3 Islands 1 Country

Birds fly across the deep blue sky. Waves chase towards the shores. Mountainous
terrains and dense forests make it rich on biodiversity. Tagalog, Visayan, English and any
other ethnic languages may be spoken daily, but it won’t be a barrier to represent one
nation. 3 Stars represents the 3 islands. This is the Philippines.
The independency of the Philippines was not that easy to achieve. Filipinos way
back in the 1500s have to suffer from the hegemony of Spain. Spain occupied the
Philippines for 3 centuries which made the Filipinos endure pain. Not until in 1898,
Philippines achieved its independence from Spain. The Western and Japanese people
tried to invade again the Philippines but in July 4, 1946, Philippines had regained its
independence. This is why Philippines are not the Filipino-like faces. Japanese, Chinese,
Americans, and Spanish blood circulates in our veins which makes the Philippines’
citizens to be having beautiful faces.
The Philippines also gained fame for its beautiful white sand beaches and
shimmering, deep blue seas and oceans which makes tourists come back. According to
The Manila Times, six million foreign tourists visited the Philippines in 2016, surpassing
the 5.9-million target set by the Department of Tourism (DOT) for the year and proving
that the country is on its way to becoming a favored and emerging tourist destination.
Most likely, tourists want to spend their vacations on Boracay, Palawan and any other
white sand beaches.
The average year-round temperature measured from all the weather stations in
the Philippines, except Baguio City, is 26.6 °C. Cooler days are usually felt in the month
of January with temperature averaging at 25.5 °C and the warmest days, in the month of
May with a mean of 28.3 °C. Beaches are nice on sunny days so book your tickets on
summer or not the raining season in the Philippines.
Philippines’ best-tasting, rare foods are eaten by Filipinos and even tourists love
it. One of the famous foods in the Philippines is Pancit Canton. This type of food usually
consist of noodles, vegetables, and any other additives that give savory and tastiness to
the eaters. Another one is taho, which contain fresh silken tofu, a very sweet syrup and
sago pearls. Vendors of these foods usually carry 2 baskets, side by side, consisting
many plastic containers of the food, the dividers for sago, syrup and tofu. Another popular
food here is Lechon or roasted pig. Who wouldn’t resist to taste a roasted pig? This
delicacy is crunchy, and its aroma is so good, and mouth-watering. Balut is the
Philippines’ best. Balut is a developing bird embryo that is boiled and eaten from the shell.
Dip it in vinegar and salt, the taste would be mind-blowing!
The country contains many ethnic groups which makes diversity in people.
Currently in the Philippines, more than 175 inhabited the country. Some of these groups
are Aeta, Moro, Lumad, Ivatan, Mangyan, Igorot, Badjao and many others.
 . The Philippines proudly boasts to be the only Christian nation in Asia. More than
86 percent of the population is Roman Catholic, 6 percent belong to various nationalized
Christian cults, and another 2 percent belong to well over 100 Protestant denominations.
In addition to the Christian majority, there is a vigorous 4 percent Muslim minority,
concentrated on the southern islands of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan specifically in
Southern Mindanao. Scattered in isolated mountainous regions, the remaining 2 percent
follow non-Western, indigenous beliefs and practices. The Chinese minority, although
statistically insignificant, has been culturally influential in coloring Filipino Catholicism with
many of the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
The Philippines is rich in natural resources. It has fertile, arable lands, diverse flora
and fauna, extensive coastlines, and rich mineral deposits. About 30% of the land area
of the country was determined be geologically prospective by the Philippine Mines and
Geo-Sciences Bureau. But Only 1.5% of country's land area is covered with mining
permits. Despite the rich natural resources of the Philippines, the government is restricting
its exploitation.
This citizens of this beloved country is also known to be respectful. Even when
somebody internationally immigrated here in this land, they are fully welcomed by heart.
An example here is the last year’s edition of a big pageant which is held in Manila.
Contestants complement that Filipino fans are the most active and supportive to them.
The Philippines also consists of really great opera singers, best drama actresses and
directors. Filipino films are rarely nominated on international film fests yet they bring back
an award. Filipinos are also hardworking. OFWs are examples of these.
Festivals is one of the spotlights when planning to go in the Philippines. Señor
Santo Niño is the most famous festival in the Philippines where a pilgrimage of the Infant
Christ Jesus is dressed in red and gold. It is said to be miracoulous. This festival is
celebrated annually in January and you can join the feast in the Queen City of the South,
Cebu City!
The Philippines’ citizens believe also in superstition. Our forefathers also were the
ones who started it all and will be passed to the next generations. One example is you
have to take off your shirt after visiting a dead person so that bad luck won’t be chained
or be circling your loved ones or your families.
Our country is a very fun place to be. From obtaining independence, it was not an
easy task at all. Our forefathers were hardly fighting to get our independence. Your travel
here won’t be complete without visiting beaches, the iconic places like Mount Mayon and
Baguio; and tasting foods and delicacies of the Philippines. We may be geographically
apart, but it may not or should not be a cause of discrimination of races in other regions
of the republic. When you are from the Philippines, you should serve your motherland
until your last breathe. Your blood should be offered in your motherland until its last drip.
Even if we may be physically, ecologically, environmentally, religiously, and ethnically
diverse, still we represent one nation and that nation is no other than, the Philippines.