Sometimes it takes international recognition before one appreciates what they have. Recently, Discovery Channel aired their newest station ID. It was shot in Hamilo Coast in Nasugbu, Batangas (Philippines), as it is one of the areas heavily tended by WWF Philippines for conservation projects. The World Wild Fund Philippines is composed of a brilliant team of visionaries - an organization that spearheads practical solutions to help the country adapt to climate change, secure food sources to alleviate poverty, conserve local ecosystems to reap natural benefits, and more. The world is awesome indeed.
This is the video. Enjoy!
Boom De Yada...
This year, Discovery Channel is airing a different version of their popular "The World Is Just Awesome" station ID- WWF Philippines style! Our National Ambassadors, Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez got in on the action. Thank you Discovery Channel Philippines for making this happen. Again, proud to be Pinoy! (Source: Youtube)
Tucked away in the lush province of Cagraray Islands, a breathtaking tropical paradise awaits those who seek the extraordinary, the extravagant and the enchanting. Welcome to Misibis Bay, Philippines!
TAGALOG (pronounced TUGGA-log) is a big word for the Filipinos. It can mean two things:
1. A member of a people native to the Philippines and inhabiting Manila and its adjacent provinces. 2. The basis of the Filipino national language. ("Tagalog" is a dialect; "Filipino" is our national language)
With a population of over 90 million, it is said that there are as many as 300 languages and dialects in these islands which belong to the Malayo-Polynesian family of languages. One of the factors that complicate the language situation in the Philippines is diversity (7,107 islands!) Linguists say there are 75 to 150 native languages spoken by Filipinos. The latest estimate is 109 languages. Although these languages are in some ways grammatically and lexically similar, they are mutually unintelligible. In 1571, the Spaniards found the people in Manila and other places writing on bamboo and specially prepared palm leaves using knives and styli. They were using the ancient Tagalog script which had 17 basic symbols, three of which were the vowels a, i, and u. Each basic consonantal symbol had the inherent a sound: ka, ga, nga, ta, da, na, pa, ba, ma, ya, la, wa, sa, and ha.
The Tagalog script was a syllabary, which means that each symbol represents a complete syllable. This is in contrast to the Latin alphabet where each symbol represents a phoneme, the smallest unit of the sound of speech. It is this distinction that makes it difficult for many people steeped in alphabetic systems to understand the correct way of using the Tagalog script.
Filipino (Tagalog) has been influenced, principally in vocabulary by the languages with which they have come into contact: Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, English, and Spanish. It is closest to Spanish, but not quite. Although that might confusing, there are some fun websites that can help:
Bayang magiliw,
Perlas ng Silanganan
Alab ng puso,
Sa Dibdib mo'y buhay.
Lupang Hinirang,
Duyan ka ng magiting,
Sa manlulupig,
Di ka pasisiil.
Sa dagat at bundok,
Sa simoy at sa langit mong bughaw,
May dilag ang tula,
At awit sa paglayang minamahal.
Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y
Tagumpay na nagniningning,
Ang bituin at araw niya,
Kailan pa ma'y di magdidilim,
Lupa ng araw ng luwalhati't pagsinta,
Buhay ay langit sa piling mo,
Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi,
Ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.
Country Beloved,
Pearl of the Orient,
The burning [fervour] of the heart
In thy chest is alive.
Chosen Land,
Cradle Thou [art] of the valourous.
To the invaders,
Thou shalt never submit.
In [the] seas and [the] mountains,
in [the] air, and in skies of Thine azure,
There is beauty in the poem
And [in the] song for freedom beloved.
The sparkle of the flag of Thine
Is victory that is shining.
The Stars and Sun of it
Forevermore shall never dim.
Land of the sun, of glory, and loving,
Life is Heaven in Thine embrace.
'Tis our joy, when there be oppressors,
To die because of Thee.
A glimpse of the most important parts of the Philippine history, with the national anthem as a background:
The National Anthem of the Philippines, "Lupang Hinirang":
The Filipinos are required to do the following whenever they hear the national anthem:
1. Stand up straight
2. Put the right hand over the left chest (signifying respect and love for country.)
Our Constitution specifies that the Lupang Hinirang be sang in accordance to the original version of Julian Felipe - that is, quadruple time (4/4), with lyrics in our national language, Filipino. R.A. 8491 prohibits its playing or singing for mere recreation, amusement, or entertainment except during the following occasions:
International competitions where the Philippines is the host or has a representative;
Local competitions;
During the "signing off" and "signing on" of radio broadcasting and television stations; and
Before the initial and last screening of films and before the opening of theater performances.
We would sing the national anthem in school, everyday, before class starts. We recite it with our Pledge of Allegiance to the flag, and our Patriotic Oath. Do you have any background story about your national anthem? What does it mean? Filipinos have traditions and laws regarding our national hymn, what about yours?
Short answer: The Philippines is in Southeast Asia. It is located south of Taiwan, north of Malaysia, and separated from Vietnam to the west by the South China Sea. In the east, you'll find the Pacific Ocean. The image below gives you a better idea:
The Philippines is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 km2. (Wikipedia)
We have three major islands:
LUZON - the biggest island, where the capital (Manila) is located.
VISAYAS- is further divided into three regions: Central, Western, and Eastern Visayas. Fun Fact: The Visayas is represented by 44 Congressmen!
MINDANAO - The second largest island, it is the eight most populous island in the world. Wikipedia describes it as, "Of all the islands of the Philippines, Mindanao and Borneo shows the greatest variety of physiographic development. High, rugged, faulted mountains; almost isolated volcanic peaks; high rolling plateaus; and broad, level, swampy plains are found there." Mindanao is called, "The Land of Promise."
Three Major Islands: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao
Since we are in a position that serves as a crossroad, we are forged by several cultural and racial blends: Japanese, Spaniards, American, Arabs, Chinese and more. The Philippines is broken up by the sea, which gives it one of the longest coastlines in any nation of the world. Since almost everyone is near a body of water (on or near a coast) food is mostly supplemented by 2,000 species of fish.
What about the weather?
The Philippines has only two seasons: wet and dry, depending on the amount of rainfall. We have no Fall/Winter/Spring; all we get is either sun or rain. Cooler days are usually felt in the month of January with temperature averaging at 25.5 °C (77.9 °F) and the warmest days, in the month of May with a mean of 28.3 °C (82.9 °F). I particularly love this because it's the perfect golf weather. There are many Koreans, Japanese, etc. who fly to our country because not only its cheap, the weather is truly a tropical paradise.
(Want to see a paradise like never before? Watch thisclip made in our very own Bohol.)
The sun rises at about 6:30 a.m., and sets at 6p.m. everyday of the year.
For more info on the climate of the Philippines, click here.
A lot of Filipinos dream of the "white Christmas", experiencing snow in other countries like United States or Europe. But for me, won't it be more exciting to explore those 7,107 islands that we have? Some islands are so small like Batanes. Some are deceptively small, but is actually the second major city in the Philippines like Cebu. I personally have been to the three major islands, but I cannot wait to explore more. The next post will be about the Ten Bucket List Destinations in the Philippines. Tune in!
It all started with an adventurous guy looking for spices. A Portuguese man, named Ferdinand Magellan, wanted to prove the existence of a "Spice Island." One day, armed with his navigation and battlefield skills, he went to the King and asked for a fully sponsored exhibition from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean. The King, as expected, disagreed.
Magellan, not losing any sign of hope, turned to the Spaniards - his country's rival! King Charles V, thought that this would open a "spice route", without damaging the relations with the Portuguese. So, "Why not?" he thought. In1518, five ships and about 234 men sailed through Canary Islands, Rio De Janerio, Argentina, and Guam. In April 7, 1521, after three long years, the crew set foot in the island of Cebu, Philippines. Magellan met the Malay natives and was warmly received. But he tried to convert all of them to Christianity, which was opposed by a minority, ultimately causing his death.
The casualties suffered in the Philippines left the expedition with too few men to sail the remaining ships. They had to escape to Brunei, where they discovered gold, advanced cannons, porcelain and eyeglasses (a technology still only developing in Europe). After finally reaching the Maluku Islands (the Spice Island) they attempted to return to Spain by sailing westwards. Magellan did not originally plan to circumnavigate the world, but he was the one who found the secure way through which the Spanish ships could navigate the Spice Islands. But more importantly, (for us, here) they found the Philippines. The name Philippines is from that of King Philip II of Spain. They introduced to us Christianity, the code of law, the oldest Universities, and the first education in Asia, among others. During the Spanish period, the unification of almost the whole archipelago was achieved, which was previously just independent kingdoms and communities. The Spaniards occupied our country for 333 years. (Now that's what you call "accidentally" discovering a country. Too bad there isn't such a thing in 2010.) What do you think? Do you know the story behind the story of your country's discovery?
"Dear" means to love, adore, take care of. "Manila", on the other hand, is the capital of the Philippines. This blog highlights the beauty and essence of this beloved country, beyond what you see and hear from the news. As one of the underrated, yet most amazing countries in the world, the Philippines continues to shine with its sheer beauty. Did you know that we have 7,107 islands? Come and join me as we travel, experience, discover and eventually fall in love with the Pearl of the Orient - Philippines!
