A country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. Was under colonization by Spain for 333 years from the year 1521 until 1898. Catholicism became the dominant religion. Discovered by Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer who died in the battle of Mactan Cebu Philippines,1521. The Philippines was named after King Philip 11 of Spain when it was discovered. During that time it was called, “LAS FILIPINAS”.
Later on, Spain ceded the territory to the United States in 1898 for the sum of $20 million dollars for the fear that Germany or Japan might take control of the Islands. When the United States took over, the Philippines became one of the largest English-Speaking countries in Asia.
The United States of America granted independence to the Philippines on July 4, 1946.
Culture
The Philippines is a culture in which East meets West. The Filipino people have a distinct Asian background, with a strong Western tradition. The modern Filipino culture developed through influence from Chinese traders, Spanish conquistadors, and American rulers. Filipino people tend to be very hospitable, especially to Western visitors . Because of their strong ties to Spanish culture, Filipinos are emotional and passionate about life in a way that seems more Latin than Asian.
Filipinos are AUSTRONECIANS. Their expansion started 5,000 years ago and started from Taiwan to Indonesia, Hawaii, Philippines, Madagascar, Papuans, Southeast Asian Mainlanders and European Explorers. . This expeditious settlement explains the astounding resemblance between the languages and life style of the secluded Pacific.
There are a lot of historical and interesting places to discover within the 7641 Islands and it is yours to explore.
https://www.csub.edu/pacificrim/countryprospectus/history.htm
7 Best Places to Visit in the Philippines
1.BORACAY
www.boracaybeaches.info/boracay-origin.html
a small Island in the province of Aklan Western Philippines known for its resorts and beaches with stunning white sand and clear blue waters. The east coast is a hub for water sports due to strong wind and offshore coral reefs and shipwrecks are home to diverse marine life.
Apart from its white-sand beaches, Boracay is also famous for being one of the world’s top destinations for relaxation. It was awarded as the 2012 Best Island in the World by the international travel magazine.w
In April 2018, the Philippine Government decreed a 6-month closure of the island for tourists to undertake major renovation works. It re-opened in October 2018. And is now closed due to COVID-19.
The name Boracay is attributed to different origins. One story says that it is derived from the local word “borac” which means white cotton with characteristics close to the color and texture of Boracay’s white sugary and powdery sand.
Tradition states that the name of the island came from the Inati words “bora”, meaning bubbles, and “bocay”, meaning white.
Yet another version dating back to the Spanish era says the name is derived from “sagay”, the word for a shell, and “boray”, the word for seed.
2.CORRIGIDOR
Corregidor Island also known as the “Rock”, is located at the Manila Bay close to Bataan Province. This Island has been historically fortified with coastal artillery to defend the entrance of Manila Bay and Manila from attacks from enemy warships.
Here you can see the statue of General Douglas Macarthur whose famous words “I shall return” to the Filipino people and the Americans that he will come back to end the war against the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. General Macarthurs famous words at the bottom of his statue read,” I shall return“!
This tadpole-shaped island is the home of American and Filipino officers army headquarters and beneath this was the fortified communications center of the island, as well as the location for the barracks for enlisted men, a branch of the Philippine Trust Co. bank, the Cine Corregidor movie theater, officers’ quarters, underground ordnance shops, the parade ground, an Officers’ Club with a 9-hole Golf Course, tennis courts, and swimming pool, and the bulk of the artillery batteries that constituted the strength of Corregidor fighting for their freedom.
This is a must-see for those who are interested in the history of Filipino and American victory against the Japanese. July 4th is celebrated every year as Philippine-American Friendship Day.
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/douglas-macarthur
Corregidor (Fort Mills) is the largest of the islands that formed the harbor defenses of Manila Bay, together with El Fraile Island (Fort Drum), Caballo Island (Fort Hughes), and Carabao Island (Fort Frank), which were all fortified during the American colonial period. The island was also the site of a small military airfield, as part of the defense.
The island was heavily bombarded during the latter part of the war, and the ruins serve as a military memorial to American, Filipino and Japanese soldiers who served or lost their lives on the battlefield. Corregidor is one of the important historic and tourist sites in the country.
The Malinta Tunnel is a tunnel complex built by the United States Army Corps of Engineers on the island of Corregidor in the Philippines. . The main tunnel, running east to west, is 831 feet (253 m) long, 24 feet (7.3 m) wide and 18 feet (5.5 m) high.
3.Puerto Princesa Palawan-Subterranian River National Park
TABON CAVE
It was listed as a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1999 and voted as a New7Wonders of Nature in 2012. It also became a Ramsar Wetland Site in 2012.
In 2010, a group of environmentalists and geologists discovered that the underground river has a second floor, which means that there are small waterfalls inside the cave. They also found a cave dome measuring 300 m (980 ft) above the underground river, rock formations, large bats, a deep water hole in the river, more river channels, and another deep cave, as well as marine creatures and more.
-is a cave in which the whole place is like a convoluted gallery developed and maintained by the National Museum.
The natural formation of the limestone of the dome is like a work of art of nature in itself.
There was a piece of evidence that human fossilized skeletons found by the Paleontologists have established the presence of humans before the NEOLITHIC age group.
4. Vigan
it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is one of the few Spanish colonial towns left in the Philippines whose old structures have mostly remained intact, and it is well known for its sett pavements and unique architecture of the Spanish Philippines colonial era which fuses Native Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial Spanish architecture that is still abundant in the area.
Vigan, the city where you will forget the time and look back at its rich historical background.
-in May 2015, Vigan City was officially recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities together with Beirut, Doha, Durban, Havana, Kuala Lumpur and La Paz. New7Wonders Foundation president and founding member Bernard Weber led a ceremony held at St. Paul Cathedral where he handed a bronze plaque to Vigan city signifying the heritage city’s election as one of the world’s wonder cities.
5. EL NIDO
It is composed of 45 islands and islets each has its own unique geological formations.
Friendly people and courteous. And at the end of the day, enjoy the beautiful sunset while having a cold drink and forget all your worries. Close your eyes and listen to the sound of the waves. During low tide, you can hop from one island to another.
El Nido-is a 1st class municipality on the island of Palawan, Philippines. Managed resource-protected area. It is known for its white-sand beaches, coral reefs, limestone cliffs, and as the gateway to the Bacuit archipelago in the province of Palawan, Philippines.
El Nido is currently ranked #4 in Condé Nast Traveler’s list 20 Most Beautiful Beaches in the World.”
CNNgo has called it the Best Beach and Island destination in the Philippines for its “extraordinary natural splendor and ecosystem.”
There is life, after the pandemic!
This is the place where you can find your own slice of paradise, and yet you can still choose which paradise you want to spend your day after taking the Island Hopping tour.
6.BANAUE RICE TERRACES
https://www.google.com/searchq=free+images+of+rice+terraces+of+the+philippines&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwiH
-is a system of irrigated rice terraces in the mountains of Northcentral Luzon, Philippines, created more than 2,000 years ago created by hand by the Ifugao people ( the people of the hill). Banaue Rice Terraces are occasionally called the “Eighth Wonder of the World.“
The terraces are the main tourist attractions in the province. Terraces are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rain forests right above the terraces. In 1995 some sections of the terraces were nominated a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE site. It was distinctly described as ” a living cultural landscape of unparalleled beauty”.
The terraces are believed to have been hand-carved into the mountains to plant rice which is the staple food of the Filipinos today. It has long been home to the Ifugao people, known for “wet-rice agriculturalists“ who began building the terraces as their way of life.
7.CHOCOLATE HILLS
The Chocolate Hills of Bohol, Philippines is derived from their appearance during summer due to its lush green grass turns into dark chocolate brown color. Imagine yourself standing right where I took this picture and wondering how many haycock hills are there?
There were a lot of myths surrounding the formation of the symmetrical hills, passed down through generations for centuries. And still, people are wondering how they got there in the first place?
Chocolate Hills are composed of limestone covered with top soil and grass. The topographic shape is produced when soluble bedrock are slowly via a process of dissipation. Erosion of farmlands has formed rivers and caves and springs beneath the land that contributed to the unique shape and size of the hills.
Rising up to 400 feet in height above the plane of Bohol, they provide the town of Carmen with an irreplaceable source of income via tourism. They said, that there are 1800 hills, but who knows in the future erosion might form another hill.
The Chocolate Hills of Bohol are just another example of the human race and the environment needing to find a balance, or before we know it, the planet that we have grown to love might be destroyed.
To see is to believe!
8.CORON, PALAWAN
is a 1st class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines.
Coron Island Natural Biotic Area, which is listed in the natural category of the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
A never-ending nature to look out for and this will blow your mind away. Experience the adventure as this is the long-awaited journey to look forward to in the year 2022. This is what you have been waiting for.
Coron Town is a fishing village with a population is just over 40,000 but it is becoming more and more popular tourist every year. Coron is often listed as one of the top tourist places in the Philippines. The Palawan was recently named the most “beautiful island” in the world and you have to discover it for yourself.
It has become most well known for its handful of WWII shipwrecks that are permanently enshrined off the shores of Coron. Once you are above the surface, Coron is just as dignified and is home to one of the most photographed spots in all of the Philippines. The deeper you look the more astonishing sights you will find here in Coron, Philippines.
It is amongst these islands the Japanese support fleet of the ‘Invasion of Leyte’ was hiding, when they were spotted by American reconnaissance planes from ‘Task Force 38’ on the 24th of September 1944 and attacked shortly after.
If you are into history, This place is a must-see!
9.BATAAN
Statues of American and Filipino Soldiers during WW11 in Bataan, Philippines.
Is a Peninsula in western Luzon Philippines. It was a scene of fierce fighting during World War 11.
After the April 9, 1942 U.S. surrender of the Bataan Peninsula on the main Philippine island of Luzon to the Japanese during World War II (1939-45), the approximately 75,000 Filipino and American troops on Bataan were forced to make an arduous 65-mile march to prison camps.
The marchers made the trek in intense heat and were subjected to harsh treatment by Japanese guards. Thousands perished in what became known as the “Bataan Death March”.
Filipino and American soldiers had defended Bataan for three months with dwindling supplies. Many were already sick and starving by the time the sixty-five-mile march began.
60 Survivors out of 76,000 captured American and Filipino soldiers.
The Bataan Memorial Death March is an annual commemoration of the Bataan Death March attended by many of survivors along with thousands of supporters from around the world, held at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
Bataan Death March was the forcible transfer by the Japanese Army of 60,000 to 80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war which was one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare – the Bataan Death March.
QUOTE:
” Travel if you must, before you run out of time”
