Portal:Philippines

Welcome to the Philippines Portal / Maligayang pagdating sa Portal ng Pilipinas

The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of about 7,641 islands, with a total area of about 300,000 square kilometers. The islands are broadly categorized in three main geographical divisions. From north to south, the divisions are: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. With a population of over 114 million, it is the world's thirteenth-most-populous country.

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 southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. It has diverse ethnicities and a rich culture. 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, Hinduism with Buddhist influence, and Islam established island-kingdoms. Extensive overseas trade with neighbors such as the late Tang or Song empire brought Chinese people to the archipelago as well, who would also gradually settle in and intermix over the centuries. The arrival of the explorer Ferdinand Magellan 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. Catholicism became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade. Hispanic immigrants from Latin America and Iberia would also selectively colonize. The Philippine Revolution began in 1896, and 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. Since then, the country notably experienced a period of martial law from 1972 to 1981 under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and his subsequent overthrow by the People Power Revolution in 1986, returning to democracy.

The Philippines is an emerging market and a developing and newly industrialized country, whose economy is transitioning from being agricultural to service- and manufacturing-centered. It has a variety of natural resources and a globally-significant level of biodiversity. The country is also part of multiple international organizations and forums, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region. Despite its fast economic growth, it continues to struggle with inequality, widespread corruption, and vulnerability to natural disasters due to its location both within the Pacific Ring of Fire and near the equator, making it prone to earthquakes, monsoon rains, and typhoons, to which the Philippines has built a resilience. (Full article...)

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Satellite image of Laguna de Bay in 2020

Laguna de Bay (Spanish for "Lagoon/Lake of Bay"; Filipino: Lawa ng Bay, [bɐˈʔi]), also known as Laguna Lake and alternatively spelled "Laguna de Bae", is the largest lake in the Philippines. Laguna de Bay remains one of the most important freshwater resources in the Philippines, supporting millions of residents through fisheries, agriculture, and domestic use. It is located southeast of Metro Manila, between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north. The freshwater lake has a surface area of 911–949 km² (352–366 sq mi), with an average depth of about 2.8 meters (9 ft 2 in) and an elevation of about one meter above sea level. It is shaped like a crow's foot, with two peninsulas jutting out from the northern shore and filling the large volcanic Laguna Caldera. In the middle of the lake is the large island of Talim.

The lake is one of the primary sources of freshwater fish in the country. Its water drains to Manila Bay via the Pasig River. Environmental issues such as water quality problems created by population pressure and industrialization, invasive species, and overfishing are of concern to the lake, hurting its economic importance to the country. As the population expands in the Bay, it is expected to rely more heavily on the lake as a source of freshwater. Thus, water quality directly affects human populations. (Full article...)

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... that Philippine senator Bong Go showed his back two times to refute accusations from a YouTube series?
... that Alamat's "Maharani" made them the first Pinoy pop boy band to enter the Billboard Philippines Hot 100?
... that Nobuhiko Jimbo saved future Philippine president Manuel Roxas from execution during World War II, and Roxas did the same for Jimbo four years later?
... that Filipino rock singer Gian Bernardino sometimes wears androgynous outfits while performing onstage?
... that Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos bought New York City's Crown Building because of a tearful plea?
... that the Chinese Australian Herald was distributed as far away as London, the Pacific Islands, and the Philippines?
... that, by establishing diplomatic missions like an embassy in Fiji, the Philippine government hopes to play a bigger role in international politics?
... that an Olympic wrestler from the Philippines became a mayor in Southern California?

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Image 1A view of Barlas Island, Honda Bay, Palawan, Philippines
Image 2A map of the Philippines showing the location of all the regions and provinces
Image 3Picture of a Carabao in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Image 4A skyline view of Manila
Image 5A leaning belfry of St. Andrew Church, in Bacarra town, province of Ilocos Norte
Image 6Banaue, Philippines: A man of the fugao tribe in traditional costume
Image 7Banaue, Philippines: a view of Banaue Municipal Town
Image 8A view at Francisco Bangoy International Airport, 2019
Image 9The Bangui Wind Farm is a wind farm in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Image 10Shipping on the Pasig River, 1899
Image 11A selection of dishes found in Filipino cuisine

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Apolinario de la Cruz (July 22, 1815 – November 4, 1841), better known as Hermano Pule (Spanish: [eɾˈmano puˈle], Spanish for "Brother Pule"; also spelled Hermano Puli), was a Filipino religious leader who founded and led the Cofradía de San José (Confraternity of Saint Joseph). The cofradía was established in 1832 in response to the racially discriminatory practices of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. During the Spanish colonial period, Catholic religious orders refused to admit native Filipinos as members. In retaliation, Pule established his own religious order that was exclusive for native Filipinos. During its peak, the cofradía had 4,500 to 5,000 members from the provinces of Tayabas, Batangas, and Laguna. Fearing an armed rebellion, the Spanish colonial government sent military forces to suppress the cofradía, an attack that was resisted by Hermano Pule and his followers on October 23, 1841. However, more troops were sent and the cofradía was finally quelled by the colonial military forces on November 1, 1841. Pule was then captured, tried, and executed. (Full article...)

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General images

The following are images from various Philippines-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Vigan City in Ilocos Sur (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 2Vega Ancestral House, Misamis Oriental (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 3Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 4Loboc Church in Bohol (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 5Sungka, a traditional Filipino game. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 6Original image of the Santo Niño de Cebú. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 7An Itneg shaman offering pigs to anito spirits, 1922 (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 8Mila del Sol starred in one of the earliest Filipino movies, Giliw Ko (1939), along with Fernando Poe Sr. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 9The University of Santo Tomas, located in Manila, was established in 1611. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 10Harana (serenade) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 11Parol (Christmas lanterns) being sold during the Christmas season (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 12The Kutkut art from Samar (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 13A performer depicting a babaylan (shaman) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 14Museum Agrifina Circle (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 15Tortoise-shell and silver Salakot (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 16Dominant ethnic groups by province. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 17Filipina in traditional attire (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 18Letras y figuras painting by Jose Honorato Lozano (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 19Filipinos cockfighting, circa 1800's. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 20Villa Escudero exhibit depicting 19th century Principalía family in Philippine traditional attire. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 21Aguinaldo Shrine in Cavite (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 22Pineapple fiber is used to create traditional Philippine garments. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 23Kalesa, a traditional Philippine urban transportation, in front of Manila Cathedral entrance (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 24Fort Santiago in Intramuros, Manila. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 25Good Friday observance in Pampanga (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 26Manny Pacquiao, the only 8-division world boxing champion in history. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 27Noli Me Tángere (novel) (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 28A grandmaster of Arnis. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 29A PBA game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 30Carabao is a major symbol of Filipinos hard labor. And is known to be the "Filipino farmer's bestfriend". (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 31Filipino traditional dance at a festival (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 32Bahay na bato, a traditional Filipino house (from Culture of the Philippines)
Image 33A Tboli woman weaving t'nalak from South Cotabato. (from Culture of the Philippines)

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In the news

27 September 2026 –: A bus carrying Filipino tourists veers off a highway near Munich, Germany, killing two people and wounding 25 more. (AP) (Demócrata)
25 September 2026 – Mary Jane Veloso drug smuggling case: Mary Jane Veloso is released from a prison in Mandaluyong, Philippines, after president Bongbong Marcos's absolute pardon of her was approved yesterday. (Arab News) (Rappler)
24 September 2026 – Mary Jane Veloso drug smuggling case: Philippine president Bongbong Marcos grants an absolute pardon to Mary Jane Veloso, a former overseas worker in Indonesia who was arrested for drug trafficking and sentenced to death in 2010, but was later granted a reprieve and extradited back to the Philippines. (Reuters) (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
23 September 2026 – Second impeachment of Sara Duterte: The Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, rules that only senator-judges able to participate count toward the conviction threshold in vice president Sara Duterte's trial, reducing the required votes from 16 to 14. (Reuters)
19 September 2026 – Islamic State insurgency in the Philippines: A series of clashes, involving combined police and military forces and remaining wanted members of the Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, erupts in Tugunan, Special Geographic Area of the Bangsamoro, Philippines. Seven members from both groups are killed. (The Philippine Star)

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More did you know - show different entries

...that Rafael Buenaventura, once-governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and one of the world’s top central bankers, was largely responsible for removing the Philippines from an FATF black list?
...that the De La Salle University-Manila College of Engineering was established in 1947 with the aim of providing young men with knowledge of science and technology to help rehabilitate the Philippines, which had been devastated during World War II?
...that the Judicial and Bar Council of the Philippines recommends appointees to the country's courts, without the "advice and consent" of the Commission on Appointments?
...that although Negros Occidental has the most chartered cities in the Philippines, many of those cities merely resemble medium-sized towns?