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June 26, 2014

I was given the idea to spend one week on each country for 11 weeks in my blog. So I will take this time to research information, with general, fun, and serious facts, while taking time to pray for the country. I hope that you will partner with me in taking each country before the Jesus as well!

I got most of this information from the books The Phillipines, by Joaquin L. Gonzalez III, and The Philippines—Enchantment of the World, by Walter Oleksy.

Philippines

  • The National flag of the Philippines consists of two horizontal bands. In peacetime, the top is blue and the bottom is red. In wartime, the colors are reversed. The blue band stands for noble ideals and the red band is for courage. The white triangle represents the Filipino struggle against Spain, and the yellow sun stands for liberty.
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  • The Philippines have had a rough time of being controlled by other countries. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan “discovered” the Philippines and claimed it for Spain. Spain infused the country with Catholicism, but treated the inhabitants horribly! The Filipinos ultimately launched an armed revolution against Spain in 1896, and declared its independence from them two years later. However, later that same year, the United States declared war against Spain, which concluded with Spain ceded the Philippines to the U.S for $20 million under the Treaty of Paris. They became a U.S territory, and were at least treated better by their new leaders than by the Spanish. Then the Japanese took over the Philippines in 1942, and then lost it again to the Americans in 1945. Finally, the Republic of the Philippines was established in 1946.
  • When I was living in Saipan, many of the Filipino students told me about Maria Corazon Aquino. She is an extremely important person in the Philippines’ history, and she is just generally awesome! Her husband, Benigno Aquino, was assassinated in August 1983, for running for President against the Dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Three years later, she ran for president and won the election, but Marcos refused to step down. Aquino then organized the “Bloodless People Power Revolution” that ended the Marcos regime. She became the first woman president of the Republic of the Philippines, and implemented many needed social and economic reforms. Told you she was cool 
  • The country loves its religious holidays!!! 83% of the country is Roman Catholic, and because of this some of the most popular holidays are the Lenten season, or Holy Week, and Christmas. They decorate for Christmas months before the actual day, hang decorative stars everywhere, and blast Christmas music all day long! 
  • Filipinos have unusually tight-knit families, and they count on the families, even their extended families, for help when faces with problems of any kind.
  • Elders are highly respected!
  • They believe in amor propio, or the extreme care people take to maintain their own and other people’s dignities, and utang na loob, or repaying favors with gratitude.
  • The Philippines has the third highest literacy rate in Asia.
  • Filipino actress/singer Lea Solonga, the singing voice of Disney’s Jasmine and Mulan, played Eponine and Fantine in Broadway’s Les Miserables, and won the Tony and Olivier awards for her portrayal as Kim in Miss Saigon
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  • The yo-yo was actually a deadly weapon used during Philippine tribal wars. The weapon was brought over to the U.S and then made into a toy. 
  • After basketball, cockfighting (or “sabong”) is the second most popular sport in the Philippines.
  • Jeepneys are king of the road in the Philippines. After World War II, Filipinos transformed jeeps left behind into a decorated form of transportation!
  • Only about one-third of the Philippine Islands are inhabited, and there are over 80 different dialects of Tagalog, which is the official language.
  • Two Filipino folk dances that use bamboo sticks are singkil, where a “princess” dances between moving bamboo poles held by boys or girls, and the tinkling, which is inspired by the movements of a bird as it runs along the weeds
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  • One of my roommates in Saipan was from the Philippines, and she is the best! Love you, Ami Joy!
  • When I was in the Philippines to get rid of my obstructing kidney stones, I was taken to St. Lukes hospital in Manila. First of all, the hospital was extremely high quality and generally majestic with all of its Christmas decorations (this was a few weeks before Thanksgiving, by the way). Secondly, the facility’s staff is made up of some of the most beautiful people I have ever seen! I was sick, pale, and had one kidney on the verge of shutting down, and all around me were genetically blessed doctors, nurses, and maintenance staff, from a variety of different ages and body types. It was ridiculous!

That’s it for fun facts on the Philippines. Next time I’ll write about the more serious aspects of the Philippines and what I’m praying about this week! If any of you want to add anything else, feel free!!!

God Bless!

~Tori