Welcome to the Philippines Portal / Maligayang pagdating sa Portal ng Pilipinas
The Philippines (; Filipino: Pilipinas ), officially the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas ), is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia . In the western Pacific Ocean , it consists of 7,641 islands which are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon , Visayas , and Mindanao . 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 is the world's twelfth-most-populous country , with diverse ethnicities and cultures . 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 , Islam and Hinduism established island-kingdoms ruled by datus , rajas , and sultans . The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan , a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Spain, 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 . Spanish settlement via New Spain , beginning in 1565, led to the Philippines becoming ruled by the Crown of Castile , as part of the Spanish Empire , for more than 300 years. Catholic Christianity became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade . The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, which 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. The country has had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a decades-long dictatorship in a nonviolent revolution .
The Philippines is an emerging market and a newly industrialized country , whose economy is transitioning from being agricultural to service- and manufacturing-centered. It is a founding member of the United Nations , the World Trade Organization , ASEAN , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, and the East Asia Summit ; it is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and a major non-NATO ally of the United States. 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 . (Full article... )
Typical costume of a family belonging to the principalía of the late 19th century Philippines . Exhibit in the Villa Escudero Museum, San Pablo, Laguna .
The principalía or noble class was the ruling and usually educated upper class in the pueblos of Spanish Philippines , comprising the gobernadorcillo (later called the capitán municipal and had functions similar to a town mayor), tenientes de justicia (lieutenants of justice), and the cabezas de barangay (heads of the barangays ) who governed the districts. Also included in this class were former gobernadorcillos or municipal captains, and municipal lieutenants in good standing during their term of office.
The distinction or status of being part of the
principalía was originally a hereditary right. However, a royal decree dated December 20, 1863 (signed in the name of
Queen Isabella II by the Minister of the Colonies, José de la Concha), made possible the creation of new
principales under certain defined criteria, among which was proficiency in the
Castilian language . Later, wider conditions that defined the
principalía were stipulated in the norms provided by the
Maura Law of 1893, which was in force until Spain
lost the Philippines to the
United States in 1898. The Maura Law also redefined the title of the head of municipal government from
gobernadorcillo to
capitán municipal , and extended the distinction as
principales to citizens paying 50
pesos in land tax. (
Full article... )
List of selected articles
Image 1 A skyline view of Manila
Image 2 Picture of a Carabao in Dumaguete City , Negros Oriental , Philippines
Image 4 A map of the Philippines showing the location of all the regions and provinces
Image 5 Shipping on the Pasig River , 1899
Image 6 Banaue , Philippines: A man of the fugao tribe in traditional costume
Image 7 A selection of dishes found in Filipino cuisine
Image 9 A view of Barlas Island, Honda Bay , Palawan , Philippines
Image 10 Banaue , Philippines: a view of Banaue Municipal Town
Image 11 A leaning belfry of St. Andrew Church, in Bacarra town, province of Ilocos Norte
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Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as
apl.de.ap (
AP -əl-dee-AP ), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group
Black Eyed Peas . (
Full article... )
List of selected biographies
The following are images from various Philippines-related articles on Wikipedia.
Image 2 Bahay na bato , a traditional Filipino house (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 5 Kalesa , a traditional Philippine urban transportation, in front of Manila Cathedral entrance (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 7 A performer depicting a babaylan (shaman) (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 12 The University of Santo Tomas , located in Manila , was established in 1611. (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 14 Pineapple fiber is used to create traditional Philippine garments. (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 17 Sungka , a traditional Filipino game. (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 18 An Itneg shaman offering pigs to anito spirits, 1922 (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 19 Tortoise -shell and silver Salakot (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 20 Dominant ethnic groups by province. (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 22 Villa Escudero exhibit depicting 19th century Filipino family in traditional attire (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 24 Filipina in traditional attire (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 26 Carabao is a major symbol of Filipinos hard labor. And is known to be the "Filipino farmer's bestfriend". (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 28 Filipino traditional dance at a festival (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 29 A grandmaster of Arnis . (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 31 Parol (Christmas lanterns) being sold during the Christmas season (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 32 Manny Pacquiao , the only 8-division world boxing champion in history. (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 34 Mila del Sol starred in one of the earliest Filipino movies, Giliw Ko (1939), along with Fernando Poe Sr. (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 35 Old Senate Hall with Estilo Tampinco style of carving and ornamentation (from Culture of the Philippines )
Image 36 The Kutkut art from Samar (from Culture of the Philippines )
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1 Spans the conventional boundary between Asia and another continent.2 Considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons but is geographically in Western Asia.
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