Mabuhay Philippines

Before I begin, let me just say SORRY to all my readers because I forgot to update my blogs this pass few days because I am busy doing some other crops that could help in writing my blogs. To all my readers, let me greet you “MABUHAY PHILIPPINES”. I said this because I will be posting facts, trivia’s, guides on how to travel in my home country, the PHILIPPINES. I will be giving you information about natural landscapes, the climate, tropical animals and tropical fruit & vegetables in the Philippines. I will touring you at the Philippine’s Private Island “The Amangpulo/Amanpulo”. The housing, means of transportation and economic activities on markets and other places, will show you the way of living in this beautifull tropical country. Philippines are one of the countries in Southeast Asia. The Philippines (Filipino: Pilipinas), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas; RP), is an archipelagic nation located in Southeast Asia wit Manila as its capital city. The Philippine archipelago comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, bordering countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Palau, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam. The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country with a population approaching 90 million people. Its national economy is the 37th largest in the world with a 2006 gross domestic product (GDP) of over US$117.562 billion. There are more than 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, the largest diaspora networks in the world, about 11% of the total population of the Philippines. The Philippines was settled mostly by Malayo-Polynesian-speaking peoples. The Philippines became a Spanish colony in the 16th century, and an American territory at the beginning of the 20th century. The Katipunan led the Philippine Revolution of 1896 that won independence from Spain. The U.S. occupation of the Philippines during the Spanish-American War led to the outbreak of the Philippine-American War. The Philippines gained its independence from the United States on July 4, 1946 after the Pacific War (the Second World War) via the Treaty of Manila. Martial law was declared in 1972 by Ferdinand Marcos. The assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr. led to the People Power Revolution of 1986 that overthrew authoritarian rule. Political upheavals and corruption scandals alternated with the peaceful transition of power during the period that followed the restoration of democracy. Modern Philippines has many affinities with the Western world, derived mainly from the cultures of Spain, Latin America, and the United States. Roman Catholicism is the country's predominant religion, although pre-Hispanic indigenous religious practices still exist; there are also followers of Islam.Spanish was an official language of the Philippines until 1973. Since then, the two official national languages are Filipino and English. The capital of the country is Manila 14°35′N 121°0′E. As of 2008, the estimated population is 90.5 million. LANGUAGE:Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines, but more than 180 languages and dialects are spoken in the archipelago, almost all of them belonging to the Borneo-Philippines group of the Malayo-Polynesian language branch of the Austronesian language family. Twelve major regional languages are the auxiliary official languages of their respective regions, each with over one million speakers: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray, Kapampangan, Bikol, Pangasinan. Kinaray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao and Tausug. GOVERNMENT: The type of government is unitary presidential constitutional republic. The current presedent is Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the Vice President is Noli De Castro. The Philippines has a presidential, unitary form of government (with some modification; there is one autonomous region largely free from the national government), where the President functions as both head of state and head of government, and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president is elected by popular vote to a single six-year term, during which time she or he appoints and presides over the cabinet. The bicameral Congress is composed of a Senate, serving as the upper house whose members are elected nationally to a six-year term, and a House of Representatives serving as the lower house whose members are elected to a three-year term and are elected from both legislative districts and through sectoral representation. The judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, composed of a Chief Justice as its presiding officer and fourteen associate justices, all appointed by the President from nominations submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council. Attempts to amend the constitution to either a federal, unicameral or parliamentary form of government have repeatedly failed since the Ramos administration. The Philippines is a founding and active member of the United Nations since its inception on October 24, 1945 and is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is also a member of the East Asia Summit (EAS), an active player in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Latin Union, and a member of the Group of 24. The country is a major non-NATO ally of the U.S. but also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement. ECONOMY: The Philippines is a newly industrialized country with an economy anchored on agriculture but with substantial contributions from manufacturing, mining, remittances from overseas Filipinos and service industries such as tourism and, increasingly, business process outsourcing, to which it is known for having one of most vibrant BPO industries in Asia. The Philippines is listed in the roster of "Next Eleven" economies. The Philippine currency is Peso (Filipino: piso ) (PHP). The calling codes are +63 for mobile and 02 for the telephone (but this is valid only in the Metro Manila area). Some important information:Flag--Pambansang Watawat Anthem--"Lupang Hinirang" Patriotic Song--"Pilipinas Kong Mahal", "Bayan Ko" GemSouth Sea pearls Dance--Cariñosa Animal--Carabao Bird--Philippine Eagle Fish--Milkfish (Bangus) Flower--Arabian Jasmine (Sampaguita) Tree--Angsana (Narra) Leaf--Fan palm (Banahaw) Fruit--Mango (Mangga) Sport--Sipa House--Nipa hut (Bahay kubo) Costume--Barong Tagalog and Baro't saya Hero--José Rizal The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. These are divided into 17 regions, 81 provinces, 136 cities, 1,494 municipalities and 41,995 barangays. I will tour you to the tourist attractions that you can found in LUZON,VISAYAS and MINDANAO. RELIGION: Manila Cathedral, officially the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, is mother church of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. The Philippines is one of two countries in Asia with Roman Catholic majorities; the other being East Timor. The Philippines is separated into dioceses of which the Archdiocese of Manila enjoys primacy. About 90% of Filipinos identify themselves as Christians, with 81% belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. 2% are composed of Protestant denominations and 11% either to the Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan), Iglesia ni Cristo and others.While Christianity is a major force in the culture of the Filipinos, indigenous traditions and rituals still influence religious practice. CULTURE: Filipino culture is a fusion of pre-Hispanic indigenous Austronesian civilizations of the Philippines mixed with Hispanic and American. It has also been influenced by Chinese, Arab, and Indianized cultures. The Hispanic influences in Filipino culture are largely derived from the culture of Spain and Mexico as a result of over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule through Mexico. These Hispanic influences are most evident in literature, folk music, folk dance, language, food, art and religion, such as Roman Catholic Church religious festivals. Filipinos hold major festivities known as barrio fiestas to commemorate their patron saints. One of the most visible Hispanic legacies is the prevalence of Spanish surnames among Filipinos. This peculiarity, unique among the people of Asia, came as a result of a colonial decree for the systematic distribution of family names and implementation of the Spanish naming system on the inhabitants of the Philippines. A Spanish name and surname among the majority of Filipinos does not always denote Spanish ancestry. Just sitback and enjoy!!!!