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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The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, were a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of civil resistance against regime violence and electoral fraud. The nonviolent revolution led to the departure of Ferdinand Marcos, the end of his 20-year dictatorship and the restoration of democracy in the Philippines.

It is also referred to as the Yellow Revolution due to the presence of yellow ribbons during demonstrations (in reference to the Tony Orlando and Dawn song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree") as a symbol of protest following the assassination of Filipino senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. in August 1983 upon his return to the Philippines from exile. It was widely seen as a victory of the people against two decades of presidential rule by President Marcos, and made news headlines as "the revolution that surprised the world". (Full article...)

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... that Bini's performance of "Cherry on Top" at KCON 2024 was the first act by a Filipino pop group at the event?
... that Dolly de Leon was the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe or a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress?
... that the embassy of the Philippines in Bucharest is the country's first mission in the Eastern Bloc?
... that Chicago's Kasama is the world's first Filipino restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star?
... that at the height of the war between Iraq and the Islamic State, diplomats of the Philippine embassy in Baghdad agreed to die together rather than be taken hostage?
... that in the history of fisheries in the Philippines, the once-dominant local municipal fisheries were supplanted first by commercial fisheries, and then by aquaculture?
... that Filipino violinist Gilopez Kabayao was nicknamed the "Mozart to the Barrios"?
... that in 2005, the Philippine embassy in Paris regularly had a flooded basement due to a lack of funds?

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

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Pacquiao in 2018

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. (/ˈpækiaʊ/ PAK-ee-ow; locally [pɐkˈjaʊ]; born December 17, 1978) is a Filipino politician, businessman, and former professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He previously served as a senator of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.

Pacquiao is the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing and has won twelve major world titles. He won the lineal championship in four different weight classes (flyweight, featherweight, super featherweight, super lightweight), the first boxer to win major world titles in four of the eight "glamour divisions" (flyweight, featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight), and is the only boxer to hold world championships across four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s). In July 2019, Pacquiao became the oldest welterweight world champion in history at the age of 40, and the first boxer in history to become a recognized four-time welterweight champion after defeating Keith Thurman to win the WBA (Super) welterweight title. As of 2015, Pacquiao's fights had generated $1.2 billion in revenue from his 25 pay-per-view bouts. Forbes ranked him the second highest paid athlete in the world in 2012 and 2015, and the eighth highest paid athlete of the 2010s. In 2024, ESPN ranked Pacquiao as the greatest Asian athlete of the 21st century. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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In the news

12 May 2025 – 2025 Philippine general election: General elections are held in the Philippines. (Asian Journal)
4 May 2025 –: Two people are killed and four others are injured after a car crashes into an entrance of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila, Philippines. The driver of the car is in police custody. (AP) (Reuters) (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
30 April 2025 – New Zealand–Philippines relations: New Zealand defence minister Judith Collins and Philippine defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro sign a visiting forces agreement in Manila. (The Washington Post)
15 April 2025 –: A Chinese crew member is killed when Chinese sand barge vessel M/V Hong Hai 16 capsizes off Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines. A search and rescue operation is launched by the Philippine Coast Guard for missing crew members, which includes seven Filipinos and three Chinese. (The Philippine Star)

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More did you know - show different entries

...that the Arch of the Centuries (pictured) of the University of Santo Tomas at Manila was disassembled from the University's original campus at Intramuros, carried piece-by-piece, and was re-erected at the current campus at Sampaloc?
... that despite sweeping the elimination round of the 2007 UAAP men's basketball tournament, the University of the East was still beaten by De La Salle University-Manila 2-0 in the finals series?
...that journalist Néstor Mata was the sole survivor of the 1957 Cebu Douglas C-47 crash which killed Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay and 24 others?
... that Fernando Poe, Sr. was incorrectly identified as the model of the U.P. Oblation?