PEARL of the ORIENT: Philippines

The Philippines constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers (116,000 sq mi). It generally lies between 116° 40' and 126° 34' E. longitude, and 4° 40' and 21° 10' N. latitude, and borders the Philippine Sea on the east, the South China Sea on the west, and the Celebes Sea on the south. The island of Borneo lies a few hundred kilometers southwest and Taiwan directly north. The Moluccas and Sulawesi are to the south/southwest, and Palau is to the east beyond the Philippine Sea.

The islands are commonly divided into three island groups: Luzon (Regions I to V, NCR and CAR), Visayas (VI to VIII), and Mindanao (IX to XIII and ARMM). The busy port of Manila, on Luzon, is the national capital and second largest city after its suburb Quezon City.

The local climate is hot, humid, and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5 °C (79.7 °F). There are three recognized seasons: Tag-init or Tag-araw (the hot season or summer from March to May), Tag-ulan (the rainy season from June to November), and Taglamig (the cold season from December to February). The southwest monsoon (May-October) is known as the "habagat" and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon (November-April) as the "amihan".

Most of the mountainous islands used to be covered in tropical rainforest and are volcanic in origin. The highest point is Mount Apo on Mindanao at 2,954 metres (9,692 ft). There are many active volcanos such as Mayon Volcano, Mount Pinatubo, and Taal Volcano. The country also lies within the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific and about 19 typhoons strike per year.

Lying on the northwestern fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activities. Some 20 earthquakes are registered daily in the Philippines, though most are too weak to be felt. The last great earthquake was the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

The longest river is the Cagayan River in northern Luzon. Manila Bay is connected to Laguna de Bay by means of the Pasig River. Subic Bay, the Davao Gulf and the Moro Gulf are some of the important bays. Transversing the San Juanico Strait is the San Juanico Bridge (considered a point of vital national infrastructure and capacity), that connects the islands of Samar and Leyte.

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Philippines lie in the tropics, near the equator, and its dictates its climate. The weather is hot, with high humidity and abundant rainfall. Temperatures varies from 25°C to 35 °C. Generally, light cotton clothing are recommended for visitors. There are two seasons, both directly governed by the monsoon. From June to November, the Habagat blows, the summery southwest monsoon which meets the Philippines in its path and being laden with moisture, consequently produces the rainy season. From December to May , the northeast monsoon called Amihan, brings rather dry cool temperatures, but March onwards, the second part of the dry season and it becomes really hot.

Philippine Peso (P) = 100 centavos. Notes are in denominations of P1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of P5, 2 and 1, and 50, 25 and 10 centavos.

Unit of currency is the Philippine peso divided into centavos. The US dollar is widely accepted. Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged at banks, hotels and authorized dealers. International credit cards are accepted at major establishments.

With a long history of colonial rule, the Filipino culture can be branded as both oriental and western. This country is marked with a fusion of cultures that can be attributed to the pre-Hispanic trading between local tribes with their Asian neighbors. Spain and America also played a key role in infusing certain beliefs and practices which are practiced up until today.

The Spanish influences in the Filipino culture is very evident in the Filipino's language, food, religion, and even in traditions and practices. Many Filipino words are derived from the Spanish language. For example, the Filipino word kamusta or hello is from the Spanish word como esta. The word pista which means celebration, comes from the Spanish word fiesta. Sabon or soap is jabon in Spanish while the term swerte or luck is from the Spanish word suerte.

Filipino cuisine is also influenced by the Hispanic occupation. Popular Filipino dishes like arroz valenciana or rice dish in tomato sauce, is inspired from traditional Spanish dish called paella. Another favorite dish is the longganisa which is the Filipino version of chorizo or sausage.

The colorful fiestas of the many provinces in the Philippines can also be traced from the Spanish colonization as most of these festivals are held in honor of a saint.

The Americans also placed their imprints in the Filipino culture. Basketball, a very popular sport in the country, was inherited from the Americans. Filipinos are also in tune with the trends in America including the latest in fashion, movies, and even their love for fast food restaurants.

English is also widely spoken in the country as a result of the American occupation. In fact, the Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world.

The pre- Hispanic relations of native Filipinos with the Chinese also made an impact in the Filipino culture. Delicious delicacies such as pancit and mami or noodle base dishes, siomai or dumplings, as well as the belief in feng shui and swerte or luck is largely influenced by the Chinese.

The Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. More than 86 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various nationalized Christian cults, and another 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations. In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous 4 percent Muslim minority, concentrated on the southern islands of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan. Scattered in isolated mountainous regions, the remaining 2 percent follow non-Western, indigenous beliefs and practices. The Chinese minority, although statistically insignificant, has been culturally influential in coloring Filipino Catholicism with many of the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

Davao is a province capable of arousing interest or curiosity. The cultural diversity and traditions; the mountainous region marked with rolling hills and fertile valleys. The alluring orchid called the waling-waling, the intriguing endangered Philippine Eagle, whose sanctuary is at the foot of Mt. Apo, Philippine highest mountain. The harmonious relationship between its neighboring provinces influenced by ethnic and cultural ties have made Davao the window to the island of Mindanao.

In the early stage, ethnic tribes lived together harmoniously, in peace and friendship like the Bagobos, Mandayas, Manobos, Mansakas and Tiboli and others. They were the ones that gave the province a name from the word “daba-daba”, now Davao. It is because of its abundance of natural resources Davao has also attracted neighboring provinces and settlers. Despite its differences in culture and tradition people have live together in peace and harmony, makes Davao unique!

Davao is a melting pot for all culture; its geography and surroundings, the piece of history, the diversity of culture and tradition, the gathering and festivities like the Kadayawan Festival makes Davao City inviting and exciting to visit. Just ask the Dabawenyos.

Click here for adventures in Davao (to be followed)

Obviously this is not my own words except for a few. Despite the various entries and information found in the world wide web, I happen to enclose some of the most important facts in the Philippines.