BEST TIME TO VISIT PHILIPPINES

The Philippines is another world’s largest (ranked 7th. in the world) archipelago country in Southeast Asia with more than 7 thousand islands located in between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea at the very eastern edge of Asia. The location of the Philippines on the Pacific Ring of Fire and near the equator makes the country prone to earthquakes and typhoons but also endows it with abundant natural resources and some of the greatest biodiversity in the world. Generally, the islands are grouped into 3 main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Luzon is Philippines’s largest and most populated island. It is ranked 15th largest in the world by land area. Located in the northern part of the archipelago, it is the nation’s economic and political hub, home to Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and Quezon City, the most populous city in the country. Visayas is situated in the central part of the archipelago; it consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are also considered the northeast extremity of the entire Sulu Sea. Its inhabitants are predominantly the Visayan peoples. Mindanao, also commonly known as Southern Philippines, is the second-largest island in the Philippines.

The Philippines has a population estimated at more than 109 million with official national language Filipino (Tagalog).  As a unique blend of East and West in appearance and culture, its people have evolved from its long history of Western influence, 377 years by the Spaniards and 49 years by the Americans. 

The Spaniards introduced Roman Catholicism and managed to convert the vast majority of Filipinos. At least 83 per cent of the population belongs to their Catholic Roman faith. The Philippines is one of only two countries in Asia, with a Roman Catholic majority (the other is East Timor). Filipinos lead the bunch of English-proficient Asian people today and English is considered as a second language. When it was an American territory, English was largely taught to the Filipino people.

• Main airport:Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL)
• Country Code: +63 
• Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP)
• Time Zone:  GMT+8