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. 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 the explorer Ferdinand Magellan 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. Catholicism 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 developing and 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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The Japanese occupation of the Philippines (Filipino: Pananakop ng mga Hapones sa Pilipinas; Japanese: 日本のフィリピン占領, romanized: Nihon no Firipin Senryō) occurred between 1942 and 1945, when the Japanese Empire occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II.

The invasion of the Philippines started on 8 December 1941, ten hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. As at Pearl Harbor, American aircraft were severely damaged in the initial Japanese attack. Lacking air cover, the American Asiatic Fleet in the Philippines withdrew to Java on 12 December 1941. General Douglas MacArthur was ordered out, leaving his men at Corregidor on the night of 11 March 1942 for Australia, 4,000 km away. The 76,000 starving and sick American and Filipino defenders in Bataan surrendered on 9 April 1942, and were forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March on which 7,000–10,000 died or were murdered. The 13,000 survivors on Corregidor surrendered on 6 May. (Full article...)

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... that VMB-611 was the only United States Marine Corps bombing squadron to operate in the Philippines during World War II?
... that SB19 became the first Filipino group to appear on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart, with "Gento"?
... that at the Ryukyu Arc, the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting under the Eurasian Plate at 5 to 7 cm (2.0 to 2.8 in) per year?
... that the Filipino musician No Rome took his stage name from people doubting his career choice?
... that the first ambassador at the Philippine embassy in Manama would later be injured in the 2000 bombing of the Philippine embassy in Jakarta?
... that a former teacher in the Philippines became a Robin Hood–like outlaw?
... that the Filipino boy band SB19 considered disbandment after their debut single "Tilaluha" saw little success?
... that while Philippine Spanish has been described as an endangered language, a new generation of speakers has emerged?

Selected picture

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

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

Official portrait, 1995

Fidel Valdez Ramos CCLH GCS KGCR (Tagalog: [pɪˈdɛl bɐlˈdɛs ˈɾamos]; March 18, 1928 – July 31, 2022), popularly known as FVR, was a Filipino general and politician who served as the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was the only career military officer, who reached the rank of five-star general/admiral de jure. Rising from second lieutenant to commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Ramos is credited for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy during his six years in office.

Ramos rose through the ranks in the Philippine military early in his career and became Chief of the Philippine Constabulary and Vice Chief-of-Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos. During the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution, Ramos was hailed as a hero by many Filipinos for his decision to break away from the administration of Marcos, and pledge allegiance and loyalty to the newly established government of President Corazon C. Aquino. Prior to his election as president, Ramos served in the cabinet of President Aquino, first as chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and later as Secretary of National Defense from 1986 to 1991. He was credited with the creation of the Philippine Army's Special Forces and the Philippine National Police Special Action Force. After his retirement, he remained active in politics, serving as adviser to his successors. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

In the news

22 January 2025 – Moro conflict: Militants from an offshoot branch of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front open fire against a United Nations livelihood project in Sumisip, Basilan, Philippines, killing two soldiers and wounding 12 others. (AP)
20 January 2025 – China–Philippines relations: Philippine police arrest a student of the People's Liberation Army for allegedly attempting to spy on several military facilities, including U.S.-accessible bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. (Reuters)
13 January 2025 – Efforts to impeach Sara Duterte: Members of the Iglesia ni Cristo hold a nationwide National Rally for Peace in the Philippines to express their disapproval of impeachment efforts against Vice President Sara Duterte. (Rappler)
30 December 2024 –: Philippine president Bongbong Marcos signs an order removing Vice President Sara Duterte and former presidents from the National Security Council, allowing the president to appoint other officials and private citizens as members. (Reuters)

More did you know - show different entries

...that the Philippines average cellphone user sent 2,300 text messages in 2003, making it the world's most avid texting nation?
...that the closing mass for the World Youth Day 1995, held at the Luneta Park, was estimated to be attended by 5 million people and was considered to be the largest papal gathering in the Roman Catholic history but it would be the last time for Pope John Paul II to visit the Philippines?
...that Darna garnered 50.3% overnight ratings from AGB during its second episode and it became the highest rated show ever in Philippine television?