Ten More Quirky Facts From The Philippines

1. Of the Philippines’ 7,100 islands, even at low tide only about 460 of these islands cover an area of more than 1 square mile (2.6 sq km).
2. The Philippines is home of the world’s largest and smallest fish, largest and smallest bats, smallest monkey, smallest deer - and it has the world’s second largest flying bird as its national emblem!
3. With a population of over 90 million, The Philippines is the 12^th most populous country in the world.
4. The Philippines’ is the only country flag which is hoisted upside-down when the country is in war.
5. The Philippine archipelago covers roughly 115,830 square miles, equal in size to Italy.
6. Many overseas visitors mistakenly believe that universities in the Philippines are all post-WWII. The truth is that the Philippines University of Santo Tomas was founded in Manila on 28 April, 1611, making it 25-years older than the prestigous Harvard University – the oldest university in the USA!
7. The Palawan bearcat is neither a bear nor a cat. Known in Southeast Asia as binturong, it is the size of a small dog, with long shaggy fur and a tail almost as long as their body. Easily tamed they often become popular local family pets.
8. December is the most popular month for weddings in the Philippines.
9. The first man to use ‘Filipino’ as a title of citizenship was Luis Rodriguez Varela in 1795, a Spaniard born in Manila.
10. According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the first guidebook in the Philippines (Guia de Forasteros) was printed in 1834 - though there have been quite a few updates since then ;-)