philippinecentral.comPhilippine Central: The World's Window To The Philippines And Everything Filipino

Main | Newsblog | Newspapers | Recipes | Travel PHILIPPINE INFORMATION EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES The Philippines, or Pilipinas in the national dialect, is an archipelago of more than 7,100 islands located in Southeast Asia. It’s a beautiful tropical paradise of 86 million friendly people and warm smiles. Its capital is Manila in the island of Luzon. The Philippines was discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The name of the country was given by Ruy López de Villalobos during his expedition in 1543 when he called the islands of Samar and Leyte "Las Islas Filipinas" after King Philip II who was the reigning monarch of Spain at that time. The name later on came to refer to the entire archipelago. The Philippines was held as a colony of Spain for more than 300 years. It declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898 with the hoisting of the Philippine flag by General Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite. But Spain ceded control of the islands to the United States by way of the Treaty of Paris. Thus, the country came under the control of the United States. It was not until after the 2nd World War on July 4, 1946 that the Philippines finally became a free nation. Kabayan, bookmark this page now before you forget. Today, the country is a leading outsourcing solutions provider, an exporter of electronics and agricultural products, and a major source of exported labor. Remittances from overseas Filipino workers form a significant portion of its gross national product. For more information about the Philippines, please visit other sections of this website as follows: Philippine Embassies and Consulates Contact information of Philippine embassies worldwide. Philippine Flag Drawing, symbolism, and history of the Philippine flag. Philippine Government The national government of the Philippines and its current leadership. Philippine History A brief history of the Philippines and its people. Philippine National Anthem Lyrics and brief history of the Philippine National Anthem (Lupang Hinirang). Philippine National Holidays List of holidays being observed nationwide in the Philippines. Philippine National Symbols Show and define the national symbols of the Philippines. Philippine Presidents List of Philippine presidents from 1898 to the present. Philippine Senators The current members of the Philippine Senate. Pilipino (Tagalog) Phrase Book by: Violetta Lorenzana This comprehensive phrasebook will enable you to speak the local language as the Filipinos do. Comes with an accurate pronunciation guide and an extensive two-way English-Tagalog dictionary. Get this book before you travel to the Philippines. "Maganda rito!" (It’s beautiful here!) BUY NOW! Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories by: Liana Elena Romulo & Joanne de Leon A collection of 13 classic folktales of the Philippines such as "The Terrible Giant", "A Feast of Gold", and "The Deer and the Snail". Children can learn the value of honesty, friendship, sharing, and many others in this wonderfully illustrated story book while learning about Filipino culture at the same time. BUY NOW! Site Map | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Links Page Copyright © 2005 by Limco Products International. All rights to this Philippine news and information site reserved...