Where Are the Philippines?

The Philippines are a group of islands

in Southeast Asia.

7641 islands make up the Philippines.

They are divided into three island
groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

It takes just over 14 hours to fly from

the UK to the Philippines.

Did You Know?

The Philippines get their name from the Spanish sailor, Ferdinand Magellan, who landed
there nearly 500 years ago, in 1521 and claimed the islands for King Philip II of Spain.
 What Is the Capital City?
The capital city of the Philippines is
Manila which can be found on the
island of Luzon.

Manila is the centre of government,

trade and business for the Philippines
The Pasig River flows through the city,
and there are lots of tall office
making a north side and a south side.
buildings there. These are known as
skyscrapers.

Talk About It
How many skyscrapers do you think there are in this photo of Manila?
How many floors do you think the tallest one has?
 How Many People Live There?

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 What Food Is Traditionally Eaten in the Philippines?

There are lots of different types of food

in the Philippines. Many dishes have
come from Spain or China.

The most popular foods include

lechon (whole roasted pig), adobo
(meat cooked in vinegar, soy sauce
and garlic) and pochero (beef and
banana stew). Noodles and rice
are also eaten most days.

Halo-halo is a very popular dessert. It is made of

crushed ice and condensed milk with fruit slices,
toasted rice and coconut. The name ‘halo-halo’
means ‘mix-mix’ as all the ingredients are mixed
together. Sometimes it is served with flavoured
jelly and topped with ice cream!
 Which Faiths Are Practised in the Philippines?
Most people in the Philippines are
Christians. Many of them are Roman
Catholic. There are also Muslims and
Buddhists.

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Filipinos still practise Animism today.

Did You Know?

Christian, Muslim and Chinese holidays are all celebrated in the Philippines.
 What Is the Climate?
Due to it being a series of tropical islands,
there are only two seasons in the Philippines: wet or dry.

The climate of the Philippines is mainly

tropical rainforest. Temperatures are high
and there is a lot of humidity, meaning
there is a lot of water in the air.

Did You Know?

The highest temperature ever recorded in the
Philippines was 42.2°C on May 11th 1969 in
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.
 What Is the National Flag?
The national flag of the Philippines was created by two Filipino women, Marcela
Agoncillo and Delfina Herbosa de Natividad.
It was first displayed in battle in 1898.

The white triangle represents freedom, everyone

being equal and friendship; the blue stripe is for
peace, truth and fairness and the red stripe stands
for bravery. The three stars are for the three areas
of the Philippines and the sun stands for
togetherness of all the islands.

Did You Know?

The flag of the Philippines is the only one in the world that
is flown upside down when the country is at war.
 Some Interesting Facts about the Philippines
Celebrations for Christmas begin in
September and end on Kings’ Day in
January!

The Philippines, over time, has been

owned by the Spanish and the USA.

Many Filipinos have Spanish last

names because it was the law when
the country was owned by the
Spanish. Fossils that have been found
in the Philippines show that there has
been human life there for over 7000
years.

The Philippines has one of the longest coastlines

and most beautiful beaches in the world.
Volcanoes in the Philippines
There are 53 active volcanoes in the
Philippines, more than anywhere else
in the world.

The most famous of these volcanoes is

Mount Mayon. The last eruption of
Mount Mayon was in 2018 and
thousands of people had to leave
the area.

The Taal volcano is one of the most active in

the world, last erupting in January 2020. Taal
is one of a handful of volcanoes known as
'Decade Volcanoes' which scientists study
closely in the hope of preventing future
disasters.

Talk About It
Would you live this close to an active volcano? If not, why not?