Archive for September, 2009

The Philippines has a very colorful culture and history. IT was invaded by other countries quite a few times. The Philippines being an archipelago is also rich in natural resources.

Being invaded by different countries, the Philippines don’t have an identity of its own. But once the country got it’s independence it is able to have its own identity and have changed the country’s national symbols accordingly. The national symbols are mainly composed and consist of things that represent Philippine traditions and ideals and convey the principles of sovereignty and national solidarity.

The official national symbols of the Philippines are as follows:
•The flag of the Philippines, the flag’s colors, design and structure are cannot be changed.

•The coat of arms of the Philippines also can’t be re-designed or changed.

•Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem cannot be re-arranged in any way.

•Sampaguita (Jasminum Sambac) is the national flower of the Philippines. It’s a small, white, fragrant flower. It symbolizes simplicity and purity.

•Narra (Pterocarpus), the national tree of the Philippines. It is chosen to be a national symbol, because of the tree’s durability, strength and sturdiness.

•Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), is the country’s national bird. It is considered to be critically endangered. Species of this kind in the Philippines are tagged with a micro chip to protect them. People who are caught or traced to hunt and eat them will be put in jail as a punishment.

There are also some unofficial symbols of the Philippines but nevertheless they are recognized by the Philippine government.
They are as follows:

•Cariñosa or Tinikling as the national dance. Symbolizes being graceful.

•Carabao (water buffalo) is the national animal. Because it, being a hardworking animal. It symbolizes industriousness and hardworking.

•Bangus (milk fish), is considered to be the Philippines’ national fish. It symbolizes versatileness. Because this fish can be cooked in many ways.

•Mango is the national fruit. Because it is said that the mango variety in the Philippines is the sweetest variety in the whole world.

•Barong and Baro’t Saya- the Philippine national costume or garb for male and female.

•“Bayan Ko” and “Pilipinas Kong Mahal” are the national songs.

•Arnis and Sipa, as the national sports (games).

•Anahaw (Livistona rotundifolia), the national plant. Because of its usefulness, can be used as a fan, hat or umbrella. Symbolizes the Filipino’s being resourceful.

Official or unofficial, these symbols can tell a story or describe or give preview on how Filipino people are and like.

The national flag of the Philippines is composed of 4 colors; red, blue, white and yellow. It has equal bands of blue and red, with a white equilateral triangle based at the hoist side.

In the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with 8 primary rays, each containing 3 individual rays and at each corner of the triangle is a 5-pointed yellow star.

The flag is displayed with the blue field on top, in times of peace and at times the red field on top in times of war.

The 2 fundamental colors of the Philippine flag are royal blue and scarlet red.

The meanings of the colors of the Philippine national flag are as follows:
The white triangle stands for equality and fraternity, the blue field for peace, trust and justice, and the red field for patriotism and valor.

The 8 primary rays of the sun represent the 8 provinces which declared themselves in state of war as soon as the first revolt was initiated. The 8 provinces are Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Laguna and Batangas.
The 3 stars represent the 3 major geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

There are also a few flag protocols in the Philippines. The flag must be flown at half mast as a sign of mourning. Like a death of a president or a former president, historical figures and anyone that is recognized and declared by the Philippine government.

There are a lot of ways and means of transportation to get around the Philippines. In Manila, there are 3 types of railways. The first one is the Light Rail Transit or commonly known as the LRT, which connects to major cities and municipalities around Metro Manila. The second one is the Metro Rail Transit or MRT, also connecting to various cities and municipalities in Metro Manila.

Nowadays, LRT’s and MRT’s are crowded with passengers everyday. Because it makes the traveling time way shorter than traveling in jeepneys and buses. The railways avoid the daily heavy traffic in Manila.

The third one is the Philippine National Railways or PNR. This has several stations in Manila. It offers daily trips outside Metro Manila. Like in Sorsogon, Davao, Pampanga.

Other public utility vehicles are the taxi, jeepney, mini-bus, tricycles, buses and pedicabs.
Taxis are mainly found in Metro Manila and are metered-operated. You can find jeepneys all over the Philippines, with a standard fare rate of seven pesos. But it also changes depending on how much gasoline is in the world market. Tricycles are only allowed in small roads, mainly inside villages and small districts. Tricycles are motorcycles assembled with a side-car. They can accommodate 4-6 passengers at a time, depending on how big or small they are. Pedicabs are bicycles assembled with a side-car. They are only allowed inside villages and very small roads.  Mini-buses and buses can be found in main in the Philippines.

Some of the major bus companies in the Philippines are Baliwag Transit, The Philippine Rabbit and Victory Liner. The bus fare depends on how many kilometers the destination will be.

The main ports and harbors in the Philippines are: The Manila International Cargo Terminal and Eva Macapagal Port Terminal. They’re both in the pier of Manila. Also frequently used port and harbors are the Batangas Port and the one in Subic.
There are also a lot of local airlines in the Philippines. But the most well-known is The Philippine Airlines which is also the national flag carrier.

Makati City and Metro Manila in the Philippines

Makati City is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, which is the greater metropolitan area of the National Capital Region of the Philippines.

Makati City is also the major financial, economical and commercial hub in the Philippines. It is often referred to as the financial capital of the Philippines.

Makati City is the home to the influential Makati Business Club and the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Ayala Avenue in Makati City, which is running through the heart of downtown Makati Central Business which is often called the Wall Street of the Philippines. Because of it’s close resemblance to the Wall Street of New York City.

Makati City is noted for its highly cosmopolitan culture. That’s why many expatriates live and work in the city. The barangays (villages or districts) in Makati City are way different than the other cities in Metro Manila. Because they offer ample free services and health assistance to its residents. The public parks are full of trees and are decently clean.

Makati is also home to many first-class and high-end shopping malls. Targeting the city’s expatriates and the business working class.

Makati City also has the tallest buildings in the Philippines. Almost like skyscrapers, like the PBCom Tower and G.T. International Tower. The city also has many of the country’s 5-Star hotels which are The Peninsula Hotel Manila, The Shangri-La Hotel Makati and Hotel Intercontinental Manila.

Makati City is the home for some embassies too. Like the Australian Embassy, Canadian Embassy and the German Embassy, all are located at the RCBC Tower.
So if you want to experience the clean, hustle and bustle of a city, Makati is worth giving a visit.

The Philippines has many languages. The Philippines has a total of 171 native languages that are still spoken and used in the country. Such a small country but has so many dialects/languages.

Filipinos, refer to languages as dialects.

Believe it or not, Spanish was the original official language of the Philippines. Because for such a long time the Philippines was invaded by the Spaniards. And learning Spanish is mandatory at schools and universities during that time.

But after the independence of the Philippines, the national language of the Philippines has become Filipino or popularly known as Tagalog.

English, is also widely used in the Philippines. Since it’s a mandatory subject at schools and universities, up to now.

There are 13 indigenous languages in the Philippines with at least 1 million native speakers. They are:

1. Tagalog which is mainly spoken and used nationwide.
2. Cebuano, used in the Visayas area particularly in Cebu.
3. Ilokano, used in the Ilocos region (Ilocos Norte, Ilocus Sur, Abra etc.)
4. Hilgaynon, used and spoken in the western part of Visayas.
5. Waray-Waray, used and spoken in the provinces of Samar.
6. Kapampangan (Pampango), used and spoken in Pampanga located in Luzon.
7. Bikol (Bicolano), used and spoken in the provinces of Bicol.
8. Albay Bikol (Albay Bicolano), used and spoken in Albay, a province in Bicol.
9. Pangasinan, used and spoken in the Pangasinan area. It’s also known as “Pangalatok” to it’s native people.
10. Maranao, used and spoken in the provinces of Lanao (Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, etc.)
11. Maguindano, used and spoken in different parts of Mindanao.
12. Kinaray-a, used and spoken in Antique.
13. Tausug, used and spoken in Sulu.

There’s evidently a huge amount of dialectal variation among the languages of the Philippines. A good example of this variation are between Tagalog and Kapampangan. Because they are known to have very moderate dialectal variation.

But if you’re a tourist or someone who wants to settle and live in the Philippines, the best dialect to study and learn is Tagalog. Because it’s mainly spoken nationwide and is the national language of the Philippines. It’s easy to learn too, which is a plus.