About Philippines: The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelago of 7107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, with Manila as its capital city. The islands are divided into three island groups, Luzon, Visaya and Mindanao.
Climate. The local climate is hot, humid and tropical. There are three recognized seasons: Tag-init (hot or summer season from March-May), Tag-ulan (rainy season from June-November), and Taglamig (cold season from December-February). The country experiences about 19 typhoons strike per year and frequent seismic and volcanic activities. About 20 earthquakes are registered daily in the Philippines, though most are too weak to be felt.
History. The history of the Philippines as recorded by Europeans began with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The beginnings of colonization started to take form when Philip II of Spain ordered successive expeditions. Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from Mexico in 1565 and formed the first Spanish settlements in Cebu. In 1571 he established Manila as the capital of the new Spanish colony.
The Philippine Revolution against the Spanish began in 1896, ending two years later with a proclamation of independence and the establishment of the First Philippine Republic. However, at the end of the Spanish-American War, the Treaty of Paris in 1898 transferred control of the Philippines to the United States. Partial self-government under U.S. supervision began in 1935, but was interrupted by the Japanese invasion and occupation of the islands during World War II. The Philippines was granted full independence from the United States in 1946.
The Flag. The flag of the Philippines consists of a blue field (that stands for peace and justice), red (for patriotism, courage, and valor), white equilateral triangle (for equality and fraternity), a yellow sun with eight primary rays (for the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain), and a small, yellow star on each corner of the triangle (representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao). The flag is flown with the blue field on top, but at wartime the flag is flown upside down with the red band at the top.
The Language.
Abakada was the Tagalog alphabet of 20 letters, written as A B K D E G H I L M N NG O P R S T U W Y - intended to be entirely adequate for phonetic representation of the Tagalog language. Subsequent additions extended it to include the letters C CH F J LL Ñ Q RR V X and Z, in order to accommodate words of Spanish and English origin. In 1987, it was reduced to 28 letters when a new Tagalog-based language called Filipino was officially created. The current alphabet is basically the entire English alphabet plus the letters Ñ and NG. The official languages are Filipino and English, but more than 180 languages and dialects are also spoken.
The Culture.
Filipino culture is a fusion of pre-Hispanic indigenous Austronesian civilizations of the Philippines mixed with Hispanic and American. The Hispanic influences in Filipino culture are largely derived from the culture of Spain and Mexico as a result of over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule through Mexico. These Hispanic influences are most evident in literature, folk music, folk dance, language, food, art and religion, such as Roman Catholic Church religious festivals. Filipinos hold major festivities known as barrio fiestas to commemorate their patron saints. One of the most visible Hispanic legacies is the prevalence of Spanish surnames among Filipinos.
The Cuisine.
Filipino cuisine is also heavily influenced by Spanish and Mexican cuisine. Traditionally, Filipinos eat three main meals a day - almusál (breakfast), tanghalían (lunch), and hapúnan (dinner) plus an afternoon snack called meriénda. Each meal consist of rice and úlam (entrée). Main dishes include lechón (whole roasted pig), adobo (chicken and/or pork braised in garlic, soy sauce, and vinegar or cooked until dry), kaldereta (goat in tomato stew), ), afritada (pork or beef simmered in a tomato sauce with vegetables), kare-kare (oxtail and vegetables cooked in peanut sauce), sinigang (pork, fish, or shrimp in tamarind stew), pancit (stir-fried noodles), and lumpia (fresh or fried spring rolls). Dipping sauces such as vinegar, soy sauce, kalamansi (lime), bagoong or alamang (shrimp/fish paste) and patis (fish sauce). Traditional for breakfast are pandesal (rolls), torta (omelette), champorado (chocolate rice porridge), longganisa (native sausage), karne norte (corned beef), sinangag (fried garlic rice), and coffee. Common for meriendas are rice cakes (such as puto, kutsinta, suman, and bibingka), ensaymada (buttery sweet rolls with cheese), and empanada (savory pastries stuffed with meat). Desserts are optional and usually served on special occasions and they can be rice cakes, gulaman (gelatin), leche flan (caramel custard), turon (banana roll), buko pandan (grated coconut salad) and/or cassava cakes. Though fork and spoon are often used, Filipinos tend to feel the spirit of "kamayan", the traditional way of eating with the hands. | |