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 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. Overseas trade with neighbors such as the late Tang or Song empire brought Sinitic-speaking Sangley / "Langlang" merchants to the archipelago, which would gradually settle in and intermix. 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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The Manila Hotel is a 550-room, historic five-star hotel located along Manila Bay in Manila, Philippines. The hotel is the oldest premiere hotel in the Philippines built in 1909 to rival Malacañang Palace, the official residence of the President of the Philippines and was opened on the commemoration of American Independence on July 4, 1912. The hotel complex was built on a reclaimed area of 35,000 square metres (380,000 sq ft) at the northwestern end of Rizal Park along Bonifacio Drive in Ermita. Its penthouse served as the residence of General Douglas MacArthur during his tenure as the Military Advisor of the Philippine Commonwealth from 1935 to 1941.

The hotel used to host the offices of several foreign news organizations, including The New York Times. It has hosted world leaders and celebrities, including authors Ernest Hemingway and James A. Michener; actors Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and John Wayne; publisher Henry Luce; entertainers Sammy Davis, Jr., Michael Jackson and The Beatles; Charles, Prince of Wales (now King Charles III); and U.S. President Bill Clinton. (Full article...)

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... that foreign nationals wishing to gain Philippine citizenship need to demonstrate proficiency in English or Spanish as well as a Philippine language?
... that Angeline Quinto became the first Filipino singer to release a soundtrack album for a television series that featured a single artist?
... that Regine Velasquez, a Filipino singer and actress, was the first Asian artist to stage a solo concert at the Carnegie Hall in New York City?
... that Judy Ann Santos received the Box Office Queen award for starring in Isusumbong Kita sa Tatay Ko, the first Filipino film to earn 100 million pesos at the box office?
... that SB19 became the first Filipino group to appear on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart, with "Gento"?
... 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 Dolly de Leon was the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe or a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress?
... 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?

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

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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.

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Janina San Miguel at Binibining Pilipinas 2008

Janina Miller San Miguel (born November 14, 1990) is a Filipino beauty queen who was crowned Binibining Pilipinas World at the Binibining Pilipinas 2008 beauty pageant.

San Miguel resigned from her title in September 2008, citing personal reasons including the death of her grandfather. The title was transferred to 1st Runner-up, Danielle Castaño, who went on to represent the country at the Miss World 2008 pageant. Since then, she has lived a life out of the spotlight. (Full article...)

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General images

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

Image 1Filipina in traditional attire (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 2Pineapple fiber is used to create traditional Philippine garments. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 3Tortoise-shell and silver Salakot (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 4Aguinaldo Shrine in Cavite (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 5A PBA game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 6Pahiyas Festival in Lucban Quezon (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 7Mila del Sol starred in one of the earliest Filipino movies, Giliw Ko (1939), along with Fernando Poe Sr. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 8Sungka, a traditional Filipino game. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 9Carabao is a major symbol of Filipinos hard labor. And is known to be the "Filipino farmer's bestfriend". (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 10Bahay na bato, a traditional Filipino house (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 11Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 12Parol (Christmas lanterns) being sold during the Christmas season (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 13Vega Ancestral House, Misamis Oriental (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 14Harana (serenade) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 15The University of Santo Tomas, located in Manila, was established in 1611. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 16Manny Pacquiao, the only 8-division world boxing champion in history. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 17Cockfight (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 18Museum Agrifina Circle (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 19A grandmaster of Arnis. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 20Old Senate Hall with Estilo Tampinco style of carving and ornamentation (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 21Kalesa, a traditional Philippine urban transportation, in front of Manila Cathedral entrance (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 22An Itneg shaman offering pigs to anito spirits, 1922 (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 23The MassKara Festival of Bacolod. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 24The Kutkut art from Samar (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 25Vigan City in Ilocos Sur (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 26A performer depicting a babaylan (shaman) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 27Noli Me Tángere (novel) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 28Original image of the Santo Niño de Cebú. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 29The Sinulog Festival is held to commemorate the Santo Niño (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 30Villa Escudero exhibit depicting 19th century Filipino family in traditional attire (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 31Flores de Mayo (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 32Good Friday observance in Pampanga (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 33Loboc Church in Bohol (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 34Dominant ethnic groups by province. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 35A Tboli woman weaving t'nalak from South Cotabato. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 36Letras y figuras painting by Jose Honorato Lozano (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 37Filipino traditional dance at a festival (from Culture of the Philippines)

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In the news

11 April 2024 –: A Robinson R22 helicopter owned by the Philippine Air Force crashes near a public market in Cavite City, Philippines, killing both pilots. (AFP via Barron's)
3 April 2024 – China–Philippines relations, Territorial disputes in the South China Sea: The Philippines says that it will respond to any Chinese attempts to interfere with its resupply of troops in the South China Sea. (Reuters)
22 March 2024 – Moro conflict: The Philippines announces that Islamic terrorist group Abu Sayyaf has been "fully dismantled", bringing an end to the decades-long jihadist insurgency. Twenty members of the group remain in Sulu and Basilan provinces, and negotiations are ongoing for their surrender. (Atlas News) (Philippine Daily Inquirer)

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More did you know - show different entries

...that José Rizal was a polyglot who mastered 22 languages including Catalan, Chinese, English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Malay, Sanskrit, Spanish, Tagalog, and other Philippine languages?
...that Enrique of Malacca (aka Henry the Black), the interpreter of Ferdinand Magellan, may be historically significant as the first person to circumnavigate the world?
...that Malacañang Palace comes from a Tagalog phrase May lakan diyan, which means "there is a rich man there" for it was once the home of a wealthy Spanish merchant before it hosted the nation's chief executive?