PHILIPPINE

The Philippines is made up of 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.

PHILIPPINE CLIMATE

March to May is hot and dry. June to October is rainy, November to February is cool. Average temperatures: 78°F / 25°C to 90°F / 32°C; humidity is 77%.

PHILIPPINE POPULATION

There are a total of 76.5 million Filipinos as of the latest national census in May, 2000. Population growth is estimated at 2.36 percent annually. Luzon, the largest island group, accounts for more than half of the entire population.

PHILIPPINE LANGUAGES

Two official languages --- Filipino and English. Filipino which is based on Tagalog, is the national language. English is also widely used and is the medium of instruction in higher education.

Eight (8) major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense.

Filipino is that native language which is used nationally as the language of communication among ethnic groups. Like any living language, Filipino is in a process of development through loans from Philippine languages and non-native languages for various situations, among speakers of different social backgrounds, and for topics for conversation and scholarly discourse. There are about 76 to 78 major language groups, with more than 500 dialects.

RELIGIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Some 80% of Filipinos are Catholic. About 15% are Moslem. The rest are made up of smaller Christian denominations and Buddhist.

UNIT OF MEASURE USED IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

The Metric System is used in most trade and legal transactions.

ELECTRICITY

220 volts a/c is the common standard. 110 volts a/c is also used, especially in major hotels.

PHILIPPINE CURRENCY

The Philippines monetary unit is the peso, divided into 100 centavos. Foreign currency may be exchanged at any hotels, most large department stores, banks, and authorized money changing shops accredited by the Central Bank of the Philippines. International credit cards such as Visa, Diners Club, Bank Americard, Master Card, and American Express are accepted in major establishments.

TODAY IN THE PHILIPPINES -- News

• Kidnapped Yemeni man freed in the Southern Philippines
  " Kidnappers freed A Yemeni national after a week in captivity in the southern Philippines, police said Monday.
  
  
• Philippines imposes martial law in massacre province
  Residents show their identification cards to a soldier at a checkpoint in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao in southern Philippines Dec.
  
  
• Sugarland Hotel - Creating Sweet Memories in the Philippines
  The Sugarland Hotel was established over 3 decades ago in the city of Bacolod, Iloilo, Philippines.
  
  
• Abductors of Yemeni in S Philippines demand $1 mln ransom
  Kidnappers holding a Yemeni national in southern Philippines demanded a 1 million U.S. dollars ransom for the release of their captive, local police said Monday.
  
  
• Philippine poll campaign starts as race tightens
  Philippine politicians begin campaigning on Tuesday in a wide open race for the presidency, with voters looking for a clean face after the scandal-plagued administration of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
  
  
• Medical supplies reach Philippines
  One of two 40-foot containers full of medical supplies and medical equipment from Guam has reached the Philippines.
  
  
• Scouts lead by example on trip to the Philippines
  Nicholas Pearson and Andrew Wallwork, two Rover Scouts from the North Shore, were among 31 Vancouver Scouts who provided leadership training for more than 350 Filipino youth and adults over the Christmas holiday.
  
  
• Gloria's Secret Candidate Exposed
  Finally, after so much speculation about President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's "secret candidate," a face has emerged. In his recent article, "Her" man, respected columnist and political consultant Lito Banayo exposed Manny Villar as Gloria's "secret candidate." I totally agree with Mr. Banayo's arguments that Villar is now Gloria's man. In a recent survey, Villar is second to frontrunner Noynoy Aquino by 11% while Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro -- Gloria's "anointed" candidate -- is languishing at the tail end of the survey in single digits. Unless there is a miracle or massive cheating in the May 10 elections, Gibo doesn't stand a chance of winning. Simply put, Gloria wouldn't bet her political future on Gibo. Since it is not possible or probable that Gloria would support Noynoy, Villar is Gloria's only viable pick... Perry Diaz
  
  
• PHILIPPINES: Palace happy Villar is not hitting Arroyo
  MANILA, Philippines - The rumored "hidden candidate" of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo got a boost Tuesday from MalacaA ang.
  
  
• Top NPA rebels arrested in Mindanao
  PAGADIAN CITY, Philippines - " Philippine authorities have captured two senior communist rebel leaders who are long wanted for a string of criminal charges at a military checkpoint in Mindanao, officials said Wednesday.
  
  
• Philippines detains Abu Sayyaf co-founder
  MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines announced on Wednesday that one of the co-founders of the Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf extremist group had been arrested after being detained at Jakarta airport for using a false passport.
  
  
• Opposition senator flees: claims victim of a conspiracy of whispers between Arroyo and her stooge
  An opposition senator accused of masterminding the killings of a publicist and his driver almost a decade ago admitted Wednesday that he had fled the Philippines. Senator Panfilo Lacson said he left the Philippines last month to escape what he called harassment by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her supporters to prevent him from exposing corruption in the government. 'I am not guilty, but I cannot risk putting my life and security at the mercy of that evil conspiracy,' he said in a statement. 'I am a victim of a conspiracy of whispers between Arroyo and her stooge at the Department of Justice,' he said. 'That's exactly the reason why I left the country.
  
  
• M 4.7, Mindoro, Philippines
  Did you feel it? Report shaking and damage at your location. You can also view a map displaying accumulated data from your report and others.
  
  
• Philippines wants to boost military force to one million
  MANILA: Defence Secretary Norberto Gonzales wants the country's reserve military force increased from the present 350,000 to one million to assist the military in disaster management roles especially during the typhoon season.
  
  
• Irish missionary returns to Philippines following release from abduction
  Father Michael Sinnott, the 80-year-old Irish missionary priest who was held captive for 32 days last year, has returned to the Philippines to continue his missionary work following a time of recuperation in Ireland.
  
  
• 15-year-old is Philippines' Sudoku Grandmaster
  A 15-year-old student beat 21 other contenders to become the country's Sudoku Grandmaster in the 4th Philippine Sudoku Super Challenge finals, held Saturday. Sarah Jane Cua, a 3rd-year high school student of the Pangasinan Universal Institute, won the title after garnering the highest number of points in the Grandmaster division, a statement from the Mathematics Trainers Guild (MTG) said. Dr. Simon Chua, president of contest organizer MTG-Philippines, said 118 students and professionals joined the contest in 3 categories: Sudoku Whiz Kid, Sudoku Wizard and Sudoku Grandmaster. In the Grandmaster division, Cua garnered 1,601 points from 5 rounds to win the title and went home with P60,000 in cash prize and a trophy, the MTG said.
  
  
• Filipino human rights activist lecturing in universities abroad
  Filipino human rights activist Marie Hilao-Enriquez will speak on human rights and social movements in the Philippines at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Cavan Auditorium of Gabel Hall at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. The presentation is titled, "An Organic Intellectual Speaks Up: Social Movements and Human Rights - the Philippine Case." The event is free and open to the public. For her efforts on behalf of victims of human rights violations, Hilao-Enriquez was nominated to the Human Rights Award in the Netherlands and the John Humphrey Freedom Award in Canada.
  
  
• Japanese man robbed, shot dead in Philippines
  A Japanese man living in the Philippines has been robbed and shot dead by fellow bus passengers near Manila, police said Saturday.
  
  
• Military plane crashes in Philippines village, killing eight
  Eight military officers died when a plane crashed in the southern Philippines today, local network ABS-CBN reported.
  
  
• Journalist's murderer jailed in Cebu
  An alleged hired gun has been jailed for 40 years in the central Philippines for the killing of a radio journalist, domestic media organizations said Friday.