Interesting Facts about Philippines

While the Philippines is well-known around the world for its beautiful beaches and heritage
sites, there are also some interesting facts about Philippines that a foreign tourist must know.

The Philippines is made up of 7,641 islands. However, only 2,000 of these islands are inhabited
and nearly 5,000 still unnamed on global maps. Some of the best islands are Boracay, Palawan, and
Cebu. These islands were recognized by several international travel magazines among the world’s best
islands. The world’s largest pearl was also discovered by a Filipino diver in the Palawan Sea. The 75-
pound pearl is valued at $100 million. Of the eight known species of giant clams in the world, seven are
found in the waters of the Philippines. Additionally, Kayangan Lake in Coron, Palawan is also considered
the cleanest lake in the Philippines and one of the cleanest in Asia. Meanwhile, the Puerto-Princesa
Subterranean River in Palawan is one of the longest underground rivers in the world.

The Philippines belongs to the Pacific Ring of Fire where the oceanic Philippine plate and several
smaller micro-plates are subducting along the Philippine Trench to the E, and the Luzon, Sulu and
several other small Trenches to the W. The tectonic setting of the Philippines is complex. Therefore, the
country has a lot of volcanoes. There are more than 200 volcanoes in the Philippines, 24 of these are
active. In the island province of Camiguin, there are more volcanoes (7) than towns (5), and Camiguin
has the greatest number of volcanoes per square kilometer in the world which is a mind-blowing
historical fact about Philippines. Additionally, Mayon Volcano in Bicol is the most active volcano and it is
also considered as the world’s most perfect cone-shaped volcano. Another active volcano is the Mt.
Pinatubo in Luzon which created the largest mushroom cloud in the world when it erupted on June 15,
1991. Its eruption ejected 10 billion metric tons of magma and 20 million tons of sulfur dioxide into the
stratosphere. The highest peak in the Philippines is Mt. Apo stands at 2,954 meters above sea level,
which is in Mindanao. Aside from volcanoes, the complex tectonic setting of the country also created
trenches. The Mindanao Trench is one of the deepest ocean trenches in the world, with a depth
reaching 6.5 miles.

In the Philippines, provinces are one of its primary political and administrative divisions. There
are 81 provinces at present, which are further subdivided into component cities and municipalities.
Batanes is the smallest province in the Philippines. It is also closer to Taiwan than to the northern tip of
Luzon. Meanwhile, Palawan is the largest province in the Philippines by land area of 17,030.75 square
kms.

Another interesting fact about the Philippines is that it has a lot of heritage sites. In fact, one of
these was recognized by the UNESCO World Heritage in 1995. This is the Banaue Rice Terraces which is
located at Nueva Vizcaya - Ifugao - Mountain Province Rd, Banaue, Ifugao. The Banaue Rice Terraces was
made by the Ifugaos thousands of years ago. It has passed by UNESCO's standards due to the blending
of the physical, socio-cultural, economic, religious, and political environment as a living cultural
landscape. The rice planted at Banaue Rice Terraces is for family consumption only. In addition to the
heritage sites is the Cebu City or known as the Queen City of the South. It is considered the oldest city in
the country. Temple of Leah is also found Cebu which is dubbed as the Taj Mahal of Cebu because
businessman Teodorico Adarna dedicated the temple to his late wife, Leah, of 54 years. While The Ruins
in Bacolod is also considered the Taj Mahal of the Philippines. Don Mariano built the mansion in honor
of his beloved wife. And as proof of his unwavering love for Maria, he had their initials molded on every
post of the mansion. You will see the two Ms, facing each other, that stands for Mariano and Maria.

The Philippines has a lot of architectural structures that go way back centuries ago. The forced
labor built the St. Jerome Parish Church in Morong, Rizal, one of the most popular churches in Rizal
Province. According to the Morong municipal government’s website, the St. Jerome Parish Church was
constructed not only by men, but also women and children under forced labor. The people had to dig
stones from a hill they called Kay Ngaya; lime from the stones of a mountain called Kay Maputi; and
sand and gravel from the Morong River. The timber that was used to construct the church was also
contributed by the townspeople. Further, the Manila Cathedral is the first-ever cathedral in the country
and has survived seven tragedies. The San Agustin Church in Manila is the oldest church in the
Philippines and the only church which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Manila. The University of San
Carlos in Cebu (founded in 1595) and the University of Santo Tomas in Manila (founded in 1611) are
older than the Harvard University (founded in 1636). Centro Escolar University, established in 1907, is
the oldest women’s university in the Philippines while the first state university used to be in Barasoain
Church.

There are also animals that can only be found in the Philippines. Among the Philippines’ fauna
are some endangered species like the Philippine Eagle, the tarsier, and the mouse deer. The tarsier, one
of the smallest primates in the world, is found in the Philippines alone. You can see it in the provinces of
Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and parts of Mindanao. The Mindoro dwarf buffalo, commonly called tamaraw, is a
critically endangered mammal that can be only found in Mindoro. Sinarapan, the world’s smallest food
fish, can be only found in the Philippines, particularly in the Bicol River, and in Lakes Manapao,
Katugday, Bato, and Buhi in Camarines Sur. The smallest hoofed animal in the world is the Philippine
mouse deer, commonly known in the country as pilandok. It is only found in Balabac in Palawan. Lastly,
Jellyfish Lake in the Philippines contains more than 13 million jellyfish.

Finally, there are also a lot of interesting facts about the Philippines culture. The bayanihan or
spirit of kinship and camaraderie which Filipinos are famous for, are still alive. This is one of the best
facts about Philippines that people know about. Before, the Filipino men used to serenade (harana) a
woman he was courting. Filipinos call their older siblings “ate” for older sisters and “kuya” for older
brothers to show respect. Filipinos also love celebrations. In fact, they have a lot of Philippine Festivals
where they celebrate town fiestas usually in honor of the patron saint. Filipinos observe the world’s
longest Christmas season that is why it is dubbed as the “Christmas Capital of the World.” As early as
September, Filipinos are already preparing for Christmas. Every December 31, the Filipinos prepare 12
round fruits for good luck to welcome the New Year. The jeepney is a mode of transportation that is
unique to the Philippines.

The Philippines may not yet be the world's wealthiest country or have the highest standard of
living. Nonetheless, the Filipino people are endowed with positive characteristics and breathtaking
surroundings that provide genuine joy. It is easy to fall in love with the Philippines, and it is true that “It
is More Fun in the Philippines.”