10 Fun Facts About the Philippines

We’ve prepared ten fun facts about the Philippines for travelers planning a trip to the country. If you’re still deciding whether to travel to the Philippines, perhaps this interesting trivia will convince you!

Once you’re ready to travel, you can talk to an ASAP Tickets travel agent about cheap flights to the Philippines.

10 Fun Facts About the Philippines

#1. Fun fact about the Philippines: The Philippines consists of 7641 islands

The Philippines is an archipelago of thousands of islands of varying shapes and sizes. While the number of islands currently stands at 7,641, only about 2,000 have people living on them.

Among tourists, Boracay is one of the most popular islands. Other major islands that tourists enjoy include Palawan, El Nido, Bohol, and Siargao.

Bonus fun fact: 534 of the 7641 islands were founded and added in 2017!

#2. Fun fact about the Philippines: The Philippines has the world’s longest underground river

Visit the Puerta Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan to discover the world’s longest underground river, which stretches across 15 miles below the mountains. The river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it is the longest underground river you can navigate. This has earned it the name of one of the Seven Wonders of Nature.

It is one of the definitive highlights for nature lovers traveling to the Philippines. You can enter the river where it reaches the sea and be mesmerized by its amazing underground cave system.

The most convenient route to Palawan is a flight from Manila or Cebu. You can book cheap flights to Manila for as low as $709 and take a domestic flight to Puerta Princesa in Palawan.

You can also take an affordable flight to Cebu for as low as $715 and find a suitable flight to Puerta Princesa.

#3. Fun fact about the Philippines #3: The Philippines has an island full of volcanoes

Camiguin Island isn’t impressive in size: 14 miles long and 8.5 miles wide. Yet, it’s the site of seven volcanoes. One of them, Mount Hibok Hibok, is still considered active, even though its last eruption was in 1953. Hibok Hibok’s active status is responsible for the bubbling hot springs.

Apart from the hot springs and the stellar landscapes, you’ll love the white sand beaches and the island’s stellar sunsets.

One of the easiest ways to get to Camuguin is to fly to Cagayan de Oro and take an airport shuttle to Macabalan Pier. From there, you can take a ferry to the island. The other option is to go to Balingoan Pier by bus and hop on a ferry there.

#4. Fun fact about the Philippines: The national flag changes during times of war

Most people will recognize the Philippines’ official flag. But not everyone knows that its flag changes during a time of war. Luckily, that hasn’t happened since World War II.

At times of peace, the flag has blue on top and red on the bottom. But at times of war, it gets flipped with the red ging on top.

#5. Fun fact about the Philippines: Filipinos love texting

The Philippines is probably the world’s texting capital, with an average of 400 million daily text messages. These numbers are actual text messages not sent over WhatsApp or messengers. It started as a free feature on prepaid plans, and the habit stuck.

#6. Fun fact about the Philippines: Christmas lasts from September through December

The Philippines love to celebrate, and the countdown to Christmas begins in September. The celebrations start on September 1 and run until the end of December. This time is called the Ber months, with many gatherings, activities, and Christmas preparations. So why are they called the Ber months? Ber stands for SeptemBER, OctoBER, NovemBER, and DecemBER!

If you want to travel to the Philippines for Christmas, read about why you should choose PAL for your Christmas flights!

#7. Fun fact about the Philippines: It is home to many new animal species

Over a dozen new animal species have been found in the Philippines over the past 15 years. The latest occurred in 2022 with the discovery of a new shrew-like mouse, the Baletemys kampalili discovered on Mount Kampalili.

In fact, the forests of the Philippines house the most unique mammal species per square mile than elsewhere in the world.

#8. Fun fact about the Philippines: Jeepneys are a popular mode of transport

Following the American colonial period, American troops left behind jeeps, which the Philippines converted into jeepneys, a minibus used for public transport. They’re crowded, painted bright, and popular, especially in Manila and Cebu.

The government has started to phase out jeepneys and limit their age, but there has been pushback against it. As a response, local manufacturers have started making electric jeepneys.

#9. Fun fact about the Philippines: some of the world’s largest shopping malls are in the Philippines

The Philippines isn’t all about the nature and beaches. It’s also a great shopping destination. Filipinos love shopping, and some of the world’s largest shopping malls are in the Philippines. The largest is the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay, home to over 3,500 shops!

So, if you catch the rainy season, you can literally spend days shopping in the malls. Other large malls include SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, and SM Seaside City.

#10. Fun fact about the Philippines: Basketball is big in the Philippines

Americans introduced basketball to the Philippines in 1910. Initially, basketball was brought into the public school system as a women’s game. Since then, it has become the most popular sport in the country. People enjoy both playing and watching the game.

The country also has the second-oldest professional baseball league in the world. The NBA was established in 1946, while the Philippines Basketball Association had its start in 1975. It’s also Asia’s first professional basketball league. If you’re into basketball, you’ll find plenty of places to hone your skills and easily find playmates to play a game of streetball.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed these interesting facts about the Philippines. Get ideas for your trip to the Philippines with our list of 20 top attractions in the Philippines. We’ve also prepared a guide to the Top Airlines Flying to the Philippines.

If you’re ready to book your trip to the Philippines, contact a travel agent to book flights. Our toll-free number is 844-300-7983, and we have over 2100 agents prepared to help you save on your flights! You can also get a free quote online.