Philippine Facts - by travel authority Howard Hillman

Interesting facts & tidbits

Philippines

Philippine
Facts & tidbits

Here are a few conversation pieces for your next dinner party.

When to visit

the Philippines

Best time to visit

It's during the dry season. In most of the tourism areas, it runs six months, from about mid-November to mid-May. The first half of this season is the coolest, making it ideal for traveling. The second half is hotter.

Busiest period

Many Filipinos who live abroad traditionally return to the Philippines during the dry season for the extended Christmas period to visit family and friends. Airline seats and hotel rooms become scarce. Ditto for Easter week and the Chinese Lunar New Year.

Least desirable time to visit

It's during the the wet season. It runs from about Mid-May to mid-November. It rains a lot and humidity can be uncomfortable. And typhoons can pass through, especially in July and August.

Philippine history

in brief

First inhabitants

Humans from the Malayan Peninsula settled parts of the Philippine Islands at least 30,000 years ago.

Europeans

The first to set foot on the islands were the explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew in 1521.

Some people erroneously believe that Magellan was the first to circle the globe. He was killed by the native chief Lapu Lapu six weeks after he landed in the Philippines. It was Magellan's crew who completed the historic journey.

Spanish colonial period

It spanned over three centuries, ending in 1898. Native uprisings periodically occurred.

American colonial period

Spain sold the Philippines to the USA in 1898 for 20 million US dollars. American control lasted virtually a half-century, not without protests. During that time, the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1941, but were defeated by the Americans and Filipinos several years later.

Philippine independence

In 1946, America relinquished its sovereignty, and the Philippines became an independent nation.

More Philippine
tips & insights

Geography

The Philippines has over 7,107 islands (second only to Indonesia). The collective coastline - if stretched out - would almost encircle the equator.

Name

Namesake
The Philippines was named for the 16th century Spanish King Felipe II.

Official
The nation's official English name is "Republic of the Philippines". However, "Philippines" and "Philippine Islands" are also widely and acceptably used.

Misspelling
"Phillipines" is a somewhat common writing mistake by foreigners.

Many Filipinos have
Spanish names
They were urged upon most urban Christianized Filipinos by the Spanish colonists. However, some families have proudly kept their ancestral names. Dumaual, Macapagal and Magsaysay are examples.

Population and religion

The population of the Philippines is roughly 90 million. Five out of six Filipinos are Roman Catholics. About 5% are Muslims, who are concentrated mainly in the south in Mindanao.

Language

Filipino (also called Pilipino)
It's the official and most widely spoken language.

English
It is widely spoken, too. The Philippines is the world's third-largest English-speaking country (after the USA and Great Britain).

Languages and dialects
There are many spoken in the Philippines. You likely won't be able to understand many people in some parts of the Philippines even if you are fluent in Filipino and English.

View my other

Philippines pages

My Filipino/Tagalog
phrase guide

Click to learn how to say and pronounce key words and expressions.

My Philippine cuisine guide

External link

Philippine Department of Tourism