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PHILIPPINES
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NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT
MAJOR LANDFORM:
Mayon Volcano is a sacred and active volcano
on the island of Luzon. It is considered the
world's most perfectly formed volcano for its
symmetry. The volcano with its surrounding
landscape was the first declared national park
on July 20, 1938. Numerous festivals and
rituals are associated with the volcano and its
landscape.
VEGETATION:
The Philippines has a rich biodiversity. A
major portion of the country is covered with
tropical forests. Flowering plants including
ferns and orchids grow in large numbers in
the forests of the Philippines. Agricultural
plants include sugar cane, rice, corn, coconut,
banana, pineapple, coffee, mango and
tobacco. Rice is an important food staple in all
regions of the country.
TOURIST BROCHURE
JOAQUIN
BENAVIDES
CLIMATE
The Philippines has five types of
climates: tropical rainforest, tropical
monsoon, tropical savanna, humid
subtropical, and oceanic. The
country has a relatively high
temperature, high humidity and
plenty of rainfall. There are two
seasons in the country, the wet
season and the dry season, based
upon the amount of rainfall. The
Philippines' location on the Pacific
Ring of Fire and close to the equator
makes the country prone to
earthquakes and typhoons.
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CULTURE:
The culture of the Philippines is a combination of
the East and West. Filipino identity was developed
as a result of pre-colonial cultures, colonial
influences and foreign traders intermixing
together; gradually evolving into a unique culture.
ETHNICITY:
Filipinos come from various ethnolinguistic groups
that are native to the islands or migrants from
various Asia-Pacific regions. Filipinos have
Austronesian roots, and their ethnicity is mainly
influenced by China, the United States, and Spain.
PREDOMINANT CULTURAL GROUPS:
The Philippines is inhabited by more than 175
ethnolinguistic nations, which include the Ivatan,
Pangasinan, Kapampangan, Tagalog, Bicolano,
Visayans, Zamboangueño and Subanon. The
Negrito migrated from Africa and were among the
earliest human beings to settle in the Philippines.
Their tribal groups include the Ati and the Aeta. A
majority of the Filipinos are related to Malay
people.
RELIGIONS:
The Philippines is one of the few majority Christian
nations in Asia. More than 92 percent of the
population is Christian(mainly Roman Catholic), an
approximate 4 percent are Muslim, around 2
percent follow indigenous beliefs and a statistically
insignificant minority includes the beliefs of
Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
MAJOR FESTIVAL:
The Ati-Atihan Festival is a feast held annually
on the third Sunday of January in honour of
the Santo Niño (Infant Jesus). The name AtiAtihan means to be like Atis, the local name for
the Aeta aborigines. The festival consists of
tribal dance, music, accompanied by
indigenous costumes and weapons.
FOOD
Filipino cuisine has a mix of Malaysian,
Indonesian, Indian, Chinese, Spanish and
American influences adapted to indigenous
ingredients and the local palate. Popular
dishes include lechón(whole roasted pig),
adobo (chicken or pork braised in garlic,
vinegar, oil and soy sauce, or cooked until
dry) and sinigang (meat or seafood in sour
broth). It is noted that Filipino cuisine is a
multi-faceted representation of a mix of
eastern and western food influences.
ACCOMMODATION
The Philippines has a range of
accommodation for both long and short term
stays in the country. This includes hotels, bed
and breakfasts, guesthouses, hostels and
motels.
TRANSPORT
Transportation is relatively underdeveloped
due to the country's lack of investment in
infrastructure. Jeepneys are the most
popular mode of public transportation and
are a symbol ubiquitous with filipino culture.
Another popular mode of public
transportation is the motorised tricycle,
more common in rural areas. Improvement
in transportation systems has led to
increased train usage.