21 Phenomenal Facts About the Philippines You Might Not Know!

By Sheree Hooker / 08/05/2022 / The Philippines

Boats in the Philippines

Picture the Philippines and you’re likely to get lost in images of dreamy beaches, turquoise water and
island escapes. However, there is way more to this Southeast Asian archipelagic country than that!

This list of facts about the Philippines will reveal unknown insights about the country, reiterating why
this is one amazing destination which should definitely be on your bucket list!

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21 Fun Facts About The Philippines

1. Fertilised duck embryo is the national street snack

Known locally as ‘balut’, this cheap street eat certainly won’t be for everyone! Balut is a fertilised duck
egg, incubated for 2-3 weeks before being steamed and finally eaten. Although many westerners baulk
at the idea of slurping down partially developed duck, it is a very popular delicacy in Southeast Asia and
especially in the Philippines.

To eat balut like a local, you should first make a hole in the shell, season the inside with salt and give it a
swirl. Suck out the broth through the shell before peeling it off to expose the meat. You can eat
everything inside, from the yolk to the chick. Although the white is edible, a lot of people don’t like it
because it is very tough.

You can check out more unusual Asian food here. Will you be trying any of them on your next visit?!

Balut egg

If you can get past its appearance, balut is meant to be very nice!
2. The positioning of the Filipino flag indicates whether the country is at war

The national flag of the Philippines is very interesting. On the surface, it looks much like other flags,
however, when you see it being flown upside down, this indicates that the country is in a state of war.

On the flag, there are horizontal bands of blue and red, with a white equilateral triangle at the side. In
the triangle, there is a yellow sun. It has eight rays of light emitting from it, each designed to represent a
province. Also in the white triangle, there are three yellow stars which represent the main island groups.

Filipino flag

The flag of the Philippines has a lot of hidden meaning.

3. Camiguin Island in the Philippines is home to more volcanoes than towns

Photos of this island province look just like they’ve fallen out of the pages of a Nat Geo magazine.
Located in the Bohol Sea, this idyllic island is known for its distinctive pear shape and sweet lanzones (a
type of Asian fruit).

Its status as a volcanic island has led it to be given a rather Game of Thrones nickname… ‘Island Born of
Fire’. There are seven volcanoes on the island versus just five towns and it has the highest number of
volcanoes per square kilometre anywhere on the planet! Luckily for the residents, there hasn’t been an
eruption since the mid-1950s.

Camiguin Island

Camiguin Island is also called the ‘Island Born of Fire’.

4. There are between 120-187 languages spoken in the Philippines

The standardised form of the Tagalog language (known as Filipino) has been dubbed the national
language of the country. It sits alongside English as the other official language. Interestingly, the Filipino
government works mostly in English.

Along with Tagalog, Cebuano is also commonly spoken. Together, these two languages are spoken by
around 50% of the population. Despite this, it is only the two official languages, Tagalog (a.k.a Filipino)
and English, that are taught in the education system.
Filipino child

There are over 100 languages spoken in the Philippines!

5. The Philippines boasts the world’s longest underground river

Located 75km north of Puerto Princesa, lies the longest underground river in the entire world. In 2011,
the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River was christened as one of the New7Wonders of Nature by
UNESCO, cementing its status as a natural marvel.

The Underground River Cave measures in at more than 24 km long and the part with the underground
section of the Cabayugan River spans 8.2km. Travellers can visit Puerto Princesa River as part of a tour or
independently.

Groups head towards Puerto Princesa Underground River

Puerto Princesa River is a must-see attraction in the Philippines.

6. Many Tagalog words are the same as the Spanish equivalent

The ethnic Tagalog people make up a quarter of the population in the Philippines. Many Tagalog words
derive from Spanish words, a hark back to the Spanish colonisation of the Philippines. A few examples of
words that are the same in both languages include:

O – meaning ‘or’

Basura – meaning ‘trash’ or ‘rubbish’

Regalo – meaning ‘gift’ or ‘present’

Merienda – meaning ‘snack’

Tío/Tia – meaning ‘uncle/aunt’

19. San Miguel is not a Spanish beer – it’s Filipino

With a name like San Miguel, you could be forgiven for assuming that this beer is Spanish. However, this
world-famous lager is actually from the Philippines!
The story of San Miguel beer starts back in 1890 when it was first produced by La Fabrica de Cerveza de
San Miguel. After receiving the Royal Grant from the Spanish king to make beer, the company opened its
first brewery in the centre of Manila.

In 1963, the company was renamed the San Miguel Corporation, to signal its expansion into other
markets. The beer was introduced in Spain in 1946. Despite its global gallivanting, San Miguel is still the
best selling beer in the Philippines today.

21 Phenomenal Facts About the Philippines You Might Not Know!

By Sheree Hooker / 08/05/2022 / The Philippines

https://southeastasiabackpacker.com/facts-about-the-philippines/

The Island of Camiguin has More Volcanoes than Towns

Camiguin, an island province in the archipelago Philippines, has more number of volcanoes than the
number of towns the region has. The region has 7 volcanos and just 5 towns. None of the volcanoes has
erupted since the 1950s