The Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands. The main island groups are Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Luzon, which is the largest, accounts for more than half of the entire population.
The climate in Philippines is tropical with the period from March to May being hot and dry. June to October is the rainy season and the temperature is cooler from November to February. The average temperature is from 25°C to 32°C with average humidity baing 77%.
There are two official languages; Filipino and English. Filipino, which is based on Tagalog, is the national language but English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education. However the Philippines has more than 100 dialects spoken.
Some 83% of the population is
Catholic and about 5% are Moslem. Islam was introduced during the 14th century shortly after the expansion of Arab commercial ventures in Southeast Asia. Today, it is limited to the southern region of the country.
Christianity was introduced in the 16th century with the coming of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
Filipino culture is largely
a blend of the indigenous traditions of the Philippines, with the Hispanic
and American cultures. It has also been significantly influenced by Chinese,
Indonesian and Indian cultures.
From a long history of Western colonial rule interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, there has evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture.
The Filipino is famous for the bayanihan or spirit of kinship and camaraderie, said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese and the piousness comes from the Spaniards. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character.
The Filipinos are divided geographically and culturally into regions with each regional group having distinct traits and dialects. The sturdy and frugal llocanos are in the north, the industrious Tagalogs in the central plains, the carefree Visayans in the central islands and colorful tribesmen and religious Moslems in Mindanao. Tribal communities can also be found scattered across the archipelago.
The most commonly played sport in the Philippines is basketball. This was introduced from America with other trends such as the love of fast-food with many street corners having fast-food outlets.
Aside from the American commercial giants such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC and Shakey's, local fast-food chains have now been established including Jollibee, Greenwich Pizza, and Chowking.
Filipinos listen to American music, watch American movies, and admire American actors and actresses, although Asian trends and culture have begun to be adopted.
220 volts a/c is the common electricity standard. 110 volts a/c is also used, especially in major hotels.
The Philippines' monetary unit is the peso, divided into 100 centavos. Foreign currency may be exchanged at any hotels, most large department stores, banks, and authorized money changing shops accredited by the Central Bank of the Philippines. International credit cards such as Visa, Diners Club, Bank Americard, Master Card, and American Express are accepted in major establishments.
| Other Countries | French Chateaux | Paradors Spain | Pousadas Portugal |
| About us | Contact us | Links | sitemap |