PHILIPPINES
About Philippines
The Philippines has suffered in the tourism stakes because of
its position on the map. Imelda Marcos once said it was "hamburgered"
geographically. What she meant was that the Philippines receives
fewer visitors than other Southeast Asian countries - about two
million a year compared to Thailand's six million - because it
is not part of the Southeast Asian mainland. Travellers on the
traditional Asian trails tend to get as far as Thailand or Hong
Kong, but ignore the Philippines because it involves an extra
flight, albeit it a short one, across the South China Sea.
Perversely, it is this very lack of mass tourism that makes the
Philippines such an appealing destination. If you want to explore,
and if you are ready to cope with some eccentric infrastructure
and a distinctly laid-back attitude towards the passage of time,
the Philippines has more to offer than many of its neighbours.
The Philippines is a big country in a small package. It is the
second largest archipelago in the world, with 7107 islands (sixty
percent of them uninhabited) and 58,390km of coastline, all in
a land mass no bigger than Arizona. Filipinos refer to it as their
string of pearls. Your biggest problem is likely to be deciding
which of the pearls to see first.
Most flights from outside the country land in the capital, Manila
, which is choked with traffic and dilapidated, but also has some
of the ritziest shopping malls and most spectacular nightlife
in Asia. JM Nakpil Street in Malate on a Friday night is a sight
to behold. Beatnik poets mingle with film stars, models, swaggering
transvestites and a smattering of expats to create a good-natured
outdoor rave that makes all other raves look tame by comparison.
For connoisseurs of beaches, the central Visayan region is an
island-hoppers' paradise, with white sand everywhere and unspoiled
fishing barrios where there's nothing to do at night except watch
the fireflies, listen to the geckos, and perhaps share a bottle
of local Tanduay rum. Palawan , one hour to the southwest of Manila
by plane or an overnight journey by ferry, is an unforgettable
wilderness of diamond-blue lagoons, volcanic lakes and first-rate
scuba diving. In the Cordillera Mountains of the far north live
tribes who make propitiatory offerings to rice gods and whose
way of life has barely changed since they first settled there
around 500BC. One of the few concessions they have made to modernity
is to give up headhunting.
The Philippines will turn every notion you ever had of Asia on
its head. Centuries of colonial rule have resulted in a delightfully
schizophrenic country of potent but conflicting influences. When
Magellan placed a sovereign hand on the Philippines on behalf
of King Philip of Spain in 1521, he brought with him Catholicism,
European architecture and the manana ethic. When monsoon rains
swamp the streets, or when volcanoes erupt, a Filipino's usual
reaction is to smile, throw up their hands, and say bahala-na
- "what will be will be".
Three centuries after Magellan, in 1898, there was another bizarre
twist in the country's colonial history when America bought the
Philippines from Spain for US$20 million, part of the booty from
a war the two powers had fought over Cuba. It was from America
that the Philippines got its town planning, its constitution,
and its passion for basketball, beauty pageants and pizza. Independence
was finally granted on July 4, 1946, making the Philippines Asia's
first real democracy, a fact most Filipinos remain fiercely proud
of.
But it was the events of the 1980s that brought the Philippines
to the general attention of the rest of the world. In 1972, President
Ferdinand Marcos decided to overstay his welcome in Malacanang
Palace by declaring martial law. When Marcos's lifelong political
rival, Ninoy Aquino , was assassinated at Manila airport in August
1983, patience with the dictator ran out. What followed was nothing
short of momentous: a "people power" revolution to kick
out Marcos and his ambitious wife Imelda. In February 1986, they
fled to Hawaii, where Ferdinand died in exile. Imelda's famous
shoe collection was turned into a museum exhibit, but has since
been boxed up and put into storage.
Then, of course, there are the Filipinos themselves. It has become
hackneyed to describe the Philippines as the land where Asia wears
a smile, but there's no denying it's true. Filipinos are a gregarious
and accommodating lot. Graciousness and warmth seem to be built
into their genes. English is widely spoken, even in the provinces,
and everywhere you go you will be greeted with the honorific "ma'am"
or "sir".
Filipinos are also passionate, sometimes hot-headedly so. They
love food, they love life and they love romance. The Philippines
is a passion play writ large and nowhere is this more evident
than in the hundreds of fiestas and religious ceremonies that
are held every year. Some are flamboyant and theatrical, like
the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo and the Parade of Pigs in Batangas. Others
have their origins in the Scriptures and are solemn. One of the
most famous religious events, and one of the most controversial,
is the crucifixion of flagellants held every Easter at San Fernando
in Pampanga. Holy Week is a sacred holiday for Filipinos and tens
of thousands head north from Manila to hill stations like Baguio.
There are two distinct seasons in the Philippines, the wet (southwest
monsoon) and the dry (northeast monsoon). The wet season runs
from May to October and the dry from November to April. The wet
season is best avoided, as the country is hit by an average of
seven typhoons and affected by fifteen. These cyclonic storms
are more of an inconvenience than an outright threat, with flights
cancelled and roads made impassable by floodwaters, even in the
capital. November and December are the coolest months, with daytime
temperatures of around 28°C, while March, April and May are
very hot: expect temperatures to peak at 35°C. Watch out for
Christmas and Easter when the whole of the Philippines hits the
road and getting a seat on a bus or plane can be difficult.
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