The Philippines (Filipino: Pilipinas), officially the Republic of the Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas), is an island nation located in the Malay archipelago in Southeast Asia, with Manila as its capital. It lies 1,210 kilometers (750 mile) from mainland Asia and comprises 7107 islands called the Philippine Archipelago, approximately 700 of which are inhabited by humans.
The Philippines is a significant source of migrant workers; there are over 8 million overseas Filipinos and their remittances exceed $12 billion a year, an amount that forms a significant portion of the Philippines' gross national product. The Philippines is also an important destination for outsourcing and is an exporter of electronics, but its economy is largely agricultural. Manila, its densely populated capital, has been designated as a global city.
The country's name originated with Ruy López de Villalobos naming the islands of Samar and Leyte "Las Islas Filipinas," after King Philip II of Spain during his failed expedition in 1543. The archipelago was known under various names such as Spanish East Indies, New Castille (Nueva Castilla) and the St. Lazarus Islands (Islas de San Lázaro). Ultimately, the name Filipinas came to refer to the entire archipelago.
Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Politics and government
2.1 Administrative divisions
3 Geography
4 Economy
5 Demographics
6 Culture
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
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History
Main article: History of the Philippines
Archeological and paleontological evidence suggests that Homo sapiens existed in Palawan about 50,000 years ago. These prehistoric inhabitants are called Tabon Man, after the Palawan cave where fossil remains were found. During the Iron Age, an Austronesian-speaking people are known to have settled in the Philippines and most of the Malay archipelago. The Austronesian-speaking inhabitants of the Philippines maintained a maritime trading network with the rest of Southeast Asia as early as 5,000 B.C.E. Tamil traders from India and Chinese merchants arrived in the 8th century.
The Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for the Spanish king in an expedition to sail around the world, first set foot in the archipelago on March 18, 1521. He established diplomatic relations with some of the local chieftains and converted some of them to Roman Catholicism. However, Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan when he waged war against Lapu-Lapu, one of the chieftains who opposed foreign domination. Magellan's remaining crew led by Juan Sebastian Elcano returned to Spain on the ship Victoria and brought news about the islands and the new route to the Spice Islands. On April 27, 1565, the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and 500 soldiers came to the island of Cebu and established the first Spanish settlement on the islands.
Roman Catholic missionaries accompanied Spanish soldiers in the conquest of the islands. The Spaniards soon established churches and forts, while searching for gold and spices. Roman Catholicism replaced most of the indigenous religions and adopted by the majority. Sporadic rebellions occurred from tribal groups throughout the archipelago against Spanish occupation. The highland tribes of northern Luzon and the Muslims of the southern islands of Mindanao continued their resistance and maintained their sovereignty. The Spanish military fought off Chinese pirates, and Japanese, French, Portuguese, Dutch and British forces, all of whom also had an interest in the Philippines.
New Spain (through Mexico) ruled the Philippines until the Mexican independence in 1821. A burgeoning Manila Galleon or the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade began in the late 16th century. Spanish rule on the Philippines was briefly interrupted in 1762, when British troops invaded and occupied the islands as a result of Spain's entry into the Seven Years' War. The 1763 Treaty of Paris restored Spanish rule and the British left in 1764. The brief British occupation weakened Spain's grip on power and sparked rebellions and demands for independence.
In 1781, Governor-General José Basco y Vargas established the Sociedad Económica de los Amigos del País (Economic Society of Friends of the Country). The Philippines by this time was administered directly from Spain. Developments in and out of the country helped to bring new ideas to the Philippines. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 cut travel time to Spain. This prompted the rise of the ilustrados, the enlightened Filipino upper class, since many young Filipinos were able to study in Europe.
José Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines
The monument of José Rizal at Rizal ParkEnlightened by the Propaganda Movement to the injustices of the Spanish colonial government and the "frailocracy", Filipinos originally clamored for adequate representation to the Spanish Cortes and later for independence. José Rizal, the most celebrated intellectual and radical illustrado of the era, wrote the novels Noli Me Tangere ("Touch Me Not'") and El Filibusterismo ("The Filibuster"), both now required academic reading at Filipino primary schools. On July 3, 1892, José Rizal founded La Liga Filipina, which called for peaceful reforms. On July 7, 1892, after José Rizal was arrested, Andrés Bonifacio, a founding member of La Liga Filipina, founded the Katipunan, ("Kataas-taasang Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga anak ng Inang Bayan"). The Katipunan advocated revolution and complete independence, and established a national revolutionary government with Bonifacio as the Supremo (leader).
The Philippine Revolution began on August 26, 1896 when Andrés Bonifacio declared Philippine independence and called for an immediate armed struggle, known as the Cry of Balintawak. Rizal was implicated in the outbreak of the revolution and executed for treason on December 30, 1896. The revolution quickly spread throughout the islands. However, the leadership of Bonifacio was challenged in the province of Cavite where two local factions of the Katipunan established separate provincial governments, the Magdiwang, which recognized Bonifacio's authority, and the Magdalo, which recognized the leadership of revolutionary general Emilio Aguinaldo, a mayor of Kawit, Cavite. After failing to oust Bonifacio from leadership of the Katipunan, the Magdalo faction established a Cavite-led revolutionary government, as an alternative to the Katipunan, with Aguinaldo as President. Aguinaldo ordered Bonifacio's arrest and execution for treason and sedition. On May 10, 1897, the founder of the Katipunan was murdered by Aguinaldo's soldiers. The power struggle within the revolutionary movement and the murder of Bonifacio resulted in the collapse of the Katipunan. Withdrawal of support of Aguinaldo weakened his leadership of the revolution. The Spanish forces captured the province of Cavite and Aguinaldo was forced to retreat. On May 17, a few days after the death of Bonifacio, the Spanish Governor General Primo de Rivera proclaimed the revolution was over. On December 15, Aguinaldo agreed to a truce with the Spanish forces and signed the Pact of Biak na Bato. Aguinaldo accepted 400,000 pesos from Spain and agreed to leave for exile to Hong Kong. However, other revolutionary leaders did not recognize Aguinaldo's authority and continued the war for independence. In Central Luzon, revolutionary general Francisco Makabulos established a revolutionary government with its own constitution.
The Spanish-American war began in 1898 after the United States battleship USS Maine was destroyed by an explosion and sunk in the Havana harbor in Cuba, one of Spain's colonies. After Commodore George Dewey defeated the Spanish squadron at Manila, Aguinaldo was invited and returned to the Philippines on May 19, 1898, in the hope he would rally Filipinos against the Spanish colonial government. Five days later he proclaimed himself dictator. On June 12, 1898 Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines in Kawit, Cavite. Simultaneously, a German squadron under Admiral Diedrichs arrived in Manila and declared that if the United States did not seize the Philippines as a colonial possession, Germany would. Since Spain and the U.S. ignored the Filipino representative, Felipe Agoncillo, during their negotiations in the Treaty of Paris, the Battle for Manila between Spain and the U.S. was perceived by some to be an attempt to exclude the Filipinos from the eventual occupation of Manila. [citation needed]
Spain was forced in the negotiations by Paris officials, to hand over the Philippines to the United States, in exchange for US$ 20,000,000.00, which the United States of America later acknowlege to the Filipinos, to be a gift handed by Spain to them. [citation needed] The first Philippine Republic rebelled against the U.S. occupation, which prevented its independence and refused to return the country's sovereignty back to the Filipinos. [citation needed] This resulted in the Philippine-American War of 1899.
By 1913, most Filipino soldiers surrendered to the United States and the islands slowly came under overall American control and were organized as a United States territory. In the First World War of 1914-1919, thousands of Filipinos joined the United States Army and Navy and were sent to fight alongside American, French, British and British Commonwealth soldiers against Germany and the rest of the Central Powers in Europe. In 1935, the country's status was upgraded to that of an American Commonwealth. Later, plans were made to grant the islands independence in the next decade. Independence for the Philippines was finally granted on July 4, 1946, even after Japan invaded and occupied the islands during World War II, causing some to call for a delay in the granting of independence, which call was nonetheless discounted by a majority of American and Filipino politicians alike.
Since 1946, the Philippines has faced some economic and political instability. The Hukbalahaps (Filipino: Hukbong ng Bayan Laban sa mga Hapon or People's Army Against the Japanese), guerillas who fought against the Japanese during World War II, became a security concern to the new Philippine government and the United States for their communist ideology. The Hukbalahap guerillas demanded recognition as World War II freedom fighters and a share in war reparations. They won the support of many peasants with promises of land reform, and even participated in democratic elections after the war. They clandestinely organized and mounted anti-government campaigns of sedition and open hostilities against government forces, and conducted terrorist activities, including kidnappings, massacres, assassinations, rapes and extortion. [citation needed] They threatened the countryside, and subsequently the capital, Quezon City, and Manila in the 1950s. The government's counterinsurgency campaign eventually forced Huk Supremo (leader) Luis Taruc to surrender to the young reporter Benigno Aquino Jr., who was later elected Senator, and Secretary of Defense Ramón Magsaysay, who then became President.
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw the rise of student activism, nationalistic demonstrations, and protests against the Vietnam War and American imperialism. A constitutional convention composed of elected delegates drafted a new constitution to replace the American-approved 1935 Commonwealth constitution. This period was marred by civil unrest and exposés on corruption. On March 29, 1969, the Communist Party of the Philippines led by José Maria Sison formed the New People's Army, which has been waging a guerrilla war against the government. On September 21, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law. The new constitution was subsequently enforced through somewhat questionable means, [citation needed] as the propriety of its ratification was challenged in the Supreme Court. This culminated in the resignation of Chief Justice Roberto Concepcion. With martial law, President Ferdinand Marcos ruled by decree and extended both his power and his tenure by extralegal means. His authoritarian rule became marred with unmitigated, pervasive corruption, cronyism and despotism. As a result, public outcry and dissidence resurged to new highs.
The assassination of Benigno Aquino, Jr., who was returning from exile, sparked the People Power Revolution of 1986. Corazon Aquino, the widow of assassinated Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., assumed the reins of government in the aftermath of a hotly contested snap election. Marcos, his family, and along with some of his cronies were exiled to Hawaii. With the end of the Marcos dictatorship, a new constitution was adopted in 1987. The return of democracy and governmental reforms in the post-Marcos era, however, were hampered by a massive national debt, government corruption, coup attempts, a communist insurgency and Muslim separatist movements.
Government corruption and cronyism led to the People Power Revolution of 2001 and the downfall of Joseph Estrada's presidency. The current administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been hounded by allegations of corruption and election rigging.
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Politics and government
More information on politics and government of the Philippines can be found at the Politics and government of the Philippines series.
National symbols of the Philippines Flag National Flag (Pambansang Watawat)
Anthem Lupang Hinirang
Patriotic Song Pilipinas Kong Mahal
Gem South Sea pearls
Dance Cariñosa (formerly Tinikling)
Animal Carabao / Tamaraw
Bird Philippine Eagle (formerly the Tree Sparrow or Maya)
Fish Milkfish (Bangus)
Flower Arabian Jasmine (Sampaguita)
Tree Angsana (Narra)
Leaf Fan palm (Anahaw)
Fruit Mango
Sport Sipa
Costume Barong and Baro't saya
Hero José P. Rizal
The government of the Philippines is organized as a presidential-unitary republic, where the President functions as head of state, the head of government, and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president is elected by popular vote to a 6-year term, during which he or she appoints and presides over the cabinet of secretaries.
The bicameral Congress comprises the Senate and the House of Representatives; members of the former are elected at large and those of the latter by geographical district. The 24 senators serve 6-year terms, with half retiring every three years, while the House of Representatives comprises 250 members serving 3-year terms.
The judicial branch of government is headed by the Supreme Court, with a Chief Justice as its head and 14 Associate Justices, all appointed by the President from nominations submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council. Other courts include the Court of Appeals, the Regional Trial Courts and the Metropolitan Trial Courts.
As of June 2006 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is hoping to get agreement to amend the constitution to a unicameral federal, parliamentary system similar to the German constitution. The country would be split into “states” with each one having a local legislature responsibility for certain functions. Included in the amendments are plans to remove/ease the current ban on foreign ownership of property, land and commercial organizations in the Philippines. Plans have been announced to decentralize government by moving departments from Manila to the provinces, such as the Department of Tourism to Cebu City, the Department of Foreign Affairs to Angeles City, and the Department of Agrarian Reform to Iloilo City.
The Philippines is a founding and active member of the United Nations since its inception on October 24, 1945 and is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines is also a member of the East Asia Summit (EAS), an active player in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Latin Union and a member of the Group of 24. The country is a major non-NATO ally of the U.S., but also a member of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Philippines, along with the nation of Malta, is one of two nations in the world where all civil marriages are for life, because civil divorce is banned.
The Philippines is currently in a dispute with Taiwan, China, Vietnam and Malaysia over the oil- and natural gas-rich Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, and with Malaysia over Sabah. The Sultan of Sulu, who received Sabah as a gift in 1703 having helped the Sultan of Brunei defeat a rebellion, has given the Philippine Government power to reclaim his lost territory. To this day, the Sultan of Sulu's family receives "rental" payments for Sabah from the Malaysian government.
See also: Foreign relations of the Philippines, President of the Philippines, and Constitution of the Philippines
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Administrative divisions
Main articles: Provinces of the Philippines and Regions of the Philippines
Provinces and regions of the PhilippinesThe Philippines is divided into a hierarchy of local government units (LGUs) with the 79 provinces as the primary unit. Provinces are further subdivided into cities and municipalities, which are in turn composed of barangays. The barangay is the smallest local government unit.
The Philippines is divided into 17 regions with all provinces grouped into one of 16 regions for administrative convenience. The National Capital Region however, is divided into four special districts.
Most government offices establish regional offices to serve the constituent provinces. The regions themselves do not possess a separate local government, with the exception of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Ilocos Region (Region I)
Cagayan Valley (Region II)
Central Luzon (Region III)
CALABARZON (Region IV-A) ¹ ²
MIMARO (Region IV-B) ¹ ² ³
Bicol Region (Region V)
Western Visayas (Region VI) ³
Central Visayas (Region VII)
Eastern Visayas (Region VIII)
Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX)
Northern Mindanao (Region X)
Davao Region (Region XI)
SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII) ¹
Caraga (Region XIII)
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)
Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)
National Capital Region (NCR) (Metro Manila)
¹ Names are capitalized because they are acronyms, containing the names of the constituent provinces or cities (see Acronyms in the Philippines).
² These regions formed the former Southern Tagalog region, or Region IV.
³ Palawan is moved from Region IV-B as known as MIMAROPA to Region VI. Starting November 2005, Region IV-B will be called MIMARO, decreased from 5 to 4 and Region VI are increased from 7 to 8.
On July 24, 2006, the State of the Nation Address of President Arroyo[2] announced to create 5 economic super regions in order to concentrate on the economic strengths of each super region:
North Luzon Agribusiness Quadrangle – Agriculture
Metro Luzon Urban Beltway – Commerce
Central Philippines – Tourism
Mindanao
Philippine Cyberservices Corridor
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Geography
Main article: Geography of the Philippines
Geography of the PhilippinesThe Philippines constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometres (116,000 sq. mi). It lies between 116° 40' and 126° 34' E. longitude, and 4° 40' and 21° 10' N. latitude, and borders the Philippine Sea on the east, on the South China Sea the west, and the Celebes Sea on the south. The island of Borneo lies a few hundred kilometers southwest and Taiwan directly north. The Moluccas and Sulawesi are to the south, and Palau is to the east beyond the Philippine Sea.
The islands are commonly divided into three island groups: Luzon (Regions I to V, NCR & CAR), Visayas (VI to VIII), and Mindanao (IX to XIII & ARMM). The busy port of Manila, on Luzon, is the national capital and second largest city after its suburb Quezon City.
The local climate is hot, humid, and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5°C (79.7°F). There are three recognized seasons: Tag-init or Tag-araw (the hot season or summer from March to May), Tag-ulan (the rainy season from June to November), and Taglamig (the cold season from December to February). The southwest monsoon (May-October) is known as the "habagat" and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon (November-April) as the "amihan".
Most of the mountainous islands used to be covered in tropical rainforest and are volcanic in origin. The highest point is Mount Apo on Mindanao at 2,954 metres (9,692 ft). There are many active volcanos such as Mayon Volcano, Mount Pinatubo, and Taal Volcano. The country also lies within the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific and about 19 typhoons strike per year.
Lying on the northwestern fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activities. Some 20 earthquakes are registered daily in the Philippines, though most are too weak to be felt.
See also: Ecoregions of the Philippines
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Economy
The Makati City Central Business District
Cebu City Business Park
Central Business District of Zamboanga CityMain article: Economy of the Philippines
The Philippines is a developing country with an agricultural base, light industry, and service-sector economy. The Philippines has one of the most vibrant business process outsourcing (BPO) industries in Asia. Numerous call centers and BPO firms have infused momentum into the Philippine market, generating thousands of jobs and improving their services with many clients, including Fortune 500 companies.
The Philippines currently ranks 119th out of 178 countries–above India (134) and Nigeria (135)&ndASH;IN GDP per capita. China has sped past the Philippines in per capita GDP the last few years, and the lead over Vietnam is closing fast. The resiliency of the Philippine economy due to low foreign inflows and an agriculture-based economy allowed it to snap back from international crises as evidenced by 3 percent growth in 1999 and accelerated to 4 percent in 2000. By 2004, the Philippine economy catapulted to over 6 percent growth after the East Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s.
Government initiatives are designed to match the pace of development in the newly industrialized countries (NICs) of East Asia. Economic strategies are implemented to manage a public debt comprising 77 percent of the GDP. This priority manifests as a budget allocation set higher than the budget for education and defense combined. The Philippine middle class is essential to economic prosperity. Although proportionately smaller, the Philippine middle class is scheduled to grow.
Strategies for streamlining the economy include continuous improvements of infrastructure, efficient tax systems to bolster government revenues, furthering deregulation and privatisation of the economy, and increasing trade integration within the region and across the world.
On November 1, 2005, a newly expanded value added tax (E-VAT) law was instituted as a measure to bridle the rising foreign debt and to improve government services such as education, healthcare, social security, and transportation. As of 2006, The Philippines' economic prosperity also depends in large part on how well its two biggest trading partners' economies perform: the US and Japan.
The Philippines is a member of the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and other international economic associations, such as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Colombo Plan, and the G-77.
In 2005, the Philippine peso was hailed by Forbes magazine as Asia's best-performing currency. The Philippines' 1st quarter GDP growth was within the government's programmed growth of 5.5% buoyed by the rebound of the agriculture sector and a strong service sector performance however, the economy is still vulnerable to high world oil prices and political instability. There are few promising developments though: one is the strong fiscal performance that the government has put in place as well as the mining boom that will generate additional revenues for the government and additional jobs if this sector is fully tapped as the Philippines is a mineral-rich country. The country’s export rose by more than 15 percent in January-April this year, while investments increased by $2 billion over that of the same four-month period last year.
Despite the growing economy, the Philippines will have to address several chronic problems in the future. Income inequality remains persistent; about 30 million people lived on less than $2 per day on 2005. China and India have emerged as major economic competitors, siphoning away investors who would otherwise have invested in the Philippines, particularly telecom companies. Regional development is also somewhat uneven, with the main island Luzon and Metro Manila gaining most of the new economic growth at the expense of the other regions.
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Demographics
Main article: Demographics of the Philippines
Further information: Ethnic groups of the Philippines
The Philippines is the world's 13th most populous country, with a population of over 85 million as of 2005[3]. Roughly two-thirds reside on the island of Luzon. Manila, the capital, is the eleventh most populous metropolitan area in the world. The education system is efficient and based on the US curriculum. The literacy rate is 95.9%, one of the highest in Asia, and about equal for males and females. Life expectancy is 69.91 years, with 72.28 years for females and 66.44 years for males. Population growth per year is about 1.92 percent, with 26.3 births per 1,000 people. In the 100 years since the 1903 Census, the population has grown by a factor of eleven. This represents a much faster rate of growth than other countries in the region (Indonesia has grown five-fold over the same period).
The people of the Philippines are called Filipinos. According to government statistics, anthropological research, and genetic studies, the majority of Filipinos are descended from the various Austronesian-speaking migrants who arrived in successive waves over a thousand years ago from southern China, via Taiwan. These ethnic Filipinos are divided into various ethnolinguistic groups, the three most numerous being the Tagalogs, Cebuanos, and the Ilocanos. The Negritos or Aetas, also known as the aboriginal inhabitants of the Philippines, were largely displaced by the invading Austronesian-speaking migrants, and are today thought to number less than 30,000 people (0.03 percent).
Filipino mestizos, or persons of mixed indigenous heritage and Spanish or other foreign ancestry (not counting admixture already contributed during the pre-history formation of the population) form a tiny but economically and politically important minority. A Stanford University small-in study, concluded that about 3.6 percent of all Filipinos have some European genes, most probably Spanish.
The three largest foreign minorities are the ethnic Chinese, the Americans, and the South Asians. The Philippines is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Asia because of the vast number of native ethnolinguistic groups.
More than 170 languages are spoken in the country, almost all of them belonging to the Western Malayo-Polynesian language group of the Austronesian language family. According to the 1987 Constitution, Filipino, heavily based on Tagalog, and English are both the official languages.
The twelve major regional languages are auxiliary languages of their respective regions, each with over one million speakers: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Waray-Waray, Bikol, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Kinaray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao, and Tausug.
The use of Spanish has declined since the Americans changed the language of government and education to English. Spanish ceased to be the language of instruction in schools and universities around 1910. It ceased to be an official language in 1973, and part of the college curriculum in 1987. According to the 1990 census, there are 2,658 Spanish speakers while the 2000 census lists 600,700 speakers of Chavacano, a Spanish-based creole language. Thousands of Spanish loanwords have been adopted into Philippine languages, and there are around 13 million Spanish documents in the Philippine archives. Courts of law still recognize documents written in Spanish. However, the common consensus is that Spanish is no longer a living and working language in the Philippines.
The Min Nan Chinese language/dialect is widely spoken by the country's Chinese minority.
Manila Cathedral
Temple Emil, Manila, c. 1940.The Philippines is the third-largest Christian nation. About 92 percent of all Filipinos are Christians: 83 percent belong to the Roman Catholic Church, 2 percent belong to the Old-Catholic Philippine Independent Church, and 10 percent belong to various Protestant denominations. Although Christianity is a major force in the culture of the Filipinos, a small minority practices animism with indigenous traditions and rituals.
The Roman Catholic Church exerts considerable influence in both governmental and non-governmental affairs, despite a constitutional provision for the separation of church and state. The Philippines currently has three cardinals, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Jose Cardinal Sanchez and Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales. The late Jaime Cardinal Sin was a leading spiritual leader in the country and was an active participant in People Power I and People Power II. Cardinal Vidal is the archbishop of Cebu. Cardinal Sanchez is the former Prefect of Congregation of the Clergy, Roman Curia. Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales serves as the archbishop of Manila. The most famous cathedral is the huge Manila Cathedral.
Among the numerous Protestant and other Christian denominations are 14 Calvary Chapel churches, Seventh-day Adventists, the Church of Christ, the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, United Methodist, the Episcopal Church in the Philippines, Assemblies of God, the United Pentecostal Church International, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), Jehovah's Witnesses, and Philippine (American or Southern Affiliated) Baptist denominations.
In addition, there are two churches established by Filipinos: the Philippine Independent Church (Iglesia Filipina Independiente) or "Aglipayan" and the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ). Also, a majority of indigenous peoples, estimated to number between 12 and 16 million, reportedly are Christian. However, many indigenous groups are syncretic, mixing elements of native beliefs with Christian beliefs and practices.
Approximately 5 percent of Filipinos are Muslim and live primarily in parts of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago. Most lowland Muslim Filipinos practice normative Islam, although the practices of some Mindanao's hill tribe Muslims reflect a fusion with animism. The Muslims have resisted conquest and conversion for centuries by the Spanish and the Americans. Various Muslim groups have been waging a decades-long armed campaign against the Philippine government for political self-determination. Groups such as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have been using terrorism as a means to achieve this goal.
There are also small populations of Jews and Hindus.
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Culture
Main article: Culture of the Philippines
A Philippine Jeepney
A Jollibee restaurant in Dumaguete City.The foundation of Filipino culture is based on a combination of the closely related native traditions of the various regional indigenous groups of the Philippines, with the Hispanic culture, present in the islands for over three centuries. Such native groups include the Tagalogs, Ilokanos, Cebuanos, Illonggos, Bikolanos, and others. Philippine culture, however, has also been influenced by Chinese, American, Indonesian and Indian cultures.
The Hispanic influences in Filipino culture are largely derived from the culture of Spain as a result of over three centuries of Spanish colonial rule. These Hispanic influences are most visible in the form of customs and practices related to the Catholic church, especially in religious festivals. Every year, Filipinos from around the country hold major festivities known as barrio fiestas, which commemorate the patron saints of the towns, villages and regional districts. The festival season is celebrated with church ceremonies, street parades in honor of the patron saints, fireworks, beauty and dance contests, and cockfighting tournaments. The most obvious Hispanic legacy, however, is the prevalence of Spanish surnames among Filipinos. This peculiarity, unique among the people of Asia, came as a result of a colonial decree for the systematic distribution of family names and implementation of the Spanish naming system on the inhabitants of the Philippines.
The Chinese influences in Filipino culture are most evident in Filipino cuisine, which it has totally penetrated. The prevalence of noodles, known locally as mami, as well as other foods like seafood dishes are a testament of the Chinese. Other Chinese influences include linguistic borrowings and the occasional Chinese derived surnames.
American cultural influence in the Philippines is relatively recent, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century. The use of English within the Philippines is America's most obvious legacy. The most commonly played and arguably the national sport in the Philippines is basketball; the country came third in the 1954 World Championship, a feat which places them joint-ninth in the post-war world rankings. Indeed, there is a wide emulation of other American cultural trends, such as the love of fast-food; many street corners boast fast-food outlets. Aside from the American giants such as McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC, and Shakey's, local fast-food chains have also sprung up, including Jollibee, Greenwich Pizza, Tropical Hut and Chowking. Filipinos listen to the latest American music, dance to American steps, watch American movies, and idolize American actors and actresses.
In spite of this, native moral codes, respect of family, veneration of elders, and friendliness, all remain intact. Filipinos honor national heroes whose works and deeds contributed to the shaping of Filipino nationalism. José Rizal is the most celebrated ilustrado, a Spanish-speaking reformist visionary whose writings contributed greatly in nurturing a sense of national identity and awareness. His novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo originally written in Spanish, are required readings for Filipino students, and provide vignettes of colonial life under the Spanish rule. They give a sense of Filipino identity and historical continuity. Andrés Bonifacio founded the pro-independence Katipunan movement, which sparked the revolution that helped end Spanish rule. Disputes exist about whether Bonifacio, not Rizal, should be the national hero. Ninoy Aquino, the charimatic leader against the Marcos dictatorship, is a highly revered martyr of the People Power revolution.
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See also
Main article: Philippine-related topics
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References
^ Cebuano, Ilokano, Hiligaynon, Bikol, Waray-Waray, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Kinaray-a, Maranao, Maguindanao, Tagalog, Tausug are the auxiliary official languages in their respective regions. Spanish and Arabic are recognized in the Constitution.
^ [1] – 2006 State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo : Philippines : Gov.Ph :
^ National Statistics Office — Population Projections
PSE: Philippine Stock Exchange. URL accessed March 29th, 2006.
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External links
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Quezon City P (Filipino: Lungsod Quezon) is the former capital and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L. Quezon, the former president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines who founded the city and developed it to replace Manila as the country's capital.
Quezon City is not located in and should not be confused with Quezon province, which was also named after the president.
Being the former capital, many government offices are located in the city, including the Batasang Pambansa, the seat of the House of Representatives, which is the lower chamber in the Philippine Congress. The main campuses of leading Philippine universities such as the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines (U.P.) are also located here.
Quezon City is the richest local government unit in the country in terms of current assets, cash in banks, share of internal revenue allotment (IRA), gross income, and gross net income. It remains the only Philippine city without any debt to banks as it operates on a surplus fund of over 2 billion pesos.
The city features many spacious parks, tree-lined boulevards, and lots of commercial areas, popular with shoppers all over the metropolis. Most of the city is composed of residential areas and there is very little industry in the large city.
Quezon City is also the major entertainment capital of the Philippines, as many Filipino tV Shows, music, movies, pornography, etc. are produced here. The major TV networks in the Philippines have their main stations in Quezon City.
Contents [hide]
1 The city
2 Quezon City Barangays
3 Sub-divisions of the city
3.1 Diliman
3.2 Commonwealth and Balara
3.3 Tandang Sora
3.4 Loyola Heights
3.5 Cubao
3.6 Libis
3.7 Timog area
3.8 Novaliches
3.9 Sta. Mesa Heights
3.10 San Francisco Del Monte
3.11 Galas-Santol
3.12 The Project areas
4 Commerce and economy
4.1 Transportation
4.2 Communications
5 Education
5.1 Educational institutions
6 Government
7 History
7.1 Mayors
7.2 Congressional District Representatives
7.3 Councilors
7.3.1 District I
7.3.2 District II/ Novaliches District
7.3.3 District III
7.3.4 District IV
8 External links
[edit]
The city
Manuel L. Quezon Monument and the City HallQuezon City is the biggest city in Metro Manila. At approximately 160 square kilometers, it covers almost one-fourth of the area of Metro Manila. The city lies on a relatively high plateau on the northeast corner of the metropolis between the lowlands of Manila to the southwest and the Marikina River valley to the east. The southern portion is drained by the very narrow San Juan River and its tributaries to Pasig River, while running in the northern portions of the city is the equally narrow Tullahan River.
Quezon Memorial Circle at Quezon CityQuezon City is bordered by Manila to the southwest, by Caloocan City and Valenzuela City to the west and northwest. To the south lies San Juan and Mandaluyong City while Marikina City and Pasig City borders Quezon City to the southeast. To the north across Marilao River lies San Jose del Monte City in the province of Bulacan and to the east lies Rodriguez and San Mateo, both in the province of Rizal.
The city can be divided into a number of areas. The southern portion of the city, where most of the interesting places are, is divided into a number of places including Diliman, Commonwealth, the Project areas, Cubao, Kamias-Kamuning, New Manila, San Francisco del Monte and Sta. Mesa Heights. The northern half of the city is often called Novaliches and contains the areas of Fairview and Lagro. Most of these areas have no defined boundaries and are primarily residential in nature.
Quezon City also has a vibrant nightlife. Tomas Morato Avenue is known as restaurant row where one can find a variety of restaurants from fine dining to fast food. Bars and cafes also line up Tomas Morato. West Avenue also has its own version of restaurant row, but the difference is that West Avenue restaurants come in clusters, while Tomas Morato has restaurants in nearly the entire stretch.
And for the more adventurous, Quezon Avenue, Timog (South) Avenue and West Avenue are lined up with nightclubs and other drinking joints. Some are seedy while others are wholesome.
Quezon City is also home to the major television broadcasting networks. Philippines' giant television networks, ABS-CBN and GMA Network, as well as NBN, ABC, RPN, and IBC are all located in Quezon City.
In 1984, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints built the scenic Manila Philippines Temple here because of the large number of members in the region. The Iglesia ni Cristo installed in Quezon City their headquarters on Commonwealth Avenue, New Era barangay: center of operations as well as a large temple and the New Era University.
Political Divisions of Quezon City[edit]Quezon City Barangays
Land Area
Barangay Common Name
Alicia Bago Bantay
Bagong Pag-asa Project 6
Bahay Toro Project 8 / Pugad Lawin
Balingasa A. Bonifacio
Bungad Project 7
Damar
Damayan San Francisco del Monte
Del Monte San Francisco del Monte
Katipunan Muñoz
Lourdes Santa Mesa Heights
Maharlika Santa Mesa Heights
Manresa
Mariblo San Francisco del Monte
Masambong
N.S. Amoranto La Loma
Nayong Kanluran West Ave
Paang Bundok La Loma Heights
Pag-ibig sa Nayon A. Bonifacio
Paltok
Paraiso San Francisco del Monte
PhilAm
Project 6
Ramon Magsaysay Bago Bantay
Salvacion La Loma
San Antonio Project 7
San Isidro Labrador La Loma
San Jose La Loma
Siena
Saint Peter Santa Mesa Heights
Santa Cruz Heroes Hill
Santa Teresita Mayon
Santo Cristo Bago Bantay
Santo Domingo
Talayan Chinatown
VASRA Visayas Ave
Veteran’s Village Project 7
West Triangle
*North Triangle
(Undeclared barangay) Philippine Science
District 2
Barangay Common Name
Apolonio Samson Balintawak
Baesa
Bagbag Bagbag Novaliches
Bagong Silangan
Balongbato Camachile
Batasan Hills
Capri
Commonwealth
Culiat Muslim Village
Fairview
Greater Lagro Lagro
Gulod Gulod Novaliches
Holy Spirit
Nagkaisang Nayon General Luis
New Era Iglesia ni Cristo Central
North Fairview
Novaliches Proper Novaliches Bayan
Pasong Putik SM Fairview
Pasong Tamo NPC Village
Payatas
San Agustin
San Bartolome San Bartolome Novaliches
Sangandaan Project 8 / Sangandaan
Sauyo
Santa Lucia
Santa Monica Sta. Monica Novaliches
Talipapa Talipapa Novaliches
Tandang Sora
Unang Sigaw Balintawak
*Novaliches Reservoir
(Undeclared barangay) La Mesa Watershed
District 3
Barangay Common / Former Name
Amihan
Bagumbayan Eastwood
Bagumbuhay Project 4
Bayanihan Project 4
Blue Ridge A Project 4
Blue Ridge B Project 4
Camp Aguinaldo Murphy, Armed Forces
Dioquino Zobel Project 4
Duyan-duyan Project 4
E. Rodriguez Project 5
East Kamias
Escopa I Project 4
Escopa II Project 4
Escopa III Project 4
Escopa IV Project 4
Libis
Loyola Heights Katipunan
Mangga
Marilag Project 4
Masagana Project 4
Matandang Balara Old Balara
Milagrosa Project 4
Pansol
Quirino 2-A Project 2
Quirino 2-B Project 2
Quirino 2-C Project 2
Quirino 3-A Project 3
Quirino 3-B Claro
San Roque Cubao
Silangan Anonas
Soccorro Cubao
Saint Ignatius
Tagumpay Project 4
Ugong Norte Green Meadows, Corinthian
Villa Maria Clara Project 4
West Kamias
White Plains
District 4
Barangay Common / Former Name
Bagong Lipunan Crame Camp Crame / Santolan
Botocan
Central City Hall
Damayang Lagi QI
Don Manuel (Quezon)
Doña Aurora (Quezon)
Doña Imelda (Marcos)
Doña Josefa (Marcos)
Horseshoe
Immaculate Conception Betty Go Belmonte
Kalusugan E. Rodriguez Ave
Kamuning
Kristong Hari
Krus na Ligas Diliman
Laging Handa Boy Scout Area
Malaya
Mariana New Manila
Obrero Tomas Morato
Old Capitol Site Philcoa
Paligsahan Roces
Pinagkaisahan Ramon Magsaysay Cubao
Pinyahan Diliman
Roxas Project 1
Sacred Heart Boy Scout Area
San Isidro Galas Galas
San Martin de Pores Cubao
San Vicente Diliman
Sikatuna Village
South Triangle
Tatalon G. Araneta
Teacher’s Village East
Teacher’s Village West
U.P. Campus Diliman
U.P. Village Diliman
Valencia Gilmore
*East Triangle
(Undeclared Barangay) BIR
*QMC
(Undeclared Barangay) Circle
[edit]
Sub-divisions of the city
[edit]
Diliman
Diliman, located at the center of southern Quezon City, is where many government offices are located, including the City Hall. Diliman is also home to the main campus of the University of the Philippines. Far Eastern University's Institute of Technology (now FEU-FERN College) 15-hectare campus is located at the central portion of Diliman.
At Diliman's center lies the Quezon Memorial where Pres. Manuel L. Quezon is interred. The monument, encased in marble, is the highest structure in that part of the city. Running around the monument is the 2-kilometer Quezon Memorial Circle, also known as the Elliptical Road (R-7). The circle links Commonwealth (R-7), Visayas, Kalayaan, East, North, and Quezon Avenues (R-7). The last three avenues provide access to Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) (C-4), the main highway in Metro Manila.
The Quezon City Hall, one of the highest city halls in the country is located along the Circle. Surrounding the city hall are spacious parks and open areas. Some of the national government angencies whose head office is located in Diliman are the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Social Security Systems (SSS), the National Power Corporation, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvolcs), the National Computer Center (NCC), the Departments of Agriculture (DA), Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Surrounding the Circle are many important health centers and institutions. Along East Avenue stands the Philippine Heart Center, the East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC), the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, and the Philippine Mental Health Association. Along North Avenue is the Veteran's Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) and the Philippine Health Association. The Philippine Children's Medical Center and Lung Center of the Philippines is located along Quezon Avenue (R-7).
The University of the Philippines, Diliman (UPD) lies at the northwestern portion of Diliman occupying 4.92 km² of rolling land. See the University of the Philippines, Diliman (Campus section). Other schools are also located in the Diliman area.
Most of the rest of the area is devoted to residential purposes. Some villages in this portion of Diliman contain boarding houses where faculty and students of UPD stay.
[edit]
Commonwealth and Balara
North of Diliman lies the Commonwealth area, so-named because of Commonwealth Avenue (R-7) (also named Don Mariano Marcos Avenue)(R-7) which runs through its center. This is a primarily middle-class residential area home to many subdivisions (residential associations) such as Don Jose Heights and Dona Carmen Subdivision. Commonwealth Avenue could possibly be the widest road in the Philippines, where in some parts can stretch to as much as 12 lanes across.
At the heart of Commonwealth is the Batasang Pambansa (literally, National Lawmaking Center), which is where the country's House of Representatives holds its sessions. Many congressmen stay in houses in the surrounding subdivisions.
South of Commonwealth and east of Diliman is Balara. The area of Balara along Tandang Sora Avenue is relatively poor, while the outlying areas contain some of the richest subdivisions in the city. Capitol Hills Subdivision, Ayala Heights, and Ayala Hillside Estates are where many rich individuals live. Adjacent to Ayala Heights and Ayala Hillside Estates is the Capitol Hills Golf and Country Club, a popular golf course.
[edit]
Tandang Sora
This is located between Commonwealth to the east, North Ave to the south, Frisco to the west and Fairview-Sauyo to the north. It got its name from the Grand Old Lady of the Revolution, Melchora Aquino or Tandang Sora, whose remains lie on her own backyard now known as Himlayang Pilipino. The area is primarily residential with Projects 6 and 8 located here, as are other subdivisions. A large portion of Tandang Sora district is Barangay Bahay Toro, where a historic site of the Philippine Revolution known as Pugad Lawin is located. There are some industrial facilities especially near the Mindanao Avenue area. Culiat, a known Muslim compound is also to be found here.
AMA Computer University's central campus lies in the western portion of Project 8. Most of its students are studying information technology-related degrees.
[edit]
Loyola Heights
Loyola Heights, to the southeast of Diliman is Marikina City's gateway to Quezon City. The Aurora Boulevard (R-6) and Katipunan Avenue (C-5) provide easy access, but often experience traffic jams during rush hours.
The main campus of the Ateneo de Manila University is located in Loyola Heights. Beside the Ateneo is Miriam College.
Loyola Heights is an upper middle-class and rich residential area that caters to students of the Ateneo de Manila, U.P., and Miriam College, members of the schools' faculty and staff, and their families. La Vista Subdivision, north of the Ateneo, is a rich gated community where some of the top politicians in the country, including Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo live, as well as some of the country's old rich stay. Accessed through La Vista is Loyola Grand Villas, another gated community. Across Katipunan, the main thoroughfare of the area, are Varsity Hills and Xavierville, both upper middle-class subdivisions. Near these areas, and right beside La Vista, are some squatters' settlements, making the Loyola Heights area a place of mixed socio-economic classes.
[edit]
Cubao
Cubao, south of Diliman is an important commercial area. At its heart is the Araneta Center, along EDSA (C-4) and Aurora Boulevard (R-6). It contains a number of shopping malls catering to the middle-class Filipinos, such as the Ali Mall (named after the boxing legend Mohammad Ali), The Farmers Plaza, and the modern Gateway Mall. Department stores and retail centers can also be found here, such as Plaza Fair, Rustan's, Shopwise Supercenter, and Makro. At the center is Araneta Coliseum, often called the Big Dome. Many musical concerts, religious crusades, wrestling, ****-fighting and basketball games are held in this 50,000-capacity coliseum.
North from Araneta Center along EDSA (C-4) are numerous bus terminals. This is the area where many residents in Metro Manila go to in order to take bus rides to almost any point in Luzon as well as in the Visayas especially in Samar, Leyte, and Iloilo. It is also an intersection point for two of city's commuter trains (The EDSA MRT which travels from North to South, and the LRT-2 which runs from East to West).
[edit]
Libis
Located at the southeastern corner of Quezon City, Libis is one of the newly developed commercial areas in Quezon City. The Eastwood City Business Center was put up in the area. Several office and residential skyscrapers stand in Eastwood. Many local IT and consumer electronic firms are now located in Eastwood. Numerous bars and restaurants have been put up since 2000 along E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C-5). Many of which are open-air restaurants and coffee shops reminiscent of Paris boulevards, but with a modern architecture. With this, Libis is fast becoming one of the hippest areas for night entertainment, similar to the Malate and Ermita districts of Manila.
West of Libis are many high-end gated communities like Greenmeadows, White Plains, Corinthian Hills, and Corinthian Gardens. Further west are Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame. Camp Aguinaldo is the headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines while Camp Crame is the headquarters of the Philippine National Police.
Located in Greenmeadows is the Manila Philippines Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons or LDS). The Manila Philippines Temple was dedicated on September 25, 1984 as the 29th operating temple, to serve the half-a-million plus Filipino Mormons.
[edit]
Timog area
Surrounding Timog Avenue (South Avenue, Carlos P.Garcia Avenue ) and Tomas Morato Avenue is a popular entertainment area. Located along these two avenues are many fine-dining restaurants and bars. Discotheques, Karaoke joints and comedy bars provide patrons with all-night-long recreation. It is home to many gay bars such as Chicos, Adonis and Gigolo, which are popular for their lively night time entertainment.
In the South Triangle (the area bounded by Quezon Avenue (R-7), Timog Avenue ( South Avenue,Carlos P.Garcia , and EDSA) are located the head offices of ABS-CBN and GMA Network, the top TV media companies in the country. Most Filipino entertainment is produced here, and it is also the home of many Filipino celebrities.
Most of the streets in the surrounding area were named in honor of the 20 boy scouts who died in a plane crash en route to joining the 11th World Jamboree. A memorial stands in the center of a rotunda at the intersection of Timog and Tomas Morato avenues. Because of this, Timog area is also often called Scout Area. In fact, one of the barangays (small local government unit) in the area is called Laging Handa (always ready), the motto of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.
[edit]
Novaliches
The northern district is called Novaliches and is primarily residential. Its eastern portion is covered by the La Mesa Dam Watershed. The La Mesa Dam supplies much of northern Metro Manila's water supply. Adjacent to the watershed is the La Mesa Eco-Park, where you can stroll and unwind to Metro Manila's only forest space. Also located in the park are convention centers, picnic areas, swimming pools, an orchidarium, and a large lagoon for boating activities. It was also the site of the rowing and dragon boat events for the SEA (South East Asian) Games. Rowing is regularly done here.
Premier malls have been built recently in this area such as SM City Fairview, Robinsons Place Novaliches, Fairview Center Mall, colleges like FEU (Far Eastern University)-NRMF, AMA Computer College Fairview Campus, STI Computer Institute, NCBA (National College of Business and Arts), Montessori College; high schools like St. Theresa's School of Novaliches, Sacred Heart Academy, and many others.
The name Novaliches probably came from the surname of a Spanish governor general, Marquis de Novaliches. The town was once part of Rizal province before being ceded to Quezon City in the 1940's. This district is among the largest in the city, having shared boundaries with the two sections of Caloocan City, Valenzuela City, San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan and Montalban, Rizal. The oldest part of the city is in the town center, aptly named Novaliches Bayan. But because of population growth the density of people gradually widened reaching up the edge of the La Mesa Reservoir (Lagro and Fairview).
[edit]
Sta. Mesa Heights
Sta. Mesa Heights is said to be where many middle class and upper middle class families reside. Most of the areas in Sta. Mesa Heights are residential use. It is home to two prestigious institutions of learning, St. Theresa's College and Lourdes School.
[edit]
San Francisco Del Monte
It was once an independent town during the Spanish era, but was later absorbed when Quezon City was created and expanded. Today it is a heavily populated district. Although it contains many residential areas such as Barangay San Antonio, there are many industrial facilities here, mostly found along Judge Juan Luna street.
It was founded by a Spanish Friar by the name of St. Pedro Bautista, OFM on February 17, 1590. It was meant to be a place for retreat from the Intramuros in Manila. That is where the street name Retiro Now N.S Amoranto S.R. Avenue came from - the street that leads retreatants to a place of solitude nestled atop a hill. The church located in San Francisco del Monte was the first building of the area. The church is named after its benevolent Spanish friar and founder St. Pedro Bautista.
When it was first founded, it was around 2.5 km² in area. It reached what is currently Project 7 and 8 and all the way out to Timog Ave area. Currently the town is comprised of Brgy. Paraiso, Paltok, Mariblu, Damayan and Del Monte.
[edit]
Galas-Santol
The Galas-Santol District of Quezon City is located in its southwest border with the City of Manila. The primary dividing line within the people of various financial capabilities is Araneta Avenue (C-3). West of the avenue lies the residential corner of many of the poorest in the city. Shanties predominate the area here, stretching from Araneta Avenue to Galas, while east of the avenue features the palatial mansions of some of the richest. SM City Santa Mesa lies at the end of the avenue.
[edit]
The Project areas
The Project areas include Project 1 (presently Amoranto, Roces), Project 2,Project 3, Project 4, Project 5 (presently Kamias), Project 6, Project 7, and Project 8. These areas are among the first residential subdivisions in the city developed by former Philippine Presidents Quezon, Quirino and Marcos.
[edit]
Commerce and economy
The commercial center in Quezon city is found in Cubao were you can find different shopping malls and the Aurora Tower. There is a farmers plaza and farmers market. The oldest carnival in Metro Manila, the Fiesta carnival, is held here. You will also find the Araneta Coliseum, and a cinema.
[edit]
Transportation
Currently, two elevated light rail systems run through Quezon City. MRT 2 - at Aurora Blvd (R-6)connecting Santolan (Pasig City) and Claro M. Recto Avenue (Manila) . MRT 3 - at EDSA (C-4) from Taft Avenue (R-2 in Pasay City) until North Avenue.
An elevated rail transit system will be built in the next few years. It will begin near Claro M. Recto Avenue (C-1) in Manila turning to Espana Boulevard (R-7) and entering Quezon City by cutting through the entire stretch of Quezon Avenue (R-7) and Commonwealth Avenue (R-7) and turns again at Regalado Highway (R-7), making its final stop at Almar Zabarte in Caloocan City.
Public transportation within the city, like in most of the urban areas in the Philippines, is facilitated mostly using inexpensive jeepneys and buses. Tricycles give access to more rural or secluded areas, while Taxi cabs are used by the upper middle class to navigate any course.
[edit]
Communications
Quezon City's communication system is powered by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone company, Globe telecoms, Bayan Telecommunications Corporation and others. Cellular network in the Philippines particularly the Metropolitan areas is increasing rapidly together with the low cost of calls and text messaging. Such big companies that control the cellular networks in the Philippines and Quezon City itself are Globe Telecoms, Smart Communications (PLDT) and Sun Cellular from Digitel.
[edit]
Education
[edit]
Educational institutions
The city has several major educational institutions in the country. Two of the most well-known are the Ateneo de Manila University and the University of the Philippines-Diliman. It also houses some of the best medical schools of the Philippines including the Far Eastern University - Dr. Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation and the University of the East - Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center. Other institutions include AMA Computer University, Claret School, New Era University, exclusive school for girls such the School of the Holy Spirit, Miriam College, Stella Maris College and St. Theresa's College, the Diliman campus of the Philippine Science High School System, Quezon City Science High School, and the Saint Mary's College of Quezon City. And another educational instutution but just started college education last 2005: Saint Pedro Poveda College (formerly Poveda Learning Centre).
[edit]
Government
Like other cities in the Philippines, Quezon City is governed by a Mayor and Vice mayor elected to three-year terms. The Mayor is the executive head and leads the city's departments in executing the city ordinances and improving public services. The Vice mayor heads a legislative council consisting of 10 members. The council is in charge of creating the city's policies.
Quezon City, being a part of the Metro Manila region, has its mayor in the Metro Manila Council headed by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA). This council formulates development plans that seeks to solve the problems and improve the conditions in the metropolis.
Quezon city is divided into 142 barangays (the smallest local government units) which handle governance in a much smaller area. These barangays are grouped into four congressional districts where each district is represented by a congressman in the country's House of Representatives.
[edit]
History
Before Quezon City was created, small towns existed in its area. These were San Francisco del Monte, Novaliches, and Balintawak. In August 23, 1896, the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio declared a revolution against Spain in the house of Melchora Aquino in Pugad Lawin (now known as Bahay Toro, Project 8).
In the early 1900s, President Manuel L. Quezon dreamt of a city that would become the future capital of the country, replacing Manila. In 1938, President Quezon created People's Homesite Corp. and purchased 15.29 km² from the vast Diliman Estate of the Tuason Family. The National Assembly of the Philippine Commonwealth passed Commonwealth Act 502 known as the “Charter of Quezon City” originally proposed as Balintawak City, Assemblymen Narciso Ramos (father of President Fidel V. Ramos) and Ramon Mitra, Sr. (father of Speaker Ramon Mitra, Jr.) successfully lobbied the assembly to name the city after the incumbent president. President Quezon signed the bill into law on October 12, 1939, establishing Quezon City.
After the war, Republic Act No. 333 was signed by Elpidio Quirino on July 17, 1948 declaring Quezon City to be the republic's capital. On June 16, 1950, the City Charter was revised by Republic Act No. 537, extending the city's boundaries to its present area of 153.59 km². Baesa, Talipapa, San Bartolome, Pasong Tamo, Novaliches Poblacion, Banlat, Kabuyao, Pugad Lawin, Bagbag, Pasong Putik of the old Novaliches municipality cedes to Quezon City. The rest of the municipality cedes to Caloocan thus becoming North Caloocan.
On November 7, 1975 the promulgation of Presidential Decree No. 824 of President Ferdinand Marcos established Metro Manila. Quezon City became one of Metro Manila's 17 cities and municipalities. The next year, Presidential Decree No. 940 transferred the capital back to Manila on June 24, 1976.
On March 31, 1978, President Ferdinand Marcos ordered the transfer of the remains of President Manuel Quezon from the Manila North Cemetery to the erected Quezon Memorial Monument within the Quezon Elliptical Road.
On February 22, 1986, the Quezon City portion of the Epifanio de los Santos Avenue became the venue of the bloodless People Power Revolution.
On February 23, 1998, Republic Act. No. 8535 was signed by President Fidel Ramos. The Act provided for the creation of the City of Novaliches comprising the 15 northernmost barangays of Quezon City. However, in the succeeding plebiscite on October 23, 1999, an overwhelming majority of Quezon City residents rejected the secession of Novaliches.
Quezon City is the first local government in the Philippines with a computerized real estate assessment and payment system. The City government developed a database system that now contains around 400,000 property units with capability to record payments.
[edit]
Mayors
President Manuel L. Quezon acted as mayor from October 12 to November 4, 1939, pending the resignation from another position of his intended appointee, Tomas B. Morato. Since a president can, under Philippine government practice, hold multiple portfolios inferior to the position of president, Quezon took the position of mayor in a concurrent capacity. However, it is erroneous to view him as the first mayor, as a president holding a concurrent, lower, position is not listed in the roster of incumbents for those offices.
Mayor Starting Date Ending Date Vice-Mayor
Tomas B. Morato Nov 5, 1939 Dec 1942
Ponciano A. Bernardo Jan 1, 1947 April 29, 1949
Nicanor A. Roxas May 4, 1949 Jan 6, 1950
Ignacio Santos Diaz Jan 6, 1950 Dec 30, 1953
Norberto S. Amoranto Jan 1, 1954 Mar 31, 1976
Adelina S. Rodriguez Apr 1, 1976 Apr 13, 1986
Brigido R. Simon, Jr. Apr 20, 1986 June 30, 1992 Vicente Sotto III
Ismael A. Mathay, Jr. June 30, 1992 June 30, 2001 Charito Planas (1992-95)
Herbert Bautista (1995-98)
Connie Angeles (1998-2001)
Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr. June 30, 2001 present Herbert Bautista (2001-present)
[edit]
Congressional District Representatives
First Congressional District : Vincent "Bingbong" Crisologo
Second Congressional District : Annie Rosa Susano
Third Congressional District : Matias Defensor
Fourth Congressional District : Nanette Castelo Dazas
[edit]
Councilors
[edit]
District I
Bernadette C. Herrera-Dy
Elizabeth A. Delarmente
Victor V. Ferrer, Jr.
Francisco A. Calalay, Jr.
Rommel R. Abesamis
Joseph P. Juico
[edit]
District II/ Novaliches District
Winston T. Castelo
Aiko Melendez-Jickain
Cristian Dale Piñgol
Voltaire Godofredo L. Liban III
Eric Medina
Allan T. Francisco
Christember Pulido
Nymfa Pulido
[edit]
District III
Jorge B. Banal, Jr.
Franz S. Pumaren
Wencerom Benedict C. Lagumbay
Dante M. de Guzman
Julian M.L. Coseteng
Diorella Maria Sotto - De Leon
[edit]
District IV
Marcos Arroyo
Antonio E. Inton, Jr.
Alma F. Montilla
Janet M. Malaya
Restituto Malangen
The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere historically considered to consist of the continents of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions. The recent UN geoscheme divides the Americas (alphabetically) into Latin America and the Caribbean and Northern America.
The term is a relatively recent and less ambiguous alternative to the term America, which may refer to either the entire landmass or the colloquial name for the United States of America. The original usage to describe what is sometimes considered a single continent or supercontinent is deprecated for clarity, for which the Americas is used to collectively refer to the landmass and various regions of it. When used to describe a single landmass, analogous terms to America or (the) Americas are Eurasia, which consists of Europe and Asia collectively, and Eurafrasia, which is Eurasia and Africa.
Contents [hide]
1 Naming of America
2 Usage
2.1 America/Americas
2.2 American
2.2.1 English usage
2.2.2 Spanish usage
3 Demography
3.1 Ethnology
3.2 Languages
4 Notes
5 Sources
6 See also
7 External links
[edit]
Naming of America
World Map of Waldseemüller which first named America, Germany, 1507The earliest known use of the name America for this particular landmass dates from 1507. It appears on a globe and a large map created by the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. An accompanying book, Cosmographiae Introductio, explains that the name was derived from the Latinized version of the explorer Amerigo Vespucci's name, Americus Vespucius, in its feminine form, America, as the other continents all have Latin feminine names.
Vespucci's role in the naming issue, like his exploratory activity, is unclear and most probably a tale. Some sources say that he was unaware of the widespread use of his name to refer to the new landmass. Others hold that he promulgated a story that he had made a secret voyage westward and sighted land in 1491, a year before Columbus. If he did indeed make such claims, they backfired, and only served to prolong the ongoing debate on whether the "Indies" were really a new land, or just an extension of Asia.
However, as Dr. Basil Cottle (Author, Dictionary of Surnames, 1967) points out, new countries or continents are never named after a person's first name, always after their second name. Thus, America should really have become Vespucci Land or Vespuccia if the Italian explorer really gave his name to the continent. Christopher Columbus, who had first brought the continents' existence to the attention of Renaissance era voyagers, had died in 1506 (believing, to the end, that he'd discovered and colonized part of India) and could not protest Waldseemüller's decision.
Map of America by Jonghe, c. 1770.A few alternative theories regarding the landmass' naming have been proposed, but none of them has achieved any widespread acceptance.
One alternative, first advanced by Jules Marcou in 1875 and later recounted by novelist Jan Carew, is that the name America derives from the district of Amerrique in Nicaragua. The gold-rich district of Amerrique was purportedly visited by both Vespucci and Columbus, for whom the name became synonymous with gold. According to Marcou, Vespucci later applied the name to the New World, and even changed the spelling of his own name from Alberigo to Amerigo to reflect the importance of the discovery.
Another theory, first proposed by a Bristol antiquary and naturalist, Alfred Hudd, in 1908 was that America is derived from Richard Amerike, a merchant from Bristol, who is believed to have financed John Cabot's voyage of discovery from England to Newfoundland in 1497 as found in some documents from Westminster Abbey a few decades ago. Supposedly, Bristol fishermen had been visiting the coast of North America for at least a century before Columbus' voyage and Waldseemüller's maps are alleged to incorporate information from the early English journeys to North America. The theory holds that a variant of Amerike's name appeared on an early English map (of which however no copies survive) and that this was the true inspiration for Waldseemüller.
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Usage
CIA map of the Americas[edit]
America/Americas
In many parts of the world, America in the singular is commonly used as a colloquial name for the United States of America; however, (the) Americas (plural with s and generally with the definite article) is not and is invariably used to refer to the lands and regions of the Western hemisphere. Usage of America to also refer to this collectivity remains fairly common.
While many in the United States of America generally refer to the country as America and themselves as Americans,[1] many individuals elsewhere in the Americas resent what they perceive as appropriation of the term in this context and, thus, this usage is frequently avoided. In Canada, their southern neighbour is seldom referred to as "America" with "the United States", "the U.S.", or (informally) "the States" used instead.[2] Numerous English dictionaries and compendiums differ regarding usage and rendition.[1][2]
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American
Main article: Use of the word American
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English usage
Whether usage of America or the Americas is preferred, American is a self-referential term for many people living in all of America. However, most of the English-speaking world (including Canada) uses the word to refer solely to a citizen, resident, or national of the United States of America.
In addition, some Canadians resent being referred to as Americans because of mistaken assumptions that they are U.S. citizens or an inability—particularly of people overseas—to distinguish Canadian English and American English accents.[2]
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Spanish usage
Calling a U.S. citizen simply americano or americana in Spanish is considered offensive by many Latin-Americans (estadounidense for both males and females is the correct spanish word). Some will use the word "yanki" or "gringo" to refer to people from the United States in colloquial speech.
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Demography
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Ethnology
The American population made up of the descendents of three large ethnic groups and their combinations: the native inhabitants of the Americas, being Amerindians, Eskimos, and Aleuts; Europeans, mainly Spanish, English, Irish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German and Dutch; and black Africans. There are also more recent immigrants, such as from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Asia.
The majority of the people live in Latin America, named for its dominant languages, Spanish and Portuguese, both of which are descended from Latin. Latin America is typically contrasted with Anglo-America where English, a Germanic language, prevails: namely, Canada and the United States (in Northern America) have predominantly British roots and are quite different in terms of linguistical, cultural, and economic situation from other countries in the America.
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Languages
Various languages are spoken in the Americas. Some are of the European origin, others are spoken by indigenous peoples or are the mixture of various idioms like the different creoles.
The dominant language of Anglo-America, as the name suggests, is English, though French is also official in Canada and is the predominant language in the Canadian province of Quebec, as well as being spoken widely in parts of other provinces and in the U.S. state of Louisiana, where it is also official. Due to heavy immigration from Latin America to the south, Spanish has become widely spoken in much of the United States and is official in the U.S. state of New Mexico. High levels of immigration have brought great linguistic diversity to Anglo-America, with over 300 languages known to be spoken in the United States alone, but most languages are spoken only in small enclaves and by relatively small immigrant groups.
The dominant language of Latin America is Spanish, though the largest nation in Latin America, Brazil, predominantly speaks Portuguese. Small enclaves of French- and English-speaking regions also exist in Latin America, notably in French Guiana and along Nicaragua's Mosquito Coast, respectively, and Haitian Creole, of French origin, is dominant in the nation of Haiti. Native languages are more prominent in Latin America than in Anglo-America, with Nahuatl, Quechua, Aymara and Guaraní as the most common. Various other native languages are spoken with lesser frequency across both Anglo-America and Latin America. Creole languages other than Haitian Creole are also spoken in parts of Latin America.
The nations of Guyana, Suriname and Belize are generally considered not to fall into either Anglo-America or Latin America due to lingual differences with Latin America and geographic and cultural differences with Anglo-America; English is the primary language of Guyana and Belize, and Dutch is the primary language of Suriname.
Spanish - spoken by approximately 360 million in many nations, regions, islands, and communities throughout the two continents.
English - spoken by approximately 325 million people in the United States, Canada, Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas, Bermuda, Guyana and many islands of the Caribbean.
Portuguese - spoken by approximately 185 million in Brazil
French - spoken by approximately 12 million in Canada (mainly in Quebec), the Caribbean (Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique); in French Guiana; and in Acadiana (a francophone area in southern Louisiana, United States).
Antillean Creole - spoken by approximately 1.2 million in the Eastern Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Dominica, Saint Lucia) and French Guiana.
Haitian Creole - creole language, based in French and various African languages, spoken by 7.8 million in Haiti.
Guaraní (avañe'ẽ) - native language spoken by approximately 6 million people in Paraguay, and regions of Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil.
Nahuatl - native language of central Mexico with 1.5 million speakers.
Mapudungun (or Mapuche) - native language spoken by approximately 440,000 people in Chile and Argentina.
Cree - Cree is the name for a group of closely-related Algonquian languages spoken by approximately 50,000 speakers across Canada
Inuit - native language traditionally spoken across the North American Arctic and to some extent in the subarctic in Labrador.
Aymará - native language spoken in the Andes, especially in Bolivia.
Dutch - spoken in the Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, and Suriname
Quiché and other Maya languages - native languages spoken in Guatemala and southern Mexico.
Quechua - native language spoken in southern Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile, and northwest Argentina.
Navajo- native language spoken in the Southwest U.S. on the Navajo Nation (Indian reservation), Arizona. The tribe's isolation until the early 1900s provided a language used in a military code in World War II.
Cherokee- native language spoken in a small corner of Oklahoma, U.S. The use of this language has rebounded in the late 20th century and are known to possessed its' own alphabet, the Cherokee syllabary.
In Argentina, two towns of Trelew and Rawson were settled by Welsh immigrants in the late 1800's and the Welsh language remains alive by the towns' older residents.
Some descendants of the Pennsylvania Dutch in the Northeast U.S. state speak a local form of the German language dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, as they strive to preserve an American heritage.
Most of the non-native languages have, to different degrees, evolved differently from the mother country, but are usually still mutually intelligible. Some have combined though, which has even resulted in completely new languages, such as Papiamentu, which is a combination of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch (representing the respective colonisers), native Arawak, various African languages and, more recently, English. Because of immigration, there are many communities where other languages are spoken from all parts of the world, especially in the United States, Brazil, Argentina and Canada, four very important destinations for immigrants.
African Americans in the Southern U.S., although are English-speaking, had an unique dialect spoken by some members in their communities known as Ebonics. General usage of Ebonics declined in the 20th century, but it has an impact on American pop culture like in music genres of jazz, rhythm and blues, Motown, hip hop and rock and roll.
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Notes
^ Burchfield, R. W. 2004. Fowler's Modern English Usage. (ISBN 0-19-861021-1) Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press; p. 48.
^ a b Fee, Margery and McAlpine, J. 1997. Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage. (ISBN 0-19-541619-8) Toronto: Oxford University Press; p. 36.
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Sources
"Americas". The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online. 2006. New York: Columbia University Press.
"Americas". Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th ed. 1986. (ISBN 0-85229-434-4) Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Burchfield, R. W. 2004. Fowler's Modern English Usage. (ISBN 0-19-861021-1) Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Fee, Margery and McAlpine, J. 1997. Oxford Guide to Canadian English Usage. (ISBN 0-19-541619-8) Toronto: Oxford University Press.
Pearsall, Judy and Trumble, Bill., ed. 2002. Oxford English Reference Dictionary, 2nd ed. (rev.) (ISBN 0-19-860652-4) Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
What's the difference between North, Latin, Central, Middle, South, Spanish and Anglo America? Geography at about.com.
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See also
Americas (terminology)
Use of the word American
American: the many uses of the word American
New World
João Pessoa, known as the city where the sun comes first, is the easternmost point of the Americas, at 34º 47' 38" west longitude and 7º 9' 28" south latitude.
La Merika
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External links
The Naming of America
Organization of American State[3]
America noviter delineata / M. Merian, fecit. 1633 Map of North and South America, hosted by the Portal to Texas History.
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