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 Visayan couple of noble blood, Boxer Codex, ca. 1590

Visayans (Visayan: mga Bisaya; local pronunciation: [bisaˈjaʔ]) or Visayan people are a Philippine ethnolinguistic family group or metaethnicity native to the Visayas, the southernmost islands of Luzon and a significant portion of Mindanao. They are composed of numerous distinct ethnic groups, many unrelated to each other. When taken as a single group, they number around 33.5 million. The Visayans, like the Luzon Lowlanders (Tagalogs, Bicolanos, Ilocanos, etc.) were originally predominantly animist-polytheists and broadly share a maritime culture until the 16th

century when Catholicism was introduced by the Spanish empire. In more inland or otherwise secluded areas, ancient animistic-polytheistic beliefs and traditions either were reinterpreted within a Roman Catholic framework or syncretized with the new religion. Visayans are generally speakers of one or more of the distinct Bisayan languages, the most widely spoken being Cebuano, followed by Hiligaynon (Ilonggo) and Waray-Waray. (Full article...)

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... that at the Ryukyu Arc, the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting under the Eurasian Plate at 5 to 7 cm (2.0 to 2.8 in) per year?
... that Angeline Quinto has recorded songs for at least 35 films and television soundtracks in the Philippines?
... that the chancery of the Philippine consulate general in Honolulu was bought with donations?
... that the Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs said that it will not arrest communist leader Jose Maria Sison if he visits the Philippine embassy in The Hague?
... that the Commission on Elections was allowed to tabulate the results of the 2002 Puerto Princesa mayoral recall election but could not declare a winner right away?
... that foreign nationals wishing to gain Philippine citizenship need to demonstrate proficiency in English or Spanish as well as a Philippine language?
... that the Filipino fraternity Alpha Phi Beta has been involved in instances of violence, including getting mauled by rival fraternities, such as Sigma Rho?
... that Jason Robertson is only the second Filipino American to play in the National Hockey League?

Selected picture

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

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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.

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Salonga in 2021

Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga-Chien, OL (/ˈleɪə səˈlɒŋɡə/ LAY-ə sa-LONG-ə; born February 22, 1971), known professionally as Lea Salonga, is a Filipina singer and actress. Primarily known for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on the West End and Broadway. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a Laurence Olivier Award, in addition to nominations for two Grammy Awards. She was conferred with the Presidential Medal of Merit in 1990 and the Order of Lakandula in 2007, and she was honored as a Disney Legend in 2011.

Salonga began her career as a child in Philippine musical theatre productions and rose to international recognition in 1989 for playing the lead role of Kim in the original West End and Broadway productions of Miss Saigon. For her performance, she gained five awards—the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Theatre World Award, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Her further roles include Éponine in the Broadway and West End productions of Les Misérables, Wu Mei-Li in the 2002 Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song, Fantine in the 2006 Broadway revival of Les Misérables, Kei Kimura in the original Broadway production of Allegiance, Erzulie in the 2017 Broadway revival of Once on This Island, and Aurora Aquino in the original Broadway production of Here Lies Love. In 2023 and 2024, she starred in the West End production of the musical revue Stephen Sondheim's Old Friends. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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