Geography Now! Philippines

Summary

This video script offers a vibrant journey through the Philippines, highlighting its unique blend of cultures, rich history, and diverse geography. From its tropical archipelago and bustling cities to its lively people and flavorful cuisine, the script paints a picture of a nation that is both joyful and resilient. It delves into the country's ethnic diversity, economic progress, and cultural quirks, while also addressing current challenges and the菲律宾' remarkable spirit of community and resilience.

Takeaways

• 😄 The Philippines is often characterized as a jolly and happy country with a rich cultural heritage.
• 🌏 Known as an archipelago, the Philippines consists of over 7,000 islands, with about 2,000 inhabited, making it the largest island nation without land borders with another nation.
• 🏙️ Manila is the capital and part of the densely populated National Capital Region, while Davao City and Cebu are the largest cities outside of this region.
• 🛫 Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila is the country's busiest airport, serving as a major hub for the entire National Capital Region.
• 🏝️ The Philippines is prone to natural events due to its location on the Ring of Fire, with numerous active volcanoes and frequent typhoons.
• 🐠 The country boasts incredible marine biodiversity, being home to the world's largest level of marine biodiversity and a high rate of new animal discoveries.
• 📈 Economically, the Philippines is transitioning from an agricultural to a service and manufacturing-based economy, with a growing GDP and influence on the global stage.
• 🍲 Filipino cuisine is diverse and region-specific, with popular dishes like adobo, lumpia, and sinigang, and a unique fast-food culture exemplified by Jollibee.
• 👥 The Philippines has a large population with over 175 ethno-linguistic groups, and it is one of the largest diaspora populations worldwide.
• 🏛️ The country's history is marked by periods of indigenous civilizations, Spanish colonization, American occupation, and a transition from agricultural to industrial society.
• 🤝 Internationally, the Philippines maintains close ties with ASEAN nations, the USA, and South Korea, reflecting historical and cultural influences.

Q & A

What is the Philippines' stance on being considered part of Asia or the Pacific Islands?

The Philippines is an interesting country with a dichotomy between labels. Filipinos might give contrasting answers when asked if they consider themselves Asian or Pacific Islanders, as some might prefer to identify as Pacific Islanders.

What is the geographical significance of the Philippines?

The Philippines is a tropical archipelago of over 7,000 islands, with about 2,000 inhabited. It is the largest island nation without any land borders or shared island territory with another nation, located in Southeast Asia.

What are the main regions of the Philippines?

The Philippines is generally divided into three main island cluster regions: Luzon in the north, where the capital Manila is located, Visayas in the center, and Mindanao in the south. The country is also made up of 17 regions, including the autonomous Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

What are some of the notable territorial disputes involving the Philippines?

The Philippines has territorial disputes over the state of Sabah in Malaysia on North Borneo and the Spratly Islands, a complex issue involving several nations' claims in the area.

What is the economic status of the Philippines?

The Philippines is considered a newly industrialized nation, transitioning from an agricultural-based system to a service and manufacturing base. It is one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia and ranks as the 34th largest economy in the world.

What are some popular Filipino dishes?

Popular Filipino dishes include adobo, lumpia, and sinigang. Other well-known meals are lechon, a whole roasted pig, and sinigang, a tamarind-based soup.

What is the cultural influence of Spanish colonization on the Philippines?

Spanish colonization has greatly influenced Filipino culture, with the majority of the population being Catholic and many Filipino words having Spanish roots. Traditional costumes and customs also show Spanish influence.

How does the Philippines compare to other countries in terms of marine biodiversity?

The Philippines has the largest level of marine biodiversity in the world and the highest rate of animal discovery on the planet, with 16 new mammal species discovered in the past decade alone.

What are some of the challenges the Philippines faces in terms of current events and issues?

The Philippines faces challenges such as human trafficking, drug trade issues, and the Moro conflict and insurgency in the predominantly Muslim Mindanao region.

What is the significance of the term 'Pinoy' in the Philippines?

The term 'Pinoy' is synonymous with something that is Filipino. It is a common term used to refer to Filipino people or things related to the Philippines.

How does the Philippines' relationship with the United States and South Korea compare?

The Philippines has close ties with both the United States and South Korea. The U.S. has been a significant influence due to its colonial history, while South Korea is considered a close friend since the 20th century, with strong diplomatic and cultural ties.

Outlines

00:00

😄 Introduction to the Philippines and Personal Narrative

The video script begins with a personal anecdote about overcoming challenges and introduces the Philippines as a joyful and fun-loving nation. The narrator, Ken, shares his journey from a job interview at Jollibee to becoming a motion graphics animator. The script also touches on the country's geographical uniqueness as an archipelago without land borders, its major island groups, and the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao. Key points include the country's largest city, Manila, and its significant role in transportation and governance.

05:00

🌋 Geological and Cultural Diversity of the Philippines

This paragraph delves into the geological formation of the Philippines, highlighting its location on the Ring of Fire and the Philippine Plate. It discusses the country's susceptibility to earthquakes and volcanic activity, with 53 active volcanoes, including the famous Mayon Volcano. The script also covers the country's biodiversity, marine life, and unique ecosystems. Economically, the Philippines is described as a newly industrialized nation with a growing economy, emphasizing its agricultural and manufacturing sectors, as well as its status as a top producer of certain commodities. The cultural section touches on Filipino cuisine, desserts, and the influence of Spanish and American cultures.

10:00

🌐 Demographics and Linguistic Richness of the Philippines

The third paragraph focuses on the demographic and linguistic aspects of the Philippines. It mentions the large overseas Filipino population, the use of the Filipino peso, and the country's official languages, English and Filipino. The script explores the linguistic diversity with over 175 ethno-linguistic groups and the influence of Spanish, Malay, and English on the Filipino language. It also discusses the cultural impact of Spanish colonization, the predominance of Catholicism, and the country's rich cultural heritage, including traditional costumes and customs.

15:01

🏆 Cultural Achievements and Current Challenges

This section celebrates the Philippines' cultural achievements, particularly in beauty pageants and sports, with a mention of the country's success in international competitions. It also addresses the country's challenges, such as human trafficking and the drug trade, and the controversial policies of President Duarte. The paragraph also touches on the ongoing conflict in the Muslim-majority region of Mindanao and the country's resilience and community spirit, exemplified by the term 'bayanihan'.

🤝 International Relations and Filipino Identity

The final paragraph discusses the Philippines' international relations and its unique identity within Asia. It outlines the country's historical ties with Spain and the United States, as well as its close relationships with South Korea and other ASEAN nations. The script highlights the cultural similarities with Latin America and the strong affinity between Filipinos and Americans. It concludes with a reflection on the Filipino spirit, emphasizing the warmth and energy of the people, and a teaser for the next episode about Poland.

Keywords

💡Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia, consisting of over 7,000 islands. It is the largest island nation without land borders. The term is central to the video's theme, as it sets the stage for discussing the country's geography, culture, and history. The script mentions the Philippines' unique position as a tropical paradise with a complex history of colonization and natural beauty.

💡Jollibee

Jollibee is a popular fast-food chain in the Philippines, often compared to a mix of McDonald's and KFC with a Filipino twist. The mention of Jollibee in the script serves to illustrate the fusion of local and international flavors in Filipino cuisine, as well as the cultural impact of such businesses on the national identity.

💡Austronesian

Austronesian refers to a language family that includes the majority of the languages spoken in the Philippines, which are part of the broader Austronesian people group. The script discusses how Filipino culture and language have been influenced by this heritage, indicating the deep historical roots of the population.

💡Catholicism

Catholicism is the predominant religion in the Philippines, with about 81% of the population adhering to the faith. The video script highlights the influence of Catholicism on Filipino culture, including numerous holidays and festivals, and its role in shaping the country's identity after Spanish colonization.

💡Diversity

The concept of diversity in the script refers to the wide range of ethno-linguistic groups, languages, and cultures within the Philippines. The video emphasizes the country's rich tapestry of over 175 ethno-linguistic groups, contributing to its cultural richness and complexity.

💡Ring of Fire

The Ring of Fire is a geological term for a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The script mentions the Philippines' location on this tectonically active zone, which explains the country's susceptibility to earthquakes and volcanic activity, including the presence of over 50 active volcanoes.

💡Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a particular ecosystem or habitat. The script notes that the Philippines is one of the seventeen mega-diverse nations on Earth, with the largest level of marine biodiversity and a high rate of animal discovery, showcasing the country's ecological importance.

💡Economy

The term economy in the script is used to describe the economic status and growth of the Philippines. It is highlighted as a newly industrialized nation transitioning from an agricultural to a service and manufacturing base, with a growing GDP and significant industries such as mining, fishing, and agriculture.

💡Cultural Identity

Cultural identity is the unique cultural characteristics of a group of people, which the script explores in the context of the Philippines. It discusses the country's history of colonization, indigenous roots, and the blend of Spanish, American, and Austronesian influences that contribute to the Filipino cultural identity.

💡Filipino Cuisine

Filipino cuisine is the culinary tradition of the Philippines, known for its rich flavors and diverse ingredients. The script provides examples of popular dishes like adobo, lumpia, and sinigang, which reflect the country's culinary heritage and the fusion of various cultural influences.

💡Diaspora

Diaspora refers to the spread of a population from their original homeland to other parts of the world. The script mentions the large Filipino diaspora, with over 10 million people overseas, indicating the global impact of Filipinos and their culture.

Highlights

The Philippines is often considered the jolliest country in Asia, known for its happy and fun-loving people.

Ken, who is half Filipino, shares his journey from a Craigslist job posting to becoming a significant contributor in this project.

The Philippines is a tropical archipelago of over 7,000 islands, with around 2,000 inhabited, and the largest island nation without land borders.

Manila is the capital and most populous city, part of the National Capital Region, which is a unified metropolitan area.

The Philippines experiences an average of 20 typhoons annually, making it the heart of typhoon territory.

The country is located on the Ring of Fire and has about 53 active volcanoes, including the tallest peak, Mount Apo.

Ethnically diverse, the Philippines is home to over 175 ethno-linguistic groups, with Tagalog being the largest.

Filipinos have a unique blend of cultures, with Spanish, American, and indigenous influences shaping their identity.

The Philippines is the largest Christian nation in Asia, with over 80% of the population being Catholic.

Filipinos are known for their love of karaoke and have a rich tradition of music and dance, including the national dance, 'Tinikling'.

The country has a strong economy, being the 34th largest in the world and one of the fastest-growing in Asia.

Tourism is a significant industry in the Philippines, contributing about 8% of the GDP and employing over 3 million people.

Filipino cuisine is diverse and flavorful, with dishes like adobo, lumpia, and sinigang being particularly famous.

The Philippines has a large diaspora, with over 10 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, making it one of the largest in the world.

The country faces challenges such as human trafficking, drug trade issues, and conflicts in the Mindanao region.

Despite issues, the spirit of 'bayanihan', or community cooperation, is a core Filipino value.

The Philippines has strong international ties, particularly with the USA, South Korea, and ASEAN nations.

Culturally rich, the Philippines has a history of early civilizations, Spanish colonization, and American influence.

Transcripts

if you don't know anything about Asia

the Philippines is like the jolliest of

them all they're just happy fun jolly

people and you know what it's been three

years I'm not taking this anymore I've

been pushed around I've been threatened

I've been thrown into dungeon I've been

the butt of all the jokes I'm the

Filipino one this is my time

welcome to the Philippines my turn okay

[Music]

hey everyone I'm Ken and as you know I'm

half Filipino years ago I was looking

for a job and I saw this ad asking for a

motion graphics animator on Craigslist

Paul and I literally met up at a

Jollibee for my interview he said I was

his top three candidates in reality

there were only three candidates that

applied so technically I didn't lie but

yeah the other two people kind of sucked

so yeah oh and back then I had this

weird mustache and Paul's hair was

basically this thing Ken and I have been

talking for a long time and we agreed

Ken definitely has to be in this episode

you've come so far from that Craigslist

jollibee interview you've earned this

Thanks I'm Donna Maxime Ola the

Philippines is an interesting country

because there's sort of a dichotomy

between labels maybe you ask a Filipino

if they consider themselves Asian or

Pacific Islanders you might get

contrasting answers what do you consider

yourself Ken yeah I always thought

Pacific Islanders sounded kind of cool

so I usually stuck with that so first of

all the Philippines is a tropical

archipelago of over 7,000 islands about

2,000 of which are inhabited and it is

the largest island nation without any

land borders or shared island territory

with another nation the country is

located in Southeast Asia straddling the

Philippine Sea in the north the South

China Sea in the West and the Sulu and

celibacy in the South just to skip away

lies the island of Borneo which is split

amongst three nations at the closest

point only about 22 miles or 40

kilometers away from the nearest island

that belongs to the Philippines now in

general many people will refer to one of

the three main island cluster regions

that people are part of their Arles own

in the north where you can find the

capital Manila and where the half of the

population lives Bisaya in the center

and Mindanao in the South otherwise the

nation is made up of 17 regions one of

which is autonomous the Bangsamoro

autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao

this place has a high level of self-rule

and on

ami appointed by the government we'll

explain more about this later if you

want to be absolutely technical guessing

city a bit north of Manila is the

largest city in the Philippines

however the surrounding sixteen towns

and cities by Manila are called Manila

Metro or the National Capital Region and

they basically act as one unit otherwise

the largest city outside of the NCR are

Davao City in Mindanao and Cebu in the

Visayas Manila has the largest and

busiest airport Ninoy Aquino

International Airport which is basically

the hub that services the entire NCR

they also have the busiest shipping port

at the port of Manila otherwise the

second-largest Airport is cebu mactan

International and rounding up for third

place is de Valle City Francisco bangoy

International in terms of land transport

though the Philippines is well-connected

amongst the islands in fact the longest

highway is the Pan Philippine Highway

that stretches about 3,500 kilometers

across the country and connects listen

Samar Liat and Mindanao with underground

tunnels connecting them finally the

Philippines has only two territorial

disputes the state of Sabah in Malaysia

on North Borneo the territory once had

been part of the sultanate of sulu a

muslim state that existed the 15th

century to the 20th century and that's a

whole other story as for the others

dispute as we mentioned quite a few

times already this whole area known as

the Spratly Islands is a complete mess

if you don't know anything about this

place it basically goes like this yeah

it's pretty crazy this is the map

showing what everyone claims in the area

this big one right here is China's like

yeah they just kind of pretty much went

for all of it this has even led to a few

skirmishes between nations that have

built patrol stations on the islands and

when they spot a ship that gets too

close

things could get kind of ugly it's kind

of like this hey hey what are you doing

this is my area I'm just doing some

fishing and research here you know why

do you have a shovel then are you

building something

well technically there's old land

portunity from this reef so there's no

land claim so you're just gonna build

your own land for research anyway here

are some notable spots of interest fort

santiago Magellan's cross san agustin

church

Segarra hanging coffins Aguinaldo shrine

Sabu's philippine taos temple shrine

imam Ameri in Tagaytay the lapu-lapu

shrine Luneta Park MacArthur landing

site whanau a rice terraces on malecon

yang palace vegan has many historical

and colonial buildings the various

national museums of

three and arts tons of amusement park

and that's not even including all the

natural wonders of the Philippines they

have an underground river the most

amazing beautiful beaches in the

universe those that look like lumps of

chocolate and there's an island in a

lake in an island in a lake in an island

we should hang out sometime yeah when

you have 7,000 tropical islands on a

volcanic archipelago chances are things

can get pretty crazy landscape wise

which brings us to the actual physical

land of the Philippines is the biggest

treasure you will find here for sure

anyway the Philippines lies on the Ring

of Fire and is specifically on a

tectonic plate named after them the

Philippine plate and about 95 percent of

the land is made up of the 11 largest

islands the country was essentially

formed through the tectonic activity

between the Philippine Manila and the

MENA now trenches the Mindanao being the

second deepest in the world

this makes the country susceptible to

small earthquakes and minor volcanic

activity about 53 active volcanoes can

be found in all of these largest islands

except for palawan the most famous and

picturesque

of these include these three see this

island here coming green it actually has

more volcanoes than towns on it seven

versus five making it the place with the

most number of volcanoes per square

kilometer in the world in fact the

tallest peak in the Philippines is a

potentially active volcano Mount Apple

located in the south mindanao area the

country has numerous mountain ranges and

highlands that dip into the fertile

valleys the largest range being the

Cordillera range in the north busan area

hooking into the sierra madre range on

the east side which feeds the longest

river of the country the Cagayan that

flows into the cagayan valley this

valley along with the central asan

valley are the largest arable cropland

and produced nearly all the rice in the

Philippines the Bisaya

are known for growing the most sugarcane

whereas mindanao specializes heavy in

coconut and fruit production back in

listen though you can find the largest

lake in the country Lake Laguna de Bie

which is actually in the caldera of a

dormant volcano the lake has a weird

detached island called column and is

actually drained by the Pasig River that

flows through the capital Manila and

finally the country is the heart of

typhoon territory they can comment

almost any time of the year the nation

will experience on average about 20 of

the turbulent storms annually which

often flood - there are many river

systems but yeah if anything Filipinos

are the most cyclone adapted people on

earth they're used to it the water has

always been kind of their thing so

sailing fishing just not exactly quite

diving into it otherwise the Philippines

is one of the seventeen mega-diverse

nations on earth they actually have the

largest level of marine biodiversity in

the world within their waters and the

highest rate of animal discovery on the

planet with 16 new mammal species that

were discovered in the past decade alone

they have everything from the longest

snake in the world the reticulated

python the largest fish in the world

whale sharks

seven of the eight known species of

giant clam are found in the Philippines

the world's smallest hoofed animal the

philippine mouse deer and their national

bird is the largest eagle in the world

economically speaking the Philippines is

considered a newly industrialized nation

it is transitioning out of becoming

agricultural based system to a service

and manufacturing base one they have

like three of the top ten largest malls

on earth oh just you wait I'm taking the

top spot soon

they're one of the fastest growing

economies in Asia and as the thirty

fourth largest economy in the world

their GDP purchasing power parity has

surpassed the two trillion dollar mark

basically the Philippines is definitely

becoming a key power player in the world

stage it's like someday for what it's

worth though mining fishing and

agriculture are strong industries as

well they are currently the world's

largest nickel and abaca or Manila home

producers and a second largest coconut

producer after Indonesia tourism though

is another important industry taking up

about 8 percent of their GDP employing

over 3 million people and now food now

in the Philippines every region has

their own specialty in culinary strange

yeah every dish looks like a fairy

exploded lots of dishes you could eat

from a guy in kamae or eat with their

hands yeah pretty much everything has

rice and then you're gonna get a lot of

grease and salt and vinegar and a lot of

like I don't care if that looks like it

goes there or not I'm still gonna eat it

anyway right Ken

yeah that's Filipino food yeah there's

really no official national dish but 3

meals that are well known for our adobo

lumpia and sinigang and in the

non-muslim parts Letran is a huge deal

there are also dishes like tagalog steak

teen ola conceit blue blue karikari 60

top silho balut Guinea Lau and my

favorite Filipino dish

Paula Bock put some nice little lemon

juice on it actually got this at

jollibee if you don't know what jollibee

is it's like the most popular fast-food

chain in the philippines it's like if

McDonald's and KFC adopted a Filipino

baby and they even added spaghetti to

their menu for some reason otherwise

Filipinos are dessert experts they love

their ube ooh

everything will be ice cream booby bread

ooh beep I do bake cakes oh they also

have like subpoena subpoena and cassava

cakes those are the best desserts in my

opinion they also have hollow hollow

legit flat throne buko pandan and puto

don't you call me if you're either Latin

American or Spanish you may notice some

of those foods are also found in Latin

cuisines and there's a reason for that

yeah we'll explain that in now only in

the Philippines can you find people that

have spanish names speak English

celebrate an Austronesian culture and

cook Chinese General MacArthur once said

give me a thousand Filipino soldiers and

I will conquer the world yeah for some

reason Filipinos are like the best

friends of Asia

Filipinos still have the best attitudes

and smiles they even give time off

felony sentences if the prisoners

volunteered to take part in a Michael

Jackson dance performance to the public

but we're getting ahead of ourselves

first the graph the country is about a

hundred and ten million people and is

the eighth most populated country in

Asia and the 12th most populated country

in the world there are about 175

ethno-linguistic people groups in the

Philippines the majority of whose

languages are Austronesian of these

groups the largest ones are the Tagalog

at about 28% 13% are sea bwando 9% are

Ilocano and 8% are Bisaya the rest are

made up of other groups plus a small

minority of non-native citizens mostly

Asians and Americans it's important to

note though that the Philippines has

about ten point two million people

overseas worldwide it is one of the

largest diaspora populations spanning

over 100 countries the US alone has

about four million I mean they were at

one point colonized by the US so go

figure they use the filipino peso as

their currency these types a BNC plug

outlets and they drive on the right side

of the road oh and keep in mind the word

Pinoy is synonymous with something that

is Filipino you might see that use a lot

now back to the ethnic groups thing

since there are over 175 of them you

would think how do they all communicate

well the Philippines has two official

languages English which makes in the

fifth most english-speaking nation on

earth and Filipino which is the

standardized version of the gallop the

Philippine Tagalog language spoken today

is a very different from pure Tagalog it

actually has about 14% Spanish 10% malai

and 7% English mixed into it with a slew

of other borrowed loan words you can see

the influence in words like menthol

adorn Guapo zapatos and Pamelia

often Filipinos will substitute an F

with the P or a V with a b or a V with a

B yeah same with Koreans actually yeah

high five with min

more consonants hey-oh and fun fact ken

taught me this in Tagalog you can

actually say an entire conversation just

using the syllable ba for example ba ba

ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba

ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ba

ba well that was fun otherwise in the

Visayas and Mindanao area cebuano is a

common language as well as the other

regional tongues like what I and da Boa

know they even have the only

spanish-based creole in asia java condo

located in sub Ohana

City now the Philippines is unique in

that over a past few centuries they've

gone through three periods that shape

their identity before European

intervention the Philippines has had a

multitude of early civilizations that

built kingdoms and dynasties like the

Tonto enemy on the pangasinan and the

Sulu Sultanate many of these kingdoms

had their own indigenous writing system

such as the ba bian qu he s cayenne and

colita genetically Filipinos are

classified as belonging to the broader

Austronesian people group with their

closest cousins being the Micronesians

like the Mariana Islands Guam and Palau

although over the years many people have

mixed and today it is speculated that

somewhere around one-fifth or more the

population may have some kind of Chinese

ancestry after the Spanish came in they

adopted many of the customs traditions

and cultural traits which have Spanish

roots their own countries named after

Spanish King Phillip the biggest trait

though would be the fact that they are

predominantly Catholic at about eighty

one percent of the population adhering

to the faith the rest are mostly

Protestant with a small Muslim minority

in the south mindanao area the

Philippines is the largest Christian

nation in Asia fifth largest Christian

nation on earth and third largest

Catholic nation after Brazil and Mexico

they have so many holidays and festivals

devoted to Catholic themes like All

Saints Day Holy Week and Easter and of

course the largest one Christmas the

Philippines has the longest Christmas

season out of anywhere else on her okay

so now we're just gonna rapid-fire a

list of 12 fun cultural facts for the

Philippines Filipinos have a ton of

superstitions for example whistling at

night will turn you to a werewolf for

formal occasions you may see Filipinos

wearing traditional borrowings for men

and Maria Clara or misty so dresses for

women there are many other traditional

costumes and customs for the other 170

ethnic groups too many to cover but it

goes everywhere from feathers coconut

fibers hair dresses tribal tattoos and

so on speaking of which the Philippines

dominates major international beauty

pageants with a grand total of 15

victories at the Miss Universe Miss

world miss international and miss earth

competitions basketball and boxing are

the most popular sport by far they have

the oldest basketball league in Asia and

the second oldest in the world after the

United States and come on we all know

Pacquiao the Philippines is the leading

nation to train and export nurses abroad

it's been said at one point every

Filipino has their should I just drop

everything and become a nurse moment in

their life crisis that's a fact I've had

those and the word balikbayan means

returner or returning family it is used

when someone comes back from expat work

abroad

you might hear the honorific title of

pull or opal for elders and a lot of

people often raise the back to the hands

of their elders to their forehead as a

sign of respect and say bless in the

Philippines you have your name and you

have your panini nickname and they get

really weird and creative Pepsi

bing-bong jelly boy pinky bum bum and

Earl every Filipino on every island in

every region can tell you Filipinos are

obsessed with karaoke the first karaoke

machine was actually patented by a

Filipino Roberto del Rosario even though

some Japanese do it invented it but he

patented it obviously that means music

is a big deal in the Philippines besides

taking modern cues from American pop

they also have traditional style

instruments include things like good

yuppie Gillick dong gimble Koo Bing Anto

Valley in addition there are many

different styles of dance but the most

famous one considered the national dance

is denying a dance done between two

pairs of perpendicular bamboo poles that

are clapped together as percussion tools

and the dancers must weave their feet in

and out in the spaces before getting hit

or tripped now on a bit of a more

objective note we do have to talk about

some of the controversies the

Philippines is beautiful but if you've

been keeping up with current events they

do have their fair share of issues that

have made headlines we don't sugarcoat

everything here human trafficking

whether in the sex industry slavery or

organ smuggling has been a problem in

certain areas and even though anti

trafficking acts have been passed by the

government enforcement has not always

been on par drug trade has also been a

major inconvenience for decades

affecting millions of people in the

country this has led to the new

controversial laws instituted by

President Duarte which encouraged the

public to seek bounty in exchange for

hunting down drug pushers many have died

in the process and finally you have the

motor-oil conflict and insurgency in the

predominantly muslim mindanao region

which sought to take parts of Eastern

Malaysia and break away through conflict

the fight has been going on for nearly

half a century and now it's just ending

at the turn of the 21st century and for

what it's worth though in the

Philippines everyone is family at the

end you don't have to be related

to anyone to call someone out there or

Kuya there's even a word bayanihan which

means something like helping one another

through community spirit without

expecting anything in return in any case

we got to finish off the segment with

history austronesians tribal kingdoms

and Sultanate this guy came to the

islands Catholicism comes in lapu-lapu

and Magellan dies in battle five Spanish

dudes followed through

they finally become a colony of Spain

the galleon trade British Philippines

and then back to Spain the Treaty of

Paris philippine revolution the

spanish-american war first Philippine

Republic philippine-american war

American occupation World War 2 Japan

invades American pushes them back

finally Philippine Independence

Ferdinand Marcos turned from President

to dictator martial law this guy gets

killed because he was against the regime

people power revolution in 1986 growth

from agricultural society to an

industrial one and here we are today and

now we finish off with the notable

famous people condensed some famous

people you guys the Pinoy geography

police arrested we mentioned in this

episode include lapu-lapu jose resolved

these two saints Melkor aquino manuel/oh

Kazon Lakan Dula

Josefa Yanis Skoda and Vicente Lim

Carlos Pena Romulo and all the Miss

Universe winners and there's a ton of

Americans with Filipino or partial

Filipino descent yeah you can see

there's lots of American Filipinos those

two get along pretty tight we'll explain

more on how that happened

because of the long history in the

Philippines being colonized by two major

Western powerhouses it would make sense

that it would have ties with the outside

world in many different ways for friends

the Philippines is generally close with

all the ASEAN nations and does great

business with them particularly

Indonesia and Malaysia their closest

neighbors the Marshall Islands Palau and

the federal States of Micronesia are all

cousin countries many of which have

Filipino microts in them and they all

share the same history of being former

US territories and US influence States

of course Spain will always be in the

back of their minds as the former

colonizer that they gained much

influence from although Filipinos are

not considered Latino the Spanish and

many Latin Americans kind of see them as

like the adopted Asians that totally fit

in their family it's like come on you're

Catholic you eat flan every fifth word

you speak is Spanish you're basically

one of us interestingly enough the

relationship with Mexico has

historically had been always strong the

Philippines was ruled under a Mexico

based Viceroyalty of New Spain the

Manila galleons were Spanish trading

ships which for two and a half centuries

linked the Philippines with Mexico

across the Pacific Ocean making one or

two round-trip voyages per year between

the ports of Acapulco and Manila and

Mexican traditions were brought in like

the day of the Dead and champurrado when

it comes to their best friends however

most Filipinos would probably say even

though colonial years were a little bit

bumpy

ultimately the USA and South Korea South

Korea was one of their closest best

friends from the 20th century on world

war ii really bonded with them after the

Japanese occupation year and they

supported each other diplomatically

Koreans are the top number one tourist

demographic that visit the Philippines

Koreans kind of admire the fact that

even though they were both influenced by

the u.s. Filipino speak better English

whereas Filipinos practically obsessed

over Korean products and media ah US for

the USA ties were close ever since they

became their colony in 1898 the u.s.

also had the largest number of oversea

filipinos at over four million most of

whom live on the west coast eights like

Hawaii and California they are one of

the oldest Asian partners of the u.s.

they have a mutual defense treaty and

they are the largest export partner and

second largest import after China

American pop culture dominates much of

the youth influence Hollywood studios

love filming there and Gallup polls have

shown that the USA is favored on average

by over 90% of the people asked making

it one of the most

American countries on the planet and can

you take the conclusion in conclusion if

you enter a room full of Asians you

definitely know who the Filipinos are

while everyone's so uptight

we're the ones who can karaoke and

somersaulting you could just feel the

energy of a Filipino there's a touch of

Latin flavor with American pop

undertones but in the end no matter what

island you're immediately considered

part of the panel Jen one of my best

friends I love you man I'm so proud of

you

Thanks stay tuned Poland it's coming up

next

[Music]