Philippines A Country in Asia.
PHILIPPINES
Officially the Republic of the Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia, situated in the western Pacific Ocean. Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, and the the Philippine Sea to the east and the Celebes Sea to the southwest.
Its neighboring countries are: Taiwan to the north with Japan to the northeast. It has Indonesia to the south and Malaysia to the southwest. Palau to the east while Vietnam to the West. China occupy the northwest.
Philippine consists of around 7,641 islands that are divided under three main island the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The island of Luzon is the center for the political and economic growth in the Philippines. The Luzon’s economy is centered in Metro Manila, the national capital region. Manila was ranked 11th most attractive City for American Shoppers. Shopping malls can be found in the business and financial districts of Makati, Ortigas and Bonifacio Global City.
Visayas Island located in the central part of the Philippines becomes a popular destinations because of Cebu, Boracay and Bohol, which is known for their white sand beaches and become and has been favorite island destinations for local and foreign visitors.
The Island of Mindanao, located in the southernmost part of the Philippines, is home to the country’s highest mountain, Mount Apo which has become a popular hiking destination for mountain climbers. The Climbers will take 2 days to reach the top of Mount Apo. The island of Mindanao also have the Siargao Island which known as “the surfing capital of the Philippines”. Siargao Island is in the province of Surigao del Norte, northeastern Mindanao
The Philippines is a land rich with natural resources, and scenic places.
GOVERNMENT
The Philippines is a republic with a presidential form of government wherein the power equally divided among its three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
The Executive branch is composed of the President and the Vice President who are elected by the Filipino to serve a 6 years term
The Legislative branch is composed of the Senators and the Congressman who are elected by the Filipino to serve a 6 years term. This branch is the one authorized to make laws/ alter and repel them through the power vested in the Philippine Congress.
The Judicial branch is composed of the Supreme Court and the Lower Court. The members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President. This branch is the one authorized to settle controversies involving rights that are legally demandable and enforceable.
LANGUAGE
The official languages in the Philippines are Filipino and English. Filipino is the national language which is based on Tagalog. English is also widely used as instruction in higher education. Also Philippines has eight (8) major languages spoken by majority.Its the Tagalog, Bicol, Ilocano ,Kapampangan, and Pangasinense mostly used in the Luzon Island, and the Cebuano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, , Waray, used in Visayas Island.
CLIMATE
The Philippines climate is usually hot and humid.
There are three seasons in the Philippines:
- Hot dry season from March to May;
- Rainy season from June to November;
- A cool dry season from December to February.
The southwest monsoon is from May to October and the northeast monsoon is from November to April. Temperatures usually range from 21 °C (70 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F). The coolest month is January and the warmest is May.
The first half of the year, from January to May, is the best time to visit the country. November to February is cool, while March to May is hot and dry
Philippines usually experience 15-20 typhoons per year and that usually happens in the months of July to December.
CURRENCY
The official currency in the Philippine is the Philippine Peso. 100 centavos or sentimos make up 1 peso.
Foreign currency may be exchanged at your hotel, and in most of the large department stores, banks and authorized money changing shops. Exchanging money anywhere else is illegal and the laws are strictly enforced.
Major credit cards including American Express, Visas, and MasterCard is accepted mostly in large stores, malls, hotels restaurants and resorts. Foreign currency can be exchanged in banks and authorized money changing shops, at your hotel, and in most of the large department stores
BUSINESS HOURS
Usual businesses are open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Monday to Friday and 8:00 AM to 12 Noon on Saturdays while Banks are open from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM from Mondays through Fridays. Public offices are open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on weekdays only. NOTE: The Standard lunch Time is from 12 noon to 1:00 PM.
TOURISM
Tourism is an important sector for Philippine economy . The travel and tourism industry contributed so much to the country’s GDP every year.
Philippine is known for having its rich biodiversity as its main tourist attraction. Popular destinations among tourists include Boracay , Palawan , Siargao , El Nido, Panglao and Baguio. Boracay received the “best Island” award from the international travel magazine in 2012.
Philippine is also the home to one of the New7Wonders of Nature, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, and one of the New 7 Wonders Cities, the Heritage City of Vigan.
ENTRY GUIDELINES FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS
Foreign Nationals who wants to travel to the Philippines either for business and tourism purposes are allowed to enter the Philippines and will be given a visa upon arrival for a stay not exceeding 30 days, provided they hold a valid tickets for their return to their desired destination.
Whether you are visiting the Philippines for travel or investment, there is always awesome fun to discover the “THE PHILIPPINES”
Leave a Reply