Interesting Philippines Facts

By Jill Bartholomew, Junior Writer

 The Philippines was the first country in Southeast Asia to gain independence after World
War II, in 1945.[18]

 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.[18]

 Human trafficking is a problem in the Philippines. The country has the fourth largest
number of prostituted children in the world. There are estimated to be
375,000 women and girls in the sex trades, mostly between the ages of 15 and 20, though
some are as young as 11.[18]

 Current president Benigno Aquino III is the first president of the Philippines to be a
bachelor and he is the son of ex-president Corazon Aquino, making him the second
president to be a child of a former president (his predecessor Gloria Arroyo was the
other).[18]

 The world’s biggest pair of shoes was made in Marikina City, Philippines, in 2002. The
wingtips measured about 17.4 feet (5.3 m) in length, 7.9 feet (2.4 m) in width, and almost
6.6 feet (2 m) in height. Their cost was 2 million Philippine pesos.[5]

 The Philippines are named after King Philip II of Spain. Explorer Ruy López de
Villalobos named the Eastern Visayas Felipenas first, and the name was later applied to
the entire archipelago. The country’s official name is the Republic of the Philippines.[7]

 The world record for most women breastfeeding simultaneously was 3,541, set in Manila,

Philippines, on May 4, 2006.[11]

 Of the top 10 largest shopping malls in the world, three are found in the Philippines: SM
Megamall, SM North Edsa, and SM Mall of Asia.[18]

 The world’s largest pearl was discovered by a Filipino diver in the Palawan Sea in 1934.
Known as the “Pearl of Lao Tzu,” or “Pearl of Allah,” the gem weighs 14 pounds (6.35
kg) and measures 9.5 inches (24 cm) long and 5.5 inches (.4 cm) in diameter. It has a
value of over US$40 million. It is believed to be 600 years old.[2]

 The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of coconuts and tropical fruits, such as
papaya and mangosteen.[18]

 Some Filipinos are wary of the number 13 and will avoid having 13 people at a table.
Also, steps to the main entrance of a house should not fall on a number divisible by three.
Superstitious Filipinos will not travel or bathe on Holy Thursday or Good Friday during
Holy Week, the week before Easter.[16]
  The only place in the world where skunks are found other than America is Indonesia and
the Philippines, where they are called stink badgers.[14]

 President Benigno Aquino III of the Philippines is known as “Noynoy,” and two of his
sisters’ nicknames are “Pinky” and “Ballsy."[10]

 Christian names in the Philippines include Bing, Bong, Bambi, Bogie, Girlie, Peanut, and
Bumbum.[10]

 The Philippines is the only majority Christian nation in Asia. Eighty percent of its
population identifies as Roman Catholic.[18]

 The Philippines has a population of more than 100 million people, which makes it the
12th most populous country in the world. Its annual growth rate of around 2% makes it
one of the fastest growing countries in the world.[18]

 Mt. Pinatubo on the Philippine island of Luzon erupted on June 15, 1991, and created the
largest mushroom cloud in the world. Its eruption ejected 10 billion metric tons of
magma and 20 million tons of sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere.[18]

 The national symbol of the Philippines is the Philippine, or monkey-eating, eagle. It is the
largest of all eagles and was declared the national bird of the Philippines in 1995. It
stands up to 3.3 feet (1 m) in height and has a wingspan of almost 7 feet (2 m). It is
critically endangered; there may only be around 180–500 eagles remaining. Killing one is
punishable by Philippine law by 12 years in jail and a heavy fine.[18]

 According to Filipino custom, it is considered rude to open gifts immediately after they
are given.[3]

 The Philippines is the only country in the world whose flag is hoisted upside down when
the country is at war.[18]

Reference:

https://www.factretriever.com/philippines-facts