About the Philippines (Please refer to the Internet for a more in-depth overview)
Capital city
Manila, known as the “Pearl of the Orient”, is the nation’s capital city.
Currency
The Philippine Peso is the official currency of the Philippines. Each peso consists of 100 centavos.
ATMs are readily available in major cities, but if you’re travelling to smaller islands or more remote
areas, it’s a good idea to stock up on cash before arrival. Credit cards are accepted in bigger cities
and populated beach areas. Keep your small change for paying jeepney drivers.
Language
Filipino and English are the official languages of the Philippines — but the Philippines is an ethnically
diverse country (and was a Spanish colony for 300 years), so more than 150 languages are spoken in
the region. Tagalog is a common dialect.
Religion
Religion holds a central place in the life of most Filipinos, including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and
animists.
Location and size
The Republic of the Philippines consists of an archipelago of 7,107 islands situated SE of mainland
Asia and separated from it by the South China Sea. The total land area is approximately 300,000 sq
km, 67% of which is contained within the two largest islands: Luzon, 108,171 sq km and Mindanao,
99,078 sq km. Other large islands include Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu,
Bohol, and Masbate.
The Philippines is separated from Taiwan on the N by the Bashi Channel (forming part of the Luzon
Strait) and from Sabah, Malaysia (northern Borneo), on the SW by the Balabac Strait (off Palawan)
and the Sibutu Passage (off the Sulu Archipelago). Bordering seas include the Philippine Sea and the
Pacific Ocean on the E, the Celebes Sea on the S, the Sulu Sea on the SW, and the South China Sea
on the W. The Philippines has a total coastline of 36,289 km.
Population
At the time of writing, the Philippines had a population of 109,359,000 and a population density of
368 per Km2.
Internet coverage
Internet services are also widely available, particularly in town areas.