| Official Name : National Symbols |
Republic of the Philippines
The Philippine Flag Symbolism/Meanings in the Philippine Flag Click here for the history on the shade of blue of the Philippine Flag Early flags of the revolutionary movement prior to Philippine Independence |
| National Anthem : | Lupang Hinirang |
| National Tree : | Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) |
| National Flower : | Sampaguita (Jasminum sambac) |
| National Bird : | Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) |
| National Gem : | Philippine Pearl |
| National Sport : | Arnis |
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“No law, executive order or proclamation has been enacted or issued officially proclaiming any Filipino historical figure as national hero.” – from Selection and Proclamation of National Heroes and Laws Honoring Filipino Historical Figures |
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| Language : |
Filipino is the national language (1987 Constitution, Section 6, Article XIV). English is widely spoken. There are about 80 major language groups, with more than 500 dialects. |
| Government : | Democratic Republic |
| Economy : |
Principally light industry and agriculture. Traditional export products are copper, gold, sugar, coconut, and copra. Top non-traditional exports are semiconductors and garments. See the latest report from National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). |
| Capital : | Manila |
| Geographic Features:(Source: National Mappingand Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA)) |
The Philippine archipelago is composed of 7,107 islands. It is divided into three (3) main island groups, namely: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It lies between 4° 15’ N and 21° 25’ N latitude and between 112° 15’ E and 127°E longitude. The total land area of the country is about 300,000 square kilometers 46% of which is classified as forest and woodlands. The country has 2,229,438 square kilometers of territorial waters that is rich in marine life and has 36,289km of coastline. The terrain is mostly mountainous with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands. The highest point is the peak of Mt. Apo in Mindanao at 2,954m above mean sea level. The climate is tropical with an average temperature of 27°C and humidity of about 75%. There are two distinct seasons, the dry and the wet. The rainy months starts from June to October when the southwest monsoon brings the rains. |
| Population : | 100,981,437 based on the 2015 Census of Population (POPCEN 2015). |
| People : |
The Filipino people are basically of South Asian stock, although intermarriage with other populations from different countries exists: Chinese, American, Indian, and so on, resulting in a great deal of stock blending. There are some 80 major ethnolinguistic groups, with many subgroups, that make Philippine society a complex one. All these, traditionally, are groups practicing distinct cultures and using a domestic kind of economy. The coming of Western and other foreign cultures created a pluralistic situation at the national level of Philippine society. |
| Currency : | Unit of currency: Peso (1) = 100 centavos Bank notes: P10, P20, P50, P100, P500, P1000 Coins: 10c, 25c, P1, P5 |
| Visas : |
You may enter without a formal visa and stay for 21 days if you are coming from America, Asia or Europe and hold a valid passport and either a return ticket or a ticket to a destination outside of the Philippines. If you wish to stay longer, you must obtain a visa extension before your trip from a Philippine consulate or embassy or, once inside the country from the Bureau of Immigration. |
