TRAVEL GUIDE TO THE PHILIPPINES
This is your ultimate travel guide to The Philippines!
CAPITAL: MANILA
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, became a Spanish colony during the 16th century. They were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth.
If the Spanish period is visible in the Filipino traits, the USA period is visible in their body shape. Everywhere in Manila, you can find only fast food all around the big arteries. I was hungry and I was looking for one hour for a decent restaurant. They have good restaurants, but not at every step, as in the European cities. Only American fast food.
The Philippine archipelago has 7 641, with hundreds of new islands added in 2016, though not all of the new islands have been verified.
Being a very corrupt country, the population is concentrated where good farmlands lie. Manila, the capital, is home to one-eighth of the entire national population.
SAY HELLO IN THE PHILIPPINES
Kumusta ka? = Hello, used in informal conversations.
When in THE PHILIPPINES
YOUR TRAVEL GUIDE
The Philippines is an ethnically diverse country, with a pristine landscape and unique islands. If you want to explore an untouched paradise, with virgin beaches, you should definitely put Boracay, Palawan, or Cebu islands on your map. You might not know Palawan by its name, but for sure you know the island where El Professor from Casa de Papel (Money Heist) escaped. It is Palawan, even if the actual footage was filmed in Thailand.
Ethnic groups: Tagalog 24.4%, Bisaya/Binisaya 11.4%, Cebuano 9.9%, Ilocano 8.8%, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 8.4%, Bikol/Bicol 6.8%, Waray 4%, another local ethnicity 26.1%, other foreign ethnicities 0.1%.
Religions: Roman Catholic 79.5%, Muslim 6%, Iglesia ni Cristo 2.6%, Evangelical 2.4%, National Council of Churches in the Philippines 1.1%. They are very religious and they pray a lot to the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ. Don’t be shocked if you will see everywhere statues of black Jesus. It is perfectly normal and I find it is the most accurate representation of Jesus Christ.
Language: The official languages in the Philippines are unspecified Filipino – based on Tagalog and English. Nonetheless, eight major dialects are present, such as Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan.
Currency: The currency in The Philippines is the Philippine Peso.
CARD PAYMENTS AND CASH WITHDRAWALS:
The Philippines is safe for credit card payments. The most popular cards are Mastercard and Visa, but in large cities, American Express or Discover cards work either. You might want to take a REVOLUT card with you, to eliminate bank fees when paying with a credit card or withdrawing money from an ATM.
ATMs: If you need to withdraw money in The Philippines, PSBank, Security Bank and Land Bank are your best options, as they charge only PHP 10.
Plugs: The Philippines have plug types, A, B, and C. Plug type A has two flat parallel pins, plug type B has two flat parallel pins and a grounding pin and type C has two round pins. The Philippines operates on a 220V supply voltage and 60Hz.
Best Time to visit
Asia is divided into three major climatic realms: Boreal Asia in the North, Desert Asia in the West and Center, and Monsoon Asia in the South and East.
The climate in The Philippines is tropical marine, with a northeast monsoon type (November to April), and a southwest monsoon (May to October). The Philippines is situated along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean.
Also, The Philippines sits astride the Pacific typhoon belt and an average of 9 typhoons make landfall on the islands each year. About 5 of these typhoons are destructive. For that reason, the country is the most exposed in the world to tropical storms.
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