Dear Valued Guests,

The Philippines is my motherland and while a foreigner such as you will come here as if it is just another spot on earth, I approach the Philippines as my guardian and my teacher. I will now share with you the ability to see this country through my eyes. The Philippines will no longer be disregarded as a land of corruption but a tropical paradise alive with picturesque landscapes, a structured government, amiable people, and a blooming culture. It is my hope that you will then grasp how we as Filipinos define ourselves and our place in the world. If the land of the Philippines can speak, it will have many stories to tell. It is my honor to be its voice.

By simply looking at the geography of the Philippines, you will realize that this country is its own individual. The Philippines is an archipelago, a group of many islands together. The land area stretches 300, 000 square kilometers in Southeast Asia, north of Indonesia. The Philippines is famous for its 7,107 islands. Owing to its place on the north of the equator, the Philippines can only face a tropical marine climate; a fact adored by many beach-goers. It is not landlocked, sharing no borders with its neighbors like Malaysia and China. Instead, the Philippines is enclosed by major bodies of water including the South China Sea, the Philippine Sea, and the Sulu Sea. The country is segregated into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. These groups are divided into 17 regions, 81 provinces, and 136 cities. Our capital city is Manila, located in Luzon. Most of the mountainous landscapes in the Philippines are volcanic but nowadays, any activities are too weak to be dangerous. One volcano in particular, called the Mayon Volcano, is described as the most exquisite volcano in the world with its flawless symmetrical cone shape lying on the flat setting of Southern Luzon. It is merely one of the many evidences that reveal the brilliance of this country. With rich soil and sultry sunshine all through the year, the Philippines is said to be one of the most biologically prosperous terrains in the world.

Today, the Philippines is a democratic republic with a well-structured government. Our independence was secured on June 12, 1898. The 1987 Constitution remains the key to our government structure and was modeled after the American system. Another American influence can be seen in government buildings. For instance, the Philippine Congress Building located in Manila resembled the White House in Washington D.C. The government has three branches, called the executive, legislative, and judicial. The president, the vice president, and the Cabinet belonged to the executive branch. The current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was elected by the citizens and can only serve for six years. Limitations were created to prevent tyrannical rule, such as the time of President Ferdinand Marcos. The elected vice president, Noli De Castro, and the appointed Cabinet follow after. The Cabinet is formed by different government ministries, such as the Department of Education. The legislative, which duty is to enact laws, consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Supreme Court, which oversees justice in the country, heads the judiciary sector. Some political analysts will even argue that this country actually has an extra branch, which is believed to be the Armed Forces of the Philippines since they are a key influence to the verdicts made in the country. With a regimented system to support the government structure, the Philippine administration is continuing to move the nation forward.

Our population exceeds 91 million but in spite of that whopping figure, surveys have shown that we are among the happiest people in the world. Our genial conversations are typically in English and the national language, Tagalog. Over the years, we have taken over qualities from our three ancestors, the Malays, Chinese, and Spaniards. The Malays gave us the ability to make strong coalitions. Our close family ties and respect for the elders are believed to be from the Chinese. The religious piety planted in our character can be detected from the Spaniards, who familiarized Christianity to the Philippines during their colonial rule. From all of these, there is one quality about us that differentiates us from the rest of the world and that is our hospitality. We live and interact with warmth, showing off our extroverted persona. Due to our familiarity with Western tastes, the works of Filipino designers are broadly sought after and recognized for their craftsmanship and originality. Filipinos also own commendable engineering skills and the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras prove so. The enchanting terraces trailing the forms of the mountains demonstrate the creativity in which Filipinos work. Nowadays, more people are starting to operate in cities. Then again, there are some that are still rooted to the old ways like the Ifugao farmers who created the terraces. From what you have heard and seen, Filipinos possess an unparalleled optimistic spirit that has allowed us to show the world the power that derives from every Filipino.

Just like our people, the culture of the Philippines exhibits a civilization with a diverse assortment of cultural impacts. The Malay’s influence can be clearly seen in the Philippines’ traditional tribal folk dances and music. The Chinese introduced foods to the Philippines in its early years and Filipino-Chinese foods were born. It is our main food staple, rice, which Filipinos and the Chinese have in common. When the Spaniards came, they brought in Christianity and convinced a majority of our nation to convert into Christians. The baroque churches seen nowadays have a European architectural design that was borrowed from the Spaniards by Philippine craftsmen. Our widespread love for fiestas is also obtained from the Spaniards. Filipinos hold a gift for singing, dancing, and entertaining people. Nowadays, our culture seeks for more Western inspirations but Filipino artists are not afraid to blend in Philippines’ distinct ideas into the modernized world. By conveying the cultural variety of this country, they have managed to mold the Philippine culture in a way that offers this land a national identity.

The Philippines is rich with various unique things that are unmatched to what the rest of the world has to offer. From the geography and the government to the people and the culture, this country is a bundle of surprises. This is a world that unites numerous cultures from around the globe. This is a land distinct from all and that is how we as Filipinos see ourselves. We are unique and irreplaceable. We are marked by an exotic fusion of ethnicities. We are the passion that drives life to its fullest. If you have truly discovered Philippines, then you would have discovered the whole world.

Respectfully yours,

Representative of the Philippines