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 UAAP Final Four is the postseason of the men's tournament of the UAAP basketball championships of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). Other divisions of UAAP basketball, the women's and juniors', also have their own versions of the Final Four.

Since the UAAP is not a home-and-away league, the position of season host rotates among member universities, and the host pays for the arena rental and other facilities. In previous decades, the common venues for the league's playoffs stages were the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay, Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City, Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, and the PhilSports Arena in Pasig. Since 2012, all playoff games (including seed-determining matches, semifinals and championship series) are now played at the Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena. (Full article...)

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... that SB19 became the first Filipino group to appear on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart, with "Gento"?
... that the Filipino boy band SB19 considered disbandment after their debut single "Tilaluha" saw little success?
... that while Philippine Spanish has been described as an endangered language, a new generation of speakers has emerged?
... that the flagbearer for the Philippines at the 1924 Summer Olympics also carried a flag of the United States?
... 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 Filipino violinist Gilopez Kabayao was nicknamed the "Mozart to the Barrios"?
... that foreign nationals wishing to gain Philippine citizenship need to demonstrate proficiency in English or Spanish as well as a Philippine language?
... that in 2005, the Philippine embassy in Paris regularly had a flooded basement due to a lack of funds?

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

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Go to the Tambayan (Philippine WikiProject) and help out with articles.

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If you are a Filipino, consider adding Category:Filipino Wikipedians to your userpage.

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Francis Michael Durango Magalona (October 4, 1964 – March 6, 2009), also known as Francis M, was a Filipino rapper, songwriter, and actor. He was regarded as an influential figure in Pinoy hip hop.

Magalona was a son of actors Pancho Magalona and Tita Duran. He started as a breakdancer and appeared in the teen comedy film Bagets 2 (1984) and the variety show That's Entertainment (1987) while building his rap career. (Full article...)

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General images

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

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

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In the news

4 May 2025 –: Two people are killed and three others are injured after an SUV crashes into an entrance of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila, Philippines. The driver of the SUV is in police custody. (AP) (Reuters)
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 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?