SHORT HISTORY OF PHILIPPNES

Philippines is an archipelago comprised of over 7,107 islands covering a land area of 115,739 sq. m. (299,764 sq. km.). Main island groups are Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Capital is Manila. Time Zone is GMT + 8 hours. Spread throughout the Philippines are stunning travel destinations with equally world-class

 Brief History of the Philippines

Situated on the crossroads of Asia, on the eastern rim of the China Sea, the Philippines has hosted voyagers, migrants and traders since the dawn of history. Early trade with China and Japan can be traced on the archaeological relics left behind by traders in the banks of major hubs of the country.

The West discovery of the Philippines in 1521 facilitated the growth of Christianity and emergence of new culture. However, Spanish colonization did not actually began until 1565 when voyager Miguel Lopez de Legaspi established a Spanish base in the town of Manila, the Philippines' Capital.

In 1898, the Philippines won independence after 327 years under Spanish rule, but found themselves controlled by the Americans from 1900-1942 and the Japanese from 1942-1945. The Americans brought over their educational and legal systems and introduced their style of government. With the end of the Japanese occupation in 1946, the Philippines regained democracy as a Republic. True democracy was fully achieved by the Filipinos after the "People Power Revolution" in 1986 which led to the downfall of the reigning dictators.
The rich history and culture of the Filipino people, the dramatic landscapes and thriving cities will fascinate the visitor.

The People

The Filipino is basically of Malay stock with a sprinkling of Chinese, American, Spanish and Arab blood. The Philippines has a population of 76.5 million, and it is hard to distinguish accurately the lines between stocks. From a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture.

The Filipino character is actually a little bit of all the cultures put together. The bayanihan or spirit of kinship and camaraderie that Filipinos are famous for is said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes, from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino. Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today. Pilipino is the official national language, with English considered as the country's unofficial one.

The Filipinos are divided geo-graphically and culturally into regions, and each regional group is recognizable by distinct traits and dialects-the sturdy and frugal Ilocanos of the north, the industrious Tagalog's of the central plains, the carefree Visayans from the central islands and the colorful tribes-men and religious Moslems of Mindanao. Tribal communities can be found scattered across the archipelago. All in all the Philippines has 111 dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and regional groups.

Some 80 percent of the population is Catholic, Spain's lasting legacy. About 15 percent is Moslem and these people can be found basically in Mindanao. The rest of the population is made up mostly of smaller Christian denominations and Buddhists.

Common Men of Uncommon Integrity

• Herbert Ocampo, the waiter who returned around US$100,000 (at least PhP5 Million), which he found at the coffee shop of the Sulo Hotel, accepts a new job at Duty Free Philippines from Tourism Secretary Richard Gordon

• UNUSUAL EMPLOYEE: Airport Security Guard Gilbert Tindungan, and Bureau of Immigration Intelligence Officer Paterno William Bell, returned a laptop computer worth around PhP125,000 and US$2,700 accidentally left by a balikbayan from the USA.

• Florita Mondoyo, janitress at the Manila Domestic Airport, returned an envelope containing US$10,000, which she found at the passenger pre-boarding area while cleaning.

• HONESTY PREVAILS: Batangas Country Club resort staff, Joseph Navarro, handed back more than US$1,000 bills unknowingly dropped by balikbayan Dorothy Requilman's sister-in-law.

• Corporals Dominic Jimenez and Gerry Soriano returned a bag containing Php 30,000 cash, which they found at the NAIA Terminal-2 northwing arrival area, to owner, former Senator Victor Ziga.

this is from other media  and adds by steven mruma

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