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Welcome to the Philippines,
an Archipelago of Enchanted Islands
TUTTLE Publishing
Tokyo | Rutland, Vermont | Singapore
tHE PHILIPPINES is a Southeast Asian archipelago of over 7,000 islands strewn between the Pacific Ocean and the Asian mainland. Here Orient meets Occident with a distinctive flair. Three centuries of Spanish Christianization and 40 years of American colonization have left their mark, contributing to the East-West character of a vibrant, Latinized people of Asian bloodlines. Catholicism is the major religion, English is the tongue of the educated, and the soulful creativity of the Filipinos prevails in visual arts and daily life. Music, basketball, boxing and politics are the national pasttimes, from bustling Metro Manila to historic Cebu to booming Davao in Mindanao. Ecotourism adventures await in all 81 provinces—from Boracay to Bohol, Panay to Palawan, to the Banaue Rice Terraces of Northern Luzon. All in this high-spirited place, the Philippines.
Contents
Watersports from Batangas to Bohol
mabuhay!
WELCOME to one unique Filipino national sensibility—hospitality. Unlike any other Asian nation, the Philippines is a destination readily accessible to visitors from both East and West. Warmth and accommodation come naturally to the islander Filipinos. Guests are feted, honored and shown the best of the country’s offerings.
The Philippines can be an exciting, even flamboyant place, driven by the exuberant spirit of the Filipino people. Their hybrid culture derives from a unique mingling of Eastern and Western influences, from diverse Malay, Chinese, Spanish and American strains and bloodlines. Their special character was formed by “four centuries in the convent and four decades in Hollywood,” wrote historian Carmen Guerrero Nakpil. However one sees it, Filipinos have evolved a real cosmopolitan flair, topped by their national knack for song, dance and theater throughout seven regions. Welcome to the Philippine Islands’ abundance of natural attractions and rich archipelagic experiences beyond the urban centers.
Yellow daisy flower teenagers, about to join the street parade at the Panagbenga Flower Festival in Baguio.
Life is a beach on Boracay, one of the top destinations in the Philippines.
Mabuhay is the aloha greeting of the Philippines. In one word, Mabuhay hails: welcome, farewell and long-live. Spirited Filipinos are among the most hospitable people in the world.
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