Portal:Philippines

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. With a population of over 110 million, it is the world's twelfth-most-populous country.

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 has diverse ethnicities and a rich culture. 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. Since then, the country notably experienced a period of martial law from 1972 to 1981 under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and his subsequent overthrow by the People Power Revolution in 1986. Since returning to democracy, the constitution of the Fifth Republic was enacted in 1987, and the country has been governed as a unitary presidential republic. However, the country continues to struggle with issues such as inequality and endemic corruption.

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. 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. The country is part of multiple international organizations and forums. (Full article...)

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Major physiographic elements of the Philippine Mobile Belt

In the geology of the Philippines, the Philippine Mobile Belt is a complex portion of the tectonic boundary between the Eurasian plate and the Philippine Sea plate, comprising most of the country of the Philippines. It includes two subduction zones, the Manila Trench to the west and the Philippine Trench to the east, as well as the Philippine fault system. Within the Belt, a number of crustal blocks or microplates which have been shorn off the adjoining major plates are undergoing massive deformation.

Most segments of the Philippines, including northern Luzon, are part of the Philippine Mobile Belt, which is bounded by the Philippine Sea plate to the east, the Molucca Sea Collision Zone to the south, Sunda plate to the southwest, and the South China Sea Basin to the west and north-west. To the north it ends in eastern Taiwan, the zone of active collision between the North Luzon Trough portion of the Luzon Volcanic Arc and South China. The Philippine Mobile Belt has also been called the Philippine Microplate and the Taiwan–Luzon–Mindoro Belt. (Full article...)

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... that Alamat's "Maharani" made them the first Pinoy pop boy band to enter the Billboard Philippines Hot 100?
... that VMB-611 was the only United States Marine Corps bombing squadron to operate in the Philippines during World War II?
... that the Filipino musician No Rome took his stage name from people doubting his career choice?
... that the Philippine embassy in Pretoria responded to a South African newspaper's denunciation of horse fighting in the Philippines by saying that the practice was already illegal?
... that the Manila Standard described the concert Two for the Knight as the "biggest team-up of a foreign and local artist" in the Philippines?
... that the 2025 Philippine general election is set to be the first to be held under a new voting system provider after the previous one was disqualified over bribery allegations?
... that while Philippine Spanish has been described as an endangered language, a new generation of speakers has emerged?
... that Dolly de Leon was the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe or a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress?

Selected picture

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

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Aquino in c. 1980s

Benigno "Ninoy" Simeón Aquino Jr., QSC, CLH, KGCR (/əˈkiːnoʊ/, locally [bɛˌniːɡ.no ʔɐˈxiː.no]; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac (1963–1967). Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aquino, who became the 11th president of the Philippines after his assassination, and father of Benigno Aquino III, who became the 15th president of the Philippines. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito R. Salonga, helped form the leadership of the Liberal Party-based coalition against ex-President Ferdinand Marcos. Aquino was the significant emotional leader, who together with the intellectual leader Sen. Jose W. Diokno, led the overall opposition.

Early in his Senate career, Aquino vigorously attempted to investigate the Jabidah massacre in March 1968. Shortly after the imposition of martial law in 1972, Aquino was arrested along with other members of the opposition. He was incarcerated for seven years. He has been described as Marcos' "most famous political prisoner". He founded his own party, Lakas ng Bayan and ran in the 1978 Philippine parliamentary election, but all the party's candidates lost in the election. In 1980, he was permitted by Marcos and his wife Imelda to travel to the United States for medical treatment following a heart attack. During the early 1980s, he became one of the most notable critics of the Marcos regime, and enjoyed popularity across the US due to the numerous rallies he attended at the time. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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In the news

28 May 2025 – Pamplona massacre: The Constitutional Government of Timor-Leste announces that expelled former Philippine lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr., the main suspect in the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo in 2023 will be deported back to the Philippines, after his arrest by Immigration Service of Timor-Leste. (Rappler)
22 May 2025 – 2025 Philippine general election, 2025 Philippine cabinet reshuffle: Philippine president Bongbong Marcos reshuffles the entire Cabinet, with all Cabinet secretaries ordered to submit their courtesy resignations in the wake of the results of the midterm elections. (Rappler) (Reuters)
19 May 2025 – 2025 Philippine general election: The nominees of the winning party-lists of the election held on May 12 are proclaimed. However, the proclamation of party-lists Duterte Youth and Bagong Henerasyon are suspended due to pending disqualification cases, leaving four seats unresolved. (GMA News)
17 May 2025 – 2025 Philippine general election: The twelve winning candidates of the Senate election held on May 12 are officially proclaimed as senators -elect. The Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition of President Bongbong Marcos wins the most seats with six. However, one of its members, Senator-elect Camille Villar, is also a candidate of the opposition coalition DuterTen, supported by Vice President Sara Duterte, which won a total of five seats. (Inquirer.net) (ABS-CBN News)
12 May 2025 – 2025 Philippine general election: Filipinos vote to elect all 317 members of the House of Representatives and 12 members of the Senate, in addition to local elections. (Asian Journal) (Reuters)

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More did you know - show different entries

... that during the Canada–Philippines waste dispute, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte threatened to declare war on Canada over 103 mislabeled shipping containers of household trash?
... that the economy of the Philippines under Ferdinand Marcos saw its first crisis in 1969 because of heavy borrowing in preparation for the Marcos re-election campaign?
... that historian and educator Tomas Fonacier had the longest public service record in the Philippines, spanning more than six decades?

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