Portal:Philippines

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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 roughly 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...)

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In the Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park, Philippines

The tamaraw or Mindoro dwarf buffalo (Bubalus mindorensis) is a small buffalo belonging to the family Bovidae. It is endemic to the island of Mindoro in the Philippines, and is the only endemic Philippine bovine. It is believed, however, to have once also thrived on the larger island of Luzon. The tamaraw was originally found all over Mindoro, from sea level up to the mountains (2000 m above sea level), but because of human habitation, hunting, and logging, it is now restricted to only a few remote grassy plains and is now a critically endangered species.Contrary to common belief and past classification, the tamaraw is not a subspecies of the water buffalo, nor is it a subspecies of the slightly larger carabao, which is classified as a subspecies of the water buffalo. In contrast to the carabao, the tamaraw has a number of distinguishing characteristics; it is slightly hairier, has light markings on its face, is not gregarious, and has shorter horns that are somewhat V-shaped. It is the second-largest native terrestrial mammal in the country, next only to the carabao. (Full article...)

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... that protesters demanded the closure of the embassy of the Philippines in Lisbon?
... that Crying Ladies and Donsol, films starring Angel Aquino, were Philippine submissions for Best International Feature Film at the 77th and 80th Academy Awards, respectively?
... that three songs from Kyla's album Not Your Ordinary Girl were nominated in the same category at the 2005 Awit Awards?
... that Angeline Quinto became the first Filipino singer to release a soundtrack album for a television series that featured a single artist?
... that abused Overseas Filipino Workers accused the former chargé d'affaires of the Philippine embassy in Damascus of neglecting them while he was regularly partying with handsome Syrians?
... 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 VMB-611 was the only United States Marine Corps bombing squadron to operate in the Philippines during World War II?
... that at the height of the war between Iraq and the Islamic State, diplomats of the Philippine embassy in Baghdad agreed to die together rather than be taken hostage?

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

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Go to the Tambayan (Philippine WikiProject) and help out with articles.

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apl.de.ap in 2011

Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap (IPA: /ˌæpəldiˈæp/ AP-əl-dee-AP), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas (BEP). With the BEP, he has been nominated for 16 Grammy Awards, winning 6, including Best Pop Vocal Album. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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In the news

20 November 2024 – Capital punishment in Indonesia: Philippine President Bongbong Marcos confirms the return of Mary Jane Veloso to the Philippines following 14 years on death row in Indonesia, after the Indonesian government implemented a policy for the repatriation of foreign prisoners. (South China Morning Post)
17 November 2024 – 2024 Pacific typhoon season: Typhoon Man-yi makes landfall in the Philippines as a Category 4 super typhoon, three days after Typhoon Usagi struck the country and becoming the sixth consecutive storm to affect Luzon in the past month. At least eight people are killed. (Al Jazeera) (BBC News)
13 November 2024 – International Criminal Court investigation in the Philippines, Philippine drug war: The Philippines says it is bound help the International Criminal Court if the international court seek custody of former President Rodrigo Duterte through Interpol over alleged crimes against humanity committed during the Philippine drug war. (AP)
8 November 2024 – South China Sea dispute: President Bongbong Marcos signs into law the Maritime Zones Act and the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act which defines the maritime entitlements of the Philippines and set designated sea lanes and air routes. China protests against the laws which is linked to territorial disputes in the South China Sea. (Reuters) (Nikkei Asia)
27 October 2024 – 2024 Pacific typhoon season: The death toll from Tropical Storm Trami in the Philippines increases to 136 people killed and missing. (Al Jazeera)

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More did you know - show different entries

... that pre-colonial sexual customs in the Philippines involved equating the size of a woman's breasts and the wideness of her hips with the price of the dowry?
... that the Philippine Commission on Elections cited the Bible and the Qur'an to disqualify the Ang Ladlad LGBT Party from the 2010 party-list election?
... that sambong (Blumea balsamifera) is a flowering plant, which belongs to the Asteraceae family and is used in the Philippines as a diuretic and treatment for the common cold?
... that with the Philippine Basketball Association's acceptance of Solar Sports' bid to cover the league, the games will be aired again to the network that originally aired the games in the inaugural 1975 season?