63 Interesting Facts about the Philippines

By Tayja Kuligowski, Junior Writer

Published January 3, 2017

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 worlds 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]

Interesting Facts about the Philippines

The Philippines are named after King Philip II of Spain

The Philippines are named after King Philip II of Spain. Explorer Ruy Lpez de Villalobos named the
Eastern Visayas Felipenas first, and the name was later applied to the entire archipelago. The countrys
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 worlds 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 worlds 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]

Interesting Fact about the Philippines

The Philippine, or monkey-eating, eagle is the largest of all eagles and was declared the national bird
of the Philippines in 1985

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
180500 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]

The Conus gloriamus, the rarest and most expensive seashell in the world, is one of the 12,000 species
of seashells found in the Philippines. The first examples of these shells sold at auction for about
US$5,000.[18]

The yo-yo had its beginnings as an ancient Filipino studded hunting weapon attached to a 20-foot
rope. The modern yo-yo was invented by a F