This community is about the Philippines, Filipinos and everything that makes us truly Pinoy Pilipinas mahal ko. Pinoy ako pinagmamalaki ko (Philippines, I love. Proud to be Pinoy.)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
THE PHILIPPINES ... PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS
Experience Philippines video
PHILIPPINES is one of the largest archipelagos in the world, with its 7,107 islands scattered beautifully like pearls in the sea. Officially known as Republic of the Philippines. Its capital and major city is Manila. The inhabitants and citizens are called Filipinos. Filipino (Pilipino) and English are the official languages.
It has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences. Prior to Spanish colonization in 1521, the Filipinos had a rich culture and were trading with the Chinese and the Japanese. Archeological, and paleontological discoveries show that humans existed in Palawan around 30,000 to 50,000 BC. An aboriginal people of the Philippine Islands known as the Negritos, are a Melanesian ethnic group who arrived in the Philippines at least 30,000 years ago. Another ethnic group, known as the Austronesian or Malayo-Polynesian people, originated from the populations of Taiwanese aborigines who migrated from mainland Asia approximately 6,000 years ago. This ethnic group settled in the Philippines, and soon after, migrated to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Polynesian Islands, and Madagascar.
Islam was brought to the Philippines by traders from Malaysia and Indonesia.By the 13th century, Islam were established in the Sulu Archipelago, and spread to Mindanao, the Visayas, and Luzon by 1565. Muslims established Islamic communities. By the early 16th century there were native villages (Barangays) ruled by Datus, Rajahs, or Sultans.
Spain's colonization brought about the construction of Intramuros in 1571, a "Walled City" comprised of European buildings and churches, replicated in different parts of the archipelago. In 1898, after 350 years and 300 rebellions, the Filipinos, with leaders like Jose Rizal Andres Bonifacio and Emilio Aguinaldo, succeeded in winning its independence.
In 1898, the Philippines became the first and only colony of the United States. Following the Philippine-American War, the United States brought widespread education to the islands. Filipinos fought alongside Americans during World War II, particularly at the famous battle of Bataan and Corregidor which delayed Japanese advance and saved Australia. They then waged a guerilla war against the Japanese from 1941 to 1945. The Philippines regained its independence in 1946 from the United States.
Its three main island-groups are Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao (LuzViMinda). The South China Sea washes its Western shores. Taiwan, China, Japan and Korea are northern neighbors. To the west lie fellow ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. At its feet stands the chain of Indonesian islands and further down under, is Australia. To the east, the vast Pacific Ocean sweeps its gentle waters.
Its unique location has made the Philippines the commercial, cultural and intellectual hub of Asia from the dawn of history. It is a predominantly Roman Catholic country. There are also a number of minority religious groups, including Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
The Philippines has a tropical marine climate. There are three recognized seasons: "Tag-init" or "Tag-araw" (the hot season or summer from March to May), "Tag-ulan" (the rainy season from June to November), and "Tag-lamig" (the cold season from December to February).
The Philippines' mountain ranges, rainforests and its extensive coastlines make it home to a diverse range of birds, plants, animals, and sea creatures. It is one of the ten most biologically mega-diverse countries.
The Philippines has a democratic form of government. It has the president which is elected by a popular vote and functions as the head of state and head of government, and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
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 business process outsourcing / call center industry.
No comments:
Post a Comment