THE PHILIPPINE AS A UNIQUE NATION
latitude 423 and 2125 north and longitude 116 and 127
Nationalistic perspective of a nation without destiny or dignity breeds
bitterness, which does not lead to good citizenship. Patriotism, or the
love of the country comes from a balanced appreciation of all the
factors which make the history of the country, and that includes both
good and bad aspects of the past. Thus we should study not only the
sordid parts of our nation’s history, but also its magnificent heritage.
Coming from over 400 years of recorded history and its unique
position in the world.
Unique in the world of all Nation due to the ff. reason
1. Religion-The Philippines was serve a Christianity’s
2. Political history-first nation to achieve by revolution and establish
a republic led by Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898-1901
3. Cultural heritage-Filipinos easily accept and adjust to any culture
our openness to outsiders enable us to understand and be
understood by others nation easily.
GEOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES
-It is geography-Dr. Harry E. Barnes “which gives individuality to
nation and produces the variety of customs and occupation, which
are a product of man’s reaction to different environment .Philippine:
The name of an Evangelist
-St. Philip, after whom King Philip was named was a great Christian
layman of the first century one of the most powerful among the
ancient tribes on the horn of Africa, become Christianized.
-Thus over the years, the humble waiter Philip has been known as
Philip the Evangelist.
THREE FACTORS IN HISTORY
1. Land
2. People
3. The wisdom and sovereignty of God, the Lord of history, Pres.
Manuel L. Quezon “has been so generous with the Filipino
people that he has given us one of the most beautiful, one of the
richest countries upon the face of the earth.
THE NAME OF THE PHILIPPINES
“Filipinas” was given to the archipelago in 1593 by the ill- starred
Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez de Villalobos in honor of the Prince
Felipe (Philip)of Austria, later become Philip II( The great king of
Spain) The “Felipinas “or “Filipinas” Anglicized to “Philippine island”
during the American colonial and become “Republic of the
Philippine” after decolonization in 1946 .
The Philippine was already known to the early Chinese and
geographers .Sino-Philippine contact to 3rd century A.D and the
name “ma-yi” appears in Sung Dynasty sources in 982 A.D,Chau Ju
–Ku,Mai, Another traveler pre-hispanic Sino writer, Wang Ta-yuan in
1349 wrote his travel ,Ma-i “Mintolang”(Mindoro),Malilu (Manila) Sulu
and Pishoye (Visayas) Ma-i island of Mindoro in Luzon.
 Modern authors have garlanded the Philippines with another
names “Germs of the East”, “Emerald Island “,”Treasure Island
of the pacific”, “Isles of hope”, ”Orphans of the pacific” and
“Land of the morning”.
 Location: Little above the equator in Southeast Asia between
east.
 Area: The Philippine archipelago of 7100 island with total area
of 115,707 square miles almost as large Italy, larger than New
Zealand , twice as big as Greece and very much larger than
Britain
 The larger island in the Philippines is (40,814 sq. miles) Which
is bigger than Hungry or Portugal .Mindanao, the second largest
island (36,906 sq. miles) is bigger than Austria.
“PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEA”
In 1871, one hundred years later Manuel de Arcarraga Y Palmero
wrote the, The capital of our colony become therefore, a few years
after the conquest, an emporium of wealth which by its commercial
prosperity,” Pearl of the Orient, later on Sept.24, 1892 Dr. Jose Rizal
published an article in the Hongkong Telegraph in which he called his
native country the “Pearl of the Orient”.
PHYSICAL FEATURES
 The Philippine is a rugged land of mountains and plains , bays ,
lakes ,rivers , waterfalls ,valleys ,and volcanoes .The highest
mountain us Mt. Apo(9600 feet high) in Mindanao .The lowest
spot in the world is the “Philippine Deep ” situated off the pacific
coast of archipelago .It is 37,782 feet deep or 2,142 feet lower
than the “Marianas Deep”(35,640 feet deep)
 Between Samar and Leyte is the picturesque San Juanico
Straight” the narrowest straight in the world’.
 The largest plains is the central plain in Luzon. It is famously
known as the Rice Granary of the Philippine .The Cagayan
Valley also in Luzon is Asia’s greatest Tabaco producing region
.It is drained by the Cagayan River, Longest River in the
Philippine, near in Manila is the picturesque Laguna de Bay the
largest lake in the country.
CLIMATE
 Philippine climate is tropically warm, but healthful.
 There are two distinct seasons, the dry and the wet seasons.
 The intervening months of the year Nov.-Feb. are neither too dry
nor too wet. It is the Philippines springtime a delightful season of
the year.
TYPHOONS
 Terrible typhoons (strong winds and heavy rains)
 Starting in 1963 Philippine typhoon were given native names
alphabetical order.
EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES
 The Philippine perches precariously on the so-called “ring of
fire” of the pacific which means the country is rocked from time
to time by earthquakes seismic tremors and volcanic eruption.
 Mayon Volcano
 Mt. Pinatubo
FAUNA
 The Philippine abounds in animal life.
 The largest eagle in the world, called Monkey-eating eagle
(Pithecopaga jefferyn) in jungle of Luzon and Mindanao.
 Kalaw which the Spanish colonizers called “The clock of the
mountains “
FOUR UNIQUE ANIMALS IN THE WORLD
 Tamaraw (Bubalus Mindorensis) Mindoro
 Tarsier (Tarsuis) Bohol
 Mouse deer (Pilandut) Palawan
 Zebronkey, Manila Zoo in 1962
 Giant moth (Attacus Atlas)-largest phil.insect which has a wing
span of one foot.
FLORA
 Sampaguita, milky white camia ,Dama de noche (Lady of the
night),Cadena de amor ,(Chain of love), Romantic gardenia,
banaba,kamuning,kakawate,Bougainvillea.
 Pungapong-Mindanao
FOREST AND FOREST WEALTH
 Forest are one of the rich natural resources of the Philippines.
 NARRA –Philippine national tree
- (Pterocarpus indicus)
-Queen of Philippine tree
FISH AND FISH WEALTH
 2,000 species of fish are found in Philippine waters.
 Whale shark (Rhineodon typus)50 feet or more length
 Mariveles Manila bay in 1816, Pating bulik (stripped shark)
 Pandaka Pygmea (dwarf pygmy), Malabon river (1925) 9.66
mm.
 3 mm. smaller than famous “Sinarapan” (Mistichtos
Luzonensis), Buhi Camarines Sur.
 The rarest and most expensive shell “Glory of the Sea” (connus
gloriamaris) is found in the Phil.
The Pearl of Allah
 -world largest pearl was found in the Phil., in 1934 at the
Palawan sea by a Muslim diver 9 ½ x 5½ inches and 14 lbs. and
worth 3.5 million US Dollar.
MINERAL AND MINERAL WEALTH
 -The country has reach deposit of gold ,silver ,iron , copper, lead
manganese, zinc ,and other metals ,as well as coal, cement ,
salt , asphalt asbestos, gypsum, clay, marble, and other non-
metallic minerals.
The Image of the Filipino A melting pot of peoples and Cultures
 Filipinos whom grew up after the Second World War easily
recall that there was deemed a model of Asian republic, and our
people highly admired by the Asians. Filipinos established the
first bank in Asia, universities and colleges, newspaper, public
health system and other innovation.
ENERGY RESOURCES
 The government anticipated the development of hydro-electric
power from the many rivers and waterfalls in the island, In
addition to the hydro dams, geothermal energy has been tapped
from the numerous hot springs in Luzon and Visayas.
SCENIC BEAUTIES NATURAL WOODS
 World famous are the Banuae Ifugao Rice Terraces in north
Luzon. Build in more than 2000 yrs. ago by the hardly Ifugao
farmers.
-Mount Mayon in Albay Province, Southern Luzon
-Taal volcano at the center of taal lake in Batangas
THE FILIPINO NATION
 According to H. Otley Beyer, the proportion of racial mixture in
the Filipinos is as follows.
 Negrito 10%,Indonesian 30% , Malay 40% ,Chinese 10%, Indian
8%, European and American 3% and Arab 2% .
 In Spanish “ Filipino” was the first used to defined a Spaniard
who was born in the island or “ Indio”(a non-Spaniard) or “
mestizo” or “castila”(came from Spain or new world ).In
American colonial era “Filipino”, Modern Filipinos who like to
make fun on word refer to themselves as “Pinoys”.
 The vast majority of Filipino consist of
 Tagalog, Visayans, Ilocanos, Bicolanos, Pampanguenos,
Pangasinense, Ibanags (Cagayans) and zambals.
PHILIPPINE NATION
 60million
 The majority of Filipinos are young those below 15 yrs. of age
alone make up 44%of the population.
 Another important features of the population is the migration of
many talented and hardworking Filipinos to other countries to
seek a better life.
A NATION OF MANY LANGUAGES
 -According to the findings of the summer institute of Linguistic
of the University of North Dakota (Dr. Richard P. Pittman).there
are 55 languages and 142 dialect in the Phil.
MOST LITERATE NATION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
 Passionate love of the Filipinos for education
FILIPINO WOMEN
 Filipino women enjoy the greatest freedom and the highest
status among the women of Asia. Economically, Politically and
Socially.
FILIPINO CHARACTER TRAITS
 Like all peoples in earth, Filipinos have bad and good characters
traits. Filipinos are inveterately extravagant. Filipinos are
fatalistic in their outlook in life. They tend to believe that
whatever happens, good or bad, is due to fate (tadhana).
- Most admirable of the character traits of the Filipino is their
proverbial hospitality.
- Gratitude “ utang na loob” (dept of honor)
- They are highly intelligent
- Bravest people on earth
- The Filipino are also noted for their adaptability
, endurance and resiliency
ASIAN ONLY CHRISTIAN
 Over 90% of Filipinos are Christians and the rest Muslim, Iglesia
ni Kristo (a local church or other beliefs which do not
acknowledge Jesus as God)
OUR EARLY ANCESTORS
Ages before the coming of the white men to the Asian world, our
Filipino ancestors had their own culture and life-style, which included
their customs, society, government and laws, writing and language,
literature, music, religion, superstitious beliefs, economy and arts and
sciences. All these things, in the course of time, became the Asian
heritage of the Filipino people.
The Barangays- when the first Spaniards arrived in the 16th century,
they were surprised to see the early Filipinos having a civilization of
their own and living in a well-organized independent villages called
barangays. The name barangay originated from balangay, a malay
word meaning sailboat. Evidently, our seafaring ancestors named
their village after their sailboats.
Houses and Dwellings- the ancient Filipinos lived in houses in the
barangay. These houses were made of wood and bamboo, roofed by
nipa palm leaves and were called bahay kubo (nipa hut). Each house
had a bamboo ladder that could be drawn up at night or when the
family was out. It also had a gallery, called batalan, were big water
jars were kept for bathing and washing purposes.
Food and Drinks- the staple food of the early Filipinos was rice.
Aside from rice, their food consisted of carabao meat, pork, chickens,
sea turtles, fish, bananas, and other fruits and vegetables. They
cooked their food in earthen pots or in bamboo tubes. They ate with
their fingers, using the banana plants as plates and the coconut
shells as a drinking cups.
Mode of Dressing- long before the coming of Spaniards the early
Filipinos were already wearing clothes. They were not naked
savages like Old Stone Age people in Europe or America. The men
wore collarless, short-sleeved jacket called kangan and strip of cloth
called bahag, wrapped around the waist and in between the legs.
The woman wore wide-sleeved jacket called baro. Their skirt was
called patadyong a piece of cotton cloth which they wrapped around
their waists and let fall to their feet.
Tattoos- the early Filipinos tattooed their bodies with various designs
representing animals, birds, flowers and geometric figures. The
tattoos served two purposes: (1) to enhance their bodily beauty, and
(2) to show their war record. The more men a warrior had killed in a
battle, the more tattooed he was. The women were less tattooed than
men. The children were not tattooed at all.
Cleanliness and Neatness- Our Filipino ancestors were clean and
neat in their personal habits. They bathed daily. Their favorite hour
for bathing in the river was at sunset when they had finished their
daily toil. They washed their hair regularly with gogo and water. They
anointed it with coconut oil and other lotions. They chewed buyo
which made their teeth colored but strong.
Family life- The family was the basis of society in ancient
Philippines. Family ties then, as they are today, were close and
strong. The children were given considerable attention, affection, and
discipline by their parents. They were trained to be loyal to the
ancestral gods, to respect elders, to love their parents and to obey
the datu and barangay laws.
Society and Social Classes- Pre-Spanish society was divided into
three social classes: (1) Nobles, (2) Freemen and (3) Slaves. The
nobles, called maharlika, constituted the barangay aristocracy, the
highest social class. The freemen, called timawas, constituted the
middle class in the barangay. The slaves, called alipin, belonged to
the lowest social class. The causes of slavery in Pre-Spanish
Philippines were: (1) birth, (2) captivity in war, (3) purchase, (4)
failure to pay debts and (5) penalty for crimes committed.
Emancipation of Slaves- in Pre-Spanish times a Filipino slave could
emancipate himself and become a freeman. The various ways of
emancipation were as follows: (1) marriage, (2) purchase and (3)
voluntary action of the master.
Kinds of Slaves- among the ancient Tagalogs, there were two kinds
of slaves: (1) aliping pamamahay and (2) aliping saguiguilid.
Woman’s Position in Early Society- Women occupied a high
position in ancient Philippines. Tribal laws and customs recognized
them as the equal of men. They could own and inherit property. They
could in trade and industries. Many women became famous in song
and story.
Amusements- The early Filipinos were not always busy fighting or
working. They also had their leisure time. They held banquets to
celebrate a good harvest, a wedding, a religious sacrifice and a
victory in war.
Music- The early Filipinos were lovers of music. They had various
musical instruments and numerous dances and songs for different
occasions. Among their musical instruments were the kudyapi,
Tagalog guitar; the kalaleng, Tinggian nose-flute: the kulintang,
muslim xylophone; the tultogan, Ilocano, Visayan bamboo drum; the
silbay, Ilocano reed plute; and the suracan, subanun cymbal.
Marriage Customs- It was customary among ancient Filipinos to
marry within their rank that is for noble man to marry a free woman
and a slave man to marry a slave woman. Early Filipinos practiced
divorced. The grounds for divorce were: (1) adultery on the part of
the wife; (2) desertion on the part of the husband; (3) loss of
affection; (4) cruelty (5) insanity and (6) childlessness.
Barangay Government- the Barangay of Pre-Spanish Philippines
were virtually independent village-kingdoms like the city states of
ancient Mesopotamia. Each Barangay was ruled by a chieftain or
king called datu. The rules of bigger barangay kingdoms assumed
the title of raha, hari or lakan.
Barangay Relations- The ancient barangay had peaceful relations
among them. They carried on trade and communication with one
another persons of one Barangay married in other Barangays also
concluded treaties of alliance and friendship with each other, sealed
by the traditional ceremony of the blood compact called sandugo
(one blood).
Laws- The early Filipinos had both oral and written laws. The oral
laws were their customs (ugali) which had been handed down orally
from generation to generation. According to legend, the lawgiver in
Pre-Spanish Philippines was a woman named lubluban, the great
grand-daughter of the first woman in the world.
Religion- with the exception of the moros (Muslims) in Mindanao and
Sulu, the early Filipinos were Pagans their supreme God was
Bathala, creator of heaven and men. Below him were the other Gods
and Goddesses. They also worshipped nature – rivers, mountains,
old trees, crocodiles and fields. Burial and
Mourning Customs- Because of their belief in the next world, the
early Filipinos took great care in burying their dead. During the period
of mourning the relatives of the dead wore rattan bands around their
weeks, arms, and legs; used white garments; and abstained from
eating meat and drinking wine. Mourning from a dead man was
called maglahe; for a dead woman, morotal; and for a datu, larao.
When the datu died a herald the event and the larao was then
observed. No colored clothes were worn by the grieving people.
Superstition- they believed in the magical powers of amulet, anting-
anting and gaguma. Many of the superstitious belief Pamahiin
survive to the present day like; a pregnant woman should not eat twin
bananas otherwise she will give birth to twins.
Languages- The early Filipinos had different languages and dialects.
“There is no single or general language of the Filipinos. Each of them
have different mother tongues”
Calendars- the Ifugaos still use the calendar of their ancestors. It
contains 13 months in year, each month having 28 days. The Ifugaos
have a tribal calendar recorder called tumunoh, who keeps 13 strings
representing the 13 months of the year.
Domestic and Foreign Trade- Domestic trade existed in ancient
Philippines. Barangay traded with barangay, island with island.
According to Captain Miguel de Loarca, the Filipinos of the inland
region exchanged their rice and cotton for fish, salt and other sea
products raised by the dwellers of the coastal district.
Coinage and Gold Coins- It is interesting to note that the early
Filipinos knew the art of Coinage and had gold coins which they used
as a medium of exchange in their business transactions among
themselves and with foreign traders.
Agriculture and Industries- Farming was the main industry of
ancient Filipinos. Two methods of cultivation were used by the
farmers. The first method was the kaingin method in which the land
was cleared by setting fire to the shrubs and buses, after which holes
were bored in the grounds with pointed sticks and seed were the
planted there. The second method was the regular means of tillage
using method plows and harrows drawn by carabaos. In some
regions, irrigation was used to increase production as evidenced by
the famous Ifugao terraces of Northern Luzon.

Writing- The ancient Filipinos had their own system of writing.

Almost all of them knew how to read and write. Their alphabet called
baybayin, originated from the Asokan Alphabet in India.

Literature- The early Filipinos had both oral and written literature.
Fortunately, their oral literature which has been handed down from
generation to generation is still preserved as a priceless heritage of
the race.

Education- The children in ancient Philippines were given the

rudiments of education. Such education was both academic and
vocational.

Arts- Architecture in Pre-Spanish Philippines was expressed in the

bahay kubo and the early painting was the tattoo. The sculpture was
manifested in the anito statues of stone, wood and gold made by
tribal carvers.

Sciences- Although their medical lore was associated with magic,

early Filipinos had some knowledge of medicine. They knew the
curative power of many medical plants. There were herbalism who
were experts in the use of poisons.

Weights and Measures- They used the talaro for weighing things,
which was a kind of balance with scales. Their measures of capacity
were the kaban (25 gantas), the salop (1 ganta), the kaguitna (one-
half ganta) and gatang (one chupa). Their measures for length were
the dipa, the length of the outstretched arms, the tumuro, the length
between the tip of the thumb and that of the forefinger when
extended; the sandamak, the width of the hand with the 5 fingers
press together, and the sandali, the width of one finger.