History 

• Spanish conquistador Ruy Lopez de Villalobos named the Philippines after King Philip II. 
• The Philippines is the first Southeast Asian country that became independent after World War II.  
• Philippine Independence Day is celebrated on June 12, along with the Anniversaries of the Philippine Flag and the Philippine National Anthem. 

Economy 

• The country’s currency is the Philippine Peso. 
• The major industries of the Philippines include manufacturing and agribusiness.  
• Within Philippine manufacturing, food and drinks are the top contributors to economic growth. 

Geography 

• There are 7,107 islands in the Philippines but only about 2,000 are inhabited. 
• The Philippines is one of ten largest island countries in the world. 
• There are three main island groups in the Philippines: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.  

Climate 

• There are two seasons in the Philippines: the dry season from December to May, and the rainy season from June to December.  

Language 

• There are two official languages in the Philippines—Filipino and English.  
• Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language.  
• There are also eight (8) major languages spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Kapampangan, and Pangasinense.  

Philippine Basketball has a Winning Legacy 

A 1936 founding member of FIBA Asia, the Philippines has one of the oldest national teams and one of the longest basketball traditions. Regionally, it is considered the most bemedaled in Southeast Asia and one of the elite programs in Asia.  

Governed nationally by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, or the SBP, the Philippines has won five FIBA Asia Cups, four Asian Games men’s basketball gold medals, seven SEABA Championships, all but two Southeast Asian Games men’s basketball gold medals, and the most titles in Southeast Asia Basketball Association men’s championships. The country has also participated in five FIBA World Cups and seven Olympic Basketball Tournaments. 

Jeepney: Symbol of Filipino Ingenuity 

After enterprising Filipinos salvaged the GI vehicles left behind by American soldiers in the 1940s, the unique, artistic, and exotic jeepney or “jeep” was born in the Philippines. This is also the Filipino version of a shuttle bus, because it also travels along a fixed route. 

Tagalog Contribution to the English Vocabulary 

“Boondocks” is a word found in the English language, dictionary, and vocabulary. It comes from the Tagalog word “bundok” which means “mountain,” and was introduced to English by U.S. military personnel fighting in the Philippine-American War.   

Pedro and the Yoyo 

The yoyo, was invented by 16th century hunters in the Philippines. The word itself means “come, come.”  

In the 1920s, a Filipino immigrant named Pedro Flores began manufacturing a toy labeled with that name. Flores became the first person to mass-produce toy yoyos, at his small toy factory located in California.  

The Philippine Eagle 

The Philippine Eagle has been the country’s national bird since 1995. As its name suggests, this bird is endemic to the country.  It is also the largest forest raptor in the Philippines and one of the largest birds of prey in the world. 

In the early days of observing the Philippine Eagle, it was believed that they preyed exclusively on monkeys, which earned it the nickname “Monkey-Eating Eagle.” But over time, experts have debunked this belief: Philippine Eagles not only eat monkeys but also smaller mammals like dogs and even other birds of prey. 

DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM

PHILIPPINES TRAVEL