Trivia about geography

(81 facts)

A hamlet is a village without a church and a town is not a city until it has a cathedral. About one-tenth of the earth's surface is permanently covered with ice. According to National Geographic, Mt. Everest grows about 4 millimeters a year: the two tectonic plates of Asia and India, which collided millions of years ago to form the Himalayas, continue to press against each other, causing the Himalyan peaks to grow slightly each year Alaska and California, with 8 each, are the US states with the most national park sites. All gondolas in Venice, Italy must be painted black, unless they belong to a high official. As of Dec. 31, 2000, the number of climbers summiting Mt. Everest reached 1314, and the number of deaths on the mountain reached 167. At 840,000 square miles, Greenland is the largest island in the world. It is three times the size of Texas. By comparison, Iceland is only 39,800 square miles. Australia is the only country that is also a continent. Canada is an Indian word meaning 'Big Village'. Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence. Devon is the only county in Great Britain to have two coasts. Disney World in Orlando, Florida covers 30,500 acres (46 square miles), making it twice the size of the island of Manhattan, New York. Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are

registered blood donors. El Azizia in Libya recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13, 1922 -- the hottest ever measured. Europe has no deserts - it is the only continent without one. For every 10 successful attempts to climb Mount Everest there is one fatality. Forty-six percent of the world's water is in the Pacific Ocean; that's around 6 sextillion gallons of water. The Atlantic has 23.9 percent; the Indian, 20.3; the Arctic, 3.7 percent. French was the official language of England for over 600 years. Grand Rapids, Michigan was the first city in the US to put fluoride in their water. Hawaii is the only US state that grows coffee. Hawaii officially became apart of the US on June 14, 1900. If Monaco's ruling house of Grimaldi should ever be without an heir (male or female), the country will cease to be a sovereign state. In 1771 the kingdom of Poland was larger in are than any other European country except Russia and had a bigger population than any other European country except France. In the Great Seal of the US the eagle grasps 13 arrows and an olive branch. It is forbidden for aircraft to fly over the Taj Mahal. Japan is the world's leading importer of iron ore. La Paz, Bolivia, at 11,900 feet above sea-level, is the highest large city in the world. (According to Scholastic Book of World Records 2004, Wenchuan, China is the highest city in the world, at 16,730 feet about sea level. This city if part of Sichuan Province, southwest China. )

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway at New Orleans, Louisiana, is the world's largest bridge. It is almost 24 miles (about 38 kilometers) long. Maine is the only state in the United States whose name has one syllable. Mexico City is sinking at a rate of 6 to 8 inches a year because it's built on top of an underground reservoir. Wells are drawing out more and more water for the city's growing population of more than 15 million people. Mexico City is the oldest capital city in the Americas. More water flows over Niagara Falls every year than over any other falls on earth. Most landfilled trash retains its original weight, volume, and form for 40 years. New Jersey, with 96, is the US state with the greatest number of hazardous waste sites. Quito in Ecuador, South America, is said to have the most pleasant climate in the world. It is called the 'Land of Eternal Spring.' The temperature rarely drops below 46 degrees Fahrenheit during the night, or exceed 72 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in the US. Talking on a cellular phone while driving is against the law in Israel. The 1st US zoo was built in Philadelphia, PA, in 1876. The abbreviation 'ORD' for Chicago's O'Hare airport comes from the old name 'Orchard Field.' The Arctic ocean is the smallest and shallowest. The Arctic Ocean is the world's smallest ocean. It is mostly covered by solid ice, ice floes, and icebergs The Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific Ocean. The border between Canada and the U.S. is the world's longest

frontier. It stretches 3,987 miles (6,416 km). The city of Rome was built on seven hills. They were Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine. The city of St. Petersburg, Russia, was founded in 1703 by Peter the Great, hence the name, St. Petersburg. But it wasn't always that simple. In 1914, at the beginning of World War I, Russian leaders felt that Petersburg was too German-sounding. So they changed the name of the city to Petrograd -- to make it more Russian-sounding. Then, in 1924, the country's Soviet Communist leaders wanted to honor the founder of the Soviet Union, Vladimir I. Lenin. The city of Petrograd became Leningrad and was known as Leningrad until 1991 when the new Russian legislators -- no longer Soviet Communists -wanted the city to reflect their change of government. The coldest temperature ever measured on Earth was -129 Fahrenheit (-89 Celsius) at Vostok, Antarctica, on July 21, 1983. The earths surface contains 196,950,711 square miles (510,100,000 square kilometers). The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 World's Fair. The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C. London, England reached the mark in 1810 and New York, USA made it in 1875. Today, there are over 300 cities in the world that boast a population in excess of 1 million. The flag of the Philippines is the only national flag that is flown differently during times of peace or war. A portion of the flag is blue, while the other is red. The blue portion is flown on top in time of peace and the red portion is flown in war time. The Fresh Kills Landfill site on Staten Island, New York, opened in 1948, is the world's largest. It covers 3,000 acres and receives up to 14,000 tons of garbage a day. It is scheduled to reach capacity and close by the year 2002. The Great Lakes are Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake

Superior, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Great Lakes are the most important inland waterway in North America. All the lakes, except Lake Michigan, which lies entirely in the United States, are shared by the United States and Canada and form part of the border between these countries. The Great Lakes contain 6 quadrillion gallons of fresh water, one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. The Great Lakes have a combined area of 94,230 square miles - larger than the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Vermont combined. The Hollywood sign was first erected in 1923. Conceived as a real estate ad, it originally read Hollywoodland. The sign stands 50 feet tall, stretches 450 feet across, weighs 450,000 pounds. The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 672. The Jordanian city Amman was once called Philadelphia. The largest body of fresh water in the world is Lake Superior. The largest desert in the world, the Sahara, is 3,500,000 square miles. The largest US city in area is Juneau, Alaska, which covers 3,108 square miles. Los Angeles covers only 458.2 square miles. The longest railway in the world is the Trans-Siberian Railway or Trans-Siberian Railroad, built 1891-1916, a network of railways connecting European Russia with Russian Far East provinces. It is 9,288.2 kilometres (5,787 miles) long and spans 8 time zones. The Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii is the largest volcano on Earth. It rises more than 50,000 feet (9.5 miles or 15.2 kilometers) above its base, which sits under the surface of the sea. The Ohio river forms at the confluence of the Allegheny and

the Monongahela. The only continent without reptiles or snakes is Antarctica. The original name of Los Angeles was El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles del rio Porciuncula, translating into:The Village of our Lady the Queen of the Angels of the Porciuncula River. The Pantheon is the largest building from ancient Rome that survives intact. The river Danube empties into the Black Sea. The San Diego Zoo in California has the largest collection of animals in the world. The seven hills of Rome are the Palatine (on which the original city was built), the Capitoline, Quirinal, Viminal, Esquiline, Caelian, and Aventine. The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia, at just 1.75 square miles. The tallest monument built in the US, the Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, Missouri, is 630 feet tall. The US city with the highest murder rate is Detroit, with 45.3 homicides per 100,000 people. The Vatican's Swiss Guard still wears a uniform designed by Michelangelo in the early 16th century. The water in the Great Salt Lake of Utah is more than four times as salty as any ocean. The wettest spot in the world is located on the island of Kauai. Mt. Waialeale consistently records rainfall at the rate of nearly 500 inches per year. The worlds deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1557 in central China. It struck a region where most people lived in caves carved from soft rock. The dwellings collapsed, killing an estimated 830,000 people. The worlds largest statue of a mosquito is a roadside

attraction in Komarno, Manitoba, the Mosquito Capital of Canada. Sculpted in 1984, it is made of steel and has a wingspan of 15 feet. Its also a weathervane, swiveling in the wind. The world's highest railway is in Peru. The Central Railway climbs to 15,694 feet in the Galera tunnel, 108 miles from Lima. Tourists take it to get to the ruins of Machu Picchu. The world's longest suspension bridge opened to traffic on April 5, 1998. The 3,911-meter (12,831-feet) Akashi Kaikyo Bridge is 580 meters (1,900 feet) longer than the Humber Bridge in England, the previous record holder. The world's smallest independent state is the Vatican City, with a population of about 1,000 - and a zero birthrate. The world's tallest mountains, the Himalayas, are also the fastest growing. Their growth - about half an inch a year - is caused by the pressure exerted by two of Earth's continental plates (the Eurasian plate and the Indo-Australian plate) pushing against one another.

Smallest in the Philippines Trivia World's Smallest Volcano Taal Volcano, a 406-meter-high crater, is said to be the world's smallest volcano. It is described as "a crater within an islandwithin a lake" because it stands as an island at Taal Lake. The lake was formed after the volcano, which used to be muchlarger, collapsed. The ridges around Tagaytay City, which overlooks the lake, are believed to be part of the crater of the oldvolcano.These ridges now serve as the border of the 18-mile-diameter Taal Lake and stretch 32 kilometers from Mount Batulao toMount Sungay. Also considered as one of the world's most active volcanoes, Taal Volcano has erupted over 20 times since1572. Smallest Bat in the World The Philippines has at least 56 species of bats. It is home to the smallest among the 1,000 known bat species in the world.The smallest bat in the world is the Philippine bamboo bat (vespertilionid), which belongs to the vespertilionid family. Thisbat measures about four centimeters (1 1/2 inches) in length and has a wingspan of 15 cm. Approximately, it weighs 1.5grams (1/20 ounce). Smallest Mammal in the World South of Palawan, lies the Balabac Island, home of the world's smallest hoofed mammal - the Philippine mouse deer. Locallyknown as Pilandok (Tragalus nigricans), this ruminant stands only about 40 centimeters at the shoulder level.In other countries, it is called chevrotain, or simply mouse deer. Contrary to its name, pilandok is not a member of the deerfamily. It belongs to the family Tragulidae in the mammalian order Artiodactyla. The male species has no antlers like thoseof a real deer. Instead, it uses its large tusk-like canine teeth on its upper jaw for selfdefense; in the same way a deer usesits antlers.Aside from the Pilandok, other mouse deer species include the Malay mouse deer or napu and the African water chevrotain.They are found in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, and India. While the mouse deer are widely distributed across Asia, theirdwindling population has alarmed the World Conservation Union, which declared them as endangered in 1996. Smallest Monkey in the World In many respects, the Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) is different from other animals. Considered as the world's smallestprimate, it measures only about twelve centimeters in length. Its two big eyes cannot move and do not have a tapetum -the upper protective tissue. Because of this, the Philippine tarsier has learned to turn its head 180 degrees. It has also twogrooming claws on each foot and an almost bald tail extending about nine inches.Found in the islands of Samar, Leyte, Bohol and Mindanao, the Philippine tarsier got its name from its elongated tarsusbone. An ordinary tarsier weighs between 117 and 134 grams. It is able to move between trees by leaping as far as threemeters. It also has keen senses of hearing and sight.Today, there are only about 1,000 tarsiers inhabiting the wilds of Corella town in Bohol province where the biggestconcentration of these rare animals was once reported. Ensuring the continued existence of the Philippine tarsiers is thePhilippine Tarsier Foundation Inc. Smallest Fish in the World The world's smallest freshwater fish is found in the Philippines. The dwarf goby (Pandaka pygmaea) measures 1.2centimeters or less than half of an inch, the tiniest known vertebrate. American Ichthyologist Albert Herre first discovered itin Malabon River in 1925.The Philippines is also the home of sinarapan, the world's smallest commercial fish. Sinarapan, scientifically

known asMistichthys luzonensis, is a goby found only in Lakes Bato and Buhi in Camarines Sur province. Sinarapan grows to anaverage length of 1.25 centimeters, only slightly longer than the dwarf goby. Today, unabated fishing in the two lakesthreatens the population of sinarapan. Smallest Shell in the World Pisidum, the world's tiniest shell, can be found under Philippine waters. Pisidum measures less than 1 millimeter long. Smallest Town in Terms of Population The town of Kalayaan, a group of small islands in the Pacific Ocean west of Palawan province, had the smallest populationamong municipalities at 223 as of 2000. Smallest Painting in the Philippines Miniaturist Norris Castillo created what is perhaps the smallest piece of painting in the country. Known as "the Harvest", theoil-on-canvas painting measures 1/4 inches in width and 3/8 inches in length. It is now exhibited at the National Museum.Castillo claimed that he has created more than 10,000 pieces of painting. (Source: Panorama magazine) Smallest Province in the Philippines The smallest province in the Philippines is Batanes, with only a total land area of 209 square kilometers. Longest in the Philippines Trivia Longest Serving Editor in the World Sy Yinchow, an 84-year-old Filipino-Chinese journalist living in Manila's Binondo district, is perhaps the world's longest-serving, living editor-in-chief of daily newspapers. As of 2003, Sy was still serving the chief editor of the United Daily News,a leading Chinese-language daily in the Philippines. He has been an editor-in-chief of Manila-based publications for 58 yearssince 1945, surpassing the record of Sir Etienne Dupuch who had served as the editor-in-chief of the Nassau Daily Tribunein the Bahamas for only 53 years from 1919 to 1972.Aside from his colorful journalism career, Sy has written 20 books and translated over 100 English and 72 French poemsinto Chinese. He is an honorary president of the Hong Kong-based World Association of Chinese Writers and a fellow of theInternational Writing Programme of the University of Iowa.

Longest Barbecue in the World On April 30, 2002, about 50,000 people participated in the "Kalutan ed Dagupan" festival in Dagupan City (Pangasinanprovince, Northern Luzon, Philippines) to help grill and partake of the 1,001-meter long barbecue, that broke the previousWorld Record of 613 meter-long barbecue grilled in Canchia, Peru on November 13, 1999.The people of the city used hundreds of grills, each measuring 1.2-meter long, to cook the barbecue. The grills' totalmeasure was about 800 meters long, enough to surpass the Peruvian record. The barbecue consisted of bangus (milkfish),pork, chicken, vegetables and cold cuts. A video footage was sent to the Guinness Book of World Records for validation.(Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) Longest Mat in the World The people of the agricultural town of Basey, Samar own the distinction of having weaved the world's longest mat, or"banig" in the local parlance. During the town's Banigan-Kawayan Festival on September 29, 2000, hundreds of peopleparaded the mat, which extended for more than a kilometer.The one-meter wide mat has been weaved for several weeks by groups of

people from the different barangays of Basey.While the mat was not submitted as an entry to the Guinness Book of World Records, Basey Mayor Wilfredo Estorninosdescribed the feat as a source of pride for all Basaynons.Each year, the town, which has weaving as its prime industry, comes to life when it celebrates outlandishly the feast of St.Michael, its patron saint. The highlight of the feast is the Banigan-Kawayan Festival, where the women of Basey weave avariety of intricately designed mats from sedge grass locally known as tikog (Fimbristylis milliacea). This tradition washanded down from many generations. The Church of Basey was built in 1864. Longest Bridge in the Philippines The country's longest bridge is the San Juanico Bridge, a steel structure connecting the islands of Samar and Leyte. Built in1973 under the Marcos administration, the 2.16-kilometer bridge crosses over the picturesque San Juanico Strait as a partof the Maharlika Highway. Also known as Marcos Bridge, San Juanico Bridge has 43 spans rising 41 meters above the sea.Bunton Bridge in Cagayan province is said to be the country's second longest bridge.The title of the longest bridge, however, may soon belong to a bridge, which will be built in the Manila Bay. This cablesuspension bridge will link Metro Manila to the provinces of Bataan and Cavite. It will be patterned after the Tokyo BayAqualine, which connects Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture to Kisarazu City in Japan.Among the longest bridges in the world are the VerrazanoNarrows Bridge in New York, the Golden Gate Bridge in SanFrancisco, the East Bridge-Great Belt Fixed Link in Denmark, the Hoga Kusten in Sweden, and the Tsing Ma Bridge in HongKong. Longest Traffic Buildup in the Philippines On the night of May 26, 2003, the northbound and southbound lanes of the North Luzon Tollway from Bocaue, Bulacan toBalintawak, Quezon City turned into a parking lot of thousands of vehicles trapped in floods. Rains induced by tropical stormChedeng caused the garbage-infested Malhacan River in Meycauayan to rise above the street level. The traffic buildup thatextended to EDSA left thousands of commuters stranded for a whole night.A bus that left Cubao, Quezon City at 4 p.m. of May 26 reached Bocaue, Bulacan at 2 a.m. of the next day. The usually 15minute ride from Camachile to Bocaue turned into a grueling and nerve-wracking 8-hour saga for drivers and commuters.Thousands of office workers that left Makati City at 5 p.m. of May 26 were lucky to reach their homes in Bulacan at 4 a.m.of the next day. Others spent the night under the rain while catching for a ride along EDSA. Third Longest Coastline The Philippines, one of the world's largest archipelagos, also has one of the longest combined coastlines in the planet. Thetotal length of the country's coastlines is 36,289 kilometers or almost twice that of the United States. It is said to be thethird country with the longest combined coastlines, after Canada and Indonesia. Longest Cave in the Philippines The 15-kilometer St. Paul Cave in Palawan province is considered as the longest natural cave in the country. Other notablecaves in the Philippines are the 8.9-kilometer Odloman Cave in Mabinay, Negros Oriental; and the 7.7-kilometer OdessaTumbali Cave in Penablanca, Cagayan.In terms of vertical range, the deepest cave is the Sumaging-Latipan-Lomyang Crystal Cave in Sagada Mountain Province.Its deepest point is 163 meters from its mouth. Longest Underground River in the World Palawan's St. Paul's underground river is said to be the world's longest underground river. The navigable part of the riverinside the cave of the 4000-acre St. Paul Subterranean River stretches

8.2 kilometers in length (5 miles). However, this titleis being disputed in Vietnam where an underground river known as Son Trach River reportedly extends 7 miles in length.Filipino explorers, however, claimed that once fully measured, St. Paul's total length would reach 15 kilometers. Longest River Cagayan River or Rio Grande de Cagayan, with a total length of 353 kilometers, is the longest and widest river in thePhilippines. It bisects the Cagayan Valley from north to south. Also considered as the mightiest watercourse, Cagayan Riversources its water from smaller rivers and streams in the mountain ranges of Sierra Madre, Caraballo, Cordillera, and BaletePass.The other notable rivers in Luzon are Chico, Abra, Pampanga, and Bicol. In the south, the principal rivers are Mindanao(known in its upper course as the Pulangi) and Agusan.Meanwhile, the underground river of St. Paul's Natural Park in Palawan is considered as one of the world's longestsubterranean rivers. The world's longest rivers are the Nile River in Egypt and Amazon River in South America. Also worthmentioning are the Yangtze River in China, Mekong River in Vietnam, and Euphrates River in Iraq. Longest Mountain Range The longest mountain range in the country is Sierra Madre, which stretches from Cagayan province in northeastern Luzon toAurora province in southern Tagalog. Longest Underground Railway The country's first subway remains to be built, but this early, passengers of MRT3 (Metro Rail Transit) had the chance toknow what it is like to travel underground. The MRT line, which spans from North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue inPasay City, passes through an underground tunnel, measuring hundreds of meters, along EDSA corner Buendia Avenue inMakati City. The MRT is a US$565 million project, involving 60 Czech-made trains. At present, it has 10 stations, which were built at keyroad intersections in Metro Manila. The average distance between stations is 1.300 kilometer.There were plans to build a 100-kilometer railway system from Fort Bonifacio in Makati City to Clark in Pampanga. Based onthe plan, five to seven kilometers of this railway will be elevated while 10 kilometers will be laid underground, making it thefirst true subway in the country. Biggest in the Philippines Trivia Biggest City in the World The residents of Davao City claim they live in the world's largest city. They are talking about the land size of the city thatcovers 2,212 square kilometers. Most of these areas, however, are distributed as forests, coconut groves and rice fields. Incomparison, New York, the largest city in the United States, has an area of only 787 square kilometers while the whole of Metro Manila covers only 636 square kilometers.Davao City lies at the mouth of the Davao River near the head of Davao Gulf. It encompasses about 50 small ports in itscommercial sphere. Davao has large banana plantations, whose produce are exported to Japan and other countries. The cityalso boasts of a modern international airport. Puerto Princesa City, a chartered city of Palawan province, is disputing DavaoCity's title. It claims to have a total land area of 2,539 square kilometers encompassing 66 barangays.In terms of population and land area, the world's truly largest cities are Tokyo, Mexico City, Sao Paolo, New York City,Bombay, Shanghai and Los Angeles. Biggest Coliseum in the World

At the time it was completed in 1959, the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City was touted as the world's largestcovered entertainment center. Otherwise known as the Big Dome, it has a floor area of 2,300 square meters and a seatingcapacity of 33,000 people. Biggest Shoes in the World Marikina City owns the distinction of having crafted the world's largest pair of shoes, each measuring 5.5 meters long, 2.25meters wide and 1.83 meters high. The heel alone measures 41 centimeters or 16 inches. The P2-million shoes canreportedly fit to a 37.5-meter or 125-foot giant. Around 30 people could put their feet into the colossal shoessimultaneously.The world's largest shoes were made from materials that could produce about 250 pairs of regular-sized shoes. It reportedlytook 10 shoemakers, led by Ernesto Leano, 77 days to cut 30 square meters of leather for the upper lining and 7.4 squaremeters for the socklining. Also used were 250 kilograms of vegetable tanned leather for the insole, 270 kilograms for theoutsole, 80 kilograms for the welt, 225 kilograms of adhesive and 1,000 meters of thread for 200,000 stitches.The Marikina-made shoes broke the old record of 3.12-meter shoes made by Zahit Okurlar of Konya, Turkey. Arepresentative of the Guinness Book of World Records attended the First Sapatero Festival on October 21, 2002 where thegiant shoes were displayed.In December 2002, the Guinness Book of World Records has recognized Marikina City for crafting the world's largest pair of shoes. Largest Shoe Collection Former First Lady Imelda Marcos was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the woman with the largest collectionof shoes. Reports said that when the Marcos family fled to Hawaii during the People's Power Revolution in 1986, around3,400 pairs of shoes were discovered in one room at Malacanang Palace. They were the First Lady's collection. Biggest Golf Tournament in the World According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the biggest amateur golf tournament takes place in Baguio City,Philippines every year. Dubbed as the Fil-Am Golf Championship since 1949, the 72-hole golf tournament attracts close to1,000 amateur golfers from all over the archipelago. The sites of the prestigious event are the challenging par-69, 5,001-yard Camp John Hay golf course and the par-61, 4,038-yard Baguio Country Club. Among the top contending teams in theevent are the Canlubang, Southwoods, Calatagan, and Wack Wack. Biggest Christmans Lantern in the World On December 24, 2002, the city of San Fernando in Pampanga province switched on the world's largest Christmas lantern -a P5-million structure with 26.8 meters in diameter. Biggest Aerobics Exercises in the World On February 16, 2003, some 107,000 Filipinos joined a 30-minute aerobics exercise supervised by the Department of Health(DOH) at Rizal Park in Manila, which could be the largest synchronized exercise in the world. Thousands of people alsogathered at different venues in Cebu City and Davao City to participate in the exercise simultaneous with the Manila event.The new record broke the previous Guinness Book of World Records set at a park in Guadalajara, Mexico by some 38,633people who joined the massive aerobics exercises in June 1998. Biggest Catholic University in the World The University of Santo Tomas (UST), an academic institution founded by the Dominicans in Sampaloc, Manila is consideredas the world's largest Catholic university located in one campus in terms of student population. Biggest Money in the World

In 1998, during the Philippine Centennial celebration of independence, the Central Bank asked the Guinness Book of WorldRecords to accredit its P100,000 commemorative bills, measuring 8 1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long, as the world'slargest legal tender. The commemorative bills were called Brobdingnagian bills. Biggest Bamboo Organ in the World The bamboo organ at St. Joseph Church in Las Pinas City is arguably the world's largest bamboo organ. The centuries-oldmusical instrument was constructed between 1792 and 1819. It has 174 bamboo pipes, 122 horizontal reeds of soft metal,a five-octave keyboard, and 22 stops arranged in vertical rows. Biggest Volume of Text Messages Smart Communications, one of the two giant mobile phone networks in the country, claimed that the volume of textmessages passing through its network reached 240 million daily as of 2001. This excluded text messages sent via the other

networks. Such volume of text messages is said to be larger than those sent in the entire European continent during thesame year. Biggest High School in the World The Rizal High School in Caniogan, Pasig City (eastern Metro Manila) is said to be the world's largest high school in terms of student population. The school has more than 20,000 students. Biggest Flower in the World In February 2002, an environmental organization discovered what could be one of the world's largest flowers in the 5,511-hectare Sibalom National Park in Antique province. Measuring about 22 inches in diameter, the endangered flower, locallynamed as "Uruy", (Rafflesia sp.) has no stem and leaves. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) Biggest Salad in the World The residents of Baguio City took pride in having tossed what was believed to be the world's largest salad - a three-ton mixof assorted vegetables.On September 29, 2002 during the Tossed Salad Festival in commemoration of the city's 93rd charter anniversary, 67students and members of the Baguio Association of Hotels and Inns (Bahai) mixed 2,976 kilograms of lettuce, carrots,cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and other vegetables in a tin and wrought iron bowl measuring 20 feet long, 10 feetwide and 2 feet deep.Some 13,657 people were able to partake of the P1.5 million mixtures. They paid P20 for each serving of the tossed saladwith Thousand Island dressing and another take-out bowl of salad with a gourmet vinaigrette dressing consisting of applecider vinegar and olive oil.The city broke its own record set a year earlier. On September 16, 2001, a 917-kilogram of salad was able to feed 4,861residents and tourists of Baguio City. On September 14, 2002, a religious group prepared a giant Caesar's salad that fedonly 1,000 people in Salt Lake City, Utah. Biggest Candy in the World On March 15, 2002, 25 people in Davao City spent six hours to cook, mold and roll the world's largest durian candy bar - a6-meter, 200-kilogram delicacy made of durian, a smelly but sweet fruit commonly associated with the name of the city.(Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) Biggest Pearl in the World A Filipino diver discovered what is now described as the world's largest pearl in a giant Tridacna (mollusk) under thePalawan Sea in 1934. Known as the "Pearl of Lao-Tzu", the gem weighs 14

pounds and measures 9 1/2 inches long and 51/2 inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at US$42 million. It is believed to be 600 years old. Biggest Province in the Philippines Palawan is considered as the largest province in the country. It has a total land area of 14,896.3 square kilometersdistributed in 1,769 islands and is composed of one city, 23 municipalities and 431 barangays. The next largest provinces inthe country are Isabela, with a land area of 10,664 square kilometers; and Cagayan, 9,002 square kilometers. Biggest Mass Wedding On February 14, 2003, Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo officiated what could be the largest gathering of couples who exchangedtheir vows at 10th Avenue in Caloocan City. There were 900 couples who attended the wedding ceremony. Biggest Chair in the Philippines In April 2003, furniture makers in Ilagan, Isabela province completed what could be the largest armchair in the country.Measuring 5.5 meters in length and 3 meters in height, the armchair called "Botaka ni Goliath" was made of narra andrattan. Around 1,600 board feet of uncut wood were used. During assembly, 15 people had to carry the chair's feet andarms. Biggest Shabu Haul On December 9, 2002, Valenzuela City police discovered P2.2 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu at awarehouse that was razed by fire. The 656 kilograms of shabu, 195 kilograms of liquefied shabu and 200 kilograms of unfiltered shabu in the warehouse on Malinis Street in Lawang Bato, is said to be the largest narcotics haul ever. Biggest Income In December 2002, the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) has ordered American recruitment agency Brown andRoot and its local partner Asia International Builder Corp. to pay 1,975 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) over US$609million in back wages, damages and retirement pay. Biggest Mall in Asia The Philippines is home to one of the largest shopping malls in Asia. The SM Megamall located at the Ortigas commercialbusiness district (CBD) boasts of world-class facilities that have a combined floor area of 331,657 square meters and builton a 10.5-hectare site. The shopping complex is comprised of two buildings connected by air-conditioned bridges and atunnel.The mall had a total of 550 retail, service shops and dining outlets while its 12 film theatres had a combined seatingcapacity of 11,074. The mall's indoor and outdoor parking facilities can accommodate up to 3,000 cars.The SM Megamall, however, may no longer be the country's largest. Sy dreams of constructing the "world's largest indoorshopping mall" soon. Dubbed as "Mall of Asia", the project will be built on his five-hectare Manila Bay reclamation property. Biggest Convention Center One of Asia's largest convention facilities is the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), which has 4,000 seats.PICC is located at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex, which sits on a 21-hectare reclaimed area at theManila Bay. Biggest Amphitheater in the Philippines The Freedom Ring Giant Amphitheater in the controversial Expo Filipino in Pampanga province is considered as the largestamphitheatre in the country. It can hold as many as 35,000 people at a single event. Expo Filipino, however, has yet tobecome fully operational. Biggest Hospital in the Philippines

The Philippine General Hospital in Manila is considered as the country's largest medical institution. The hospital has over1,000 in-patient beds and receives 3,000 outpatient visits per day. It was established on September 1, 1910. Biggest Church in the Philippines The Gothic-designed basilica of Saint Martin of Tours in the heritage town of Taal in Batangas province is said to be thelargest Catholic Church in the country. Biggest Dam in the Philippines If completed, the San Roque Dam in Pangasinan province would become the country's tallest and largest dam. Built on thelower Agno River, the US$1.2 billion dam would measure 200 meters in height and is expected to generate 345 megawattsof electricity. Its construction began in 1998 while completion is expected by 2004. Biggest Gas Field in the Philippines The Malampaya gas field located northeast off Palawan contains what could be the Philippines' largest deposit of natural gas.The gas field was discovered in 1989, and since then the giant oil company, Shell Philippines has engaged in a multi-billionproject in the area.Some US$4.5 billion were allocated to complete the project that is said to be the single biggest foreign investment in thePhilippines. The Malampaya gas field reportedly contains not less than 2.5 trillion cubic feet and 85 million barrels of condensate, a by-product of natural gas that is used as fuel to run gas-fired turbines. These reserves are enough to servethe fuel requirement of a 3,000megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant for 20 years. The project took off in May 1998.It involved the construction of a 504-kilometer pipeline from the area to Tabangao, Batangas. Biggest Tree in the Philippines The oldest and tallest tree in the Philippines is found at the entrance gate of Magallanes town, east of Butuan City in Agusandel Norte province. This "Bita-og" tree (Calophyllum inophyllum), which was declared as the country's official tree in 1998by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is said to be five centuries old. The tree, which was firstrecognized on December 7, 1980, measures 305.585 centimeters in bole diameter. Biggest Coconut Palace What can be considered as the country's largest coconut building is the so-called Coconut Palace, an architectural wondermade from the coconut tree mixed with other indigenous material. About 70 percent of the structure is made from differentparts of the coconut tree. It consists of seven rooms. It is located at the CCP Complex. Biggest Strawberry Cakes The people of La Trinidad town in Benguet province baked the country's largest sponge cake - a 1.2-metric ton, seven-footstructure that fed 10,000 people during the annual Strawberry Festival on March 18, 2002. It took four bakers nearly 16hours to complete the cake.On March 22, 2003, the people of La Trinidad surpassed the record by baking two giant strawberry cakes, one of which costP110,000 to produce and measured 8 1/2 in diameter, six feet long and six feet high. Eric Espadero and three other chefsused 800 kilograms of fresh strawberries, 6,600 eggs and 920 kilograms of flour for the two cakes.In November 2001, the Benguet province baked its own giant carrot cake. Biggest Calamay In March 2003, around 3,000 people of Candon City in Ilocos Sur province tasted what could be the largest calamay or ricecake that has ever been baked in the country. The giant calamay measured five meters in diameter and two inches thick.About 40 women prepared the calamay

made from 184 kilograms of malagkit or ground glutinous rice, grated meat of 800coconuts, 480 kilograms of brown sugar, and 160 more coconuts that were grated to produce gata or coconut milk. Biggest Binallay On May 29, 2003, around 1,000 residents of Ilagan, Isabela partook the country's biggest binallay or native rice cake duringthe town's 317th founding anniversary. The cake measured 3.7 meters tall and 0.6 meter in diameter. Biggest Bounty In May 2002, the United States embassy in Manila raised US$5 million as a bounty against five leaders of the Muslimextremist Abu Sayyaf group that has held an American couple as hostages from May 2001 to June 2002. Abu Sayyaf snatched the American couple along with 18 others from a beach resort in Palawan province on May 27, 2001. On June 7,2002, a military rescue operation led to the death of one of the American hostages. Two weeks later, the military announcedthe death of the leader of the Abu Sayyaf faction responsible for the abduction of the American couple. Biggest Mural in the Philippines In 1953, when the Philippines hosted the International Fair, Carlos "Botong" Francisco was contracted for P39,000 to paint amural measuring 88 meters long and eight meters wide. The giant mural, which depicted 500 years of Philippine progress,later appeared in colored center spread of Newsweek magazine. Biggest Painting in the Philippines Juan Luna's Spolarium is considered as the largest painting in the country. It measures 4.6 meters wide and 7.72 meterslong and is now on display at the National Museum in Manila. Biggest Companies in the Philippines In terms of gross revenues, the National Power Corp. (Napocor) topped all companies in the country with P116.6 billion inthe year 2000. The next nine largest corporations were Meralco, with total gross revenues of P108 billion; TexasInstruments, P95 billion; San Miguel Corp., P90 billion; Petron Corp., P87 billion; Shell, P84 billion; PLDT, P63 billion; Caltex,P56 billion; Fujitsu, P49 billion; and Metrobank, P44 billion. In terms of net income, Southern Energy topped the list withP8.5 billion in 2000. It was followed by Pagcor, with P8 billion; San Miguel, P6.8 billion; Southern Energy Quezon, P6.2billion; and SM, P4.2 billion. Biggest Park in the Philippines The Sierra Madre national park in northern Luzon is the country's largest natural park. The 359,000-hectare park is thehome of endangered species such as pawikan (Chelonia mytas), bayakan or giant bat, Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), wild boar (Sus philippinesis), Philippine brown dear (Cervus marianus), cloud rat (Ratus mindorensis), flame-breasted fruit dove, kalaw (Philippine hornbill), bukarot (Philippine crocodile), and native owl. Biggest Lake in the Philippines Laguna de Bay, an inland body of water covering 900 square kilometers, is the country's largest lake. Located between theprovinces of Rizal and Laguna, the lake receives its water from 21 river systems. In the middle of the lake lies the island of Talim, a heavily populated settlement of mostly fishermen.The second largest lake in the country is Lake Sultan-Alonto in Mindanao. Commonly known as Lake Lanao, the lake coversan area of 355 square kilometers. Meanwhile, the world's largest inland body of water is the Caspian Sea, which is actually alake in the boundary of Europe and Asia and covering an area of 143,240 square miles. Lake Superior (North America), Lake

Victoria (Africa), the Aral Sea (Russia) and Lake Huron (North America) are also among the world's largest lakes. Biggest Eagle in the World Also known as the monkey-eating eagle, the endangered Philippine eagle is one of the largest in the world. With scientificname Pithecophaga jefferyi, the Philippine eagle lives in the rainforests of Isabela, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao. It hassimilarities with Papua New Guinea's Harpy Eagle (Harpyopsis novaeguinea).Measuring about one meter in height, the average Philippine eagle has a 76-centimeter highly arched, powerful bill. It liveson large snakes, hornbills, civet cats, flying lemurs and monkeys - the reason why it is also called monkey-eating eagle. Itcreates its nests in large trees some 30 meters from the ground. Biggest Bats in the World The Philippines has at least 56 species of bats. It is home to the largest among the 1,000 known bat species in the world.The three-layered virgin forest of Subic Bay and Bataan is home to the world's largest bats: the giant flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) and the golden crown flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus). Over the years, these two species of giant fruit bats haveroamed around the 10,000-hectare Subic Forest National Protected Area, which is considered the biggest roosting site of bats in the world. Biggest Endangered Animal in the Philippines People used to call Mindoro as the "Land of the Tamaraws". About 10,000 heads of these unique pygmy water buffalos wereroaming around the island-province of Mindoro in the 1900s. But that was a century ago. Today, the Tamaraws in theprovince are in danger of extinction, and Mindoro might lose the symbol that it once proudly introduced to the world.The Tamaraw, scientifically known as Bubalus mindorensis, is endemic to Mindoro. Belonging to the family of buffalos, thesame categorical group of the Philippine carabao, the Tamaraw is the largest endangered land animal in the Philippinestoday. In 1996, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed it as one of the ten most endangeredspecies in the world. Biggest Fish in the World Donsol, a fishing town in Sorsogon province, serves as a sanctuary to a group of 40 whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), whichare considered as the largest fish in the world.Locally known as "butanding", whale sharks visit the waters of Donsol from November to May. They travel across the oceansbut nowhere else have they been sighted in a larger group than in the waters of Sorsogon. They measure between 18 to 35feet in length and weigh about 20 tons. In 1996, a marine biologist discovered that whale sharks are ovoviviparous, whichmeans that the females produce live offspring from eggs hatched in the uterus.The Philippine government declared whale sharks as endangered species in 1998, thereby banning its plunder andexploitation. Right now, the Department of Tourism is promoting eco-tourism to protect the whale sharks in Donsol. Biggest Shells in the World Tridacna gigas, one of the world's largest shells, can be found under Philippine waters. Tridacna gigas grows as large as onemeter in length and weighs 600 pounds. Meanwhile, a shell called glory of the sea (Connus gloriamaris), considered as oneof the most expensive shells in the world, is also found in the Philippines and . Biggest Reptile in the World The saltwater crocodile, which can be found in the Philippines and other Asian countries, is considered as the world's largestreptile. Scientifically known as Crocodylus porosus, it is different from Mindoro's freshwater crocodile (Crocodylusmindorensis), which is a relatively smaller species.An adult saltwater crocodile measures between six to seven meters (20-23 feet)

and weighs about two to three tons. Therewere tales that a 27-foot saltwater crocodile was killed near Lake Taal in Batangas in 1823. It reportedly took 40 men tobring the body ashore. When the men cut the crocodile's body open, they found the body of a horse in seven pieces. Thelargest crocodile ever sighted was a 33-footer in Borneo in 1920. It was believed to be 200 years old. Biggest Filipino Boxing Champion Ceferino Garcia was the heaviest and biggest Filipino ever who became a world-boxing champion. Known for his bolo punch,he captured the world middleweight title on October 2, 1939 when he knocked out Fred Apostoli in New York. He defendedhis crown against top rivals twice (Americans Glen Lee and Henry Armstrong) before losing his title in May 1940.Before he switched to the middleweight division, Garcia became a welterweight champion when he knocked out boxinglegend and war hero Barney Ross in 1937 and Henry Armstrong in 1938.He was born in 1912 and grew up in Tondo, Manila. In 1977, Ceferino Garcia was inducted into the Ring Magazine Hall of Fame and into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1981. Biggest Lead in a Basketball Game The Philippine team registered what could be the world's biggest lead in an amateur basketball game when it clobberedBrunei Darussalam, 160-19, at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on July 2, 2000.The 141-point lead could be the biggest for any amateur basketball team since basketball was introduced in the Philippinesby the Americans. During the game, the Philippine national team limited the Brunei squad to only 19 points. It later won theSoutheast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Young Men's Tournament crown against Malaysia. Tallest in the Philippines Trivia Tallest Building in the Philippines What can be considered the country's tallest building is located along Ayala Ave. corner Herrera Street in Makati City. In thegroup of skyscrapers at Makati's financial district, PBCom (Philippine Bank of Communications) Tower dominates with its241-meter height. The building, which rises 55 floors from the grounds of Ayala Avenue, was designed by Skidmore, Owensand Merill (SOM) and developed by property giant Filinvest.The PBCom tower, which was completed by the end of 2000, surpassed the height of Petron MegaPlaza that soars 45 stories

from the grounds of Gil Puyat Ave., also in Makati City. But the record may soon belong to a building that remains to bebuilt. The Moldex Realty Marketing Inc. (MRMI) said it plans to build a 57-storey tower at 1322 Roxas Boulevard in PasayCity.The title of the world's tallest building belongs to Malaysia's twin Petronas Towers that rise 451.9 meters from the streetlevel (including its pinnacle). Other world famous high-rise buildings include Chicago's Sears Tower and New York's EmpireState Building and the former World Trade Center buildings. Tallest PBA Player The tallest PBA player is Edward Joseph Feihl of TJ Hotdogs. Feihl who stands seven feet tall is half German. With his height,Feihl could bang bodies with the centers in the NBA. Feihl was part of the Philippine Centennial Team, which won third placein the 1998 Asian Games.Feihl is at least three inches taller than other PBA centers like Marlou Aquino, Paul Asi Taulava, James Walkvist, Andy Seigleand Bonel Balingit.Meanwhile, the tallest basketball player who has played in the NBA is Gheorghe Muresan (7'7 or 2.31 m). But the tallestbasketball player in the world was Suleiman Ali Nashnush (8'1/2" or 2.45 m) of the Libyan team. The tallest man in historywas Robert Wadlow (8'11 or 2.72 m).

Highest Mountain Towering at a height of 2,954 meters (9,692 feets), Mount Apo is the highest peak in the country. Located 25 kilometerssouth of Davao City, the mountain which forms part of the Mount Apo National Park is blessed with hot springs, sulfurpillars, geysers, lakes, rivers and waterfalls. It is home to a number of endemic animals such as the Philippine eagle,falconet and mynah. Its peak can be reached on a four-day hiking trip.Apo means "grandfather of all mountains". Scientists classify it as a semi-active volcano. Materials from previous eruptionshave made the soil around the mountain extremely fertile. The mountain's base covers 72,796 hectares of mountain rangesthat extend from Davao del Sur to Misamis Oriental. While the mountain's peak looks snow-capped, the white appearance isactually caused by the presence of sulfur. Highest Waterfalls The highest waterfall in the country is the 388-meter-high Aliwagwag Falls, in Cateel town, Davao Oriental province. Thecascade has 13 rapids and looks like a stairway with 84 steps of varying heights.The second highest waterfall is located in Barangay Rogongon, 54 kilometers from Iligan City. Limunsudan Falls, a two-tiered fall, has a combined height of 870 feet. Its lower cascade alone measures 400 feet, higher than the entire height of Maria Cristiana Falls.Maria Cristina Falls, also in Iligan City (Lanao del Norte), towers at 320 feet. Also known as the "Mother of Industry", MariaCristina Falls supplies 80 percent of the total energy requirement of the Mindanao region. Another breathtaking waterfall inIligan City is the Tinago Falls, located 13 kilometers from the city proper. As its name implies, this 420-foot waterfall lieshidden in a deep ravine. The world's highest waterfall is the Angel Falls in Venezuela. As a tributary of Caroni River, thiswaterfall has a total elevation of 3,281 feet. Oldest in the Philippines More Trivia Oldest Province Aklan, originally known as Minuro it Akean, is considered as the oldest province in the country and believed to have beenestablished as early as 1213 by settlers from Borneo. Its first ruler was Datu Dinagandan. In 1399, Kalantiaw grabbed thethrone. In 1433, Kalantiaw III formulated a set of laws that is known today as the Code of Kalantiaw. Oldest Town Unisan, Quezon could be the oldest town in the Philippines. The people of Unisan claimed that their town is now 481 yearsold, having been established in 1521, the same year that Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines. All other towns inthe country were established not earlier than 1565, when Spain formally occupied the Philippines as a colony.A Malayan queen named Ladya reportedly founded Calilayan, the old name of the town. In 1876, Calilayan was renamedUnisan which was derived from the Latin word uni-sancti, meaning "holy saint". (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer) Oldest City Cebu City is considered as the oldest city in the country, as this was the site of the earliest European settlement establishedby Spanish conqueror Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565. Oldest Fort The first Spanish settlement in the country, Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, was located inside Fort San Pedro in CebuCity. The fort's construction began in 1565. Oldest Street

Calle Colon in Cebu City is considered as the oldest street in the country. Named after explorer Christopher Columbus, CalleColon was first constructed in 1565 by men of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Oldest Stone Church The Baclayon Church in Bohol is considered as the oldest stone church in the Philippines. But some historians disagree,claiming that San Agustin Church in Manila deserves the title.Church historians claim that the cornerstones of San Agustin Church were laid as early as 1571, 25 years before BaclayonChurch was built in 1596. But most people believe the title should be kept by the latter, since it is situated in the island firstoccupied by the troops of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the country's first Spanish governor general.Bohol was where a friendship was sealed with blood between chieftain Rajah Sikatuna and Legazpi. The event is knowntoday as ''The Blood Compact.'' Oldest Hospital The San Lazaro Hospital could be the oldest hospital in the country. According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the SanLazaro hospital was established in 1578; Enfermeria de Naga, 1583; and Hospital de San Juan de Dios, 1596. Oldest Church Bell

The oldest church bell in the country is said to be the one found in Camalaniugan, Cagayan. That bell was reportedly forgedin 1595. Oldest Bridge The Jones Bridge, formerly known as Puente de Espana, was first built in 1701. It was rebuilt by the Americans in 1916 andrenamed after Atkinson Jones. Oldest University The University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu City is considered as the oldest school in the country and in Asia. Formerlyknown as the Colegio de San Ildefonso, it was founded by the Spanish Jesuits on August 1, 1595. This makes the Cebu-based university older than the University of Santo Tomas (1611) in Manila and Harvard University (1636) in the UnitedStates.The University of Santo Tomas, however, contests this title. Formerly known as the Colegio de Nuestra Seora del Rosario,UST was the first school, which got a university status in 1645. USC became a university in 1948. UST also claimed that theoriginal USC was closed in 1769 as a result of the expulsion of the Jesuits. It reopened in 1783 under a new name andownership. But the USC officials stick to their claim. The university observed its 400th foundation day on August 21, 1995. Oldest Vocational School The Don Honorio Ventura College of Arts and Trades (DHVCAT) in Bacolor, Pampanga is said to be the oldest vocationalschool in Asia. Augustinian Friar Juan Zita and civic leader Don Felino Gil established the vocational school on November 4,1861. Oldest Company Ayala Corp., one of the largest conglomerates in the country, is also the oldest existing company around. It was establishedin 1834 by sugar barons Domingo Roxas and Antonio de Ayala. It was later renamed as Casa Ayala, then as Ayala yCompania and recently as Ayala Corp. Oldest Bank In 1881, Domingo Roxas, an ancestor of the Ayala family, became one of the first directors of Banco Espaol-Filipino deIsabel II, which was founded by virtue of a royal decree issued by

Queen Isabel II. The bank issued the country's firstcurrency notes the following year. Considered as the first private commercial bank in the country, the bank came to beknown as the Bank of Philippine Islands in 1912. The oldest savings bank was Monte de Piedad, which was established in1882. Oldest Military Supply Shop The oldest military supply shop in the country was said to be Alfredo Roensch and Co. Oldest Rizal Monument What can be considered as the oldest Rizal monument in the country is a 20-foot metal structure standing at a park in Daet,Camarines Norte. Its construction reportedly began on December 30, 1898 and was finished in February 1899. Incomparison, the Rizal monument at the former Luneta park was built in 1912. Oldest Vice The earliest vice among native Filipinos, according to historians, was the chewing of betelnut or "nganga". It was said thatFilipinos had been chewing betelnut for 3,000 years. Oldest Insurance Firm Insular Life Insurance Company was established on November 26, 1910, becoming the oldest insurance agency in thecountry. Oldest Epics In a 1962 study, E. Arsenio Manuel said the country had at least 19 epics, which were passed to the present generationfrom our early ancestors through oral chanting. Among these so-called ethnoepics were 13 epics among pagan Filipinos, 2among Christian Filipinos, and 4 among Muslim Filipinos. These included the Ilocano epic Lam-ang, Manuvu's Tuwaang,Sulod's Hinilawod and Maranaw's Bantugan. First in the Philippines More Trivia First Circumnavigator of the Globe Although many historians considered him as the first circumnavigator of the globe, Ferdinand Magellan never completed hisvoyage around the planet. Magellan, a sea captain, commanded a fleet of five wooden Spanish ships with 241 men on boardand embarked on what is now considered as "the greatest of all epics of human discovery". Christopher Columbus, theItalian explorer who discovered America for Spain, traveled 8,000 miles aboard a Spanish ship across the Atlantic Ocean.But Magellan's men embarked on an expedition that brought them 42,000 miles around the planet.The voyage began on September 20, 1519. Magellan and his three remaining ships reached the Philippines on March 17,1521. On April 27, he was killed by the men of Lapulapu, chieftain of Mactan Island in the Philippines. Only one ship, theTrinidad, with 18 European crewmen led by Sebastian del Cano and four Malay crewmen (maybe Filipinos) completed thetrip around the world and arrived in Seville, Spain in 1522. First Landing On March 16, 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in service of Spain landed at Samar. First Mass On March 31, 1521 (Easter Sunday) Spanish friar Pedro Valderama conducted the first Catholic mass in Limasawa, Leyte.Rajah Kolambu, who forged a blood compact of friendship with Magellan two days earlier, attended along with Rajah Siagu. First Filipino Christians

On April 14, 1521, Rajah Humabon, Rajah Kolambu, and 400 other Filipino natives were baptized into Christianity during aceremony administered by friar Pedro Valderamma. First Filipino Priest In 1590, Martin Lakandula was ordained as an Augustinian priest, becoming the first native Filipino to serve as a friar. In

1906, Jorge Barlin became the first Filipino bishop under the Roman Catholic Church. The first Filipino archbishop wasViviano Gorordo while the first Filipino cardinal was Rufino Cardinal Santos. First Chair It was said that Filipinos first used a chair in April 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan gave Rajah Humabon of Cebu a red velvetSpanish chair. According to Halupi, a book of essays on Philippine history, early Filipinos used to sit on the floor. First Spanish Monument Also on April 14, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan planted a huge cross in Cebu. It was here where friar Valderama baptized RajahHumabon, Rajah Kolambu and 400 other Filipinos into Christianity. First Battle On April 14, 1521, the first battle between Filipinos and the European conquerors took place in Mactan, Cebu. Filipinochieftain Lapu-lapu defeated Magellan and his men. After Magellan was killed, Sebastian del Cano led his men back toSpain, completing their voyage around the planet. First Religious Order The Franciscans were the first Catholic religious order to establish their presence in the Philippines. The Franciscans camehere in 1577; Jesuits, 1581; Dominicans, 1587; Recollects, 1606; Paulists, 1862; Sisters of Charity, 1862; Capuchins, 1886;and Benedictines, 1895. First Spanish-Filipino Marriage In 1585, Spanish soldier Pablo Alvarez married Nicolasa de Alvarez, a native of Lubao, Pampanga. First Muslims Makdum, Rajah Baguinda and Abu Bakar propagated Islam in the Philippines in the 15th Century. First Spanish Governor General Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who founded the first European settlement in Cebu City in 1565, is considered the first Spanishgovernor general in the Philippines. He founded the city of Manila and declared it the capital of the archipelago on June 3,1571. The last Spanish governor general in the Philippines was Riego delos Rios in 1898. First Archbishop Domingo Salazar was the first archbishop of the Philippines, which was regarded as a single diocese in the 1580s. First Filipina Directress According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, Sor Candida Ocampo was the first and only Filipino who became a directressof an Spanish institution in the Philippines. In 1594, Ocampo, who was born in Camarines Sur, was appointed as thedirectress of Colegio de Santa Isabel. First Cannon Maker

Even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines, Filipino natives had already learned the trick of making cannons,perhaps from Chinese traders. Historians claimed that Panday Pira who lived between 1483 and 1576 had devised thecannons which Muslim leader Rajah Sulayman used to protect Manila against the invading Spanish troops. Panday Pira wasfrom Tarlac. First Chinese Kingdom After attacking Manila, Chinese conqueror Limahong established a kingdom near the mouth of Agno River in Pangasinanprovince on December 3, 1574. Agno was the seat of the old civilization. Historians have mentioned one Princess Urdujawho ruled Pangasinan before the Spaniards came. In 1660, Filipino leader Malong attempted to establish another kingdomin Pangasinan. First Revolt The first attempt to rise against Spanish colonial rule was carried out by chieftains of Bulacan led by Esteban Taes in 1587.On October 26, 1588, Spanish authorities discovered a plot by Magat Salamat of Hagonoy who tried to enlist the support of his relatives in Borneo. First Filipino in Exile Felipe Salonga of Polo, Bulacan (now Valenzuela City) became the first Filipino who was put in exile by Spanish authoritiesfor starting a revolt in Bulacan in 1587. He was exiled to Mexico. First Mention of King of Tagalogs New historical writings have mentioned the name of one Raha Matanda or Rajah Ache (Lakandula) who ruled over Tondo, akingdom encompassing an area that now includes Bulacan, Metro Manila, Rizal and Quezon in the 16th Century. RajahMatanda was the heir to his father's throne and was a grandson of Sultan Siripada I (Bolkeiah I) of Borneo. In 1643, DonPedro Ladia of Borneo who claimed to be a descendant of Rajah Matanda started a revolt and called himself the king of theTagalog. He was executed in Manila. Historians said that when the troops of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi attacked Manila in1571, the men of Rajah Soliman - the king of Manila - rose up in resistance.In 1847, Apolinario dela Cruz of Tayabas was considered king of the Tagalogs. Bernardo Carpio, a mythical giant character,was also regarded as a king of the Tagalogs. In the 1900s, the revolutionary government proclaimed Macario Sakay as thepresident of the Tagalog Republic. First Chinese Revolt On October 3, 1603, the Chinese rose in revolt in Manila and was driven away to San Pablo, Laguna where they made theirlast stand. First Juan dela Cruz A certain Pantaleon Perez led the Pangasinan revolt on November 3, 1762. Perez assumed the name Juan dela Cruz Palaris.It was mentioned that on November 11, 1849, most illiterate Filipinos during the administration of Spanish governor generalNarciso Claveria y Zaldua were given the Christian surname dela Cruz. Our great ancestors, who could not read and write,drew a cross as their signature on documents and so were known for their dela Cruz surnames. In contrast, Filipinodescendants of rajahs and noble men were given the option to keep their names. Among the clans, who were also exempted from forced labor and paying taxes under the Spanish rule, were the Lakandulas, Solimans, Gatmaitans,Gatbontons, Salongas, Layas, Lapiras, Macapagals, Salamats, Manuguits, Balinguits, Banals, Kalaws, among others. First Filipino

The first man who used Filipino as a title of citizenship was Luis Rodriguez Varela, a Spaniard who was born in Manila. Hepreferred to be called El Conde Pilipino in 1795. (Source: Halupi) First Map The first Philippine map was drawn in 1734 by Nicolas dela Cruz and Francisco Suarez under the instruction of Jesuithistorian Pedro Murillo Velarde. The original map was 27 inches wide and 42 inches long. First Dutch Presence On June 10, 1647, a Dutch fleet arrived in Manila Bay and later attacked Cavite province. First British Presence On October 4, 1762, British forces invaded Manila. They took possession of Intramuros until May 31, 1764. First Filipino Printer The Spaniards introduced the art of printing in the Philippines, almost half a century before the Americans learned how touse it. It is believed that the first book in the country was Doctrina Christiana en letra y lengua China, which was printed in1593 by Juan de Vera, a FilipinoChinese. In 1948, Fray Jose Gonzales of the Dominican Order discovered this book in theVatican Library. Tomas Pinpin is regarded as the first Filipino printer. He was born in Abucay, Bataan but records about hisbirth were lost after the Dutch invaders destroyed the town of Abucay in 1646. Pinpin learned the art of printing from theChinese artisans when he worked in the shop of Filipino-Chinese printer, Luis Beltran.Among his works were Arte y Reglas de la Lengua Tagala (1610) and the Librong Pag-aaralan nang mga Tagalog nangUicang Castila (1610) printed in Bataan. From 1609 to 1639, Pinpin printed more than a dozen titles. Other literary pieces,which appeared during this period were the poems of Pedro Bukaneg (15901626), Fernando Bagongbanta (1605), andPedro Ossorio (1625). The art of modern printing was discovered by German scholar Johannes Gutenberg (1394-1468). TheChinese, however, are credited for having developed their own system of printing, hundreds of years before Gutenberg wasborn. First Newspaper In 1637, Tomas Pinpin published Successos Felices (Fortunate Events), a 14-page newsletter in Spanish that is now widelyregarded as the first Philippine newsletter. On December 1, 1846, La Esperanza, the first daily newspaper, was published inthe country. Other early newspapers were La Estrella (1847), Diario de Manila (1848) and Boletin Oficial de Filipinas (1852).The first provincial newspaper was El Eco de Vigan (1884), which was issued in Ilocos. First Magazine and Journal Seminario Filipino, the first religious magazine in the country, was first issued in 1843. Meanwhile, El Faro Juridico becamethe first professional journal in the country when it saw print in 1882. First Guide Book According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the first guidebook in the Philippines (Guia de Forasteros) was printed in1834. First Novel According to literary expert Bievenido Lumbera, the first Filipino novel was Ninay, written by Pedro Paterno and published in1880. Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere was published in 1887 while El Filibusterismo came out of the press in 1891. The firstEnglish novel written in English by a Filipino was Zoilo Galang's A Child of Sorrow. First Woman Writer and Poet

According to Pampango historian Zoilo Galang, the first Filipino poetess was Leona Florentino of Ilocos while the first Filipinowoman writer was Rosario de Leon of Pampanga. The first Filipino woman novelist, Galang added, was Magalena Jalandonifrom Visayas while the first Filipino woman who wrote an English novel was Felicidad Ocampo. First Non-Catholic Marriage The first non-Catholic marriage in Manila under the Spanish control took place in the early 19th Century when AmericanHenry Sturgis, who arrived in the country in 1827, married Josephina Borras of Manila. They were wed aboard a Britishwarship at the Manila harbor. First Bakery In 1631, the Spanish government established and operated the first bakery in Manila. First Drugstore Botica Boie is considered the first drugstore in the country, having been established by Dr. Lorenzo Negrao in 1830. First Lighthouse In 1846, the Farola was built at the mouth of Pasig River, becoming the first lighthouse in the country. First Electric Lamp The first electric lamp in the country is said to be the one designed by Ateneo students in 1878, 12 years before ThomasHouston Electric Co. installed Manila's first electric street lights. First Botanical Garden In 1858, Governor General Fernando Norzagaray ordered the establishment of the Botanical Garden. It can now be foundbeside the Manila City Hall. First Waterworks Manila had its first centralized water system in July 1882 following the completion of the Carriedo waterworks, whosereservoir was in Marikina. First Railroad In 1892, a railway connecting Manila and Dagupan was completed. It was operated by the Manila Railroad Company. First Telephone System The first telegraph line was opened in 1873 while the country's first telephone system was established in Manila in 1890.Electric lines were first installed in 1895. First Mining Firm In the early 19th Century, Johann Andreas Zobel founded the first iron and copper mining firm in Bulacan and Baguio. Thefirst Zobel in the country was Jacobo Zobel Hinsch, a German who went to Manila in 1849. One of the Zobels - Jacobo ZobelZangroniz latter married Trinidad Ayala de Roxas, an heir of the rich Ayala and Roxas families. First Calendar The first calendar with a Philippine almanac was first released in 1897. The first issue of the calendar was titled "LaSonrisa". First Filipino Chemist Johann Andreas Zobel also founded the first chemical laboratory in the country. Meanwhile, Anacleto del Rosario isconsidered as the first Filipino chemist. First Philanthropist

Dona Margarita Roxas de Ayala, a daughter of Domingo Roxas, is considered as the first philanthropist in the country. Sheassumed the control of the family's Casa Roxas in 1843 and was one of the founders of La Concordia College. First Social Club The first social club was established in Manila in 1898. It was the Filipino Independiente, a circle of educated and richFilipino nationalists. It succeeded Jose Rizal's La Liga Filipina, which was more of a movement. World's First Steel Church The steel church of San Sebastian, now Basilica Minore, is considered as the world's first-ever all-steel basilica. Designed byDon Genaro Palacios in 1883, this small, jewel box church was prefabricated in Belgium. The steel plates, weighing about50,000 tons were brought to the Philippines in six ships. The walls were filled with mixed gravel, sand and cement to fortifythe structure. Stained glass windows from France were later installed. The church, an earthquakeproof structure, wascompleted in 1891. There were arguments that French architect Gustavo Eiffel, who designed the Eiffel Tower of Paris andStatue of Liberty in New York, was also the one who designed the San Sebastian Church. First Hotel It is believed that Hotel del Oriente in Binondo, Manila was the first hotel built in the Philippines. The hotel was a two-storybuilding with 83 rooms fronting the Plaza de Carlos III. It was a first-class hotel constructed in the 1850s just beside thefamous landmark, La Insular Cigarette and Cigar Factory. The national hero - Jose Rizal - reportedly stayed at Room 22 of that hotel, facing the Binondo Church. Hotel del Oriente was among the crown jewels of the old Binondo (or Minondoc as itwas earlier known) which was named after binundok. It was part of the Provincia de Tondo (now Manila) and was declaredone of its districts in 1859.Both Hotel del Oriente and La Insular were burned down during the Japanese Occupation. The Metrobank building nowoccupies the former site of the two buildings. The oldest surviving hotel in the country is the Manila Hotel, which was built in1912. The world's first hotel was the Tremont, which opened in Boston in 1829. It had a dining room for 200 people, 12public rooms and 120 bedrooms. First Republic Early Philippine republics were Kakarong de Sili republic in Pandi, Bulacan; Tejeros Convention in Malabon; and Biak na Batorepublic in San Miguel, Bulacan. Historians, however, wrote that the first real Philippine republic was established in Malolos,Bulacan on January 21, 1899. Two days later, the First Philippine Republic was inaugurated while General Emilio Aguinaldowas declared its first president. First President of Katipunan It was Deodato Arellano who became the first president of the Katipunan, a revolutionary movement against Spanish rule inthe Philippines. First Vice President Mariano Trias is considered as the first Filipino vice-president who assumed the post in 1897. First Army Chief General Artemio Ricarte served as the first captain general of the Philippine Army which was established by the TejerosConvention on March 22, 1897. Ricarte was replaced by General Antonio Luna on January 22, 1899. First Calendar

The first calendar with a Philippine almanac was first released in 1897. The first issue of the calendar was titled "LaSonrisa". First Protestant Mission The first Presbyterian mission arrived in the country in April 1899. American couple Dr. and Mrs. James Rodgers led themission. First Filipino Protestant Minister Nicolas Zamora, a former Catholic priest, later became the first ordained protestant minister in the Philippines. First Election The first municipal election in the Philippines was held in Baliuag, Bulacan under the supervision of American militarygovernor general Arthur MacArthur on May 6, 1899.