Iris Laevigata

Portal topics: Activities; Culture; Geography; Health; History; Mathematics; Nature; People; Philosophy; Religion; Society; Technology; Random portal

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...)

More about the Philippines...

Refresh with new selections below (purge)

Selected article - show another

The culture of the Philippines is characterized by cultural and ethnic diversity. Although the multiple ethnic groups of the Philippine archipelago have only recently established a shared Filipino national identity, their cultures were all shaped by the geography and history of the region, and by centuries of interaction with neighboring cultures, and colonial powers. In more recent times, Filipino culture has also been influenced through its participation in the global community. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know (auto-generated) - load new batch

... that protesters demanded the closure of the embassy of the Philippines in Lisbon?
... that the Chicago Police Department regularly cited vehicles of the Philippine consulate general in Chicago for parking in a no-parking zone, causing a diplomatic incident?
... that the continuing influence of the Catholic Church in the politics of the Philippines means that the country lacks a divorce law?
... that Dolly de Leon was the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe or a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress?
... that the Filipino musician No Rome took his stage name from people doubting his career choice?
... that Jason Robertson is only the second Filipino American to play in the National Hockey League?
... that Ploning and Mindanao, films starring Judy Ann Santos, were the Philippine submissions for Best International Feature Film at the 81st and 93rd Academy Awards, respectively?
... that the chancery of the Philippine consulate general in Honolulu was bought with donations?

Selected picture

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

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.

Selected biography - show another

Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as Francis M., was a Filipino rapper, singer, songwriter, television personality, actor, and entrepreneur. He is regarded as an influential figure in Pinoy hip hop.

Magalona was a son of actors Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran. He started as a breakdancer and appeared in the teen comedy film Bagets 2 (1984) and the variety show That's Entertainment (1987) while building his rap career. (Full article...)

List of selected biographies

General images

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

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

In the news

28 June 2024 – New People's Army rebellion: Philippine troops claim to have killed at least ten suspected communist guerrillas, including three commanders, near a village in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. (ABC News)
24 June 2024 – Philippine drug war: Trial courts in Metro Manila, Philippines, dismiss the remaining charges filed against former senator Leila de Lima during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, including the last of the three involving her alleged conspiracy in the illegal drug trade, as well as another on her disobedience to a summons for a House hearing. (BBC News)
20 June 2024 – ChinaAngVirus disinformation campaign: Congress of the Philippines lawmakers pursue an investigation into a U.S. military social media disinformation operation to discredit Chinese COVID-19 vaccines to Filipinos to determine the damages caused, international law infringements, and possible legal action. (Reuters)
14 June 2024 – COVID-19 misinformation by governments: Reuters releases a report that alleges that the United States military conducted a clandestine online campaign, ordered by the Trump administration in 2020 and ended by the Biden administration in 2021, to discredit the CoronaVac vaccine of China-based manufacturer Sinovac Biotech in the Philippines and other developing countries. (Reuters)

More did you know - show different entries

...that José Rizal was a polyglot who mastered 22 languages including Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Malay, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and other Philippine languages?
...that Enrique of Malacca (aka Henry the Black), the interpreter of Ferdinand Magellan, may be historically significant as the first person to circumnavigate the world?
...that Malacañang Palace comes from a Tagalog phrase May lakan diyan, which means "there is a rich man there" for it was once the home of a wealthy Spanish merchant before it hosted the nation's chief executive?