My Country
The Philippines is a country comprising of seven thousand one hundred seven islands. It is found on the Pacific and belongs to the ring of fire. It has been called the Pearl of the Orient. It is divided into sixteen regions amongst which are the National Capital Region, the Ilocos Region, Southern Tagalog Regions and the Cordillera Autonomous Region. Manila is the capital city with Luzon as the biggest among the three geographical group (Halili, 2004, pg 23). Mindanao comes second then the Visayas.
My country has had a long history with foreign colonizers. Ferdinand Magellan landed in Samar in 1521 and named the islands Islas de San Lazaro. Ruy Lopez de Villalobos gave the name Filipinas in honor of Prince Philip of Asturias in 1543 ( Halili, 2004, pg 22). The Philippines was under Spanish rule for over three hundred years. After the Spaniards ceded the country to the United States in 1898, the country became a self-governing commonwealth in 1935 under Manuel M. Quezon but fell to Japanese rule in 1942( Philippines-CIA- the world factbook,2011). However, after three years of war, the Philippines attained her independence on July 4, 1946 during which Manuel M. Roxas became the president of the Third Republic of the Philippines(Halili, 2004, pg.250).
The country has had fifteen presidents so far. The thirteenth president was thrown out of office amidst allegations of corruption and cronyism in his government. He was succeeded by his then vice-president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and who was then voted into office in 2004 amidst cheating in the elections. The Philippines has been beset with many problems stemming from corruption and ineptitude of some political leaders. The economy, however, was able to withstand the global crisis that plagued most of the world due to a well-managed financial machinery of the government. The banking sector remained unaffected by the said crisis. (Background Note Philippines, 2011) Remittance from Filipinos working overseas contribute largely to the economy and the business processing outsource is the thriving industry in the country today. The national elections has been held last May 2010 using the automated voting machine. Benigno Aquino the third is voted into office and is currently the head of state.
The Philippines boasts of her vast natural resources and wonderful sights. It is a great place for diving and snorkelling. One could also scale the heights of the country’s various mountains and active volcanoes. Palawan is one of the favorite tourist destinations. Tubattaha Reef is a protected site in the place and has been named a World Heritage site by the UNESCO(Halili, 2004, pg 27). Coron, Palawan is also a famous diving site for tourists. Bohol is famous for the Chocolate Hills and the smallest primate in the world, the tarsier. Donsol is where you can swim with whale sharks. Who can forget the beaches? Boracay is the trophy beach of the country and is off the island of Panay (Lonely planet, introducing boracay, 2010). It is famed for its white sands. Siquijor, an island of mysterious healers and called the mystique islands, is fast becoming a tourist attraction because of its dive sites, including Paliton beach, Saligdong beach where the mako shark can be spotted, and the colorful reefs of Sandugan and Tongo Points (lonely planet, introducing siquijor, 2009). The country is also famous for its historical places. Among them are Intramuros ,or the Walled City and Luneta in Manila, Vigan in Ilocos Sur and Mactan in Cebu City in the Visayas. The Philippines can also brag about the Banaue Rice Terraces. It is considered the eighth wonder of the world.
The Philippines has several shopping malls to boot. Clothes, shoes, bags and other apparels can be bought at affordable prices. Cell phones and other gadgets and gizmos can also be bought cheaply. My country has the nightlife, too. Just go anywhere in the Timog and Tomas Morato in Quezon City and the various bars and cafes are there.
But what the Philippines can really brag about is its people. Despite the diversity, there is still a sense of homogeneity ( Halili, 2004, pg 30). Its people are known for bravery, adaptability and resilience. It is the Filipinos who heralded the call for freedom in 1986 with the people power revolution and ousted an abusive president. Other nations followed the Philippine example. The people of this country can adapt to different cultures and learn their languages and be able to assimilate. The people are also known to be deeply spiritual and patient. This country is widely known for its hospitality and friendliness. The Filipinos warm smile is also universally acknowledged. But most of all, the Filipinos are hailed for the ability to withstand any pressure, whether from natural disasters or any form of oppression.
References:
1st ed: Halili,M.C.,2004. CIA.,ISSN 1553-8133.
Philippine History.Sampaloc: Philippines-CIA-the-world-factbook.
Rex Bookstore [online]CIA:Available at:htpps://www.cia.
gov/library/publication/the-world-factbook/
geos/rp.html[accessed dateJune14,2011]
Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com
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