Philippine Sites And Destinations

Filipino or Tagalog, a member of the Austronesian languages, is the official language of the Philippines. This language comprises all other dialects spoken by the native inhabitants of the country’s different regions.

How this happened is told in the Philippines’ journey down history lane, which involved various races. The Spaniards are the most influential people to have colonized Philipines. Their invasion nearly ripped the country of its own identity as they took over and controlled its culture, religion, and language. Spanish then, became the Philippines official language. It filled all curriculums in the academe, while Spanish priests ran schools. Their reign lasted for four hundred years, until the Americans arrived. The country’s official language was turned to English.

Japanese came next but their language made very little impact on the Filipino tongue. The National Language Institute, which was formed in 1937 by the National Assembly, decided that Tagalog should be officially recognized as the foundation of Philippine language. Later, Tagalog became a subliminal term. It was replaced with Pilipino, which was again changed to Filipino as the official language in the Philippines in 1997.

Still, after several renaming of the Philippine language, the fact remains that there are as many as 170 dialects that make up Filipino. There are three major groupings — The Northern Philippine language, Meso Philippine, and the Southern Philippine Language.

The Northern Philippine language is widely spoken by the natives of Northern and Central Luzon including Ilokano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, and Sambal.

Meso Philippine languages are widely spoken in Central Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao regions. To name a few, they are the Tagbanwa, Palawano, and Hanunoo in Palawan and Mindoro.

The largest subgroup are the Central Philippine languages which are composed of Tagalog; Bicol languages; 80% use Visayan languages such as Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray-Waray; and Mansakan languages.

Southern Philippine languages such as Maranao, Maguindanao, Manobo languages, and Subanun languages are concentrated in Mindanao but more than 80% use Visayan or cebuano language. Malaysian, Indonesian, Sanskrit, and Arabic words have influenced many Southern Philippine languages.

The final three following groups are thought to be more distantly related to the previous three. Southern Mindanao languages are languages such as Tboli and Blaan which are spoken in southern Mindanao.Sama-Bajaw languages mainly centered in the Sulu Archipelago as well as parts of Borneo. One language, Abaknon, is spoken on Capul Island near Samar, which is far from other Sama languages. Other languages in this group are Yakan and Sama.Sulawesi languages has only two representatives in the Philippines, the Sangil and the Sangir languages.

When summer hits Philippines, Baguio City is among the most common destinations of Filipinos everywhere, even foreigners. People dubbed it “The Summer Capital of the Philippines” and “The City of Pines”. Cradle of the eighth wonder of the world – the rice-terraces or hagdan-hagdang palayan locally – its beauty, and humid climate all-year round, has captivated the eyes of many.

Situated in the northern section of Central Luzon, high in the Cordillera mountain ranges, Baguio is about 250 kilometer-ride away from Metro Manila with three chief throughways: Kennon Road, Marcos Highway, and Naguilian Highway. It has standard temperature of 20 degrees Celsius or more, which is a come-on to many. The weather here gets rainy during the months of June to October but the town receives lesser storms compared to other places in the country. Thanks to the surrounding mountains that protect it.

Baguio’s fame, however, does not stop at its cool climate. When the Americans saw its huge potential as tourist spot, Baguio City officially became so in 1909. Now, the city boasts of beautiful sceneries and distinct culture, as well. Tourists can find many historical places here which tales may surprise, endear, or amaze visitors.

The touring starts at the stretch of Session Road where the Panagbenga Flower Festival every fourth week of February takes its route. Strawberry farm is one of the major attractions in the area. The Mansion is where the presidents and top officials of the country reside when on vacation. Across the Mansion is the fine-looking Wright Park. The Mine’s View Park is also a favorite among sightseers. Around it are screaming bazaars that offer native products of Baguio – from strawberry jam and strawberry wine, to local handicrafts and finely woven garments. A few kilometers away from Mine’s View is the Burnham Park which features boating in its sweet lagoon. Take a few walk and you can reach the Baguio City Cathedral which highlights the 100-step stairs leading to it. Camp John Hay is also prominent place for travelers. Then, a military recreational camp during the second World War, Camp John Hay now serves as the main door to an impressive forests of pines.

If you want to experience solid mountain adventure, the place to go is Benguet, famous for its hanging coffins in Sagada. Currently, there are still native tribes surrounding the area particularly some kilometers up the Rice Terraces.

Going to Baguio City, you may opt to travel by air or by road depending on your budget. Traveling by air is easier and more convenient as it will take you only 50 minutes from Manila. Asian Spirit has daily destinations to the Summer Capital. Or you may choose from a variety of bus lines – Philippine Rabbit, Dagupan Bus, Victory Liner, Five Star, and Partas among other which have different stations around Metro Manila. This may take a maximum of eight hours on the road. For larger number of excursioners, a private service can be hired.

And because Baguio welcomes thousands of tourists every year, hotels and lodging business proved to be a very productive business, too. Visitors can’t go wrong with its long list of accommodations where vacationers can stay while on break.

Do it your way and don’t miss the fun. See for yourself the cool things that the City of Pines can offer not only this summer but all-year-round - Baguio City awaits your presence.

Tags: baguio city, burnham park, philippine, luzon