Learn five things that will help you make the most out of your travels in the Philippines
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Betsey: Mabuhay! Hello everyone! Betsey here. |
| Becky: Welcome back to FilipinoPod101.com. This is All-About, Lesson 6 - Can You Answer These Questions About the Philippines? I’m Becky! |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Betsey: In this lesson, we have something special. |
| Becky: A quiz! But don't worry, this is a super-fun quiz! |
| Betsey: And we’re not going to grade your Filipino skills just yet! |
| Becky: That’s right. It's more about helping you understand the culture, and have fun with language learning! |
| Betsey: We’ll be covering everything from food, to society, to good places to visit. |
| Becky: So relax and enjoy the ride! |
| Betsey: Becky, are you ready? |
| Becky: Sure. Bring it on! |
| Betsey: The first question is on geography. |
| ------------- |
| ---: In which part of The Philippines is Manila located? |
| ---: A. the North |
| ---: B. the South West |
| ---: C. the South East |
| ------------- |
| Becky: Oh, I know this one. A. the North. |
| Betsey: That's right. Manila City is the capital of the Philippines and is located in Luzon, on the Northern Island of the country. |
| Becky: As the capital, it’s the center of everything, whether business, the economy, or entertainment. |
| Betsey: Yeah, it has a completely different atmosphere from other places in the country. |
| Becky: It is a very busy place, but it’s also a lot of fun! |
| Betsey: Yeah! And if you visit the Philippines for its warm weather, don't worry, because Manila also stays warm throughout the year. |
| Becky: There are only two major seasons - the rain, and the sun! So, if you get past the rainy season in the middle of the year, you’ll be rewarded with fantastic weather! |
| Betsey: Alright. The next question is about Pop culture. |
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| ---: I'm going to name three people. One is a famous writer, another is a politician, and the third is a sports star. Match the name with their profession. |
| A. Nick Joaquin |
| B. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. |
| C. Manny Pacquiao |
| ------------- |
| Becky: Okay. I think I’ve got this one. The freshest in my memory would definitely be Manny Pacquiao, because who hasn’t, at some point, watched one of his matches? So, he’s the athlete. Then we have Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino who I’m always reminded of because the airport is named after him, so he’s the politician. Then that just leaves Nick Joaquin so I guess he’s the writer. |
| Betsey: Nice job! Manny Pacquiao was probably an easy one. He’s a world-class professional boxer, who has won 10 titles in 4 different weight categories. Did you know he’s also a politician back in the Philippines? |
| Becky: Oh yeah. I heard he was representing his hometown, right? |
| Betsey: Back in 2008 he was a congressman for his hometown of Cotabato, and now he is the congressman for his wife’s hometown of Sarangani. |
| Becky: Alright. So can you tell me more about Nick Joaquin? |
| Betsey: He is a National Writer of Literature in the Philippines, historian and journalist. He initially became famous for his short stories and poems in English. He’s written many works - his famous ones include “The Woman who had Two Navels” and “La Naval de Manila Essays” - both works cover many cultural and historical references to the Philippines. |
| Becky: That sounds interesting! So what can you tell me about Ninoy Aquino? |
| Betsey: Well, you already know the International Airport was named after him. So you must know that he was assassinated there, when he came back after a long exile imposed by the government at the time. |
| Becky: I heard he played a big role in reconstructing the Filipino government. |
| Betsey: Indeed. And after his death, his wife Corazon Aquino took over his role and ran for President. She later became the first female president, leading the People Power revolution in 1986. |
| Becky: Alright. What's the next question on? |
| Betsey: Travel. |
| ---: Which are the most popular travel destinations in the Philippines? |
| A. Metro Manila, Boracay, and Baguio |
| B. Samar, Davao, and Bicol |
| C. Iligan, Lucena, and Basilan |
| ------------- |
| Becky: I'm going to have to go with A. |
| Betsey: And that's the correct answer! A. Metro Manila, Boracay, Baguio |
| Becky: Metro Manila is the most frequently visited city in the Philippines. |
| Betsey: Yes. It’s the country’s capital. |
| Becky: And there’s the Rizal monument to the national hero Jose Rizal in Luneta, Manila City too. |
| Betsey: That’s right. It’s also home to the National Museum of the Filipino People. So, it’s definitely a must-go place when you visit the city. The busiest place in Manila is Makati City, where businesses flourish. Makati is also the nightlife center. |
| Becky: Yes. There are quite a lot of clubs in the area. |
| Betsey: And second is Boracay. |
| Becky: We’ve mentioned this before, but it’s one of the most famous tropical islands to visit. Located in the West of Visayas, you can do anything from savouring the nightlife, to water activities such as scuba diving, windsurfing, and kite surfing. |
| Betsey: It's definitely the place to go to whether you're a tourist or from the city. Filipinos from the city like to get away to Boracay. |
| Becky: The white sand and beautiful beaches are just breathtaking! |
| Betsey: Ok, and lastly, we’ve got Baguio. This is a bit closer to Manila, so you can drive up from the city. And people often go here to enjoy the subtropical climate compared to other places in the Philippines. |
| Becky: The weather is quite refreshing. And it’s pretty close to Manila, so it’s great for weekend getaways. |
| Betsey: Alright, next up is Economics. |
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| Betsey: The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of… |
| A. Fruits |
| B. Electronics |
| C. Spices |
| ------------- |
| Becky: Okay I’ve got this one too. It's A. Fruits. |
| Betsey: That’s right! |
| Becky: Well, I do love fruit! |
| Betsey: And the Philippines has it in abundance - coconuts, bananas, pineapples, and mangos to name a few. |
| Becky: I love them. I love them all. Especially bananas! |
| Betsey: Well, banana exports alone make up Php250 million or US$6.2M. And 39 percent of the mangoes imported to Japan are from the Philippines, and we also import to other Asian countries. |
| Becky: So, let's see how big the Philippines actually is. |
| Betsey: It’s about the size of the state of Arizona in the U.S., but its population is about 14 times that. |
| Becky: I guess it’s a big and a small country at the same time. |
| Betsey: Sure is. Now why don't we move onto the next section - things you might find surprising about the Philippines. |
| Becky: Sounds interesting! |
| Betsey: One big myth about the Philippines is probably that every part of Mindanao, the second largest island in the country, is dangerous. |
| Becky: But the thing is, Davao city is one of the most beautiful, safest, and cleanest places in the country. |
| Betsey: Next up, let’s talk about food. People might be surprised to know that Filipino food is a lot like Japanese food, because we always eat rice! You never see a home-cooked meal without rice! |
| Becky: I definitely noticed that. |
| Betsey: And Filipinos like different types of meat, mostly Chicken, Beef, and Pork. Seafood is also a big part of Filipino cuisine. The most famous Filipino food is probably Adobo, which is chicken or pork marinated in vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, and black pepper. |
| Betsey: Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. But Chinese and Japanese food are also very popular as well. |
| Becky: Ok, what can you tell us about Filipino Culture? |
| Betsey: Well, the Philippines is a melting pot of different cultures. It is heavily influenced by its Roman Catholic roots, but it maintains a good balance between conservative and modern. |
| Becky: You’ll see that people are very accustomed to seeing and meeting different people from different places. |
| Becky: What are some things the listeners might not know about Filipino Society? |
| Betsey: Filipinos are a mixture of Spanish, Chinese, and some Japanese heritage, because of the Philippines’ relationship with these countries in the past. |
| Becky: In recent years, there has also been an increase in Korean migration, mostly because of the level of English education offered. |
| Betsey: Ah yes. The Philippines has also been ranked number one in Business English proficiency. |
| Becky: Now, what do the listeners need to know about the native tribes? |
| Betsey: There are tribes in the country areas, and indigenous Filipinos make up 3 percent of the population. |
| Becky: There are over 100 highland tribes, and some lowland tribes in Visayas and Mindanao. |
| Betsey: Yes. And they are known for their creativity, and show this through their weaving, pottery, and wooden figures. |
| Becky: Now what might the listeners not know about language in the Philippines? |
| Betsey: Filipinos are usually bilingual or trilingual. Many speak a dialect, either Filipino or English, or both. |
| Becky: What are the most spoken dialects? |
| Betsey: Those would be Ilocano and Cebuano. |
| Becky: Ok, well, that's all for this lesson! How did you do, listeners? |
| Betsey: We hope you had fun, and learned a little more about the Philippines in the process! |
Outro |
| Becky: Ok, thanks for listening, everyone! We’ll see you for our next lesson. Bye! |
| Betsey: Paalam! |
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