Six (6) amazing facts about the Philippines!

27th of April 2022

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1. The Philippines is divided into three divisions

Here’s the wild bit- there are over 7,641 islands. The islands are surrounded by four seas. From the east, there’s the Philippine Sea. The south has the Celebes Sea. The west has the Sulu Sea, and the West Philippine Sea is located at the Philippines’ northwest. The 7,641 islands make the Philippines the largest archipelago in the world.

There originally used to be only 7,107 islands, which isn’t something to shrug at either, but the 534 islands were added recently in 2017. And get this: 2,000 of the islands are inhabited. If you ever ambitiously decided to visit all the islands, it would take nearly 21 years to see all of them!

2. The Philippines made Karaoke famous

The Philippines has the right to brag about making karaoke famous! Karaoke was invented by Daisuke, a Japanese musician in 1971, but it was Filipino Roberto del Rosario who was the one to patent the “Karaoke Sing Along System” in 1975. Karaoke is so insanely popular in the Philippines that it’s even used to promote grocery items in supermarkets! Karaoke isn’t the only invention that Filipinos coined. The Yo-Yo is one of them as well!

Yo-Yos are considered to be the second oldest toy in the world. It’s been around for centuries in Greece, Egypt, and China, but the term “yo-yo” was coined by Pedro Flores, who was a Filipino immigrant living in the U.S. When he was young, he used to make a wooden version of the toy, and in the 1920s, he took his version of the toy to the U.S., which was adapted into the yo-yo we know now. Flores then became the first person to mass-produce “yo-yos'' from his factory in California.

3. The Philippines spends more time on social media

The Philippines spends more time on social media than anyone else. Which country do you think holds the record for spending the most time on social media? It’s not the U.S. It’s the Philippines! On average, people in the Philippines spend about nine hours and 45 minutes per day online. Not only that, but Time Magazine ranked Filipinos as the highest selfie-takers in the world. More popular than McDonalds!

4. Jollibee is more popular than McDonalds

For the next fact, we have the most popular fast-food chain in the Philippines. It’s not McDonald's. Offering food items like the Amazing Aloha Burger, a delicious wonder with bacon and pineapple and the Tuna Pie, Jollibee is more popular than McDonald's’ by far.

Jollibee originally started out as a simple ice cream parlour back in 1975 by Tony Tran in Quezon City. The ice cream parlour developed into selling burgers and hot dogs, then the rest is history.

If you’re in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, you can probably have a Jollibee near you. Find the nearest one to experience the fast-food chain that managed to be a “huge embarrassment to McDonald’s” because of how popular it is. If you ever talk about the Philippines.

5. Their mascot is a cutesy busy bee

Their mascot is a cute busy bee which represents the essence of the Filipino spirit: optimistic, hard-working, and jolly.

6. Jeepneys in the Philippines

The Philippines’ most popular way to get around is called “Jeepney,” and there’s literally no way you’ll miss them on the streets. Jeepneys have a very interesting origin.

Once upon a time, they came from the U.S Army during the time the U.S. had military bases in the Philippines. During World War II, the Allies gave Jeepneys the nickname “The Willys”

Following the war, Filipinos liked the U.S military jeeps so much that they gave them a campy makeover. The word “Jeepney” stems from a mix of the words “jeep” and “knee” because people are so crammed on the vehicle.

There are many more interesting facts about the Philippines but I decided to shorten this list to six facts in a bid to not make it too long and perhaps bore my readers in the process!

Disclaimer: This article and all material used in this content is used for entertainment and educational purposes only.

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