If you are entertaining a tourist or a balikbayan relative or friends, how will you introduce the Philippines?

The Philippines is a country located in the southeastern part of Asia compromising about
7, 107 islands separated into three sovereign states – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Deserted
white-sand beaches lined with tilting coconut trees. Unlike other places, an adventure to the
Philippines takes you to a wonderland where it seems as though you walked into a postcard. You
can lounge in the beauty of beaches and islands, experience fun outdoor activities with stunning
sights, taste flavorful local cuisine, and enjoy the hospitality of smiling Filipinos. This is the glory
of the Philippines.
The Philippines has some of the best islands in the world. Nature is breathtakingly
gorgeous. The islands have different forms from flat, tall, big, small, and colorful. But what pulls
the tourists to these islands is not just the island itself but also what's surrounding it. Yes, the
water and what's under those wide waters. In Sorsogon, you can encounter butanding or whales.
My father is a proud Bikolano and he describes butandings as “gentle giants” because of their
playful features. In some islands, you can get close with Japanese shipwrecks from the past and
colorful coral reefs preserved by the locals. Island hopping and scuba diving are just a few of the
things you can experience in the Philippines. Experiencing white sandy beaches are not just what
the Philippines offers but also high mountains and perfectly coned volcanos. The Banaue Rice
Terraces is a manmade terrace carved in the mountains by the ancestors of the indigenous
people. It was also featured at the end of the movie The Avengers: Endgame, where Thanos
rested after he snapped his fingers. The Mayon Volcano in Bicol is widely known as the perfectly
shaped volcano in the world. It's as twice as big as its sister, the Mt. Fuji in Japan. It is said that
Mayon is very shy because she keeps hiding in the clouds or maybe she's married to the clouds.
The Mayon Volcano became the pride and joy of Bicolandia. There may be high mountains and
tall volcanos but the Chocolate Hills in Bohol is also one of the best places to visit in the
Philippines. The unique landscape of the Chocolate Hills made its way to the UNESCO World
Heritage Natural Monuments. That's not the end of it, Calle Crisologo in Vigan and Intramuros in
Manila takes you back in time. They managed to preserve the charms of the Spanish colonial
architecture even though the Intramuros was destructed by the end of World War II. We can also
find the grand Manila Cathedral and the San Agustin Church, the oldest church in the Philippine,
in Intramuros. Way back in 2018, our school happened to go on a fieldtrip at the Manila Cathedral
and as both Filipino and Catholic, I could still remember how much I fell in love with the cathedral.
The pictures I took when I was the assigned photojournalist that time are still stored in my
computer. One thing we love in the Philippines and even we, the locals, still go crazy by this. The
Philippines has the best view of sunsets.
After seeing the beauty of the Philippines, we can't leave with an empty stomach. You can
find carinderias everywhere with homemade cuisines. You can also have some tusok-tusok from
local street vendors. With the residents’ hospitality, we can invite you to eat with us for free.
Lechon is one of the famous cuisines that we enjoy. Simply said, a Filipino celebration just
wouldn't be complete without this dish. Balut and penoy are also popular with the locals and most
tourists enjoy it. It is a portion of infamous street food with diverse flavors and unique appearance.
The Philippines is deeply influenced by the Chinese, the Spanish, and the Americans. The
Chinese brought noodles, siopaos, and siomais. The Spanish brought the use of different spices
and the Spanish adobo. The Americans brought also burgers, hamburgers, and the creation of
fast foods, Jollibee is a Filipino fast-food chain that spread all over the world bringing ChickenJoy,
Jolly Spaghetti, Palabok, Halo-halo, and more worldwide. Jollibee is known as the “Happiest
Place on Earth.” Their commercials really took place in our hearts to the extent that every
Christmas season, Filipinos wait for their series entitled: “Kwentong Jollibee” and their series
became one of our family’s tradition, to rewatch all the episodes before the 25th of December
strikes.
Nature and delicacies are not just the only things you will love about the Philippines but
also its locals. Most of them can speak English. Their hospitality, friendliness, and their smiles
bring warmth. We, Filipinos, love to respect elders by bowing towards the hand of the elder and
presses our forehead in the elder's hand or also known as mano or pagmamano. Filipinos add po
and opo to their sentences whenever they talk to elders. This is also a way to show politeness.
There is no problem with making friends. Filipinos are great at initiating conversations. But the
people are not always rich in this country. 25% of our population is living in the slums, living
poverty. That is the reality of the Philippines. Some people live in substandard houses, on verge
of collapsing anytime. Houses are built with loose woods and metals, living under bridges and
swamps. Some build houses inside the cemetery. They are struggling to survive the reality of the
world.
There may be flaws on the system or the country itself, these people still smile and never
lost hope. When the typhoon Yolanda striked and in less than a month an earthquake struck Bohol
way back in 2013, devastated families, destroyed the agriculture and millions of infrastructures.
But these events did not hinder Filipinos for hoping the best. That help will soon come, that there
is still a bright future ahead of us. Filipinos are family-oriented and thus they consider everyone
their family. They refer tourists and their fellow kababayans as anak, apo, kuya, and ate. The
Philippines is not just a great place to visit but you will surely miss the people here. It's not just
about fun but there is more hope and love in the Philippines.