1.
Philippines
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The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of about 7,641 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions from north to south, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the capital city of the Philippines is Manila and the most populous city is Quezon City, both part of Metro Manila. The Philippines has an area of 300,000 square kilometers, and it is the eighth-most populated country in Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world. As of 2013, approximately 10 million additional Filipinos lived overseas, multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelagos earliest inhabitants and they were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Exchanges with Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Islamic nations occurred, then, various competing maritime states were established under the rule of Datus, Rajahs, Sultans or Lakans. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in Homonhon, Eastern Samar in 1521 marked the beginning of Hispanic colonization, in 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. With the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi from Mexico City, in 1565, the Philippines became part of the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. This resulted in Roman Catholicism becoming the dominant religion, during this time, Manila became the western hub of the trans-Pacific trade connecting Asia with Acapulco in the Americas using Manila galleons. Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until after World War II, since then, the Philippines has often had a tumultuous experience with democracy, which included the overthrow of a dictatorship by a non-violent revolution. It is a member of the United Nations, World Trade Organization, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. It also hosts the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank, the Philippines was named in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos, during his expedition in 1542, named the islands of Leyte, eventually the name Las Islas Filipinas would be used to cover all the islands of the archipelago. Before that became commonplace, other such as Islas del Poniente. The official name of the Philippines has changed several times in the course of its history, during the Philippine Revolution, the Malolos Congress proclaimed the establishment of the República Filipina or the Philippine Republic. From the 1898 Treaty of Paris, the name Philippines began to appear, since the end of World War II, the official name of the country has been the Republic of the Philippines. The metatarsal of the Callao Man, reliably dated by uranium-series dating to 67,000 years ago is the oldest human remnant found in the archipelago to date and this distinction previously belonged to the Tabon Man of Palawan, carbon-dated to around 26,500 years ago. Negritos were also among the archipelagos earliest inhabitants, but their first settlement in the Philippines has not been reliably dated, there are several opposing theories regarding the origins of ancient Filipinos
2.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
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The Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines newspapers of record and it is a member of the Asia News Network. Apostol also published the Mr & Ms Special Edition, a weekly tabloid opposed to the Marcos regime. As the successor to the previous Mr. and Mrs. Special Edition, the new daily was housed in the dilapidated one-story Star Building on 13th and Railroad streets in Port Area, Manila. It was put out by 40 editors, reporters, correspondents, photographers, columnist Louie Beltran was named its editor-in-chief. The newspaper was then in documenting the campaign of Corazón Aquino during the 1986 presidential elections and, in turn. Its slogan, Balanced News, Fearless Views, was incorporated to the newspaper in January 1986 after a slogan-making contest held during the first month of the Inquirers existence. As Belmonte owned the Star Building where the Inquirer was headquartered, in February 1987, Federico D. Pascual, former assistant managing editor of the Daily Express, was named executive editor of Inquirer and was appointed editor-in-chief two years later. It was during his term in 1990 that the Inquirer took the lead from the Manila Bulletin to become the Philippines largest newspaper in terms of circulation, however, on July 1990, the Inquirer headquarters in Intramuros was damaged by an earthquake. On 5 January 1991, the transferred to the YIC building along United Nations Avenue. Inquirers longest-serving and first woman editor-in-chief, the late Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, was appointed on June 14,1991 and she was a former columnist and editor of the Panorama Sunday magazine of Bulletin Today who was sacked for writing articles poking fun at Marcos. She edited Mr & Ms Special Edition until the fall of the Marcos regime and she is also the first editor in chief of Sunday Inquirer Magazine. Under her term, in 1995, the Inquirer moved to its current headquarters in Makati City after transferring headquarters four times, during the administration of president Joseph Estrada, he criticized the Inquirer for bias, malice and fabrication against him—this charge to the newspaper was denied. In 1999, several government organizations, pro-Estrada businesses, and movie producers simultaneously pulled their advertisements from the Inquirer in a boycott that lasted for five months. The presidential palace was widely implicated in the boycott, which was denounced by then publisher Isagani Yambot as an attack on the freedom of the press. In 2007, according to the survey conducted by AGB Nielsen, the Manila Bulletin and the Philippine Star followed as the second and the third most widely read papers, respectively. Magsanoc died on December 24,2015 at the St. Lukes Medical Center in Taguig City, a month after her death, Jimenez-Magsanoc was recognized as the Filipino of the Year 2015 by the Inquirer. In February 2,2016, the Inquirer appointed its managing editor Jose Ma, nolasco as the executive editor, the new top position of the newspaper, replacing the traditional editor in chief position that used by Inquirer for more than three decades
3.
Rodrigo Duterte
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Rodrigo Rody Roa Duterte, also known as Digong, is a Filipino politician and jurist who is the 16th and current President of the Philippines. He is the first Mindanaoan to hold the office, and the fourth of Visayan descent, at 71 years old, Duterte is the oldest person to assume the Philippine presidency, eclipsing Sergio Osmeñas age of 65. Duterte studied political science at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, graduating in 1968, Duterte was among the longest-serving mayors in the Philippines, serving seven terms totaling more than 22 years in office. Duterte has alternately confirmed and denied his involvement in the killings, Duterte has repeatedly confirmed that he personally killed three kidnapping suspects while Mayor of Davao in 1988. On May 9,2016, Duterte won the Philippine presidential election with 38. 5% of the votes and his domestic policy has focused on combating illegal drug trade by initiating the Philippine Drug War. He has vowed to pursue an independent foreign policy, Duterte was born on March 14,1945, in Maasin. His maternal grandfather was a Chinese immigrant from Xiamen, Fujian and his father was Vicente G. Duterte, a Cebuano lawyer, and his mother Soledad Duterte, was a school teacher from Cabadbaran, Agusan and a civic leader of Maranao descent. Dutertes father was acting mayor of Danao, Cebu and subsequently the governor of Davao province. Rodrigos cousin Ronald, on the hand, served as Cebu City mayor from 1983 to 1986. Ronalds father, Ramon Duterte, also held the position from 1957 to 1959, the Dutertes consider the Cebu-based political families of the Durano and the Almendras clan as relatives. Duterte also has relatives from the Roa clan in Leyte through his mothers side, before they resettled to Davao, Dutertes family briefly lived in his birthplace in Maasin, Leyte, and in his fathers hometown in Danao, Cebu, until he was four years old. The Dutertes initially moved to Mindanao in 1948 but still went back and they finally settled in the Davao Region in 1950. Vicente as a lawyer engaged in practice, while Soledad taught in public schools as a teacher. Mrs Duterte, however, retired as a supervisor in 1952 when her lawyer-husband entered politics there, Duterte went to Laboon Elementary School in Maasin, for a year. He spent his elementary days at the Santa Ana Elementary School in Davao City. He graduated in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in science at the Lyceum of the Philippines in Manila. He obtained a law degree from San Beda College of Law in 1972, in the same year, he passed the bar exam. Duterte has said that he was abused by a priest when he was a minor
4.
Reynato Puno
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Reynato Puno y Serrano was the 22nd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. Appointed on December 8,2006 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he was the 22nd person to serve as Chief Justice, Puno had initially been appointed to the Supreme Court as an Associate Justice on June 28,1993. Puno earned his law degree from the University of the Philippines, during his stay in the state university, he also served as editor of the Philippine Collegian. He would later finish post-graduate studies at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, University of California, Berkeley, Puno began his legal career in private practice. In 1969, he joined the law practice of his elder brother Isaac, in 1971, he joined the Office of the Solicitor General, where he would serve for the next nine years. In 1980, Puno was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos as a Justice of the Court of Appeals and he rejoined the executive department in 1984, this time as a Deputy Minister of Justice. Upon the assumption into office of President Corazon Aquino in 1986, Puno has been praised for his erudite and literary writing style. In the process, he gives life to populist causes and libertarian ideals, darting, gutsy and erudite, he often wages lonely battles against conventional wisdom with his stirring dissents and insightful opinion. Chief Justice Reynato Puno is a Freemason and Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. MW Reynato S. Puno PGM is from Hiram Lodge No.88 and also a member of Jacques DeMolay Memorial Lodge No.305. On June 28,1993, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed Puno as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court at the age of 53 and he would serve in that capacity for the next 13 years. Upon the retirement of Justice Josue Bellosillo in 2003, Puno became the Senior Associate Justice, traditionally, the most senior Associate Justice was appointed to fill any permanent vacancy to the seat of the Chief Justice, though this tradition was not always observed. Upon the retirement of Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. in 2005, Puno, however, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instead appointed Associate Justice Artemio Panganiban as Chief Justice, marking the first time in 20 years that the senior Associate Justice was bypassed. Justice Puno remained as the most senior Associate Justice for the months of the term of Chief Justice Panganiban. Puno denied speculations that he retire from the position of Chief Justice before May 17,2010. Puno was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines award in the field of law in 1977 and he was also one of the Outstanding Alumnus of the Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity - UP College of Law in 1975. In 1996, he was chosen the Outstanding Alumnus by the University of the Philippines College of Law, last June 21, Chief Justice Reynato S. Chief Justice Puno won over around 200 nominees who were nominated for specific fields of involvement and he was nominated for the Public Service/Good Governance category by two organizations, the Alpha Phi Beta Fraternity Chancery and a lawyers’ group
5.
Eddie Panlilio
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Eddie Among Ed Tongol Panlilio is a Kapampangan Filipino Roman Catholic priest and Governor of Pampanga. He was suspended from his duties upon announcing his intention to run as governor. He was elected governor in May 2007 in a race against incumbent governor Mark Lapid. In February 2010, following a recount of votes due to an election protest, Panlilio was named Filipino of the Year for 2007 by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Eddie Panlilio was born in Minalin, Pampanga on December 6,1953 and he is the sixth of seven children of Gervacio Cunanan Panlilio and Catalina Tongol. He is afflicted with vitiligo, a skin disease. For fifteen years, Panlilio was the director of the Social Action Center of Pampanga and he established the micro-lending program Talete Panyulung ning Kapampangan Inc. based on the Grameen Bank-approach. Now on its 20th year, TPKI released P2 billion in loans to entrepreneurs in Central Luzon. Panlilio was suspended from the priesthood by his superior, the archbishop of San Fernando and this means that he is forbidden by the Catholic Church to act like a priest or perform any of the sacraments reserved to priests. The Code of Canon Law forbids priests from occupying political posts, Bishop Leonardo Medroso, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Canon Law cited a conflict between a role in politics and in the church. Panlilio ran for the position of governor of Pampanga province in the 2007 Philippine general election, without any political party, he won over his two competitors, provincial board member Lilia Pineda and re-electionist governor Mark Lapid. He defeated Pineda by a margin of 1,147 votes out of over 600,000 votes cast. Panlilio was inaugurated as the 26th governor of the province of Pampanga on June 30,2007, supreme Court Associate Justice Consuelo Ynares-Santiago administered the oath of office. During the inauguration, the new governor vowed to stop corruption, on July 4,2007 Among Ed began serving his term amid the provinces hope to erase its reputation of being the countrys Vatican of jueteng or illegal gambling. Pampanga has had a history of patronage politics and corruption. One of Panlilios achievements in office was to increase the revenue from quarry taxes. It is suspected that under previous governors, notably Mark Lapid and Lito Lapid, the increased tax base has led to fighting among mayors over the new revenue. On August 27,2007, Panlilio campaigned to bring his government closer to the Kapangpangans by leading the caravan Pamisaupan in Pampanga, Panlilio further vowed to improve the facilities and conditions in the provinces 9 district hospitals including the Diosdado Macapagal Provincial Hospital from funds and private groups contributions
6.
Manny Pacquiao
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Emmanuel Manny Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician, currently serving as Senator of the Philippines. In boxing he has held the WBO and lineal welterweight titles since 2016, Pacquiao is also the third boxer in history to win genuine world titles in three of the original eight weight divisions of boxing, also known as the glamour divisions. He was named Fighter of the Decade for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America, WBC, and WBO. He is also a three-time Ring magazine and BWAA Fighter of the Year, winning the award in 2006,2008, and 2009, BoxRec ranks him as the greatest Asian fighter of all time. Pacquiao was long rated as the best pound for pound boxer in the world by most sporting news and boxing websites, including ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Sporting Life, Yahoo. Sports, About. com, BoxRec, and The Ring, beginning from his climb to lightweight until his losses in 2012 and he is also the longest reigning top-ten boxer on The Rings pound for pound list. Pacquiao has generated approximately 19.2 million in pay-per-view buys, According to Forbes, he was the second highest paid athlete in the world as of 2015. Beyond boxing, Pacquiao has participated in basketball, business, acting, music recording, in May 2010, Pacquiao was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines, representing the province of Sarangani. He was re-elected in 2013 to the 16th Congress of the Philippines, in June 2016, Pacquiao was elected as a senator and will serve a six-year term until 2022. Pacquiao, while focused on being a boxer and a politician, is listed as the head coach of the basketball team Mahindra Floodbuster. Pacquiao was born on December 17,1978, in Kibawe, Bukidnon and he is the son of Rosalio Pacquiao and Dionisia Dapidran-Pacquiao. His parents separated when he was in grade, after his mother discovered that his father was living with another woman. He is the fourth among six siblings, Liza Silvestre-Onding and Domingo Silvestre and Isidra Pacquiao-Paglinawan, Alberto Bobby Pacquiao, Pacquiao married Jinkee Jamora on May 10,2000. Together, they have five children, Emmanuel Jr. Michael Stephen, Mary Divine Grace, Queen Elizabeth and his daughter, Queen, was born in the United States. He resides in his hometown General Santos City, South Cotabato, however, as a congressman of lone district of Sarangani, he is officially residing in Kiamba, Sarangani, the hometown of his wife. Raised in the Roman Catholic faith, Pacquiao is currently a practicing Evangelical Protestant, Pacquiao said he once had a dream where he saw a pair of angels and heard the voice of God, this dream convinced him to become more religious. He is also a military reservist with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserve Force of the Philippine Army, prior to being commissioned to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he first entered the Armys reserve force on April 27,2006 as a Sergeant. Later, he rose to Technical Sergeant on December 1 of the same year, on October 7,2007, he became a Master Sergeant, the highest rank in the enlisted personnel
7.
Intramuros
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Intramuros is the oldest district and historic core of Manila, Philippines. It is also called the Walled City, and at the time of the Spanish Colonial Period was synonymous to the city of Manila itself and it was the seat of government when the Philippines was a component realm of the Spanish Empire. Districts beyond the walls were referred as the extramuros of Manila, construction of the defensive walls was started by Spanish colonial government in the late 16th century to protect the city from foreign invasions. The 0. 67-square-kilometre walled city was located along the shores of the Manila Bay. Guarding the old city is Fort Santiago, its located at the mouth of the river. Land reclamations during the early 20th-century subsequently obscured the walls and fort from the bay, Intramuros was heavily damaged during the battle to recapture the city from the Japanese Imperial Army during the Second World War. Reconstruction of the walls was started in 1951 when Intramuros was declared a National Historical Monument, the region was invaded around 1485 by Sultan Bolkiah and became a part of the Sultanate of Brunei. The site of Intramuros then became a part of the Islamic Kingdom of Maynila a Bruneian puppet-state ruled by Rajah Sulayman, a Muslim Rajah who swore fealty to the Sultan of Brunei. In 1564, Spanish explorers led by Miguel López de Legazpi sailed from New Spain, having heard of the rich resources in Manila from the natives, Legazpi dispatched two of his lieutenant-commanders, Martín de Goiti and Juan de Salcedo to explore the island of Luzon. The Spaniards arrived on the island of Luzon in 1570, after quarrels and misunderstandings between the Islamic natives and the Spaniards, they fought for the control of the land and settlements. Legazpi declared the area of Manila as the new capital of the Spanish colony on June 24,1571 because of its strategic location and he also proclaimed the sovereignty of the Monarchy of Spain over the all the archipelago. King Philip II of Spain delighted at the new conquest achieved by Legazpi and his men, awarded the city a coat of arms and declaring it as, Intramuros was settled and became the political, military and religious center of the Spanish Empire in Asia. The city was in constant danger of natural and man-made disasters and worse, in 1574, a fleet of Chinese pirates led by Limahong attacked the city and destroyed it before the Spaniards drove them away. The colony had to be again by the survivors. These attacks prompted the construction of the wall, the city of stone began during the rule of Governor-General Santiago de Vera. The city was planned and executed by Jesuit Priest, Antonio Sedeno and was approved by King Philip IIs Royal Ordinance that was issued in San Lorenzo de El Escorial, leonardo Iturriano, a Spanish military engineer specializing in fortifications, headed the project. Chinese and Filipino workers built the walls, Fort Santiago was rebuilt and a circular fort, known as Nuestra Senora de Guia, was erected to defend the land and sea on the southwestern side of the city. Funds came from a monopoly on playing cards and fines imposed on its excessive play, Chinese goods were taxed for two years
8.
Manila
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Manila, officially City of Manila, is the capital of the Philippines. Founded on June 24,1571, by Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and it is situated on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and is home to many landmarks, some of which date back to the 16th century. In 2012, the Globalization and World Cities Research Network listed Manila as a global city, the city proper is home to 1,780,148 people in 2015, forming the historic core of Metro Manila, the capital region of the Philippines. The metropolitan area, which includes the much larger Quezon City, Manila is also the most densely populated city proper in the world, with 41,515 people per square kilometer. The term Manila is commonly used to refer to either the whole area or the city proper. Manila is located on the shore of the Manila Bay on one of the finest harbors in the country. The city has six districts for the lower house of the Philippine Congress. Manila was once ruled by the Kingdom of Tondo before it became a province of the Majapahit Empire. During the Bruneian invasion of the Philippines, Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei captured Seludong and renamed it Maynilà, Maynilà became a vassal state of the Sultanate of Brunei, established to overpower Tondo. In 1571, conquistadors arrived from Mexico, across the Pacific Ocean, Spanish missionaries soon Christianized the city, incorporated Tondo and built some of the oldest churches in the country, including San Agustin Church. The conquistadors renamed the area Nuevo Reino de Castilla, Manila became the center of Spanish activity in the Far East and one end of the Manila–Acapulco galleon trade route linking Spanish America with Asia, one of the earliest examples of globalization. Because of its location on Pacific trade routes, Manila received the moniker Pearl of the Orient. Spanish rule of the Philippine archipelago lasted for more than three centuries, until 1898, order was usually quickly restored and the city returned to the business of trade. In the 19th century, Manila was one of the most modern cities in Asia, before the Spanish–American War, it saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution. After the war, the United States took control, switched the official language from Spanish to English, near the end of World War II, during the Battle of Manila, most of the city was flattened by intensive aerial bombardment by the United States Air Force. As a result, relatively little remains of Manilas prewar and colonial architecture, although there are ongoing projects, especially within the old walled city. Maynilà, the Filipino name for the city, originated from the word nilà, referring to a mangrove tree that grew on the delta of the Pasig River. The flowers were made into garlands that, according to folklore, were offered to statues on religious altars or in churches
9.
Metro Manila
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These 5 provinces, plus Metro Manila and Pampanga, sum to 30.7 million residents as of the newly counted census of 2015. The region is the center of culture, economy, education, NCR is one of the 12 defined metropolitan areas in the Philippines according to the National Economic and Development Authority. Designated as a global city, NCR exerts a significant impact on commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education. It is the home to all the consulates and embassies in the Philippines and its economic power makes the region the countrys premier center for finance and commerce. NCR accounts for 37. 2% of the domestic product of the Philippines. The Province of Manila, the progenitor to the present-day Metro Manila, is one of the eight provinces that revolted against the Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. The province was honored as one of the sun rays in the Flag of the Philippines, a historical province known as Manila encompasses the former pre-Hispanic kingdoms of Tondo and Maynila. It became the capital of the colonial Philippines, with Manila serving as the center of colonial power, in 1898, it included the City of Manila and 23 other municipalities. Mariquina also served as the capital from 1898-1899, just as when the sovereignty of the Philippines was transferred to the United States, the province was dissolved and most of it was incorporated to the newly created province of Rizal in 1901. Since the Spanish colonial period, Manila was considered as one of the global cities. Pasig serves as its provincial capital, in 1939, President Quezon established Quezon City with a goal to replace Manila as the capital city of the country. A masterplan for Quezon City was completed, the establishment of Quezon City meant demise of the grand Burnham Plan of Manila, with funds being diverted for the establishment of the new capital. World War II further resulted in the loss most of the developments in the Burnham Plan, but more importantly, later on, Quezon City eventually declared as the national capital from 1948-1976. The tile was re-designated back to Manila through Presidential Decree No.940 owing to its significance as the seat of government of the Philippines since the Spanish colonial period. During the war, President Manuel L. Jorge Vargas was appointed as its mayor, Mayors in the cities and municipalities included in the City of Greater Manila served as vice mayors in their town. This was in order to ensure Vargas, who was Quezons principal lieutenant for administrative matters, the City of Greater Manila was abolished by the Japanese with the formation of the Philippine Executive Commission to govern the occupied regions of the country. The City of Greater Manila served as a model for the present-day Metro Manila, on November 7,1975, Metro Manila was formally established through Presidential Decree No.824. The Metropolitan Manila Commission was also created to manage the region, on June 2,1978, through Presidential Decree No
