COUNTRY PROFILE: PHILIPPINES
March 2006
COUNTRY
Formal Name: Republic of the Philippines (Republika ng Pilipinas).
Short Form: Philippines (Pilipinas).
Term for Citizen(s): Filipino(s).
Capital: Manila.
Major Cities: Located on Luzon Island, Metropolitan Manila, including the adjacent Quezon City and surrounding suburbs, is the largest city in the Philippines, with about 12 million people, or nearly 14 percent of the total population. Other large cities include Cebu City on Cebu Island and Davao City on Mindanao Island.
Independence: The Philippines attained independence from Spain on June 12, 1898, and from the United States on July 4, 1946.
Public Holidays: New Year’s Day (January 1), Holy Thursday (also called Maundy Thursday, movable date in March or April), Good Friday (movable date in March or April), Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor, commonly called Bataan Day outside of the Philippines, April 9), Labor Day (May 1), Independence Day (June 12), National Heroes Day (last Sunday of August), Bonifacio Day (celebration of the birthday of Andres Bonifacio, November 30), Eid al Fitr (the last day of Ramadan, movable date), Christmas Day (December 25), Rizal Day (the date of the execution by the Spanish of José Rizal in 1896, December 30).
Flag: The flag of the Philippines has two equal horizontal bands of blue
(top) and red with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side;
in the center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each
containing three individual rays), and in each corner of the triangle is
a small yellow five-pointed star.