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Trivial Pursuit: 100 facts about the

Philippines
NOVEMBER 2, 2010 BY JOHNM27 COMMENTS

Think you know a lot about the Philippines? See how many questions you can
answer correctly! Answers at the bottom of the page.

1. Which President of the Philippines had the most children?

2. In which province does the Cagayan River originate?

3. What was the name of the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines?

4. Which province is named after a first lady?

5. What song is sung the most in the Philippines?

6. What song is sung second most?

7. Which province has the most cities?

8. What is the oldest existing city in the Philippines?

9. What is the longest river in Mindanao?

10. What is the largest island in the Philippines?


11. Within 100 km, how wide is the Philippines at its widest point?

12. What was the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Philippines?

13. What is the coldest temperature ever recorded in the Philippines?

14. What size of shoe did Imelda Marcos wear?

15. What is the longest river in the Philippines?

16. What is the tallest mountain in the Philippines?

17. What is Ma Mon Luk famous for?

18. When did the first ice cream parlor open in the Philippines?

19. What is the bookmaker at a cockfight called?

20. What was the first flight of Philippine Airlines?

21. What is the largest employer in the Philippines, aside from the
government?

22. What was the first book printed in the Philippines?

23. What does KKK stand for in the Philippines?

24. What was the name of the only ship to complete Magellans expedition?

25. Who was Pigafetta?

26. Who were the Philippines named after?

27. How long is the Presidents term?


28. How long is a senators term?

29. How long is a representatives term?

30. How many regions are in the Philippines?

31. What was the highest rated TV show in the Philippines in 2009?

32. When was the first movies shown in the Philippines?

33. What countrys films were shown?

34. What was the first movie filmed in the Philippines?

35. By what name are Chinese Filipinos known?

36. By what name were native Filipinos deemed by the Spanish?

37. What Filipino monkey is the smallest in the world?

38. What Filipino freshwater fish is the smallest in the world?

39. What Filipino animal is the smallest hoofed animal in the world?

40. What town is the smallest population of any municipality in the


Philippines?

41. What is the longest bridge in the Philippines?

42. What is the second longest bridge in the Philippines?

43. What is the longest mountain range in the Philippines?

44. How many pairs of shoes were in Imelda Marcos collection?


45. What is the largest Catholic University in the world?

46. The largest flower in the world grows in the Philippines. What is it called?

47. What is the largest province in the Philippines in terms of area?

48. What is the largest hospital in the Philippines?

49. What is the largest park in the Philippines?

50. What is the largest lake in the Philippines?

51. The largest fish in the world lives in Philippine waters. What is it?

52. The largest bat in the world calls the Philippines home. What is it called?

53. The largest reptile in the world lives here. What is it?

54. What is the highest waterfall in the Philippines?

55. What is the oldest street in the Philippines?

56. What is the oldest surviving bridge in the Philippines?

57. What is the oldest University in the Philippines?

58. What is the oldest company in the Philippines?

59. What is the oldest bank in the Philippines?

60. What is the oldest Filipino insurance company?

61. Who was the Filipino priest?

62. Who was the first Spanish Governor General?


63. Who was the first Archbishop of the Philippines?

64. Who was the first American Civil Governor of the Philippines?

65. When was the first automobile imported?

66. When was the first auto dealership established?

67. What was the first TV station in the Philippines?

68. Who was the first woman senator?

69. Who was the first US President to visit the Philippines as President?

70. By what other name is the Philippine Eagle known by?

71. How many species of seahorses are found in Philippine waters?

72. How many species of flowers grow in the Philippines?

73. How many species of fruit grow in the Philippines?

74. Where was Jose Rizal born?

75. What rank is the Philippines in terms of longest coastline?

76. What is the worlds smallest volcano?

77. What is the worlds longest underground river?

78. What percentage of the population of the Philippines lives on Luzon?

79. What is the least densely populated province?

80. What is the poorest province?


81. What city has the highest population?

82. What Philippine fruit is ranked as the sweetest in the world?

83. What is the largest High School in the world?

84. In terms of production of bananas, where is the Philippines ranked?

85. How many home-runs did Babe Ruth score in the Philippines?

86. When and where was the Thrilla in Manila?

87. Who was the longest serving mayor of any Philippine City?

88. How many Filipino Vice-Presidents later became President?

89. Who was the last President who was a lawyer by trade?

90. How many Filipino doctors work as nurses in the United States?

91. What is the most profitable business in the Philippines, based on tax
revenue?

92. Second most profitable?

93. Did a Filipino film ever win at Cannes?

94. What was the worst shipwreck in the world (Happened in the Philippines)?

95. How strong was the strongest earthquake in the Philippines?

96. In terms of population, what rank is Metro Manila in the worlds most
populous?

97. What is the largest coral reef in the Philippines?


98. How many people speak Tagalog as their first language in the
Philippines?

99. How many people speak Cebuano as their first language in the
Philippines?

100. How many churches in the Philippines are UNESCO World Heritage
Sites?

. Jose Laurel (7).

2. Nueva Vizcaya.

3. Fort San Pedro.

4. Aurora.

5. Happy Birthday.

6. Lumpang Hinirang.

7. Negros Occidental.

8. Cebu.

9. Rio Grande de Mindanao.

10. Luzon.

11. 1,107 km.

12. 42.4 deg. C. in Tuguegarao, April 29, 1912.

13. 3 deg. C. in Baguio, January 7, 1903.

14. 8
15. The Cagayan River, Luzon.

16. Mt. Apo, Mindanao.

17. He created the noodle dish known as Mami.

18. 1899. Clarkes Cafe in Binondo.

19. Kristo (Because he is like Christ).

20. Manila to Baguio in 1941.

21. San Miguel Corporation.

22. Doctrina Christiana (1593).

23. Kataas-taasan, Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mg Anak ng Bayan

24. Victoria.

25. The member of Magellans crew who kept the journal recording the
expeditions experiences. The first western account of the Philippines.

26. King Phillip II of Spain.

27. 6 years

28. 6 years.

29. 3 years.

30. 17

31. Wowowee
32. 1897

33. France. Un Homme Au Chapeau (Man with a Hat), Une scene de danse
Japonaise (Scene from a Japanese Dance), Les Boxers (The Boxers), and La
Place de L Opera (The Place L Opera)

34. Panorama de Manila in 1898.

35. Tsinoy.

36. Indios

37. Tarsier.

38. Dwarf Goby

39. Philippine Mouse Deer.

40. Kalayaan, in the Spratley Islands.

41. The San Juanico bridge, between Samar and Leyte.

42. The Buntun bridge in Tuguegarao.

43. The Sierra Madre, in Luzon.

44. 3,400

45. UST

46. Rafflesia.

47. Palawan.

48. Philippine General Hospital, Manila


49. Sierra Madre National Park, Luzon

50. Laguna de Bay, Luzon.

51. Whale shark.

52. The Giant Flying Fox

53. The Asian Saltwater Crocodile.

54. Aliwagwag Falls, in Davao Oriental

55. Calle Colon, in Cebu

56. Jones Bridge, in Manila.

57. University of San Carlos, Cebu.

58. Ayala Corporation.

59. Banco Espanol Filipinas

60. Insular Life.

61. Martin Lakandula, ordained 1590.

62. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi

63. Domingo Salazar

64. William Howard Taft.

65. 1900

66. 1907. A Ford dealer.


67. ABS, in 1953

68. Geronima Pecson

69. Dwight D. Eisenhower

70. The Monkey-eating Eagle.

71. 500

72. Over 9,000

73. Over 200

74. Calamba, Laguna

75. Third, behind Canada and Indonesia.

76. Taal

77. St. Pauls, in Palawan

78. 56%

79. Apayao.

80. Sulu

81. Quezon City

82. The Carabao mango from Guimaras.

83. Rizal High School, Pasig (20,000 students)

84. Third, behind Costa Rica and Ecuador.


85. 4 (He was on a goodwill tour with the Yankees)

86. 1975, Araneta Colisseum.

87. Pablo Cuneta (Sharons father) was mayor of Pasay for over 50 years.

88. 6 (Sergio Osmena, Elpidio Quirino, Carlos Garcia, Diosdado Macapagal,


Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo)

89. Ferdinand Marcos

90. 2,000

91. Gambling

92. Electricity generating

93. Yes. Anino won in 2000, beating out 715 entrants.

94. MV Dona Paz, in 1987. Nearly 4,400 people died.

95. A 7.7 quake occured in Luzon in 1990.

96. 11

97. Apo reef (2nd largest in the world)

98. 22 million

99. 20 million

100. 4 (the San Agustn Church in Manila, the Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte,
the Nuestra Seora de la Asuncin (Santa Mara) Church in Ilocos Sur, and
the Santo Toms de Villanueva Church in Iloilo.)
http://liveinthephilippines.com/content/trivial-pursuit-100-facts-about-the-
philippines/

Philippine Trivia
Interesting Facts You Should Know
1. Doctrina Christiana is the first book published in the Philippines,
was published in 1593, by the Dominican press. Because of the
monopoly of printing presses by religious orders prior to the 19th
century, early written literature was predominantly religious in
content and in purpose.

2. The first women's magazine in the Philippines was El Hogar


(The Home), which first came out in 1893.

3. The first Filipino immigrants to the United States (1850) settled


in Louisiana.

4. Emilio Aguinaldo lost to Manuel L. Quezon in the country's first


presidential elections in 1935.

5. The largest crocodile ever captured in the Philippines (1823)


was found in Laguna de Bay.

6. Fort San Pedro was the nucleus of the first Spanish settlement
in the Philippines.

7. Farmers' Market Foodome is the largest restaurant in the


Philippines (in Quezon City).

8. Cesar Virata is the first and last Prime Minister of the Philippines
after WW II.

9. The Cagayan River, the Philippines longest river, originates in


Nueva Vizcaya.

10. Aimee Carandang is the first Filipina to become a commercial


plane pilot.
11. The oldest Philippine university for women is Centro Escolar
University.

12. Jose P. Laurel has the most children (7) among the Philippine
presidents.

13. Eva Estrada Kalaw is the first Filipina to be elected senator


twice, in 1965 and in 1971.

14. The first modern building in the Philippines is considered to be


the Crystal Arcade in Escolta, completed in 1932.

15. Aurora is the only Philippine province named after a first lady.

16. The biggest game preserve and wildlife sanctuary in the


Philippines is located on Calauit Island in Palawan.

17. The most translated Philippine poem is Mi Ultimo Adios.

18. The Philippine mammal with the biggest eyes in relation to its
body is the tarsier.

19. Bagumbayan was the original name of Luneta Park.

20. Iniibig and gawa are the first and last words of Panatang
Makabayan.

21. The Presidential Saber is awarded to the top graduate of the


Philippine Military Academy.

22. The original Philippine flag, sewn in Hong Kong in 1898, was
made of silk.

23. Gen. Tomas Karingal was the first assassinated victim of the
NPA's Alex Boncayao Brigade.

24. Frank Murphy was the last American governor-general of the


Philippines.

25. After the United States, the Philippines have the most Boys
Scouts.

26. After Happy Birthday, the song most sung in the Philippines is
Lupang Hinirang, the national anthem.

27. Hajji Butu was the first Muslim Filipino to become a senator.
28. The most popular and durable of all Philippine almanacs is
called Kalendariong Tagalog ni Honorio Lopez.

29. Rainier Lagman was the first Filipino to have a heart


transplant.

30. Gemma Cruz was the first Filipina to win an international


beauty title - Miss International 1964.

31. P5 million was the highest prize offered for the capture of
then-rebel-now-turned-senator Gringo Honasan.

32. Palawan has the largest land area among the Philippine
provinces.

33. Negros Occidental has the most cities among Philippine


provinces.

34. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi was the first Spanish governor-


general of the Philippines.

35. Evangeline de Castro of Baguio was the first Filipina to win the
Miss Philippines title.

36. Cebu is the oldest Philippine city.

37. The word Filipinas first appeared in coins.

38. Archipelago de San Lazarus was the name Ferdinand Magellan


first gave to the islands he "discovered."

39. Alphabetically, the first province of the Philippines which comes


first is Abra in the Ilocos region.

40. The largest Philippine wild animal is the tamaraw (a species of


buffalo, similar to the carabao). It is found only in the island of
Mindoro.

41. Rio Grande de Mindanao is the longest river in Mindanao.

42. The first line of Jose Rizal's Mi Ultimo Adios is Adios patria
adorada.

43. Luzon is the biggest island (141,395 sq km) among the


Philippine Archipelago which consists of 7,107 (most figures)
islands and islets stretching some 1,850 kilometers from north to
south and 1,107 kilometers from west to east at its widest point.
44. Mt. Apo in Mindanao, a dormant volcano, is the highest
mountain in the Philippines at 2,954 meters (9,689 feet). Mt. Pulog
in Luzon is second at 2,928 meters (9,604 feet).

45. Cagayan River in Luzon is the longest river, snaking for 353
kilometers (221 miles) across the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya,
Isabela and Cagayan before finally flowing into the South China
Sea in Aparri in Cagayan.

46. The first recorded intermarriage of a Filipino to a white


foreigner was the wedding of Rajah Tupas' widowed niece to a
Greek ship caulker who had sailed to the Philippines with Miguel
Lopez de Legazpi (ca 1565).

47. According to the 1990 census, Metro Manila has a population


density of 12,315 persons per square kilometer (32,000/ sq.mi.),
the highest in the country.

48. The longest underground river system accessible to man IN


THE WORLD is located at the St. Paul National Park in Palawan.

49. The hottest day in the Philippines was recorded on April 29,
1912 when the temperature reached 108.32 degrees Fahrenheit
(42.4 degrees Celsius) in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. The coldest day
was recorded in Baguio city back in January 7, 1903 when the
thermometer dipped way down to 37.4 degrees Fahrenheit (3
degrees Celsius).

50. The safest province geologically is Palawan. It is farthest


province from volcanoes and earthquake faults.

51. Marissa Delgado - The first Filipina who appeared in Playboy


(sometime in 1965). She wasn't a centerfold but she did expose ...
her back! The first Filipina who appeared as a centerfold is the
beautiful Lourdes Estores of Hawaii.

52. The Tagalog term for dye is jobus or jobos which came from
the name Joe Bush. Joe Bush was an American who set up a
cleaning and dyeing shop in Manila back in the 1940s. His products
were powdered dyes with the trade name Joe Bush.

53. Galunggong (mackerel) has the distinction to be the most


widely caught fish in Philippine waters.

54. 8 - ocho, walo, eight - is the size of Imelda's shoes.


55. Ma Mon Luk - credited to be the inventor of mami. He was a
Cantonese immigrant who probably named the dish after his
surname and the Chinese word for noodles which is mi.

56. The first ice cream parlor in the Philippines was called Clarke's
Cafe located at Plaza Moraga in Binondo. It opened sometime in
1899.

57. Kristo the Tagalog name of bookmakers at cockfights. He's


called that because he poses like Jesus when he calls for bets and
shouts the odds (arms extended like the Lord himself).

58. The first Greek fraternity in the Philippines is the University of


the Philippines' Upsilon Sigma Phi (established in 1918). It does
not have any branches outside the UP system. Among its alumni
are the preserved ex-President Ferdinand E. Marcos and his arch-
nemesis, the late Senator Benigno 'Ninoy Forever' Aquino. The first
sorority with a Greek name is Sigma Delta Phi, also at UP and
sister sorority of Upsilon Sigma Phi, established in 1938. (Partly
contributed by Butch Bandong.)

59. Davao City is the largest city in the Philippines with an area of
2,211 sq. km., about three times the size of Metro-Manila.

60. Manila Hotel is the first building to be air-conditioned.

61. Philippine Airlines' first flight was from Manila to Baguio on


March 15, 1941. The plane was a twin-engine Beech Model 18
carrying five passengers. There was no attendant or lavatory. It
reached Baguio in 45 minutes.

62. The largest employer in the Philippines other than the


government is San Miguel Corporation which has over 39,000 full-
time employees.

63. Luneta Hotel, corner T.M. Kalaw and Roxas Blvd is said to be
the oldest multi-storyed building in the Philippines

http://www.angelfire.com/80s/b81archive/Jett/Jett01.html
Here are the 50 most interesting facts about the Philippines (THE LARGEST, SMALLEST, BIGGEST,
HEAVIEST and many others

1.) The worlds longest snake and longest reptile which can be found in the Philippines and nearby areas is
the Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus). Adults grow to a maximum of over 28 feet or 8.7 meters in
length.

Image Source
2.) The extremely venomous Faint-banded Sea Snake is the most toxic snake in the world. It can be found in
the waters of Visayas and Panay areas in the Philippines, New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands, Gulf of
Thailand and Timor Sea.

See Image HERE


3.) The Philippine Mouse Deer (Tragalus nigricans) of Balabac Island in Palawan is the worlds smallest
hoofed animal. It is locally known as Pilandok and stands only about 40 centimeters at the shoulder level.

Image Source
4.) A shell called Glory of the Sea (Connus gloriamaris) that is found in the Philippines is considered as one
of the most expensive shells in the world.

Image Source
5.) The largest eagle in the world is the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi). It is formerly known as
Monkey-eating Eagle.
Image Source
6.) The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) is considered as the worlds smallest primate. It measures only
about twelve centimeters in length. Its two big eyes cannot move and do not have a tapetum the upper
protective tissue.

Image Source
7.) The Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), which can be found in the Philippines and nearby
countries, is considered as the worlds largest reptile.

Image Source
8.) The Dwarf Goby (Pandaka pygmaea) is the worlds second smallest freshwater fish. It measures 1.2
centimeters or less than half of an inch, the 2nd tiniest known vertebrate.
Image Source
9.) The Philippines has the most numerous species of birds and butterflies in the world.

Image Source
10.) Fish species found in Philippine waters is the most diverse in the world.

Image Source
11.) The worlds smallest commercial fish is Sinarapan (Mistichthys luzonensis). It can only be found in
Lakes Bato and Buhi in Camarines Sur. It grows to an average length of 1.25 centimeters, only slightly longer
than the Dwarf Goby.
12.) The largest bat in the world is the Giant Golden-crowned Flying-fox (Acerodon jubatus). It is a rare and
endangered fruit bat that can be found only in the Philippines. It has a wing span of at least 1.5 m (5 ft) and
weighs approximately 1.2 kg (3 lbs) and is also known as the Golden-capped Fruit Bat.
Image Source
13.) The worlds tiniest shell and can be found under Philippine waters is the Pisidum. It measures less than
1 millimeter long.

Image Source
14.) The Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas) found off the shores of the Philippines is the largest living bivalve
mollusk and can weigh more than 200 kilograms (440 pounds), measure as much as 1.2 meters (4 feet)
across and have an average lifespan in the wild of 100 years or more.
Image Source
15.) An endangered flower, locally named as Uruy, (Rafflesia sp.) has no stem and leaves is one of the
largest flowers in the world. It measures about 22 inches in diameter. It can be found in Sibalom National
Park in Antique province and other places in Southeast Asia.

Image Source
16.) The Philippines is the worlds number one producer of coconut. Likewise, the Philippines is one of the
largest exporter of tropical fruits.

Image Source
17.) The sweetest mango can be found in the Philippines.

Image Source
18.) The largest Pineapple was harvested in one of the largest plantation in southern Philippines.

Image Source
19.) The Philippines is the only Christian nation in Asia.

Image Source
20.) The third largest English-speaking country in the world is the Philippines.

21.) Mount Pinatubos eruption in the Philippines on June 15, 1991 created one of the worlds largest
mushroom clouds. The effects of the eruption were felt worldwide. It ejected roughly 10 billion metric tons of
magma, and 20 million tons of SO2, bringing vast quantities of minerals and metals to the surface
environment. It injected large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere -more than any eruption since that
of Krakatoa in 1883.
Image Source
22.) The largest province in the Philippines is Palawan followed by Isabela. Palawan is considered as the
largest province in the country. It has a total land area of 14,896.3 square kilometers distributed in 1,769
islands. The next largest province is Isabela, with a land area of 10,664 square kilometers.

Image Source
23.) The smallest province is Batanes, the northernmost part of the Philippine archipelago with only a total
land area of 209 square kilometers.

Image Source
24.) The town of Kalayaan, a group of small islands in South China Sea west of Palawan province, had the
smallest population among municipalities at 223.
Image Source
25.) The worlds longest navigable underground river is Puerto Princesa Subterranean River found in
Palawan. It features a limestone karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A
distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China
Sea.

Image Source
26.) At 115, 739 sq. mi, the Philippines is larger than Laos and Cambodia but slightly smaller than Japan and
Spain.
27.) The largest falls in the Philippines is Maria Cristina Falls in Lanao Del Norte located in the southern part
of the country.

Image Source
28.) The largest lake in the Philippines which measures 900 sq km is Laguna de Bay. It is located between the
provinces of Rizal and Laguna.
Image Source
29.) Three of the worlds most famous and finest beaches in the world located in the Philippines include
Boracay, Dakak and Siargao.

Image Source
30.) Taal Volcano, located in Taal Lake, is a volcano in a volcano. It is considered by many as the worlds
most active volcano.

Image Source
31.) Three of the worlds top ten largest malls are located in the Philippines; SM City North EDSA in Quezon
City with an area of 460,000 m (4.74 million sq ft), SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City with an area of 410,000 m
(4.67 million sq ft) and SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City with an area of 348,000 m (3.75 million sq ft). SM
City North Edsa is the worlds 2nd largest mall.
Image Source
32.) The Largest pearl ever found is named Pearl of Allah or Pearl of Lao-Tzu. This was found by Filipino
diver in a giant Tridacna in the Palawan Sea in 1934. The Pearl weighs 40 pounds and worth approximately $
40 USA.

Image Source
33.) The Harvest by miniaturist Norris Castillo created what is perhaps the smallest piece of painting in the
country. This oil-on-canvas painting measures 1/4 inches in width and 3/8 inches in length. It is now
exhibited at the National Museum.
Image Source
34.) The northernmost island of the Philippines is Yami (Mavudis) Island, which is 190 km away from Taiwan.
35.) Its southernmost island is Saluag Island, which is 43.3 kilometers east of Borneo.
The westernmost part of the Philippines is Palawan and the easternmost is Davao Oriental.

36.) The Philippines and Taiwan is separated by the Bashi Channel in the north and separated with Borneo
by the Celebes Sea in the south.
37.) The Philippines has the worlds longest discontinuous coastline (34,600 km.).
38.) The Philippines has 7,107 islands but only approximately 1,000 of its islands are populated.
39.) Cagayan River or Magat River is the longest river in the Philippines.

Image Source
40.) Mt Apo in Mindanao at 2,954 meters or 9,691 ft is the highest point in the Philippines.
Image Source
41.) On the opposite, the lowest point in the Philippines is the Philippine Trench. Its deepest point, the
Galathea Depth, has a depth of 10,540 meters (5,763 fathoms or 34,580 feet).

Image Source
42.) Davao City, with an area of 2,212 sq km, in southern Philippines is regarded as one of the worlds largest
cities. Most of these areas, however, are distributed as forests, coconut groves and rice fields. In
comparison, New York, the largest city in the United States, has an area of only 787 square kilometers while
the whole of Metro Manila covers only 636 square kilometers.

Image Source
43.) The worlds largest pair of shoes, each measuring 5.5 meters long, 2.25 meters wide and 1.83 meters
high can be found in Marikina City. The heel alone measures 41 centimeters or 16 inches. The P2-million
shoes can reportedly fit to a 37.5-meter or 125-foot giant. Around 30 people could put their feet into the
colossal shoes simultaneously.
44.) San Fernando City in Pampanga province created in 2002 the worlds largest Christmas lantern a P5-
million structure with 26.8 meters in diameter.
Image Source
45.) The worlds largest Catholic university located in one campus in terms of student population is the
University of Santo Tomas (UST) in Manila. It is an academic institution founded by the Dominicans. It is 25
years older than the oldest university n the US the Harvard University.

Image Source
46.) The bamboo organ at St. Joseph Church in Las Pinas City is arguably the worlds largest bamboo organ.
The centuries-old musical instrument was constructed between 1792 and 1819. It has 174 bamboo pipes, 122
horizontal reeds of soft metal, a five-octave keyboard, and 22 stops arranged in vertical rows.
Image Source
47.) The worlds largest high school in terms of student population is Rizal High School in Caniogan, Pasig
City. The school has more than 20,000 students. Graduation rites are conducted 5 times and that means the
class valedictorian has to deliver his/her valedictory address 5 times also.

Image Source
48.) The Philippines oldest city is Cebu City the queen city of the south.

Image Source
49.) The residents of Baguio City took pride in having tossed what was believed to be the worlds largest
salad a three-ton mix of assorted vegetables.
50.) The longest bridge in the Philippines is San Juanico Bridge located in San Juanico Strait. This bridge
connects the islands of Samar and Leyte in the Visayas.

https://trebonasomreb.wordpress.com/2010/06/07/philippine-extremes-50-interesting-facts-about-
the-philippines/
Philippine Facts And Trivia
Small land area but longer coastline

The Philippine land area is just about 1/30 of the United States, but the
Philippines has a total of 36,289 kilometers of coastline while the US has only
19,924 kilometers of coastline.

The Oldest City

Cebu City is the oldest city in the country.

Worlds most expensive seashell

Conus Gloriamaris (glory of the sea) is the worlds rarest and priceless
seashell among the 12,000 seashell species found in the Philippines. And,
among the 500 coral species worldwide, 488 are found in the Philippine seas.

Born genius or hard worker?

The Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, is known to have started reading
and writing at the age of 2; and he could speak 20 languages including French,
Greek, Chinese, Latin, German, Cebuano, Tagalog, etc.

The real karaoke inventor

A Japanese person did not invent the karaoke but a Filipino Roberto del
Rosario. He first called his invention Sing-Along-System but the Japanese
popularized it and called the karaoke meaning to sing without accompaniment.

Upside-down flag

The Philippine flag is the only symbol on earth that will be hang or displayed
upside-down when the country is at war (during ordinary or peace time the blue
part is on top of the red one but upside down during war).
Texting capital of the world

Among the more than 35 million cell phone subscribers in the Philippines in
2006, there are about 350 to 400 million sms (short message service) was being
sent daily. This is more than the total daily text messages that the US and
Europe sent.

Longest underground river system

Saint Paul National Park of Palawan Province in the Philippines has the longest
underground river system in the world that is accessible and navigable to
humans.

Philippines biggest wild animal

The tamaraw is a species of the buffalo family that is similar to the Philippine
carabao. It is considered the largest Philippine wild animal, and they are only
found in Mindoro Province.

The highest peak

Mount Apo is a dormant volcano of Mindanao (Davao), at 2,954 meters high


followed by Mount Pulog in Luzon at 2,928 meters high. Mount Apo is now
becoming a popular tourist destination especially among mountain hikers and
campers.

The Philippines biggest city

Davao City in Mindanao Island is the biggest city in the country with an area of
2,211 square kilometer. Metro Manila is about three times the size of Davao City.
It is famous for durians (that stinky but delicious king of the fruits) and bananas,
among other products and resources.

Province that has the most cities

Negros Occidental in the Visayas Islands (where Cebu is) has the most cities
among the provinces in the Philippines. Negros is the popular producer of sugar
products and tourism destinations.
Worlds longest religious holiday

The longest religious celebration is the Christmas season in the Philippines. It


starts on September 1st (you can hear Christmas songs, children caroling door-
to-door, and see Christmas stars and decors everywhere, etc.). This season
ends on the first week of January, that is, the feast of the Three Kings.

Boondocks is a Tagalog term

The English term boondocks is a word from Tagalog word bundok meaning
mountain.

Diving Paradise

Anilao in Batangas Province is considered a diving paradise since it bagged the


International Prize for Underwater Images during the 27th World Festival of
Underwater Images held on November 2000 in France. The other best diving
sites are in Cebu and Palawan provinces, among others...
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The exotic jeepney is a post-war creation inspired by the GI jeeps that the American soldiers
brought to the country in the 1940s. Enterprising Filipinos salvaged the surplus engines and
came out unique vehicles of art.

Short distance and feeder trips could not be more exciting than via Philippine quick transports
the tricycle, a motorcycle with a sidecar, and the pedicab, a bicycle with a sidecar.

The worlds longest underground river system accessible to man can be found at the St. Paul
National Park in the province of Palawan.

The largest Philippine wild animal, the tamaraw, is a species of the buffalo that is similar to
the carabao. It is found only in the island of Mindoro.

The highest mountain in the Philippines is Mt. Apo, a dormant volcano found in Mindanao, at
2,954 meters (9,689 feet). Mt. Pulog in Luzon is the second highest at 2,928 meters (9604 feet).

Filipino bowler Rafael "Paeng" Nepomuceno was the first bowler to be elevated to the
International Bowling Hall of Fame based in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The Philippine Congress
has named him Greatest Filipino Athlete of All Time.

Philippine National Hero and writer Jose Rizal could read and write at age 2. He grew up to
speak more than 20 languages, including Latin, Greek, German, French, and Chinese. What were
his last words? "Consummatum est!" ("It is done!")

The largest city in the Philippines is Davao City. With an area of 2,211 sq. km., it is about
three times the size of the national capital, Metro Manila.

Cebu is the oldest Philippine city.

Negros Occidental has the most cities among Philippine provinces.

Filipinos celebrate the worlds longest religious holiday. The Christmas season begins on
September 1st, as chillier winds and Christmas carols start filling the air, and ends on the first
week of January, during the Feast of the Three Kings.

Paskuhan Village in the province of Pampanga is Asias only Christmas theme park and the
third of its kind in the world.
The great Christmans lanterns of San Fernando, Pampanga can reach as big as 40 feet in
diameter, using as many as 16,000 glowing bulbs.

The exotic jeepney is the Filipino version of the jitney, the taxi/minibus that travels along a
fixed route, found in many countries.

The popular toy, the yoyo, was invented by 16th century hunters in the Philippines.

The word "boondocks," which is now a part of the English language, dictionary, and
vocabulary, comes from the Tagalog word "bundok," meaning "mountain."

The Philippines became the first Asian country to win FIVE major international beauty
pageant crowns two for Miss Universe, in 1969 and 1973, and three for Miss International, in
1965, 1970, and 1979.

Diving paradise Anilao, in the province of Batangas, is the theme of a picture book that
bagged the International Prize for Underwater Images at the 27th World Festival of Underwater
Images in France in November 2000. Anilao" book creators and Filipino scuba divers Scott
Tuason and Eduardo Cu Unjieng defeated big names in underwater photography such as Jacques
Mayol, Pascal Kobeh, Monique Walker, and Alessandro Tommasi.

The biggest game preserve and wildlife sanctuary in the Philippines is located on Calauit
Island in Palawan, which has the largest land area among the Philippine provinces.

The antibiotic erythromycin used to treat a wide variety of bacterial infections, such as
respiratory tract infections, middle ear infections, and skin infections was created by Filipino
scientist Abelardo Aguilar, and has earned American drug giant Eli Lilly billions of dollars.
Neither Aguilar nor the Philippine government received royalties.

Fernando Amorsolo was officially the first National Artist of the Philippines. He was given the
distinction of National Artist for Painting in 1972.
Philippines Herald war journalist Carlos P. Romulo was the first Asian to win a Pulitzer Prize
in Journalism in 1942. He was also aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur in World War
II; Philippine resident commissioner in the U.S. Congress from 1944-46; and the first Asian to
become UN President in 1949.

The largest fish in the world, the Whale Shark, locally known as Butanding, regularly swims
to the Philippine waters.

The worlds shortest and lightest freshwater fish is the dwarf pygmy goby (Pandaka
Pygmaea), a colorless and nearly transparent species found in the streams and lakes of Luzon.
Males have an average length of 8.7 mm. and weigh 4-5 mg.

On January 18, 1995, Pope John Paul II offered mass to an estimated 4 to 5 million people at
Luneta Park, Manila, Philippines, making it to the Guiness Book of World Records for the
Biggest Papal Crowd.

The Philippine Madrigal Singers bagged the 1997 European Choral Grand Prix, the choral
olympics of the worlds best choirs. The group, being the only Asian choir, bested five regional
champions from all over Europe, earning them the title as the "worlds best choir."

There are 12,000 or so species of seashells in the Philippines. The Conus Gloriamaris or
"Glory of the Sea" is the rarest and most expensive in the world.

Of the 500 known coral species in the world, 488 are found in the Philippines.

Of the eight species of marine turtles worldwide, five are reported to be found in the
Philippines: the Green Turtle, Hawkbill, Leatherback, Olive Ridley, and Loggerhead.

Of the eight known species of giant clams in the world, seven are found in the Philippines.

The Basilica of San Sebastian is the only steel church in Asia and was the second building to
be made out of steel, next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The largest bell in Asia hangs at the belfry of the 221-year old Panay Church. It is 7 feet in
diameter and 7 feet in height, and weighs 10.4 tons. Its tolling can be heard as far as 8 km. away.
It was casted from 70 sacks of coins donated by the townspeople as a manifestation of faith and
thanksgiving.
The World Cup, which was instituted in 1965, is contested annually by the national champions
of the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ). The highest number of wins is 4, by
Filipino bowler Rafael Paeng Nepomuceno: 1976, 1980, 1992, and 1996.

Filipino Eriberto N. Gonzales Jr. consumed 350 chilis in 3 minutes at the annual Magayon
Festival chili-eating contest held at Penaranda Park, Legazpi, Albay on May 27, 1999, making it
to the Guiness Book of World Records for the most chilis eaten.

The longest possible eclipse of the Sun is 7 min. 31 sec. The longest eclipse in recent times
took place west of the Philippines on June 20, 1995, lasting for 7 min. 8 sec.

Camiguin province holds the distinction of having the most number of volcanoes per square
kilometer than any other island on earth. It is also the only place in the Philippines which has
more volcanoes (7) than towns (5).

The 900 sq m Relief Map of Mindanao in Dapitan City was personally done by Dr. Jose Rizal.
It was used as a device for teaching history and geography to townsfolk.

The Zamboanga Golf Course and Beach Park was founded in 1910 by Gov. John Pershing. It
is one of the oldest golf courses in the Philippines.

Isabela City is the youngest city in the region. It was only on March 5, 2001 that the
Municipality of Isabela, Province of Basilan was converted into a component city Through RA
9023. On April 25, 2001, Isabeleos ratified the new status of Isabela.

The Kinabayo is an exotic and colorful pageant re-enacting the Spanish-Moorish Wars,
particularly the Battle of Covadonga where the Spanish forces under General Pelagio took their
last stand against the Saracens. They were able to reverse the tide of war with the miraculous
apparition of St. James, the Apostle. A Kinabayo Festival is celebrated every July in Dapitan
City, attracting thousands of tourists to the city.

The altar at the Holy Rosary Cathedral in Dipolog City was designed by Dr. Jose Rizal. The
Cathedral was erected by the Spanish friars sometime in 1895, before Dipolog City became a
municipality.
The Rizal Shrine in Dapitan City is the original estate of Dr. Jose Rizal which he acquired by
purchase during his exile in Dapitan from 1892 to 1896.

RA 8973 signed by then President Joseph E. Estrada in February 2001 created the province of
Zamboanga Sibugay. A total of sixteen municipalities compose this newest province in the
Zamboanga Peninsula.

Magat Dam is Asias biggest dam project at the time of its construction. It serves the primary
function of power generation and irrigation.

The Cagayan River or Rio Grande de Cagayan is the Philippines mightiest watercourse the
longest and widest river in the country. Small streams originating form Balete Pass, Cordillera,
Caraballo and Sierra Madre Mountains meet other streams and rivers and flow to the Cagayan
River.

Magapit Suspension Bridge is the first of its kind in Asia. It spans the Cagayan River at Lallo
and is 0.76 kilometers long. The hanging bridge links the first and second districts of Cagayan
going towards the Ilocos Region via the scenic Patapat Road on the Ilocos Norte-Cagayan Inter-
Provincial national highway.

Angono Petroglyphs This cultural heritage site dates back to circa 3000 B.C. and is the most
ancient Filipino, or more aptly, prehistoric Filipino work of art. Besides being the countrys
oldest work of art it also offers us an evocative glimpse into the life of our ancestors. The site
has been included in the World Inventory of Rock Art under the auspices of UNESCO,
ICCROM and ICOMOS and nominated as one of the 100 Most Endangered Sites of the World.

PANCIT HABHAB (Lucban)-Made from rice flour, these local noodles acquired its name and
developed its unique attraction by the way it is eaten. Otherwise known as Pancit Lucban, these
noodles are hawked in the streets and served on a piece of banana leaf, sans fork or any other
utensils. Thus, it is eaten straight from the leaf, licking permitted... "habhab"-style.

Tagala - the Philippines first Filipino-Spanish dictionary which was printed in 1613, 25 years
older than the first book printed in the United States.
Mayon is the most beautiful mountain I have ever seen, the world-renowned Fujiyama (Mt.
Fuji) of Japan sinking into perfect insignificance by comparison. British traveler-writer A. Henry
Savage Landor

Ilo-Ilo golf and country club is the oldest golf club in the Philippines. It was built at 1908 by
Irish Engineers.

Limasawa Island where Ferdinand Magellan first landed in the Philippines which give way
to the discovery of the Philippines and where the first mass was celebrated.

San Juanico Strait - said to be the narrowest yet the most navigable strait in the world

Calbiga Cave The Philippines biggest karst formations and one of the largest in Asia, the
2,968-hectare cave system is composed of 12 caves with wide underground spaces, unique rock
formations and sub-terranean watercourse.

At the Immaculate Conception Cathedral can be found the only existing pipe organ in
Mindanao. The 2nd largest pipe organ in the Phiippines. The huge instrument took 2 years to
built and was brought over by sea from Germany in 23 crates.

Cagayan de Oro City - The City of Golden Friendship, known for its warm people and old-
fashioned hospitality

Mt. Apo, the Philippines highest mountain at 10,311 feet above sea level, and considered as
the Grand-father of all Philippine Mountains

Lake Lanao is the second largest lake in the Philippines, probably the deepest in the country
and is considered one of the major tropical lakes in Southeastern Asia. The lake is home of
endemic cryprinids, the species found only in the lake and nowhere else in the world.

Halo-Halo! Halo-halo literally means, "mix-mix". And its is just that: a mixture of sweetened
fruits and beans, lavished with pinipig (crisp flattened rice flakes), sugar and milk, topped by
crushed ice and ice cream. You know its summertime when halo-halo stand start sprouting by the
roadside and by the beach, all whipping up their heavenly concoctions of such a refreshingly
divine dessert. You can make your own by selecting and mixing your ingredients to make a
perfect Halo-Halo. Halo-Halo is uniquely, unforgettably Filipino!
KALESA - The kalesa or karitela is a horse-driven carriage that was introduced during the
18th century. It was used by Spanish officials and the nobles as a means of transportation. The
Ilustrados, the rich Filipinos who had their own businesses, used the kalesa not only for traveling
but as a means a means of transporting their goods as well.

BAKYA-Made primarily of lightwood (laniti and santol trees), it is sculpted with a slope and
shaved to a smooth finish, then painted with floral designs or varnished to a high sheen. The
upper portions, which are made of rubber or transparent plastic, are fastened to the sides by
thumb nails called "clavitos". The bakya industry prospered during the 1930s when the Filipinos
began exporting these to the other countries.

SORBETES-This sweet treat was concocted in the early 1920's, a time where a single centavo
could buy you almost anything. The process of this ice cream making and selling it in carts with
colorful designs is still the same. Back in the old days, these ice cream dealers bred their own
cows and milked them with their own hands to ensure the freshness and sanitation of the milk
needed to make the "dirty ice cream".

Waling Waling Orchids - With some 800 to 1,000 species of orchids, the Philippines has one
of the richest orchid floras in the world. Philippine orchids come in an amazing array of shapes,
sizes and colors. Most grow only in old-growth forest, often on branches of huge trees dozens of
meters above the forest floor.

Maria Teresa Calderon A Filipina World champion speed reader as listed in the Guinness
Book of World Records

In the Philippines, Filipinos were introduced to the English language in 1762 by British
invaders, not Americans. Philippines is the world's 3rd largest English-speaking nation, next to
the USA and the UK.

The Philippine Basketball Association is Asia's premier and the world's second oldest
professional league.

Philippine Airlines took to the skies on March 15, 1941, using a Beech Model 18 aircraft amid
the specter of a global war. It became Asia's first airline.
The world's largest pearl was discovered by a Filipino diver in a giant Tridacna (mollusk)
under the Palawan Sea in 1934. Known as the "Pearl of Lao-Tzu", the gem weighs 14 pounds
and measures 9 1/2 inches long and 5 1/2 inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at
US$42 million. It is believed to be 600 years old.

Alto Broadcasting System (ABS) Channel 3, the first television station in the country, went on
the air in 1953.

The world's second deepest spot underwater is in the Philippines. This spot, about 34,440 feet
(10,497 meters) below the sea level, is known as the Philippine Deep or the Mindanao Trench.
The Philippine Deep is in the floor of the Philippine Sea. The German ship Emden first plumbed
the trench in 1927.

The symbolic name for the Philippines, Juan dela Cruz, is not a Filipino invention? It was
coined by R. McCulloch-Dick, a Scottish-born journalist working for the Manila Times in the
early 1900s, after discovering it was the most common name in blotters.

Lipa City in Batangas is dubbed as the Rome of the Philippines because of the number of
seminaries, convents, monasteries, retreat houses, and a famous cathedral located in it.

Compostela Valley is known to be laden with gold, thus earning the monicker Golden Valley
of Mindanao

Basilica of St. Martin de Tours in Taal, Batangas built by Augustinian Missionaries in 1572, is
reputed to be the biggest catholic church in East Asia. It is so huge that it can house another big
church

Kibungan is known as the Switzerland of Bengued because of the frost during the cold
months

The Delmonte Pineapple Plantation in Bukidnon is considered to be the biggest in the far east

Both Tridacna gigas, one of the world's largest shells, and Pisidum, the world's tiniest shell,
can be found under Philippine waters. Tridacna gigas grows as large as one meter in length and
weighs 600 pounds while Pisidum is less than 1 millimeter long. A shell called glory of the sea
(Connus gloriamaris) is also found in the Philippines and considered as one of the most
expensive shells in the world.

Seahorses are small saltwater fish belonging to the Syngnathidae family (order
Gasterosteiformes), which also includes pipefish and sea dragons. Most seahorse species,
probably the most peculiar creatures in the water, live in the Coral Triangle. There are at least 50
known seahorse species in the world. They inhabit temperate and tropical waters but most of
them are concentrated in the warm coastal waters of the Philippines.

Donsol, a fishing town in Sorsogon province, serves as a sanctuary to a group of 40 whale


sharks (Rhincodon typus), which are considered as the largest fish in the world. Locally known
as "butanding", whale sharks visit the waters of Donsol from November to May. They travel
across the oceans but nowhere else have they been sighted in a larger group than in the waters of
Sorsogon. They measure between 18 to 35 feet in length and weigh about 20 tons.

The Philippines is home to some of the world's most exotic birds.


One of the most endangered species is the exotic Kalangay or the Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua
haematuropygia), which belongs to Psittacidae or the family of parrots. Some cockatoos can live
up to 50 years. They are known for mimicking human voices. Most of them measure 33
centimeters in length and weigh 0.29 kilogram.

Palawan bearcat is neither a bear nor a cat. Known in Southeast Asia as binturong, the bearcat
is a species of its own, with population in the forests of Palawan, Borneo, Burma and Vietnam. It
belongs to the family of Viverridae (civets). The Palawan bearcat has a long body and a pointed
face leading to the nose. Its head and body measure 61 to 96 centimeters in combined length
while its tail is almost as long. It weighs 9 to 14 kilograms and lives up to 20 years.

Calamian Deer - Calamian Islands, north of Palawan province, keep a species of deer that
cannot be found elsewhere. Scientists referred to the hog deer in the islands as Calamian deer in
order to distinguish them from other hog deer in the world. An ordinary Calamian deer measures
105 to 115 centimeters in length and 60 to 65 centimeters high at the shoulder and weighs about
36 to 50 kilograms. It is said to have longer and darker legs, compared with other hog deer.

World's Smallest Hoofed Mammal - South of Palawan, lies the Balabac Island, home of the
world's smallest hoofed mammal - the Philippine mouse deer. Locally known as Pilandok
(Tragalus nigricans), this ruminant stands only about 40 centimeters at the shoulder level.
Flying Lemur - One of the most distinct creatures on Earth lives in the Philippines. It doesn't
have wings but it can glide across 100 meters of space in a single leap. Like the lemurs of Asia, it
moves around at night. Its head resembles that of a dog while its body has similarities with the
flying squirrel of Canada.
In Mindanao, people call it "kagwang". Around the world, it is known as colugo or the flying
lemur.

Did you know that the first four cities of Metropolitan Manila are: Manila, Quezon, Pasay and
Caloocan

The flagpole located in Rizal Park, is where the starts of 0 kilometer reading in measuring all
distances from Manila.

Quezon City is the second biggest city in the Philippines.

The Bonifacio Monument in Monumento, Caloocan City was designed by a noted Filipino
sculptor Guillermo Tolentino

In 1916, in the Philippines, an offensive style of passing the ball in a high trajectory to be
struck by another player (the set and spike) were introduced. The Filipinos developed the
"bomba" or kill, and called the hitter a "bomberino". (source: http://volleyball.org/history.html)
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/SitePages/Trivia.aspx

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