Traveling with pets can be a disadvantage as many travellers have found out in recent times. However, while traveling to the Philippines, pet-owners can stay carefree as there are some superb pet-friendly options available on the island. We take a look here at some such staying places on the island that encourage owners to travel with their pets and have a wonderful stay with them.
Every country has some unique trait that distinguishes it from others and that is no different in the case of the Philippines. Apart from the fact that the country was the first Southeast Asian nation to get independence after World War II, there are many other interesting facts about Philippines. We try to list here some of them for detailed information.
1. Coconuts everywhere
The country is the world’s largest producer of coconuts and in 2010; the country produced a whopping amount of 19.5 million tons of the fruit!
2. Biggest Shopping Mall
Out of the top ten biggest shopping malls worldwide, three are in the country itself – SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, and the SM Megamall. That tells why many tourists to the island nation like to shop in these malls and spend a lot of time over here.
3. They were ruled by Spanish
The Philippines remained under the Spanish rule for a substantial period of 377 years after Ferdinand Magellan arrived on its shores in 1521 and started colonization till it achieved freedom in 1898.
4. Beautiful Churches
Due to the Spanish influence on its culture, most people practice Christianity with at least about 90 percent of the population subscribing to some form of Christianity or the other. However, Roman Catholics can be said to be higher in number than any other sect.
5. Biggest Papal Crowd
There is a Guinness World Record for the Biggest Papal Crowd that happened on 18-June-1995 at Luneta Park in Manila. A Pope John Paul II mass was attended at the venue by around five million Filipinos on the occasion.
6. World’s Biggest Pearl
The world’s biggest pearl was discovered in the Palawan Sea in 1934 by a Filipino diver. It is assumed to be about 600-years old with an estimated value of more than USD 40 million. It is called the “Pearl of Allah” or the “Pearl of Lao Tzu” and weighs 14 pounds at 5.5 inches diameter and 9.5 inches in length.
7. They All Know English
It is the fifth largest English-speaking country in the world after the US, India, Pakistan and the UK. As per its 2000 census data, there are about 52 million English-speaking natives in the country.
8. Know More About Puerto Princesa River
Till a 10-kilometer underground river was discovered in Mexico, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan was the lengthiest subterranean waterway in the world at 8.2 kilometres in length.
9. A country of new animals
A lot of new animals are discovered in the country each year making it the country to have the highest rate of discovery for new animal species. In the last ten years alone, there have been 16 new discoveries of mammals that have taken place over here.
10. Do you remember about the largest lantern?
The world’s biggest Christmas lantern was lit in San Fernando, Pampanga on 24-Dec-2002. The lantern cost a whopping five million Philippine pesos and was 26.8 meters in diameter.
11. SMS and SMS
Small Messaging Service SMS was very popular within the country so that it earned the tag of “text capital of the world” from the mid-1990s to early 2000s. It is due to that the fact that in 2009 alone, about 1.39 billion text messages were circulated daily in the country.
12. Increasing population
In terms of population, it is one of the fastest growing countries in the world at a growth rate of around two percent per annum. At present, it has a population in excess of 100 million people that makes it the 12th most populated country in the world.
13. Know about the largest pair of shoes
In 2002, Marikina City produced the world’s largest pair of shoes ever made. The wingtips of the shoe measured 17.4 feet in length and were 7.9 feet wide with 6.6 feet in height. About two million Philippine pesos were invested in making them.
14. They were once Republic of the Philippines
The official name of the country is the Republic of the Philippines and is named after King Philip II of Spain. At first, the explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos named Felipenas to the Eastern Visayas and later on, the complete island was known by the name.
15. The country of Eagles
The Phillippine or the monkey-eating eagle is the national symbol of the country. The bird is critically endangered and there are only about 180-500 members alive at present. It was d the national bird of the country in 1995 and is the largest of all eagles available.
The bird has a wingspan of about seven feet and is about 3.3 feet in height. The law of the nation prohibits killing the animal in any form and such an act can attract up to 12-years in jail along with a very hefty fine.
We have seen here funny yet, interesting facts about Philippines and one can get more insights by delving deep into its rich history, tradition, and customs.
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