On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan rediscovered the Philippines. Since then, the country was put in the world map. But whenever I go to other countries, people still wonder where the Philippines is. “What is your country noted for?” they inquired.
1. Beaches: The phrase “Life is a beach” must have been created for Filipinos. With a coastline of 26,289 kilometers (almost twice that of the United States), the Philippines has the third longest combined coastlines in the planet (after Canada and Indonesia). It is home to more than 7,000 islands. Boracay in Panay Island is known globally as having one of the world’s finest beach resorts.
2. Surfing Site: Siargao’s Cloud Nine is said to be among the best surfing sites in the world. American surf photographer John Callahan discovered the remarkable waves of the island in 1993.
3. Underground River: The navigable part of the river inside the cave of the 4000-acre St. Paul Subterranean River stretches 8.2 kilometers in length. This pride of Palawan is among those with the longest underground river. (Palawan is also noted of its towering limestone cliffs found in El Nido.)
4. Rice Terraces: Touted to be the “Eight Wonder of the World,” this Banaue architectural wonder – otherwise known as the “stairways to the sky” – is about 13,500 miles long, or about half the globe’s circumference and ten times the length of the Great Wall of China.
5. Deepest Spot: The Philippine Deep or the Mindanao Trench is the world’s second deepest spot underwater as it is about 34,440 feet (10,497 meters) below sea level. Marianas Trench (11,000 meters below the sea level) holds the record.
6. Marine Park: The Tubbataha Reefs in Sulu Sea is considered as the world’s richest “bio-geographic area.” The marine park, declared as such in 1988, covers 33,200 hectares and contains what is believed to be the world’s largest grouping of marine life per unit area.
7. Volcanoes: The eruption of Mount Pinatubo created a worldwide phenomenon. But the country is actually known for Mayon Volcano in Albay, which has been considered as having a nearly perfect cone. Taal Volcano, said to be the world’s smallest volcano, is described as “an island within an island, a volcano within a volcano.”
8. Symbols: Bangus (fish), sampaguita (flower), carabao (animal), sipa (sports), tinikling (dance), Philippine eagle (bird), mango (fruit), narra (tree), “Lupang Hinirang” (anthem), bahay kubo (house), and Dr. Jose P. Rizal (hero) are some of the country’s national symbols.
9. Fruits: Filipinos love to eat mangoes, whether green or ripe. The Guinness Book of World Records listed the Philippine mango as “the sweetest fruit in the world.” Filipinos also devour durian, that fruit that emits “a smell like hell” but has “a taste like heaven.” Other fruits on the list are mangosteen, banana, marang, papaya, melon, guava, pomelo, caimito, chico, and santol.
10. Flower: The waling-waling, named in “allusion to a moth in flight,” was discovered on Mindanao in 1882. It used to grow on tree trunks in the rainforests of Davao, Sultan Kudarat and other parts of the island. It is touted as the queen of Philippine flowers and is worshipped as diwata (fairy) by the native Bagobos.
11. Fish: The dwarf goby (Pandaka pygmaea) measures 1.2 centimeters or less than half of an inch, the tiniest known vertebrate. The world’s smallest commercial fish, however, is “sinarapan” (Mistichthys luzonensis); it grows to an average length of 1.25 centimeters. At P4,000 per kilogram, “ludong” (Cestraeus plicatilis) is the country’s most expensive fish.
12. Delicacies: During special occasions and events, you may find these various delicacies: bibingka, binignit, sapin-sapin, lumpia, maja blanca, kutsinta, puto, pichi-pichi, galapong, biko, bukayo, and suman.
13. Foods: Filipinos are noted for their weird foods like balut, kinilaw, patis, and bagoong. But foreigners love to eat the delicious chicken adobo and the crispy lechon. Yes, we also love pansit, lumen, sinigang, luglug, and dinuguan.
14. Word record: Filipino National Artist Levi Celerio has been recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as “the only man who could play beautiful music with a leaf.” Celerio wrote more than 4,000 songs.
15. World Achievers: Manny Pacquiao, Bong Coo, Eugene Torre, Paeng Nepomuceno, Lea Salonga, Carlos P. Rumulo, Cory Aquino, and Juan Luna. They all make us proud as a nation.
16. Beauties: In almost all beauty contests (Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Asia, Miss International, Miss Earth, and Miss Tourism), you will find a Filipino competing against other beauties from other countries. Gloria Diaz and Margarita Moran won the Miss Universe title. Gemma Cruz was crowned Miss International in 1964, a title which Aurora Pijuan got in 1970 and Melanie Marquez in 1979.
17. Politicians: They want to be called “honorable” although most of them are not. Words like graft and corruption are always associated with them. During election, vote buying and ballot snatching are a way of life. After election, losers usually protest: “I am cheated!”
18. Gathering: Most participants are one hour late. If the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m., they will show up at 8:00 p.m. Most of the important people will arrive much late than the rest. Generally, someone will say, “Announcing the arrival of…”
19. Festivals: Almost every city now has their own way of attracting tourists by means of street dancing. It also started with the Sinulog Festival in Cebu. Davao followed suit with its Kadayawan.
20. Movies: Some producers use kilometric titles like “Mahal, Saan Ka Nanggaling Kagabi,” “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?” “Alas Tres ng Hapon, Gising Na Ang Mga Anghel,” “Lumakad Kang Hubad sa Mundong Ibabaw,” “Tinimbang Ka Nguni’t Kulang,” and the tongue-twisting “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?”
21. Tele-series: Same plot and same characters but different actors. Rich boy falls in love with a poor girl (or vice versa) and parents of rich boy are against their affair. Put a lot of twists and cliff hangers, and Filipinos are glued to their television every night during weekdays.
22. Actors: Even if he is gone already, Fernando Poe Jr. – the king of Philippine movies – still has a legion of fans. Comedy King Dolphy has no heir apparent. Bella Flores is a villainess forever.
23. Love Teams: Fans love them: Susan Roces and Eddie Gutierrez, Amalia Fuentes and Romeo Vasquez, Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III, Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz, Maricel Soriano and William Martinez, and Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu.
24. Sing along: Filipinos love to sing and drink. This is the reason why “Singing Bee” and “Videoke Challenge” are popular shows. Give the mike to anyone, and he or she will immediately sing at the top of his or her voice. Just don’t sing “My Way,” please!
25. Inventions: Agapito Flores has been touted as the inventor of the fluorescent lamp but this has been under scrutiny. But Dr. Abelardo Aguilar really discovered erythromycin in 1949 and Edgardo Varquez is credited in 1995 for developing a modular housing system.
When he was still alive, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino said these immortal words: “Filipinos are worth dying for!”
Now, you know the reason!
1. Beaches: The phrase “Life is a beach” must have been created for Filipinos. With a coastline of 26,289 kilometers (almost twice that of the United States), the Philippines has the third longest combined coastlines in the planet (after Canada and Indonesia). It is home to more than 7,000 islands. Boracay in Panay Island is known globally as having one of the world’s finest beach resorts.
2. Surfing Site: Siargao’s Cloud Nine is said to be among the best surfing sites in the world. American surf photographer John Callahan discovered the remarkable waves of the island in 1993.
3. Underground River: The navigable part of the river inside the cave of the 4000-acre St. Paul Subterranean River stretches 8.2 kilometers in length. This pride of Palawan is among those with the longest underground river. (Palawan is also noted of its towering limestone cliffs found in El Nido.)
4. Rice Terraces: Touted to be the “Eight Wonder of the World,” this Banaue architectural wonder – otherwise known as the “stairways to the sky” – is about 13,500 miles long, or about half the globe’s circumference and ten times the length of the Great Wall of China.
5. Deepest Spot: The Philippine Deep or the Mindanao Trench is the world’s second deepest spot underwater as it is about 34,440 feet (10,497 meters) below sea level. Marianas Trench (11,000 meters below the sea level) holds the record.
6. Marine Park: The Tubbataha Reefs in Sulu Sea is considered as the world’s richest “bio-geographic area.” The marine park, declared as such in 1988, covers 33,200 hectares and contains what is believed to be the world’s largest grouping of marine life per unit area.
7. Volcanoes: The eruption of Mount Pinatubo created a worldwide phenomenon. But the country is actually known for Mayon Volcano in Albay, which has been considered as having a nearly perfect cone. Taal Volcano, said to be the world’s smallest volcano, is described as “an island within an island, a volcano within a volcano.”
8. Symbols: Bangus (fish), sampaguita (flower), carabao (animal), sipa (sports), tinikling (dance), Philippine eagle (bird), mango (fruit), narra (tree), “Lupang Hinirang” (anthem), bahay kubo (house), and Dr. Jose P. Rizal (hero) are some of the country’s national symbols.
9. Fruits: Filipinos love to eat mangoes, whether green or ripe. The Guinness Book of World Records listed the Philippine mango as “the sweetest fruit in the world.” Filipinos also devour durian, that fruit that emits “a smell like hell” but has “a taste like heaven.” Other fruits on the list are mangosteen, banana, marang, papaya, melon, guava, pomelo, caimito, chico, and santol.
10. Flower: The waling-waling, named in “allusion to a moth in flight,” was discovered on Mindanao in 1882. It used to grow on tree trunks in the rainforests of Davao, Sultan Kudarat and other parts of the island. It is touted as the queen of Philippine flowers and is worshipped as diwata (fairy) by the native Bagobos.
11. Fish: The dwarf goby (Pandaka pygmaea) measures 1.2 centimeters or less than half of an inch, the tiniest known vertebrate. The world’s smallest commercial fish, however, is “sinarapan” (Mistichthys luzonensis); it grows to an average length of 1.25 centimeters. At P4,000 per kilogram, “ludong” (Cestraeus plicatilis) is the country’s most expensive fish.
12. Delicacies: During special occasions and events, you may find these various delicacies: bibingka, binignit, sapin-sapin, lumpia, maja blanca, kutsinta, puto, pichi-pichi, galapong, biko, bukayo, and suman.
13. Foods: Filipinos are noted for their weird foods like balut, kinilaw, patis, and bagoong. But foreigners love to eat the delicious chicken adobo and the crispy lechon. Yes, we also love pansit, lumen, sinigang, luglug, and dinuguan.
14. Word record: Filipino National Artist Levi Celerio has been recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as “the only man who could play beautiful music with a leaf.” Celerio wrote more than 4,000 songs.
15. World Achievers: Manny Pacquiao, Bong Coo, Eugene Torre, Paeng Nepomuceno, Lea Salonga, Carlos P. Rumulo, Cory Aquino, and Juan Luna. They all make us proud as a nation.
16. Beauties: In almost all beauty contests (Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Asia, Miss International, Miss Earth, and Miss Tourism), you will find a Filipino competing against other beauties from other countries. Gloria Diaz and Margarita Moran won the Miss Universe title. Gemma Cruz was crowned Miss International in 1964, a title which Aurora Pijuan got in 1970 and Melanie Marquez in 1979.
17. Politicians: They want to be called “honorable” although most of them are not. Words like graft and corruption are always associated with them. During election, vote buying and ballot snatching are a way of life. After election, losers usually protest: “I am cheated!”
18. Gathering: Most participants are one hour late. If the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m., they will show up at 8:00 p.m. Most of the important people will arrive much late than the rest. Generally, someone will say, “Announcing the arrival of…”
19. Festivals: Almost every city now has their own way of attracting tourists by means of street dancing. It also started with the Sinulog Festival in Cebu. Davao followed suit with its Kadayawan.
20. Movies: Some producers use kilometric titles like “Mahal, Saan Ka Nanggaling Kagabi,” “Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?” “Alas Tres ng Hapon, Gising Na Ang Mga Anghel,” “Lumakad Kang Hubad sa Mundong Ibabaw,” “Tinimbang Ka Nguni’t Kulang,” and the tongue-twisting “Kakabakaba Ka Ba?”
21. Tele-series: Same plot and same characters but different actors. Rich boy falls in love with a poor girl (or vice versa) and parents of rich boy are against their affair. Put a lot of twists and cliff hangers, and Filipinos are glued to their television every night during weekdays.
22. Actors: Even if he is gone already, Fernando Poe Jr. – the king of Philippine movies – still has a legion of fans. Comedy King Dolphy has no heir apparent. Bella Flores is a villainess forever.
23. Love Teams: Fans love them: Susan Roces and Eddie Gutierrez, Amalia Fuentes and Romeo Vasquez, Nora Aunor and Tirso Cruz III, Vilma Santos and Edgar Mortiz, Maricel Soriano and William Martinez, and Gerald Anderson and Kim Chiu.
24. Sing along: Filipinos love to sing and drink. This is the reason why “Singing Bee” and “Videoke Challenge” are popular shows. Give the mike to anyone, and he or she will immediately sing at the top of his or her voice. Just don’t sing “My Way,” please!
25. Inventions: Agapito Flores has been touted as the inventor of the fluorescent lamp but this has been under scrutiny. But Dr. Abelardo Aguilar really discovered erythromycin in 1949 and Edgardo Varquez is credited in 1995 for developing a modular housing system.
When he was still alive, Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino said these immortal words: “Filipinos are worth dying for!”
Now, you know the reason!
