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Philippine
Trivia
- The
exotic jeepney is a post-war creation inspired
by the GI jeeps that the American soldiers
brought to the country in the 1940s.
Enterprising Filipinos salvaged the surplus
engines and came out unique vehicles of art.
- Short
distance and feeder trips could not be more
exciting than via Philippine quick transports
&endash; the tricycle, a motorcycle with a
sidecar, and the pedicab, a bicycle with a
sidecar.
- The
world's longest underground river system
accessible to man can be found at the St. Paul
National Park in the province of Palawan.
- The
largest Philippine wild animal, the tamaraw, is
a species of the buffalo that is similar to the
carabao. It is found only in the island of
Mindoro.
- The
highest mountain in the Philippines is Mt. Apo,
a dormant volcano found in Mindanao, at 2,954
meters (9,689 feet). Mt. Pulog in Luzon is the
second highest at 2,928 meters (9604 feet).
- Filipino
bowler Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno was the first
bowler to be elevated to the International
Bowling Hall of Fame based in St. Louis,
Missouri, USA. The Philippine Congress has named
him "Greatest Filipino Athlete of All Time."
- Philippine
National Hero and writer Jose Rizal could read
and write at age 2. He grew up to speak more
than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek,
German, French, and Chinese. What were his last
words? "Consummatum est!" ("It is done!")
- The
largest city in the Philippines is Davao City.
With an area of 2,211 sq. km., it is about three
times the size of the national capital, Metro
Manila.
- Cebu
is the oldest Philippine city.
- Negros
Occidental has the most cities among Philippine
provinces.
- Filipinos
celebrate the world's longest religious holiday.
The Christmas season begins on September 1st, as
chillier winds and Christmas carols start
filling the air, and ends on the first week of
January, during the Feast of the Three
Kings.
- Paskuhan
Village in the province of Pampanga is Asia's
only Christmas theme park and the third of its
kind in the world.
- The
great Christmans lanterns of San Fernando,
Pampanga can reach as big as 40 feet in
diameter, using as many as 16,000 glowing
bulbs.
- The
exotic jeepney is the Filipino version of the
jitney, the taxi/minibus that travels along a
fixed route, found in many countries.
- The
popular toy, the yoyo, was invented by 16th
century hunters in the Philippines.
- The
word "boondocks," which is now a part of the
English language, dictionary, and vocabulary,
comes from the Tagalog word "bundok," meaning
"mountain."
- The
Philippines became the first Asian country to
win FIVE major international beauty pageant
crowns -- two for Miss Universe, in 1969 and
1973, and three for Miss International, in 1965,
1970, and 1979.
- Diving
paradise Anilao, in the province of Batangas, is
the theme of a picture book that bagged the
International Prize for Underwater Images at the
27th World Festival of Underwater Images in
France in November 2000. "Anilao" book creators
and Filipino scuba divers Scott Tuason and
Eduardo Cu Unjieng defeated big names in
underwater photography such as Jacques Mayol,
Pascal Kobeh, Monique Walker, and Alessandro
Tommasi.
- The
biggest game preserve and wildlife sanctuary in
the Philippines is located on Calauit Island in
Palawan, which has the largest land area among
the Philippine provinces.
- The
antibiotic erythromycin -- used to treat a wide
variety of bacterial infections, such as
respiratory tract infections, middle ear
infections, and skin infections -- was created
by Filipino scientist Abelardo Aguilar, and has
earned American drug giant Eli Lilly billions of
dollars. Neither Aguilar nor the Philippine
government received royalties.
- Fernando
Amorsolo was officially the first National
Artist of the Philippines. He was given the
distinction of National Artist for Painting in
1972.
- Philippines
Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo was the
first Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize in
Journalism in 1942. He was also aide-de-camp to
General Douglas MacArthur in World War II;
Philippine resident commissioner in the U.S.
Congress from 1944-46; and the first Asian to
become UN President in 1949.
- The
largest fish in the world, the Whale Shark,
locally known as Butanding, regularly swims to
the Philippine waters.
- The
world's shortest and lightest freshwater fish is
the dwarf pygmy goby (Pandaka Pygmaea), a
colorless and nearly transparent species found
in the streams and lakes of Luzon. Males have an
average length of 8.7 mm. and weigh 4-5 mg.
- On
January 18, 1995, Pope John Paul II offered mass
to an estimated 4 to 5 million people at Luneta
Park, Manila, Philippines, making it to the
Guiness Book of World Records for the Biggest
Papal Crowd.
- The
Philippine Madrigal Singers bagged the 1997
European Choral Grand Prix, the choral olympics
of the world's best choirs. The group, being the
only Asian choir, bested five regional champions
from all over Europe, earning them the title as
the "world's best choir."
- There
are 12,000 or so species of seashells in the
Philippines. The Conus Gloriamaris or "Glory of
the Sea" is the rarest and most expensive in the
world.
- Of
the 500 known coral species in the world, 488
are found in the Philippines.
- Of
the eight species of marine turtles worldwide,
five are reported to be found in the
Philippines: the Green Turtle, Hawkbill,
Leatherback, Olive Ridley, and Loggerhead.
- Of
the eight known species of giant clams in the
world, seven are found in the Philippines.
- The
Basilica of San Sebastian is the only steel
church in Asia and was the second building to be
made out of steel, next to the Eiffel Tower in
Paris.
- The
largest bell in Asia hangs at the belfry of the
221-year old Panay Church. It is 7 feet in
diameter and 7 feet in height, and weighs 10.4
tons. Its tolling can be heard as far as 8 km.
away. It was casted from 70 sacks of coins
donated by the townspeople as a manifestation of
faith and thanksgiving.
- The
World Cup, which was instituted in 1965, is
contested annually by the national champions of
the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs
(FIQ). The highest number of wins is 4, by
Filipino bowler Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno: 1976,
1980, 1992, and 1996.
- Filipino
Eriberto N. Gonzales Jr. consumed 350 chilis in
3 minutes at the annual Magayon Festival
chili-eating contest held at Penaranda Park,
Legazpi, Albay on May 27, 1999, making it to the
Guiness Book of World Records for the most
chilis eaten.
- The
longest possible eclipse of the Sun is 7 min. 31
sec. The longest eclipse in recent times took
place west of the Philippines on June 20, 1995,
lasting for 7 min. 8 sec.
- Camiguin
province holds the distinction of having the
most number of volcanoes per square kilometer
than any other island on earth. It is also the
only place in the Philippines which has more
volcanoes (7) than towns (5).
- The
900 sq m Relief Map of Mindanao in Dapitan City
was personally done by Dr. Jose Rizal. It was
used as a device for teaching history and
geography to townsfolk.
- The
Zamboanga Golf Course and Beach Park was founded
in 1910 by Gov. John Pershing. It is one of the
oldest golf courses in the Philippines.
- Isabela
City is the youngest city in the region. It was
only on March 5, 2001 that the Municipality of
Isabela, Province of Basilan was converted into
a component city Through RA 9023. On April 25,
2001, Isabeleños ratified the new status
of Isabela.
- The
Kinabayo is an exotic and colorful pageant
re-enacting the Spanish-Moorish Wars,
particularly the Battle of Covadonga where the
Spanish forces under General Pelagio took their
last stand against the Saracens. They were able
to reverse the tide of war with the miraculous
apparition of St. James, the Apostle. A Kinabayo
Festival is celebrated every July in Dapitan
City, attracting thousands of tourists to the
city.
- The
altar at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Dipolog
City was designed by Dr. Jose Rizal. The
Cathedral was erected by the Spanish friars
sometime in 1895, before Dipolog City became a
municipality.
- The
Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City is the original
estate of Dr. Jose Rizal which he acquired by
purchase during his exile in Dapitan from 1892
to 1896.
- RA
8973 signed by then President Joseph E. Estrada
in February 2001 created the province of
Zamboanga Sibugay. A total of sixteen
municipalities compose this newest province in
the Zamboanga Peninsula.
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Related
Articles About the Republic of the
Philippines:
courtesy
of the Official Websites of the Philippine
Department of Tourism
please visit www.wowphilippines.com.ph and
www.tourism.gov.ph for more information
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