Philippines

The Philippines meaning the pearl of the orient and consists of over 7,000 islands in the Western Pacific forming an archipelago. It is often divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The capital is Manilla which is located on Luzon. The islands are volcanic in origin and covered in tropical rainforest.

The islands contain many active volcanoes including the Mayon Volcano. The economy in the Philippines is largely based around agriculture with goods like sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn and other fruit.

However there has been a large push in the service industry, including tourism and more commonly, business process outsourcing.

It gained independence from Spain on the 12 June 1898 and from the US on the 4 July 1946.

About Philippines

Country flag
Short Name
PHI
Capital
Manila
Language
Filipino (Tagalog) and English
Population
92,681,453
Area
300,000 km²
Calling Code
+63

National Olympic Committee

Country flag
NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE
Philippine Olympic Committee
NOC President
Recognition Year
1929
Address
3rd/F Building A, Philsports Complex, Meralco Avenue - 1603 Pasig City

Sports

Sports are an intrinsic part of Filipino culture.

One of the most commonly played sports in the country is basketball, which can be attributed to the American governance until the Philippines declared independence in 1946.

It is home to Asia’s first professional basketball league and is the second oldest league in the world. In the first Southeast Asian Games in 1977 the national team won the gold medal.

The Philippines first sent athletes to the Olympic Games in 1924 but it wasn’t unti the next games in Amsterdam that they would win their first medal with Teofilo Yldefonso wining bronze in the men’s 400m breaststroke.

Other popular sports include martial arts of the karate and tae-kwon-do variety, boxing, golf, tennis and despite its location and climate, ice skating.

Climate

Lying in the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific the climate is hot and tropical.

With an annual average temperature of around 28 °C with some peaks of 38 °C there is little variation throughout the year.

Annual rainfall averages range from 40 inches, to 200 inches in mountainous areas.

The capital of Manila will see an average of 80 inches of rain evenly distributed throughout the year.

Culture

Filipino culture is a hybrid of Malayo Polynesian and Hispanic, due to the Spanish colonisation in the 16th Century.

Many of the places in the Philippines have Spanish names, as do many of the people with Spanish names and surnames still remaining strong in the country.

Introduced in the 18th century the kalesa is still used in some tourist locations like Manila, Binondo and Iligan City and rural areas.

A kalesa is a horse drawn cart with two wheels and can accommodate up to four people.

In the old days these were used only by those who could afford them, usually the rich. Now however they are rare to see in use except in aforementioned tourist areas.

The Filipinos also like to party - Somewhere in the archipelago, there is at least one fiesta being celebrated 365 days a year!

Manila, Philippines, September 29, 2024: The Philippine Olympic Committee held their 2024 Nationa...
29.09.2024
Manila, Philippines, August 14, 2024: President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. along with the fi...
14.08.2024
Manila, Philippines, July 2, 2024: Although the Philippines’ only Olympic champion, weightlifter ...
02.07.2024
Manila, Philippines, June 23, 2024: The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos...
23.06.2024
Manila, Philippines, June 19, 2024: The Philippine Olympic Committee has announced that boxers Ne...
19.06.2024
Manila, Philippines, June 12, 2024: The Philippine Olympic Committee marked the country's 126th a...
12.06.2024
Bangkok, Thailand, June 1, 2024: Philippines boxer Carlo Paalam is heading for Paris 2024 and his...
02.06.2024
Manila, Philippines, May 5, 2024: The Philippine Olympic Committee is celebrating a centenary of ...
05.05.2024
Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, April 28, 2024: The International Fencing Federation (FIE) report...
28.04.2024
Manila, Philippines, April 25, 2024: The Philippine Sports Commission hosted a Safe Sport Worksho...
25.04.2024
Manila, Philippines, April 21, 2024: It was a super Sunday for the Philippine Olympic Committee a...
21.04.2024
Manila, Philippines, April 16, 2024: The Philippine Olympic Committee held their first POC Journe...
16.04.2024
Manila, Philippines, April 11, 2024: The Philippines’ first and only Olympic Games champion, weig...
11.04.2024
Manila, Philippines, March 21, 2024: Tennis player Alex Eala and football star Sarina Bolden were...
21.03.2024
Manila, Philippines, March 19, 2024: The Philippines’ first Olympic champion, weightlifter Hidily...
19.03.2024
Manila, Philippines, February 22, 2024: The Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Richard Bachman...
22.02.2024
Manila, Philippines, January 19, 2024: The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine ...
19.01.2024
Manila, Philippines, January 10, 2024: Tropical Philippines will send three young winter sports a...
10.01.2024
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, August 3, 2023: Jared Julian Nery turned 16 last month but he has already b...
03.08.2023
Tagaytay, Philippines, June 5, 2023: The President of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham “...
05.06.2023
Tagaytay, Philippines, June 5, 2023: Olympic athletes and Asian Games medal-winners joined in the...
05.06.2023
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 3, 2023: The Philippine Olympic Committee will celebrate the success of...
03.05.2023
Manila, Philippines, April 20, 2023: Philippine sport, in particular the boxing community, is mou...
20.04.2023
Manila, Philippines, April 19, 2023: The 840-strong Philippine team to the 32nd Southeast Asian G...
19.04.2023
Manila, Philippines, April 1, 2023: Athletes from the Philippines will be clad in ASICS national ...
01.04.2023
Manila, Philippines, March 23, 2023: Sports authorities in the Philippines are providing media tr...
23.03.2023
Manila, Philippines, March 13, 2023: The Philippine Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission held ...
13.03.2023
Manila, Philippines, March 7, 2023: Olympic champion Hidilyn Diaz picked up her fourth Athlete of...
07.03.2023
Manila, Philippines, February 10, 2023: Tropical Philippines will be represented on ice in the ne...
10.02.2023
Manila, Philippines, February 2, 2023: The Philippine Olympic Committee has announced their train...
02.02.2023
Manila, Philippines, January 19, 2023: Olympic gold medalist and world champion Hidilyn Diaz-Nara...
19.01.2023
Manila, Philippines, January 11, 2023: The President of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham...
11.01.2023
Manila, Philippines, November 29, 2022: The Philippines’ Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games pole vaulter Er...
29.11.2022
New Clark City, Philippines, November 27, 2022: The Asia Swimming Federation (AASF) has signed an...
27.11.2022
Manila, Philippines, November 15, 2022: National boxers received a huge shot in the arm as Philip...
15.11.2022
Manila, Philippines, November 10, 2022: The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) hopes that more wo...
10.11.2022
Manila, Philippines, October 16, 2022: President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has vowed to ext...
16.10.2022
Manila, Philippines, September 21, 2022: The Olympic movement in the Philippines is mourning the ...
21.09.2022
Manila, Philippines, September 11, 2022: The sports community in the Philippines is celebrating a...
11.09.2022
Manila, Philippines, September 8, 2022: The Philippine Sports Commission has paid tribute to bask...
09.09.2022
Brussels, Belgium, September 2, 2022: The Philippines’ Olympic pole vaulter Ernest “EJ” Obiena ma...
03.09.2022
Manila, Philippines, August 26, 2022: The Philippine Sports Commission is seeking 546 million Pes...
26.08.2022
Manila, Philippines, August 11, 2022: The President of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham ...
11.08.2022
Baguio City, Philippines, July 26, 2022: The Philippines’ first Olympic champion, weightlifter Hi...
27.07.2022
Manila, Philippines, July 20, 2022: Bowling legend Olivia “Bong” Coo has been appointed by the Ph...
20.07.2022
Manila, Philippines, June 21, 2022: The Philippine Olympic Committee reports that Southeast Asian...
21.06.2022
Manila, Philippines, June 12, 2022: The Commanding General Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Bra...
12.06.2022
Manila, Philippines, June 2, 2022: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte led the recognition of Filipino ...
03.06.2022
Hanoi, Vietnam, May 14, 2022: Tokyo Olympian Ernest John “EJ” Obiena retained his Southeast Asian...
15.05.2022
Manila, Philippines, May 3, 2022: Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has sent a video message ...
03.05.2022
Manila, Philippines, April 18, 2022: Tokyo Olympian Ernest “EJ” Obiena will carry the flag of the...
18.04.2022
Manila, Philippines, April 8, 2022: The President of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Abraham “B...
08.04.2022
Manila, Philippines, March 14, 2022: Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz will be crowned the 2021 Athlete o...
14.03.2022
Manila, Philippines, January 10, 2022: Alpine skier Asa Miller will fly the flag for the Philippi...
10.01.2022
Manila, Philippines, December 22, 2021: The government’s Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and t...
22.12.2021
Manila, Philippines, December 6, 2021: Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” To...
06.12.2021
Manila, Philippines, November 18, 2021: The Philippines’ Tokyo 2020 golden hero, Hidilyn Diaz, ha...
18.11.2021
Manila, Philippines, October 22, 2021: The stage is set for the 2021 Philippine Swimming, Inc. (P...
22.10.2021
Manila, Philippines, October 13, 2021: The Philippines’ double Asian Games golf champion Yuka Sas...
13.10.2021
Manila, Philippines, September 16, 2021: The two tiers of the Philippines government – the House ...
16.09.2021
Manila, Philippines, September 14, 2021: The Philippine Olympic Committee announced that it will ...
14.09.2021
Manila, Philippines, September 12, 2021: Tokyo Olympian Ernest “EJ” Obiena set a new Asian record...
12.09.2021
Manila, Philippines, September 2, 2021: The Philippines’ Tokyo 2020 pole vault Olympian Ernest “E...
02.09.2021
Manila, Philippines, August 25, 2021: President Rodrigo Duterte led the awarding of incentives to...
25.08.2021
Manila, Philippines, August 18, 2021: The Philippines’ IOC Executive Board member, Mikee Cojuangc...
18.08.2021
Manila, Philippines, August 12, 2021: After nearly a century of trying, the Philippines finally s...
12.08.2021
Manila, Philippines, July 30, 2021: The rewards and recognition continue to flood in for the Phil...
30.07.2021
Tokyo, Japan, July 27, 2021: The pride of the Philippines Hidilyn Diaz is to be rewarded handsome...
27.07.2021
Tokyo, Japan, July 26, 2021: The Philippines erupted with “Pinoy Pride” when weightlifter Hidilyn...
26.07.2021
Tokyo, Japan, July 21, 2021: IOC Executive Board member Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski of the Philippin...
21.07.2021
Manila, Philippines, July 9, 2021: The Philippine Olympic Committee has announced that pole vault...
09.07.2021
Manila, Philippines, June 29, 2021: Two more of the Philippines’ 2018 Asian Games “Golden Girls” ...
29.06.2021
Manila, Philippines, June 5, 2021: One of the biggest stars of the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia,...
05.06.2021
Manila, Philippines, May 27, 2021: OCA youth camp graduate Cris Nievarez has received a cash ince...
27.05.2021
Manila, Philippines, May 10, 2021: A graduate from the Olympic Council of Asia’s rowing youth cam...
10.05.2021
Manila, Philippines, April 29, 2021: The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) mourns the passing of...
29.04.2021
Manila, Philippines, April 26, 2021: The Philippines sports community is in mourning following th...
26.04.2021
Manila, Philippines, April 21, 2021: The cities of Sta. Rosa, Tagaytay and Taguig have agreed to ...
21.04.2021
Manila, Philippines, April 16, 2021: With four boxers qualified for Tokyo 2020, gold may well be ...
16.04.2021
Manila, Philippines, April 12, 2021: The Philippines’ Asian Games weightlifting champion Hidilyn ...
12.04.2021
Manila, Philippines, March 29, 2021: The Philippines’ double Asian Games golf champion Yuka Saso ...
29.03.2021
Manila, Philippines, March 18, 2021: Asian Games weightlifting champion and Rio 2016 Olympic silv...
18.03.2021
Manila, Philippines, March 16, 2021: The Philippine Olympic Committee reports that a new batch of...
16.03.2021
Manila, Philippines, March 9, 2021: Double Asian Games golf champion Yuka Saso has won another pr...
09.03.2021
Manila, Philippines, March 8, 2021: The Philippine Olympic Committee Women in Sports Commission a...
08.03.2021
Manila, Philippines, March 3, 2021: Asian Games champion Margielyn Didal has been named Female Sk...
03.03.2021
Manila, Philippines, October 23, 2020: Tokyo-bound Filipino pole vaulter Ernest “EJ” Obiena has a...
23.10.2020
Manila, Philippines, October 16, 2020: Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham "Bambol" To...
16.10.2020
Manila, Philippines, September 11, 2020: Asian champion Ernest "EJ" Obiena won his first gold med...
11.09.2020
Manila. Philippines, September 9, 2020: Philippines weightlifting hero Hidilyn Diaz has announced...
09.09.2020
Manila, Philippines, August 27, 2020: With the World Anti-Doping Agency’s new WADA Code coming in...
27.08.2020
Manila, Philippines, August 11, 2020: The Philippine Sports Commission has congratulated surfer R...
11.08.2020
Manila, Philippines, July 13, 2020: The Philippines will appeal for the inclusion of the indigeno...
13.07.2020
Manila, Philippines, July 7, 2020: Top officials of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and Ph...
07.07.2020
Manila, Philippines, June 29, 2020: One of Asia’s most iconic sports venues is the subject of a d...
29.06.2020
Manila, Philippines, June 24, 2020: There’s just no stopping Asian Games skateboarding champion M...
24.06.2020
Manila, Philippines, June 18, 2020: The Philippine Olympic Committee is hosting a POC Webinar Ser...
18.06.2020
Manila, Philippines, June 11, 2020: The Ninoy Aquino Stadium, one of the Philippine Sports Commis...
11.06.2020
Manila, Philippines, June 4, 2020: The kind heart of weightlifting hero Hidilyn Diaz has aided ov...
04.06.2020
Manila, Philippines, May 26, 2020: The Philippines’ Olympic Games-bound pole vaulter Ernest “EJ” ...
26.05.2020
Manila, Philippines, May 21, 2020: Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bam...
21.05.2020
Manila, Philippines, May 10, 2020: Asian Games 2018 weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz is certai...
10.05.2020
Baguio, Philippines, April 23, 2020: A young member of the Philippine Muay Thai team has donated ...
23.04.2020
Manila, Philippines, April 16, 2020: The historic Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, which for more t...
16.04.2020
Manila, Philippines, April 14, 2020: Asian Games weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz of the Phili...
14.04.2020
Manila, Philippines, April 3, 2020: Asian Games skateboarding champion Margielyn Didal of the Phi...
03.04.2020
Manila, Philippines, March 30, 2020: The Philippine Sports Commission has volunteered its own spo...
30.03.2020
Manila, Philippines, March 27, 2020: Tokyo-bound boxer Irish Magno of the Philippines sees a silv...
27.03.2020
Manila, Philippines, March 17, 2020: Asian Games weightlifting champion Hidilyn Diaz of the Phili...
17.03.2020
Manila, Philippines, March 11, 2020: The New Clark City Athletics Stadium has been nominated for ...
11.03.2020
Manila, Philippines, March 10, 2020: The top sports leaders in the Philippines are hopeful that t...
10.03.2020
Manila, Philippines, March 4, 2020: The Senate has approved, on the third and final reading and b...
04.03.2020
Manila, Philippines, February 24, 2020: World boxing champion Nesthy Petecio will be among the ma...
24.02.2020
Manila, Philippines, February 9, 2020: The Philippine Sports Commission issued an advisory on Feb...
09.02.2020
Manila, Philippines, January 2, 2020: As the focus shifts to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, sustaining ...
02.01.2020
Manila, Philippines, December 18, 2019: Philippine Sports Commission Chairman and SEA Games Chef ...
18.12.2019
Manila, Philippines, December 11, 2019: The Philippines have become the overall champions of the ...
11.12.2019
Tarlac, Philippines, December 11, 2019: The pride and passion of the Filipinos was on display at ...
11.12.2019
Manila, Philippines, November 30, 2019: President Rodrigo Duterte and boxing champion Manny Pacqu...
01.12.2019
New Clark City, Philippines, November 22, 2019: Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said gover...
22.11.2019
Davao, Philippines, October 31, 2019: The torch relay for the 30th South East Asian Games in the ...
31.10.2019
Manila, Philippines, October 29, 2019: The country’s top sports officials are hoping to have a 20...
29.10.2019
Manila, Philippines, October 21, 2019: Excitement is growing in the Philippines as the organisers...
21.10.2019
Stuttgart, Germany, October 13, 2019: Carlos Edriel Yulo made history by becoming the first ever ...
13.10.2019
Manila, Philippines, October 9, 2019: The New Clark City is set to open on November 8, in time fo...
09.10.2019
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 3, 2019: The Flame Handover Ceremony for the 30th Southeast Asian...
09.10.2019
Manila, Philippines, October 8, 2019: Gymnast Carlos Yulo has qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympi...
08.10.2019
Manila, Philippines, September 4, 2019: The sports community in the Philippines is celebrating it...
04.09.2019
New Clark City, Philippines, September 3, 2019: More than 500 national athletes have tried out th...
03.09.2019