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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A building in Marawi is set ablaze by airstrikes carried out by the Philippine Air Force and the Naval Air Wing of the Philippine Navy

The siege of Marawi (Filipino: Pagkubkob sa Marawi), also known as the Marawi crisis (Krisis sa Marawi) and the Battle of Marawi (Labanan sa Marawi), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Philippine government security forces against militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups. The battle also became the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines.

According to the Philippine government, the clashes began during an offensive in Marawi to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the IS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf group, after receiving reports that Hapilon was in the city, possibly to meet with militants of the Maute group. A deadly firefight erupted when Hapilon's forces opened fire on the combined army and police teams and called for reinforcements from the Maute group, an armed group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and which is believed to be responsible for the 2016 Davao City bombing, according to military spokesmen. (Full article...)

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... that Angeline Quinto became the first Filipino singer to release a soundtrack album for a television series that featured a single artist?
... that around a fifth of all Filipinos served by the Philippine consulate in Barcelona protested its closure on Facebook?
... that Michael Barredo campaigned for Filipino athletes competing in disabled sports to receive government incentives?
... that three songs from Kyla's album Not Your Ordinary Girl were nominated in the same category at the 2005 Awit Awards?
... that Regine Velasquez, a Filipino singer and actress, was the first Asian artist to stage a solo concert at the Carnegie Hall in New York City?
... that abused Overseas Filipino Workers accused the former chargé d'affaires of the Philippine embassy in Damascus of neglecting them while he was regularly partying with handsome Syrians?
... that the continuing influence of the Catholic Church in the politics of the Philippines means that the country lacks a divorce law?
... that the Philippine embassy in Berlin was once purportedly located above a supermarket, with frankfurters visible from the windows?

Selected picture

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

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

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Apolinario de la Cruz (July 22, 1815 – November 4, 1841), better known as Hermano Pule (Spanish: [eɾˈmano puˈle], Spanish for "Brother Pule"; also spelled Hermano Puli), was a Filipino religious leader who founded and led the Cofradía de San José (Confraternity of Saint Joseph). The cofradía was established in 1832 in response to the racially discriminatory practices of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. During the Spanish colonial period, Catholic religious orders refused to admit native Filipinos as members. In retaliation, Pule established his own religious order that was exclusive for native Filipinos. During its peak, the cofradía had 4,500 to 5,000 members from the provinces of Tayabas, Batangas, and Laguna. Fearing an armed rebellion, the Spanish colonial government sent military forces to suppress the cofradía, an attack that was resisted by Hermano Pule and his followers on October 23, 1841. However, more troops were sent and the cofradía was finally quelled by the colonial military forces on November 1, 1841. Pule was then captured, tried, and executed. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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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)

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More did you know - show different entries

...that the Philippines average cellphone user sent 2,300 text messages in 2003, making it the world's most avid texting nation?
...that the closing mass for the World Youth Day 1995, held at the Luneta Park, was estimated to be attended by 5 million people and was considered to be the largest papal gathering in the Roman Catholic history but it would be the last time for Pope John Paul II to visit the Philippines?
...that Darna garnered 50.3% overnight ratings from AGB during its second episode and it became the highest rated show ever in Philippine television?