in its political history, the Philippines was represented in the Spanish Cortes Generales?
... that Michael Barredo campaigned for Filipino athletes competing in disabled sports to receive government incentives?

Selected picture

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

edit

Things you can do

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

You can join one or more of the various task forces within the WikiProject.

If you are a Filipino, consider adding Category:Filipino Wikipedians to your userpage.

Selected biography - show another

Official portrait, 1995

Fidel Valdez Ramos CCLH GCS KGCR (Tagalog: [pɪˈdɛl bɐlˈdɛs ˈɾamos]; born March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR and Eddie Ramos, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer, who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure. Rising from second lieutenant to commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ramos is credited for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy during his six years in office.

Ramos rose through the ranks in the Philippine military early in his career and became Chief of the Philippine Constabulary and Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos. During the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Ramos was hailed as a hero by many Filipinos for his decision to break away from the administration of Marcos, and pledge allegiance and loyalty to the newly established government of President Corazon C. Aquino. Prior to his election as president, Ramos served in the cabinet of President Aquino, first as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and later as Secretary of National Defense from 1986 to 1991. He was credited with the creation of the Philippine Army's Special Forces and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force. After his retirement, he remained active in politics, serving as adviser to his successors. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies

General images

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

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

edit

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)

edit

More did you know - show different entries

... that extensive disturbances in the crust beneath the Philippines produce many volcanoes and earthquakes?
... that the Isla dela Victoria resort and casino under construction in Kawit Island, Cebu City, Philippines, is named for a city officer murdered for his role in the fight against illegal fishing?
... that a 1945 ordinance by the Cebu City Council was the first to regulate cockfighting venues in the Philippines?

More did you know

edit