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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Satellite image of Laguna de Bay in 2020

Laguna de Bay (Spanish for "Lagoon/Lake of Bay"; Filipino: Lawa ng Bay, [bɐˈʔi]), also known as Laguna Lake and alternatively spelled "Laguna de Bae", is the largest lake in the Philippines. It is located southeast of Metro Manila, between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north. A freshwater lake, it has a surface area of 911–949 km² (352–366 sq mi), with an average depth of about 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) and an elevation of about one meter above sea level. The lake is shaped like a crow's foot, with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore and filling the large volcanic Laguna Caldera. In the middle of the lake is the large island of Talim.

The lake is one of the primary sources of freshwater fish in the country. Its water drains to Manila Bay via the Pasig River. Environmental issues such as water quality problems created by population pressure and industrialization, invasive species and overfishing are of concern for the lake, hurting its economic importance to the country. As population expands in the Bay, it is expected to rely more heavily on the lake for freshwater supply, thus water quality directly affects human populations. (Full article...)

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... that the flagbearer for the Philippines at the 1924 Summer Olympics also carried a flag of the United States?
... that Tomas Fung founded the predecessor of the restaurant Ling Nam with only 3,000 Philippine pesos?
... 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 at the Ryukyu Arc, the Philippine Sea Plate is subducting under the Eurasian Plate at 5 to 7 cm (2.0 to 2.8 in) per year?
... that the embassy of the Philippines in Bucharest is the country's first mission in the Eastern Bloc?
... that Dolly de Leon was the first Filipino to be nominated for a Golden Globe or a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress?
... that abused Overseas Filipino Workers accused the former chargé d'affaires of the Philippine embassy in Damascus of neglecting them while he was regularly partying with handsome Syrians?
... that protesters demanded the closure of the embassy of the Philippines in Lisbon?

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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 3Shipping on the Pasig River, 1899
Image 4Banaue, Philippines: a view of Banaue Municipal Town
Image 5Picture of a Carabao in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Image 6A selection of dishes found in Filipino cuisine
Image 7A view at Francisco Bangoy International Airport, 2019
Image 8A skyline view of Manila
Image 9Banaue, Philippines: A man of the fugao tribe in traditional costume
Image 10A view of Barlas Island, Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines
Image 11The Bangui Wind Farm is a wind farm in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines

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

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In the news

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)
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)

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More did you know - show different entries

...that Rafael Buenaventura, once-governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and one of the world’s top central bankers, was largely responsible for removing the Philippines from an FATF black list?
...that the De La Salle University-Manila College of Engineering was established in 1947 with the aim of providing young men with knowledge of science and technology to help rehabilitate the Philippines, which had been devastated during World War II?
...that the Judicial and Bar Council of the Philippines recommends appointees to the country's courts, without the "advice and consent" of the Commission on Appointments?
...that although Negros Occidental has the most chartered cities in the Philippines, many of those cities merely resemble medium-sized towns?