30 Facts About The Philippines That You Should Know

Baybayin is the long-lost Filipino script used only by the Tagalog people and not the entire country.

The Philippine flag is the only flag in the whole world that is displayed differently in times of peace and war. In peace time, the blue side is put on top; in war time, the red.

The Philippines was the first Southeast Asian country to gain independence after World War II.

There are 175 languages and dialects in the Philippines, and 171 of these are actively used in the country.

Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British invaders, not Americans.

Manila, the capital city of the country, takes its name from a white flower that grew on mangrove trees, locally known as nilad.

The traditional embroidered Filipino male garment, the barong Tagalog or baro, is woven from piña, pineapple plant fibers, or jusi, banana tree fibers, and worn on formal occasions.

Filipino national hero Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2, and grew up to speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French and Chinese.

The Philippines has the highest rate of discovery of new animal species with 16 new species of mammals discovered just in the last 10 years.

Three of the 10 largest shopping malls in the world are found in the Philippines. They are SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, and SM Mall of Asia.

The Philippines is considered the text capital of the world. It is believed that they send out around 450 million SMS messages a day.

Every nation in the world except the Philippines (though Muslims in the Philippines have the right to divorce) and the Vatican City allows some form of divorce.

The yo-yo was invented in the Philippines as a traditional hunting weapon. The modern yo-yo was invented by a Filipino American, and its name yóyo comes from the Filipino language Ilocano and means “come back.”

In 1894 Japan offered to buy the Philippines from Spain for 40 million pounds.

San Miguel Beer actually originates from the Philippines and not Spain. SMB is the largest producer of beer in the Philippines.

Pope John Paul II offered a mass to about five million Filipinos on Jan. 18, 1995, at Luneta Park in Manila. The event went into the Guinness Book of World Records as the Biggest Papal Crowd at the time.

The University of San Carlos in Cebu City was founded by Spanish Jesuits in 1595, making it the oldest school in the Philippines. The University of Santo Tomas was founded in Manila by the Dominican Order in 1611. Both universities are older than Harvard, which was not founded until 1636.

In 2002, the world's biggest pair of shoes were made in Marikina City. They cost two million Philippine pesos.

There’s a lamp that generates 8 hours of light using 1 glass of saltwater, which can provide a low-cost alternative to residents of the Philippines.

The Philippine emergency telephone number “117” is the only emergency telephone number in the world that is accessible through both voice and text communication.

The Philippines is home to the world’s longest snake, the Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus), which also happens to be the world’s longest reptile.

War journalist Carlos Peňa Rómulo was the first Asian/Filipino to win the American Pulitzer Prize for Correspondence in 1942. He was also the first Asian to become president of the United Nations.

Pop singer Bruno Mars is half Filipino and half Puerto Rican. His childhood nickname was “Little Elvis.” His real name is Peter Gene Bayot Hernandez. His stage name was inspired by the chubby wrestler Bruno Sammartino.

Basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines. The Philippines Basketball Association (PBS) is the first and oldest league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the United States’ National Basketball Association (NBA).

The first ever international Grandmaster from Asia was Eugenio Torre, a Filipino, who won at the Chess Olympiad in Nice , France in 1974.

Pure or part-Filipino celebrities in American show biz include Von Flores, Tia Carere, Paolo Montalban, Lea Salonga, Ernie Reyes Jr., Nia Peeples, Julio Iglesias Jr., Lou Diamond Phillips, Phoebe Cates and Rob Schneider.

The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of coconuts and also the world’s largest supplier of expat nurses.

The world’s largest pearl was found by a Filipino in the Palawan Sea. The pearl weighs 14 pounds, is believed to be over 600 years old, and is valued at over $40 million.

Christmas is a celebration that Filipinos love to observe. The Yuletide season usually begins in September and ends in January, making it the longest celebration of Christmas ever.

The Philippine eagle is the largest eagle in the world. It also known as the monkey-eating eagle.