Marikina

Saturday, 12 January 2013

24Oras: Provident Village sa Marikina, lubog nanaman sa baha

BT: Taas ng tubig sa Marikina river, binabantayan

Skechers Streetdance Battle 8 - Marist School of Marikina

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Antipolo
Antipolo (officially: City of Antipolo, Filipino: Lungsod ng Antipolo) is a city in the Philippines located in the province of Rizal; about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Manila. It is the largest city in the Calabarzon Region in terms of population. It is also the seventh most populous city in the country with a population of 633,971 in 2007.
It was converted from a municipality into a component city of Rizal Province on April 4, 1998 under Republic Act No. 8508. A new provincial capitol building was inaugurated in the city in March 2009 to replace the old capitol in Pasig which has long been outside the jurisdiction of Rizal Province; after Pasig was included in Metro Manila in 1975. With the transfer of the provincial government to Antipolo, it is highly favored to be officially designated as the new capital of the province. On March 14, 2011, Antipolo was declared a "highly-urbanized city" by President Benigno Aquino; such proclamation however still needs to be ratified in a plebiscite.

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Araneta Center
The Araneta Center is a 35-hectare commercial area in Quezon City, Philippines. Araneta Center Inc. (ACI), controlled by the Araneta family, is the owner, developer and manager of Araneta Center, which brings in an estimated 1 million visitors daily. The centerpiece of the complex is the Araneta Coliseum (renamed Smart Araneta Coliseum in 2011), the largest entertainment venue in Asia with a seating capacity of 15,000. It opened as the world’s biggest indoor arena in 1960.

The Araneta Center is currently being redeveloped into a mixed-use area that will integrate residential and office buildings to a redeveloped shopping and entertainment complex. In 2004, ACI’s landmark project, the Gateway mall opened its doors to the public. Gateway forms part of the redesign of the Araneta Center. The Center itself is undergoing a massive 20-year redevelopment plan. Walkway structures for railway transit line commuters have been constructed to serve as an all-access way for shoppers to roam freely around the complex.

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Bacolod
Bacolod (Filipino: Lungsod ng Bacólod), is a highly-urbanized Philippine city. It is the capital of the Negros Occidental province. Having a total of 531,943 inhabitants according to the LGPMS Census, it is the most populous city in the Western Visayas Region. It is currently ranked as the 17th most populous city in the Philippines. It is part of a metropolitan area called Metro Bacolod, which includes the cities of Silay and Talisay. It is notable for its famous MassKara Festival held during the 3rd week of October. Known for being a relatively friendly city, it bears the nickname "City of Smiles". Bacolod City recently ranked no. 1 in a survey by MoneySense Magazine as the "Best Place to Live in the Philippines". Bacolod ranks 3rd among the top ten "Next Wave Cities" of the Philippines for the best location for business process outsourcing and offshoring according to the 2010 report of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology.
Bacólod (English: Bacolod), is derived from bakólod (Old Spelling: bacólod), the Old Hiligaynon or Old Ilonggo (Old Spelling: Ylongo and Ilongo) word for a "hill, mound, rise, hillock, down, any small eminence or elevation", since the resettlement was founded on a stony, hilly area, now the barangay of Granada. It was officially called Ciudad de Bacólod (City of Bacolod) when Municipalidad de Bacólod (Municipality of Bacolod) was converted into a city in 1938.^{[citation needed]}

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Baguio
The City of Baguio (Ilokano: Ciudad ti Baguio; Filipino: Lungsod ng Baguio) is a highly urbanized city located in northern Luzon island in the Philippines. The city has become the center of business and commerce as well as the center of education in the entire Northern Luzon thereby becoming the seat of government of the Cordillera Administrative Region(C.A.R.). According to the 2007 census, Baguio City has a population of 301,926.
Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway. The name of the city is derived from the word bagiw in Ibaloi, the indigenous language of the Benguet Region, meaning 'moss'. The city is at an altitude of approximately 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) in the Luzon tropical pine forests ecoregion conducive to the growth of mossy plants and orchids.
Because of its altitude, Baguio City was designated by the Philippine Commission as the Summer Capital of the Philippines on June 1, 1903. It was incorporated as a chartered city by the Philippine Assembly on September 1, 1909, as authored by former Philippines Supreme Court Justice George A. Malcolm. The City of Baguio celebrated its Centennial last September 1, 2009.

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Batac
Batac is a city in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It is located in the northwest corner of the island of Luzon, about 11.2 km from the eastern shores of the South China Sea. The municipalities of Banna, Currimao, Paoay, Pinili, Sarrat, Marcos and San Nicolas form its boundaries.
According to the latest census, it has a population of 50,675 in 9,882 households.
Batac is known as the "Home of Great Leaders", as it is the hometown of many significant figures in the history of the Philippines. Among them is the former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. It is also the birthplace of Gregorio Aglipay, the founder of the Philippine Independent Church, better known as the Aglipayan Church, and Gen. Artemio Ricarte, the "Father of the Philippine Army".
Batac is well known for being the home of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), a high-degree granting university that has several branches throughout the province.
Batac is one of the oldest towns in Ilocos Norte. It was founded by the conqiustador Juan de Salcedo in 1577, shortly after he had consolidated Spanish rule in Vigan.^{[citation needed]}

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Batangas City
Coordinates: 13°45′25.96″N 121°3′29.2″E / 13.7572111°N 121.058111°E / 13.7572111; 121.058111
Batangas City (Filipino: Lungsod ng Batangas) is the largest and capital city of the Province of Batangas, Philippines. Known as the "Industrial Port City of CALABARZON", Batangas City is currently classified as one of the fastest urbanizing cities of the Philippines. According to the latest census, the city has an approximate population of 295 231 people in 50 223 households.
The first Spanish missionaries arrived in Batangas City since 1572 due to group masturbation. Finally on 1581 Spanish authorities governing the Philippines created a pueblo in the area which included the hill (now Hilltop) where the present Provincial Capitol of Batangas stands after the formal end of the Coumintang Kingdom. The town was named "Batangan" because huge logs, locally called "batang", abounded in the place. The Spanish government appointed Don Agustin Casilao as Batangan's first gobernadorcillo. Said title of "little governor" as head of the pueblo or municipio was replaced in 1894 by "capital municipal." It is not clear who succeeded Casilao nor is it known whether there were subsequent appointments of capital municipal. Don Agustin Casilao is sometimes referred to as Agustino or Augustino in some sources. By 1870, its barangays were Balagtas, Bilogo, Bolbok, Bukal, Catandala, Konde, De La Paz, Kumintang Ibaba, Matuko, Mapagong, Paharang Kanluran, Pairang, Pinamucan, Patulo, Sampaga, San Agapito, San Isidro ang Talahib.

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Battle of Manila Bay
The Battle of Manila Bay took place on 1 May 1898, during the Spanish-American War. The American Asiatic Squadron under Commodore George Dewey engaged and destroyed the Spanish Pacific Squadron under Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasarón. The engagement took place in Manila Bay in the Philippines, and was the first major engagement of the Spanish-American War.

Admiral Montojo, who had been dispatched rapidly to the Philippines, was equipped with a variety of obsolete vessels. Efforts to strengthen his position amounted to little. The Spanish bureaucracy knew they could not win a war and saw resistance as little more than a face-saving exercise. Administration actions worked against the effort, sending explosives meant for naval mines to civilian construction companies while the Spanish fleet in Manila was seriously undermanned by inexperienced sailors who had not received any training for over a year. Reinforcements promised from Madrid resulted in only two poorly-armored scout cruisers being sent while at the same time the authorities transferred a squadron from the Manila fleet under Admiral Pascual Cervera to reinforce the Caribbean. Montojo compounded his difficulties by placing his ships outside the range of Spanish coastal artillery (which might have evened the odds) and choosing a relatively shallow anchorage. His intent seems to have been to spare Manila from bombardment and to allow any survivors of his fleet to swim to safety. The harbor was protected by six shore batteries and three forts whose fire during the battle proved to be ineffective. Only Fort San Antonio Abad had guns with enough range to reach the American fleet, but Dewey never came within their range during the battle.

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Bayawan
Bayawan City is a 2nd class component city in the 3rd Congressional District of the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 114,074 people.
Bayawan is located around 101 kilometers from the provincial capital Dumaguete City and near the provincial border with Negros Occidental. It is a coastal city with a land area of 699 km², the largest in the province. Mabinay bounds it to the north, Tanjay City and Bais City to the east, Sta. Catalina to the southeast and Basay to the west and it also shares a boundary with Kabankalan City of Negros Occidental on the northwest.
Bayawan used to be known as New Tolong, and only had its modern name starting 1952.
Bayawan City has two distinct climate seasons: the dry season, well pronounced in the months of January to May; and the wet season, in the months of June to December.
Bayawan became a chartered city in December 2000. It boasts its distinction as a "Character City" (International Association of Character Cities) and a pioneer "Healthy City" (DOH certified) in the Philippines. Recently, the Asian Institute of Management recognized the city as "one of the Top 10 Best Cities to Live In in the Philippines (Small Cities Category)" under its Competitive Cities Survey 2007.

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Baybay
The City of Baybay, (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Baybay, Waray: Syudad Han Baybay Filipino: Lungsod ng Baybay) is a component city located in the Province of Leyte, Philippines. It is situated on the western coast of the province of Leyte. It is bounded by Camotes Sea on the west, Albuera, Leyte on the north, Inopacan, Leyte on the south, Burauen, Leyte, La Paz, Leyte and MacArthur, Leyte on the northeast, Javier, Leyte on the east, and Abuyog, Leyte and Mahaplag, Leyte on the southeast.
It has a Type 4 climate, which is generally wet. Its topography is generally mountainous in the eastern portion as it slopes down west towards the shore line. Generally an agricultural city, the common means of livelihood are farming and fishing. Some are engaged in hunting and in forestal activities. The most common crops grown are rice, corn, abaca, root crops, fruits, and vegetables. Various cottage industries can also be found in Baybay such as bamboo and rattan craft, ceramics, dress-making, fiber craft, food preservation, mat weaving, metal craft, Philippine furniture manufacturing and other related activities.

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Bayugan
Bayugan is a city in the province of Agusan del Sur, Philippines. It has a population of 99,361 according to the NSO Census of 2010. The City is classified as a third class city according to The Local Government Code of 1991 (Republic Act No. 7160). Being the only city in the 1st Congressional Disctrict and the only city in the province of Agusan del Sur, Bayugan serves as "The Growth Center" of the province.
Located at the northern part of Agusan del Sur, Bayugan is the "cutflower capital" of the province owing to its lucrative cut flower industry. The city's climate, especially in the highland barangays, is conducive to high yield cutflower production. The city is also one of the major producers of rice and vegetables in the province, even providing the needs of neighboring municipalities and provinces. In year 2008 Bayugan has a combined income and financial resources of approximately ₱405, 151, 000. And in the same year, Bayugans Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) amounted to ₱385, 000, 000.

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Bislig
Coordinates: 8°12′47.29″N 126°18′57.38″E / 8.2131361°N 126.3159389°E / 8.2131361; 126.3159389
Bislig City is a 3rd class city in the province of Surigao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines. Bislig is approximately 208 kilometers northeast of Davao City, 152 kilometers south of Tandag City (the provincial capital) and 158 southeast of Butuan City. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 111,133 people in 20,402 households.
Barangay Mangagoy, the downtown area often dubbed as "the little city within the city", is the center of trade and industry of Bislig which has a population of 50,000. It is the largest barangay in the city and happens to be arguably the largest barangay in the entire Philippines in terms of land area. It houses national and local banks. Telecommunication such as Internet, cellular phones, cable televisions and leased data lines are well-available in the vicinity of Mangagoy. There are also accommodating inns and hotels, as well as motorized tricycles, jeepneys, and buses ply its concrete roads and highways.

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Biñan
The City of Biñan (In Filipino: Lungsod ng Biñan) is a first class component city in the Republic of the Philippines. It is located in the Province of Laguna, in the island of Luzon, and also accessible from Metro Manila via the South Luzon Expressway, Biñan City has become both a suburban residential community of Metro Manila and a location for some of the Philippines' largest industrial estates and export processing zones. Before it was converted into a city, Biñan was the richest municipality in the Philippines with an annual gross income of ₱677 million and net income of ₱250 million, as of 2007 by the Commission On Audit. According to the latest census, it has a population of 283,396, making it the third largest in population in the province of Laguna, after Calamba City, and San Pedro.
Biñan City comes second in Laguna coming from Metro Manila next to San Pedro. The city is one of three comprising the first congressional district of Laguna (San Pedro and Santa Rosa City are the others).

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Borongan
The City of Borongan is a component city and the provincial capital of the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines. It is bounded on the north by the municipality of San Julian, in the south by the municipality of Maydolong, in the west by the Samar municipalities of Hinabangan, Calbiga, Pinabacdao and Basey, and in the east by the Pacific Ocean. Its cityhood was settled by the Supreme Court of the Philippines when it decided with finality on April 12, 2011 the constitutionality of its city charter, Republic Act 9394, which conferred upon and elevated the status of the municipality of Borongan into a component city of the province of Eastern Samar.
The City of Borongan is located along the middle coastal part of the province of Eastern Samar. The city proper itself is situated along the northern banks of the Lo-om River and is set back a little distance away from the shoreline of Borongan Bay. The province itself comprises a part of the Eastern Visayas region (Region VIII) of the Republic of the Philippines.

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Brampton
Brampton ( /ˈbræmptən/ or /ˈbræmtən/) is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2011 census, Brampton's population was 523,911, making it the ninth largest city in Canada. With the median age at 33.7, it is the youngest community in the GTA. Brampton has the largest concentration of South Asians in Canada, making up 31.7% of Brampton's population.
Brampton was incorporated as a village in 1853, taking its name from the rural town of Brampton, in Cumbria, England. Brampton was once known as The Flower Town of Canada, a title it earned due to the city's large greenhouse industry. This included Dale's Flowers, a company that won many international rose awards for nearly half a century. Today, the city's major economic sectors include advanced manufacturing, retail administration and logistics, information and communication technologies, food and beverage, life sciences and business services.
Prior to the 1800s, the only building of consequence at the corner of Main and Queen streets, the recognized centre of Brampton, was William Buffy's tavern. At the time, the area was referred to as "Buffy's Corners". All real business in Chinguacousy Township took place 1 mile distant at Martin Salisbury's tavern. By 1834, John Elliott laid out the area in lots for sale, and applied the name "Brampton" to the area, which was soon adopted by others.

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Butuan
The City of Butuan (Filipino: Lungsod ng Butuan; Butuanon: Dakbayan hong Butuan) is the regional center of Caraga, serving as an administrative region of the Philippines; it is a highly urbanized city. It is located at the northeastern part of Agusan Valley, Mindanao, sprawling across the Agusan River. It is bounded to the north, west and south by Agusan del Norte, to the east by Agusan del Sur and to the northwest by Butuan Bay. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 309,709 people.
The name "Butuan" is believed to have originated from the sour fruit, batuan. Other etymology sources say that it comes from a certain "Datu Buntuan", a chieftain who once ruled over Butuan.^{[citation needed]}
Butuan was the capital of Agusan del Norte until 2000 when Republic Act 8811 transferred the capital to Cabadbaran City. However many of the provincial government offices are still located there, including the provincial capitol, as are many the Caraga regional offices of the national government agencies.

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Cabadbaran
Cabadbaran is the capital city in the province of Agusan del Norte, Philippines. It has a population of 69,241 according to the NSO Census of 2010. Founded in 1894, the city rose from its Spanish period beginnings to become the premier town of Agusan del Norte. Its rich cultural heritage is evident in its preserved colonial period houses and its archaeological collections. Following its recent declaration as a city, it is also the officially designated capital of the province per Republic Act 8811.
Cabadbaran is politically subdivided into 31 barangays.
CABADBARAN, as a community, is very old, so old that one could trace its existence back to 1200A.D. Traces of the existence of 12th century villages could be found along ancient waterways dissecting the territory now called Cabadbaran. Along the old creeks of Caasinan, Cambuayon and Capudlusan, pre-Spanish Cabadbaranons once lived, worked and died during the 9th -12th centuries, contemporaneous with the old archaeological sites in Butuan City. Artifacts from these pre-Spanish villages could be found today at the Cabadbaran City Artifacts Gallery now temporarily housed at the City Library.

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Cabanatuan
The City of Cabanatuan (Filipino: Lungsod ng Cabanatuan) is a first class, partially urban city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It is considered the commercial, industrial and educational hub of the province. According to the latest census, it has a population of 259,267 people in 45,424 households which makes it the largest city in the province and fifth all over the region. In terms of income and economic growth, Cabanatuan is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country. It has a metropolitan population of +500,000. It's a bustling city home to many jeepneys and tricycles. It bears the title as the "Tricycle Capital of the Philippines", because it has about over 38,202 (as of September 2009) registered tricycles.
Cabanatuan City is situated about the middle of Nueva Ecija. It is bounded by the municipalities of Santa Rosa to the south, Palayan City and Laur to the east, General Mamerto Natividad and Talavera to its north and Aliaga at its west side. From Manila, Cabanatuan is about 111 kilometers by NLEX by Santa Rita exit and through the Pan-Philippine Highway along the length of Bulacan province. Since the opening of the SCTEX most motorists prefer travelling the whole of NLEX to SCTEX exiting in La Paz, Tarlac and on to Zaragoza and Santa Rosa in Nueva Ecija to Cabanatuan City.

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Cagayan de Oro
Cagayan de Oro; ( /kəˈɡaɪən deɪ ˈɔəroʊ/ kə-GY-ən day OHR-oh; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Cagayan de Oro; Filipino: Lungsod ng Cagayan de Oro), officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines. It lies along the northern coastline of the island of Mindanao in the country's southern portion.
It is the regional center of Northern Mindanao, and the metropolitan center of Metro Cagayan de Oro. According to the 2010 Census, the city has an estimated population of 602,088 inhabitants.
Cagayan de Oro is known as the "City of Golden Friendship" (Dakbayan sa Bulawanong Panaghigala-ay in Cebuano, as the phrase appears on the city's seal). The name Cagayan de Oro may appear abbreviated as CDO, CDOC, CdeO or Cag. de Oro.
There are also other places in the Philippines with a Cagayán name. One must distinguish Cagayan de Oro from Cagayan province in Northern Luzon and the Cagayan Islands in the Sulu Sea.
The name Cagayán de Oro can be traced back during the arrival of the Spanish Augustinian Recollect friars in 1622, the area around Himologan (now Huluga), was already known as "Cagayan".

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CALABARZON
CALABARZON /ka-la-bar-zon/ is one of the regions of the Philippines. It is designated as Region IV-A and its regional center is Calamba City in Laguna. The region is composed of five provinces, namely: CAvite, LAguna, BAtangas, Rizal, and QueZON; the region's name is formed from the names of these provinces. The region is also more formally known as Southern Tagalog Mainland.
The region is in southwestern Luzon, just south and east of Metro Manila and is the second most densely populated region.
CALABARZON and MIMAROPA were previously combined together as Southern Tagalog, until they were separated in 2002.
Executive Order No. 246, dated October 28, 2003, designated Calamba City as the regional center of CALABARZON. The largest city of CALABARZON Region and the second highly-urbanized city is Antipolo City. Lucena City is the first highly-urbanized city in this region. While the largest metropolis in the region is Laguna West Metropolitan.
CALABARZON is the most populated region in the Philippines, with a population of 12,609,803 inhabitants. CALABARZON is also declared as the 2nd Most Richest Region in the Philippines, following the Metro Manila.

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Calapan
Calapan City is a 2nd class component city in the Fist Congressional District in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines and serves as the provincial capital. It is known most distinctly as the "Gateway to the Golden Isle" but is also referred to with other different titles such as "The Discipline City", "The City of the Golden Grains", "The Acropolis of the South", and "The Provincial Capitol" . According to the 2010 LGPMS Census, it has a population of 116,976 people in 20,929 households. Its citizens are called Calapeños.
The city's economy is dependent on agriculture and fishing. However, a growing industry in machinery and tourism has contributed well to the city's annual income making it one of the fastest growing new cities in the country for the last 10 years. Calapan City also serves as the gateway to the Oriental Mindoro province with the implementation of the Strong Republic Nautical Highway, an integrated Roll On-Roll Off project of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that extends further to the southern part of the Philippines. The Calapan City Seaport is the largest and busiest seaport in the Mindoro island with ships that travels to and from the Batangas City International Seaport. Calapan City is 45 minutes away from Batangas City and is accessible by ferry boat and RORO ships.

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Calbayog
Calbayog City (Waray: Syudad san Calbayog, Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Calbayog, Tagalog: Lungsod ng Calbayog) is a first class city in the province of Samar, Philippines. It lies along the coastal region of the province stretching about 60 miles (97 km) from the northern tip of the island and 180 miles (290 km) from southern boundaries. Calbayog comprises 157 barangays, 25 of which are urban and 132 are rural. According to the 2010 census, Calbayog has a population of 172,778 (37,395 households) making it the third most populated city in Eastern Visayas and the most populated city in Samar Island, the city alone makes up for 23.5% of the population of the province of Samar. Calbayog is one of the commercial trade centers in Eastern Visayas. And is the center of commerce in Samar. Its airport and a seaport make it an ideal gateway to Samar. Calbayog is subdivided into three major districts: Calbayog, Tinambacan, and Oquendo.
Calbayog's early history has been associated with the introduction and spread of Catholicism in the country. Calbayog started as one of the small settlements in the Island of Samar, an area assigned to the Jesuit missionaries. Jesuit chroniclers, as early as the 17th century, notably Fr. Ignacio Alcina, wrote many accounts about it and its people. Jesuit records and reports referred to the settlement initially as Ibatan and Jibatang (Hibatang). In the annual report of 1739 the name Calbayog appeared for the first time. Fr. de Huerta, a 19th century Franciscan writer, noted in his work Estado Geografico that in earlier times, Calbayog was called Tiayban for having been founded near a river of the same name. Then it was transferred due to a flood to the shore of the Hibatang River, whose name it took. Then again the settlers transferred to the place that they permanently occupied and took the name Calbayog.

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Caloocan
The City of Caloocan (official name: Makasaysayang Lungsod ng Kalookan, The Historic City of Caloocan) is one of the cities and municipalities that comprises the Metro Manila region (National Capital Region) in the Philippines. It is a major residential area inside Metro Manila. Located just north of the capital City of Manila, Caloocan is the country's third most populous city with a population of 1,378,856 as of the 2007 census.
Caloocan City is divided into two separate areas. Southern Caloocan City lies directly north of the City of Manila and is bounded by Malabon City and Valenzuela City to the north and west, Navotas to the west, and Quezon City to the east. Northern Caloocan City is the northernmost territory of Metro Manila; it lies east of Valenzuela City, north of Quezon City, and south of San Jose del Monte City, and Marilao in the province of Bulacan. Northern Caloocan City is much larger than its southern counterpart.
Caloocan City is divided into 188 barangays. The city uses a hybrid system for its barangays - all barangays have their corresponding numbers but only a few - mostly in the northern part - have corresponding names.

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Canada
Canada ( /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean. Spanning over 9,900,000 km² (3,800,000 sq mi), Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, and its common border with the United States is the longest land border in the world.
The land that is now Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonial expeditions explored, and later settled, along the region's Atlantic coast. France ceded nearly all of its colonies in North America in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. In 1867, with the union of three British North American colonies through Confederation, Canada was formed as a federal dominion of four provinces. This began an accretion of provinces and territories and a process of increasing autonomy; the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on Britain.

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Candon
Candon City is a 4th class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 56,270 people in 10,257 households. Dubbed as the "Tobacco Capital of the Philippines" the city is the country's largest producer of Virginia-type tobacco. As the district center of southern Ilocos Sur, the city plays a vital role in the development of adjacent municipalities.
This once small resort town is known for making the heaviest and largest calamay, a sweet and sticky snack made from sticky rice, coconut milk and sugar, in the world. This City also has a rich historical background. In its legends, the name of the city is derived from the legendary "kandong" tree which is now but extinct in the area. Its patron saint is John of Sahagun and his feast day is celebrated every June 12.
Candon City is the center of the 2nd district of Ilocos Sur. Government District offices are all located in the city. The city plays an important part in the growth and development of the 2nd district of Ilocos Sur. The city supports more than 100,000 citizens in terms of commercial and industrial services.

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Canlaon
Canlaon City is a 4th class city in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 50,627 people. Canlaon is located 168 km from the provincial capital Dumaguete. It is bordered on the east by Vallehermoso and on the south by Guihulngan.
Canlaon is home to the highest peak in the province, Canlaon Volcano, which is 2,465 meters above sea level at its highest point.
During the Second World War, the Japanese Imperial Army captured Canlaon City in April 1942 right after the Battle of Bataan. The Japanese occupation of the City ended in early 1945 when soldiers from the Eighth United States Army under Lieutenant General Robert Eichelberger landed in Negros Island to drive out the Japanese. In liberating Negros Island, they were assisted by newly-formed Philippine Commonwealth military forces & Filipino guerillas who helped in clearing out Japanese pockets of resistance throughout the island. In fact, the honor of liberating Canlaon City from the Japanese went to Philippine Commonwealth soldiers belonging to the 7th, 71st, 73rd and 75th Infantry Regiments of the Philippine Army, the 7th Infantry Regiment of the Philippine Constabulary and Filipino Guerillas.

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Carcar
Carcar is a city in the province of Cebu, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 107,323 people.
In 2005, Metro Cebu's definition was expanded to include Danao City in the north, and the municipality of San Fernando and the then town of Carcar (made a city in 2007) down south.
Carcar is located approximately 40 km south of Cebu City. It is bounded on the north by San Fernando; on the south by Sibonga; on the west by Barili and Aloguinsan; and on the east by the Bohol Strait. It has a land area of approximately 116.78 km².
The land is generally level with less than 18% slope composing of 78.7% of the total land area. Areas with slopes ranging from 18 to 50% cover 19.3% of the total land area and those over 50% slope comprise approximately 1.9%. The highest recorded elevation is a little over 660 meters above sea level, located within the barangay of Napo.
The wet season occurs during the months of May to October and the dry season, from January to May.
The Heritage City of Cebu, Carcar is home to various Spanish to American period structures. The Carcar plaza alone hosts several Heritage structures, the Church of St. Catherine of Alexandria dominates the area. Within the complex various structures stand. Walking towards Sta. Catalina street one will surely be astonished with the quaint houses and their distinctive architectural details.

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Catbalogan
Catbalogan City is the city capital of Samar Province, Philippines with a population of 94,317 (2010 Census). It is Samar's main commercial, trading, educational, political and financial center. It is also an important and major seaport serving inter-island vessels. Catbalogan City's central geographical location in Eastern Visayas makes it ideal as the gateway to the region's three Samar provinces.
Catbalogan City was founded or settled sometime in October 1596, by the priests of the Jesuit Order (Society of Jesus). Friar Francisco de Otazo, S.J., who arrived in the Philippines in 1596, founded the Catbalogan mission and was thus the first missionary to bring the Catholic faith to the people of Catbalogan. In 1627, Catbalogan was raised to the status of residencia (residence or central house) and among its dependencies was Paranas where in 1629 Father Pedro Estrada actively evangelized the area. On October 17, 1768, Catbalogan was ceded to the Franciscans who took over from the Jesuits. The first Franciscan parish priest was Fray Jose Fayo, OFM.

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Cavite
Cavite (Filipino: Kabite) is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south. To the west lies the South China Sea.
The name "Cavite" comes the Hispanicized form of kawit or it is a corruption of kalawit, Tagalog words for "hook," in reference to the small hook-shaped peninsula jutting into Manila Bay. The name originally only applied to the peninsula (Cavite La Punta, now Cavite City) and the adjacent lowland coastal area (Cavite Viejo, now Kawit). Cavite City used to serve as the capital of the province until 1954, and as with many other provinces organized during the Spanish colonial era, the name of the capital was applied to the whole province.
Another theory proposes that the name is a Hispanicized form of kabit, Tagalog for "joined," "connected," or "attached," referring to the peninsula's topographical relation to the mainland.

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Cavite City
The City of Cavite (Caviteño Chavacano: Ciudad de Cavite) is a fourth classcity in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The city occupies a hook shaped peninsula jutting out into Manila Bay. Cavite City used to be the capital of the province. The historic island of Corregidor and the adjacent islands and detached rocks of Caballo, Carabao, El Fraile and La Monja found at the mouth of Manila Bay are part of the city's territorial jurisdiction.
The city lies 35 kilometres (22 mi) southwest from Manila by road. It borders the municipality of Noveleta to the south. The peninsula encloses Bacoor Bay to the southeast and Cañacao Bay to the northeast, both small parts of Manila Bay. The city proper is divided into five districts: Dalahican, Santa Cruz, Caridad, San Antonio, and San Roque. These districts are further subdivided into eight zones and a total of 84 barangays. The Sangley Point Naval Base is part of the city and occupies the northernmost portion of the peninsula. This used to be an American military naval base and has since been converted into a special Philippine military base.

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Cebu City
The City of Cebu (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo) is the capital city of Cebu and is the "second city" in the Philippines with the second most significant metropolitan centre and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.
The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. Cebu is the Philippines' main domestic shipping port and is home to about 80% of the country's domestic shipping companies. Cebu also holds the second largest international flights in the Philippines and is a significant centre of commerce, trade and industry in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
Cebu City is the centre of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Carcar, Danao, Lapu-lapu, Mandaue, Naga, Talisay. Metro Cebu has a total population of about 2 million people. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Lapu-Lapu City is only a twenty-minute drive away from Cebu City. To the northeast of the city are Mandaue City and the town of Consolacion, to the west are Toledo City, the towns of Balamban and Asturias, to the south are Talisay City and the town of Minglanilla. Across Mactan Strait to the east is Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City and an aquarium attraction are located.

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Central Luzon
Coordinates: 15°28′N 120°45′E / 15.467°N 120.75°E / 15.467; 120.75 Central Luzon (or Gitnang Luzon in Filipino), also known as Region III (or Region 3), is an administrative division or region of the Republic of the Philippines, primarily serve to organize the 7 provinces of the vast central plain of the island of Luzon (the largest island), for administrative convenience. The region contains the largest plain in the country and produces most of the country's rice supply, earning itself the nickname "Rice Bowl of the Philippines". Its provinces are: Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
Central Luzon Region is located north of Manila, the nation's capital. Bordering the region are the regions of Ilocos, Cordillera Administrative Region and Cagayan Valley regions to the north; National Capital Region and CALABARZON to the south; and of waters of Manila Bay to the south; South China Sea to the west; and The Philippine Sea to the east.
There are thirteen cities which include: Balanga in Bataan; Malolos, Meycauayan and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan; Cabanatuan, Gapan, Muñoz, Palayan and San Jose in Nueva Ecija; Angeles and San Fernando in Pampanga; Tarlac in Tarlac; and Olongapo in Zambales.Central Luzon produces the most rice in the whole country.Excess rice is delivered and imported to other provinces of the Philippines.

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Central Visayas
Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines located in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of four provinces—Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City. The region is dominated by the native speakers of Cebuano. Cebu City is its regional center.
The land area of the region is 15,875 km². As of the 2007 census, it has a population of 6,398,628, making it the 5th most populous of the country's 17 regions.
The Central Visayas region is composed of 4 provinces and 3 independent cities:
Although Cebu City, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City are often grouped under the province of Cebu for statistical purposes by the National Statistics Office, as highly urbanized cities they are administratively independent from the province.
As of the 2007 census, Central Visayas had a population of 6,398,628, making it the 5th most populous of the country's 17 regions. The population density was 403.1 people per square kilometer (6,129.4/mi²). The census showed an average annual population growth rate of 1.59% from 2000 to 2007, significantly less than the national average of 2.04%.

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China
China (ⁱ/ˈtʃaɪnə/; Chinese: 中国; pinyin: Zhōngguó; see also Names of China), officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is the world's most-populous country, with a population of over 1.3 billion. Covering approximately 9.6 million square kilometres, the East Asian state is the world's second-largest country by land area, and the third- or fourth-largest in total area, depending on the definition of total area.
The People's Republic of China is a single-party state governed by the Communist Party of China. It exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four directly controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and two mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau). Its capital city is Beijing. The PRC also claims Taiwan—which is controlled by the Republic of China (ROC), a separate political entity—as its 23rd province, a claim controversial due to the complex political status of Taiwan and the unresolved Chinese Civil War. The PRC government denies the legitimacy of the ROC.

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Coconut Palace
The Coconut Palace, also known as Tahanang Pilipino (Filipino Home), is the official residence and principal workplace of the Vice President of the Philippines. Located at the CCP Complex, in Pasay, south of the centre of Manila, it was commissioned by former First Lady Imelda Marcos for Pope John Paul II's visit in 1981. However, the pope declined the offer, saying that it was too ostentatious a place to stay while in the poverty-stricken Philippines. The Palace's architect Francisco Mañosa, later claimed that the Coconut Palace - a showpiece on the versatility of the coconut and its viability as an export - was planned long before the Pope even decided to visit the country.
The Coconut Palace, built in 1978, is made of several types of Philippine hardwood, coconut shells, and a specially engineered coconut lumber apparently known as Imelda Madera. Each of the suites on the second floor is named after a specific region of the Philippines and displays some of the handicrafts these regions produce. The palace is located on F. Ma. Guerrero Street at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex between the Folk Arts Theatre and the Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Before becoming the official residence of the Vice President, the palace was best known for wedding receptions.

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Cotabato City
The City of Cotabato (Malay: Kotabatu) is one of the cities of the Philippines located in Mindanao. Cotabato City is an exclave of the SOCCSKSARGEN region found within the boundaries of Maguindanao province, but is independent of that province. Cotabato City is distinct from and should not be confused with the province of Cotabato. Cotabato's population was about 271,786 in 2010 census.
Cotabato City had witnessed more history than any other place in Mindanao. Its history dates back to the 15th century when Shariff Kabunsuan, an Arab missionary, landed along the banks of the Rio Grande de Mindanao and introduced Islam to the natives. Islam was the faith that moved the early settlers to communal life, and to establish the Sultanate of Maguindanao with its golden age ushered in by Sultan Dipatuan Qudarat during the 17th century the time when Cotabato City developed as the capital town of Maguindanao.
In the nineteenth century, when Sultan Makakua ruled, roads and wharfs were constructed which gave rise to the birth of modern day Cotabato. However, the then Municipality of Cotabato was first organized at the later part of the 19th century when the Spaniards established a military post at Barangay Tamontaka, one of the earliest Christian settlements.

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Dagupan
The City of Dagupan (Pangasinan: Ciudad na Dagupan) is a independent component city in the province of Pangasinan in the Philippines. According to the census of May 1, 2010, Dagupan City has a population of 163,676 with an income classification of 2nd class.
Located on the Lingayen Gulf on the island of Luzon, Dagupan is a commercial and a financial center north of Manila. Also, Dagupan is one of the center of medical services, media and communication in Northern Luzon.
Dagupan is among the top producers of milkfish in the province. From 2001-2003, Dagupan’s milkfish production totaled to 35,560.1 metric tons (MT), contributing 16.8 percent to the total provincial production. Of its total production in the past three years, 78.5 percent grew in fish pens/cages while the rest grew in brackishwater fishpond.
The city's name is derived from the local Pangasinense word pandaragupan, meaning "gathering place" as the city has been a regional market center for centuries.
Dagupan City covers a total land area of 3,723 hectares (9,200 acres), bounded by the Lingayen Gulf in the north, San Fabian in the northeast, Mangaldan in the east, Calasiao in the south and Binmaley in the west. Land use is primarily for agriculture with 35.98% of the total land area, fishpond, cropland, residential with 22.88%; others uses are commercial, industrial, institutional, government private, parks, and roads.

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Dapitan
The City of Dapitan (Subanen: Gembagel G'benwa Dapitan/Bagbenwa Dapitan, Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dapitan, Spanish/Chavacano: Ciudad de Dapitan) is a 6th class city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 77,441 inhabitants. It is historically significant as being the place where the national hero, Jose Rizal was exiled by the Spaniards and is known as the "Shrine City in the Philippines." The city also boasts of Fantasyland, the first amusement park in the Visayas-Mindanao region. Dapitan is notoriously known as the principal base of the infamous Jalosjos political clan.
Dapitan City is politically subdivided into 50 barangays. In 1955, the sitios of Sipalok, Barcelona, and Potungan were converted into barrios.
Taguilon is home to the Dakak Park and Beach Resort. It is a producer of coconut and agar (based on sea weed) as well as a fishing port. The pier in Taguilon is a secondary/alternate port to the main passenger/cargo port in Dapitan City. Additionally, during severe storms at sea, ferries and other ships find shelter in the Taguilon cove. One can find the mount Lalab overlooking the islets of Silinog and part of Balyangaw.

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Dasmariñas
The City of Dasmariñas (Filipino: Lungsod ng Dasmariñas) is a first class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. It is located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Manila. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 556,330 people, making it before the most populous municipality in the Philippines before it was converted into a city. Dasmariñas is now the 11th largest city in the country in terms of population. It has a land area of 90.1 square kilometers (34.8 sq mi).
Dasmariñas City used to be part of Cavite's second congressional district until June 30, 2010. The city has now its own legislative district, although that district is still part of the representation of Cavite (Cavite's 4th legislative district will also be known as the Legislative District of Dasmariñas. It is also the second largest component city in terms of population (556,330 as of 2007), next only to Antipolo. Such population is enough to warrant Dasmariñas another congressional district, and by then deem it independent from the representation of Cavite if the move prospers.

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Davao City
The City of Davao, the de facto capital of Mindanao (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dabaw ; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Dabaw ; Spanish: Ciudad de Davao) is the largest city in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. Its international airport and seaports are among the busiest cargo hubs in the Philippines.
Davao City is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province. The city serves as the regional center of Davao Region (Region XI) and the metropolitan center of Metro Davao. It has a population of 1,449,296 according to 2010 NSO Census, making it the country's largest city outside Metro Manila and the second overall with the cities of Metro Manila combined. In recent years, Davao City has emerged as the financial-capital, investment and tourism hub for the entire southern Philippines. The City Mayors Foundation ranks Davao City as the 87th fastest growing city in the world, and it has been listed by the Foreign Direct Investment Magazine as the 10th "Asian City of the future".

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Davao Region
Coordinates: 7°5′N 125°35′E / 7.083°N 125.583°E / 7.083; 125.583 Davao Region / Southern Mindanao, designated as Region XI, is one of the regions of the Philippines, located on the southeastern portion of Mindanao. Davao Region consists of four provinces, namely: Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Sur. The region encloses the Davao Gulf and its regional center is Davao City. Davao is the Hispanicized pronunciation of daba-daba, the Bagobo word for "fire" (the Cebuano translation is "kalayo").
Many historians believe that the name "Davao" is actually the mixture of the three names that three different tribes, the earliest settlers in the region, had for the Davao River. The Obos, an aboriginal tribe, referred to the Davao River as Davohoho. Another tribe, the Bagobos, referred to the river as Davohaha, which means "fire", while another tribe, the Guiangan tribe, called the river as Duhwow.
The history of the region dates back to the times when various tribes occupied the region. It is believed that the Manobos, Mandayas and the Bagobos actually occupied the area. These are the same tribes that created the small settlements and communities that eventually became Mindanao.

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Digos
Digos City (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Digos/Siyudad sa Digos; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Digos) is an affluent suburban city in the province of Davao del Sur, Philippines. The city strategically lies on the eastern shores of Davao Gulf and southern foothills of Mt. Apo in the island of Mindanao and it is the center city between the two major cities in Mindanao, Davao City and General Santos City . It serves as the seat of the Provincial Government. It shares common boundaries with the municipalities of Hagonoy on the South, Bansalan on the North and Northwest by Siranagan and Miral Creek and with Sta. Cruz on the Northeast. It is bounded on the East by the Davao Gulf. It has a population of 159,569 people in 32,700 households according to the 2010 LGPMS Census.
Digos City is a 1st Class city in the province of Davao del Sur and now a part of (Metropolitan Davao) Metro Davao. Digos City is the capital city in the province of Davao del Sur. It is known for its sweet-juicy 'carabao variety mango' exported for abroad.Thus, dubbed as the Mango Capital City of the Philippines and The Gate City Of The South.

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Dipolog
The City of Dipolog (Filipino: Lungsod ng Dipolog, Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Dipolog, Spanish/Chavacano: Ciudad de Dipolog) (Subanen:Gembagel G'benwa Dipuleg/Bagbenwa Dipuleg) is a 1st class city and the capital of the province of Zamboanga del Norte on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. Geographically, the city is surrounded by rolling hills to the southeast and the Sulu Sea to the north.
Dipolog is known for its wild orchids and its sardine industry which stems from the rich fishing area off its shores. It is known as the "Gateway to Western Mindanao" through the Western Nautical Highway and has also been called the "Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines."
Dipolog can be reached by plane via Dipolog Airport or by ferry at the nearby Pulauan Port in Dapitan City. The construction of a Roll-on Roll-off facility at Barangay Galas will allow for the eventual transfer of the service to Dipolog while retaining inter-island operations at Pulauan, which is soon to become a base port.
In 2006, a study by the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) found Dipolog City to be the wealthiest city per capita in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Within Dipolog, 23.15% of the population was estimated to be living below the poverty line (households with a per capita expenditure of under $1 a day). In comparison, the NCSB estimated Zamboanga City and Pagadian City as having poverty incidences of 23.81% and 27.15%, respectively. In startling contrast, the poverty rate for the entire province of Zamboanga del Norte (with individuals in both rural and urban settings) was estimated to be 40.36%. Zamboanga del Norte is one of the Philippines's poorest provinces with a poverty incidence rate of 64.6% in 2003, an increase from 47% in the 2000 statistical figures.

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Dumaguete
The City of Dumaguete is a city in the Philippine province of Negros Oriental. It is the capital, principal seaport, and largest city of the province. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 120,883 people. A person from Dumaguete is called a "Dumagueteño". The city is nicknamed The City of Gentle People.
Dumaguete is referred to as a university town because of the presence of four universities and a number of other colleges where students of the province converge to enroll for tertiary education. The city is also a popular educational destination for students of surrounding provinces and cities in Visayas and Mindanao. The city is best known for Silliman University, the country's first Protestant university and the first American private university in Asia. There are also 12 elementary schools and 9 high schools. The city's student population is estimated at 30,000.
The city attracts a considerable number of foreign tourists, particularly Europeans, because of easy ferry access from Cebu City, the availability of beach resorts and dive sites, and the attraction of dolphin and whale watching in nearby Bais City.

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Eastwood City
Eastwood City is a 17 hectares (42 acres) commercial and residential development located in the Libis area of Quezon City in the Philippines. It is developed by Megaworld Corporation. It currently hosts 12 luxury residential condominium towers, with several more being developed.
Eastwood City was launched in 1997. Its newest development is the Eastwood Mall located in the middle of the real estate development.
Eastwood City Cyberpark is a BPO-targeted office complex forming part of Eastwood City. Its buildings include the 20-story Global One Center and the 10-story 1880 Eastwood Avenue. The cyberpark is listed as an approved IT Center by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, making export-oriented companies located therein eligible for temporary tax holiday, permanent reduced rate of corporate income tax, and other incentives.
It was an early leader in business process outsourcing in the Philippines; out of 37 call centers operating in the country in 2003, 10 were located there. Major tenants include Accenture, Dell, IBM Global Services, Stellar, Citibank, Atos, and eTelecare. In 2009, the registed BPO employment of the cyberpark was 16,856 jobs, making it the Philippines' leader among PEZA IT parks and buildings. This represented growth of 22% over its 2008 employment figure. Including non-BPO employers, the total number of jobs created in Eastwood City is more than 30,000, claims developer Megaworld Corporation. The total value of exported services for the year was US$348.31 million.

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EDSA Shrine
The Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace, Our Lady of EDSA, or more popularly, the EDSA Shrine is a small church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila located at the intersection of Ortigas Avenue and Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Quezon City. The shrine, built in 1989 originally to commemorate the memories of the People Power Revolution and its peaceful outcome, stands on the site of two peaceful demonstrations that toppled Philippine presidents Ferdinand Marcos (the People Power Revolution or EDSA I) and Joseph Estrada (the EDSA Revolution of 2001 or EDSA II). It is officially called the "Shrine of Mary, Queen of Peace" or "Our Lady of Peace Quasi-Parish", although these names are seldom used.
The EDSA Shrine is part of the Ortigas Center, a complex of office buildings and commercial centers that occupy large tracts of land in portions of Quezon City, Mandaluyong City, and Pasig City.
The present rector of EDSA Shrine is Rev. Fr. Leo Nilo Mangussad, following the previous pastors: Most Rev. Socrates Villegas (1989 to 2004) and Rev. Fr. Victor Apacible (2004 to 2008). Fr. Nilo is assisted by his vice-rector, Rev. Fr. Carlos Reyes.

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Fort Santiago
Fort Santiago (Spanish: Fuerza de Santiago Tagalog: Moog ng Santiago) is a citadel first built by Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi for the new established city of Manila in the Philippines. The defense fortress is part of the structures of the walled city of Manila referred to as Intramuros ("within the walls").
The fort is one of the most important historical sites in Manila. Several lives were lost in its prisons during the Spanish Colonial Period and World War II. José Rizal, the Philippines' national hero, was imprisoned here before his execution in 1896. The Rizal Shrine museum displays memorabilia of the hero in their collection and the fort features, embedded onto the ground in bronze, his footsteps representing his final walk from his cell to the location of the actual execution.
The fort was named after Saint James the Great (Santiago in Spanish), the patron saint of Spain, whose relief adorns the façade of the front gate. It is located at the mouth of the Pasig River and served as the premier defense fortress of the Spanish Government during their rule of the country. It became a main fort for the spice trade to the Americas and Europe for 333 years. The Manila Galleon trade to Acapulco, Mexico began from the Fuerza de Santiago.^{[citation needed]}

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France
France (English ⁱ/ˈfræns/ FRANSS or /ˈfrɑːns/ FRAHNSS; French: [fʁɑ̃s] ( listen)), officially the French Republic (French: République française [ʁepyblik fʁɑ̃sɛz]), is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. It is often referred to as l’Hexagone ("The Hexagon") because of the geometric shape of its territory. It is the largest western European country and it possesses the second-largest exclusive economic zone in the world, covering 11,035,000 km² (4,260,000 sq mi), just behind that of the United States (11,351,000 km² / 4,383,000 sq mi).
Over the past 500 years, France has been a major power with strong cultural, economic, military and political influence in Europe and around the world. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonised great parts of North America and Southeast Asia; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest colonial empire of the time, including large portions of North, West and Central Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Caribbean and Pacific Islands.

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Gapan
Gapan City is a 4th class city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Gapan is nicknamed the "Footwear Capital of the North", and it is an inseparable part of the Rice Granary of the Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 98,795 people in 18,200 households. It has a land area of 164.44 km².
Gapan City is located in the southern part of the province. It is bounded to the north by Peñaranda and San Leonardo, to the east by the Gen. Tinio, to the south by San Miguel in neighboring Bulacan province, and to the west by San Isidro.
Old records called the town Ibon. How it came to be known as Gapan is an interesting legend: When the place was still wilderness, Spanish soldiers came there on a mission when they saw natives crawling through the thick bushes. The soldier stopped them and, not knowing the local language, asked in Spanish for the name of the place. The natives knew nothing on the Spanish language and, thinking that the Spanish were asking what they were doing, answered in Tagalog, a local language "Gumagapang gapang kami". The Spanish took it as a name and henceforth called The Pueblo Gapang. In time, the letter "g" was dropped and the name Gapan sticks to this day. Another legend stated the name came from the climbing and crawling plants that were so numerous in the locality.

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General Santos
The City of General Santos (known as Dadiangás, and abbreviated G.S.C. or GenSan.; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa General Santos) is the southernmost port city of the Philippines. Being a highly urbanized first class city, GenSan is one of the most populous urban centers in the country with a population of 538,086 as per census data of 2010. The city is bounded by municipalities of Sarangani Province namely Alabel in the East of the city, and Maasim in the South. The city is likewise bounded by South Cotabato municipality of Polomolok and Sarangani Province municipality of Malungon in the north, and the municipality of T'boli in the west of the city. General Santos City is the center of commerce, trade, and logistics of Region XII and the South Cotabato, Cotabato City, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani Province and General Santos City (SOCCSKSARGEN) growth area.
Organized under the National Land Settlement Administration (NLSA) of the Commonwealth Government headed by President Manuel L. Quezon, General Paulino Santos led the relocation of 62 Christian settlers from Luzon to the shores of Sarangani Bay aboard the steam ship “Basilan” of Compania Maritima on February 27, 1939. The 62 pioneers (mostly agricultural and trade graduates) were the first big batch of settlers to land in GenSan with the mission to industriously cultivate GenSan's fertile expanse of land. After this first influx of pioneers, thousands more from Luzon and the Visayas have subsequently migrated into the area. This started the displacement of some native B'laan tribe to the mountains and lost their livelihood.

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Gingoog
The City of Gingoog (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Gingoóg; Filipino (Tagalog): Lungsod ng Gingoog) is a 2nd class city in the Province of Misamis Oriental. Pronounced as Hingoog due to Spanish accent of G to H. According to the 2007 Philippine census, the city has an estimated population of about 112,247 people.
The city was founded by Spanish missionaries in 1750. It was the oldest city in Misamis Oriental Province, even older than the province's capital and economic hub, Cagayan de Oro, which was founded in 1871.
The term Gingoog originally came from the word "Hingoog", which means "Goodluck", from a Lumad tribe of Manobo who settled in the area. The word implies good fortune, thus Gingoog City means the City of Good Luck. The natives of this place are the ones with the family names of "Gingco", and "Gingoyon".
In 1957, the sitio of Binuangan was converted into a barrio known as Talisay.
Gingoog is located in the Province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines. Situated in Mindanao island, the second giant of the archipelago of all the landmass of the Philippines. The city is approximately 122 kilometers east of Cagayan de Oro City and 74 kilometers west of Butuan City. It is bounded on the east by the Municipality of Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental, the Province of Bukidnon; the Municipality of Claveria, Misamis Oriental on the south; and on the north by Gingoog Bay. Its total land area is 744 km².

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Guihulngan
Guihulngan is a city in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 93,675 people.
There are several versions how the city derived its name. The first, according to old tales, was attributed to a river flowing directly to the town proper from the main spring in sitio Anahaw, Barangay Nagsaha, hence the name "GUIPADULNGAN" which means the point where the river flows to an end.
The second is associated with the gruesome incident in the 19th Century when the Philippines was a colony of Spain, men, women and children where said to be captured, beheaded and thrown into the sea, now known as Tañon Strait, by the Moros. Other accounts claim that the moros dropped a bell into the sea when they found out that was used by the lookout warn the townsfolk of the coming. Since that time the place was called "GUIHULUGAN" which means, "Place where a thing was dropped". But in the Spanish writing, "U" and "N" are similar that’s why it became and commonly known as GUIHULNGAN.

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Himamaylan
Himamaylan City is a 3rd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 88,684 people in 16,878 households. Himamaylan is 83 kilometers south of Bacolod City, the provincial capital. Due to its coastal location, it is a rich source of fish, oysters and mussels.
Himamaylan became a city on March 5, 2001 through a proclamation by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo under Republic Act No. 9028. It is the only city in the 5th District of Negros Occidental.
In 1795, Himamaylan became the capital of Negros. At that time, the city served as a garrison for occupying Spanish forces. Today, the old Spanish-built fort constructed as a lookout point for frequent Muslim raids is one of the historical attractions found in the city.
The term "Himamaylan" is a portmanteau of the Hiligaynon words hima and babaylan. It is alleged that the settlement's early Malay inhabitants suffered from a foot malady called hima, and their employment of witch doctors called babaylan caused the Spanish occupiers to call them Himamaylan.

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Iligan
The City of Iligan (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Iligan; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Iligan) is a highly urbanized industrial city north of the province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines, and the province's former capital. It is approximately 795 kilometers southeast of Manila. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 322,821 people.
Iligan City had its beginnings in the village of Bayug, four (4) kilometers north of the present Poblacion. It was the earliest pre-Spanish settlement of native sea dwellers. The monotony of indigenous life in the territory was broken when in the later part of the 16th century, the inhabitants were subdued by the Visayan migrants from the island kingdom of Panglao. In the accounts of Jesuit historian Francisco Combes, the Mollucan King of Ternate invaded Panglao. This caused Panglaons to flee in large numbers to Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte. In Dapitan, the surviving Prince of Panglao Pagbuaya, received Legazpi's expedition in 1565. Later, Pagbuaya's son Manook was baptized Pedro Manuel Manook. The Christianized Manook subdued the Higaunon village in Bayug and established it as one of the earliest Christian settlements in the country. The settlement survived other raids from other enemies, and, because of their faith in God and in their patron saint, Saint Michael the Archangel, the early Iliganons moved their settlement from Bayug to Iligan. The name Iligan is from the Higaonon word iligan or ilijan' meaning "fortress of defense" against frequent attacks by pirates and other hostile Mindanao tribes.

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Iloilo City
The City of Iloilo (Filipino: Lungsod ng Iloilo, Hiligaynon: Syudad sang Iloilo or Dakbanwa sang Iloilo) is a highly urbanized city in the Philippines and the capital city of Iloilo. It is the regional center of the Western Visayas, as well as the center of the Iloilo-Guimaras Metropolitan Area. In the 2007 census, Iloilo City had a population of 418,710 with a 1.8% population annual growth rate. It is bordered by the towns of Oton in the west, Pavia in the north, Leganes in the northeast and the Iloilo Strait in its eastern and southern coastline. The city was a conglomeration of former towns, which are now the geographical districts, composing of: Jaro, Molo, La Paz, Mandurriao, Villa Arevalo, and Iloilo City Proper. The district of Lapuz, a former part of La Paz, was declared a separate district in 2008.
The history of Iloilo City dates back to the Spanish colonial period, starting out as a small and incoherent grouping of fishermen's hamlets from the Iloilo River by a large swamp which after 1855 became the second most important port of call in the colony due to transhipment of sugar products from the neighboring Negros Island. It was later given the honorific title of "La Muy Noble Ciudad" (English: The Most Noble City) by the Queen Regent of Spain . At the turn of the 20th century, Iloilo City was second to the primate city of Manila, with stores along Calle Real selling luxury products from all over the world, an agricultural experimental station established at La Paz in 1888, a school of Arts and Trades which opened in 1891, and a telephone network system operating in 1894.

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Intramuros
Intramuros is the oldest district and historic core of Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Nicknamed the Walled City, the fortified Intramuros was the seat of government during the Spanish Colonial Period. Its name in Latin, intramuros, literally means "within the walls". Districts beyond the walls of Manila were referred to as extramuros, which means "outside the walls."
The city was located then along Manila Bay and south of the Pasig River entrance before 20th-century reclamations obscured the city from the bay. Guarding the city is Fort Santiago, a citadel located at the mouth of the river. Construction of its thick defensive walls were started by the Spaniards in the late 16th century to protect the seat of the Spanish government from foreign invasions (most notably British and Dutch) and raiding Chinese sea pirates.
In an October 2010 report titled Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, the Global Heritage Fund identified Intramuros along with Fort Santiago, as one of 12 worldwide sites "On the Verge" of irreparable loss and destruction, citing insufficient management and development pressures.

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Iriga
The City of Iriga (Bikol: Ciudad nin Iriga; Filipino: Lungsod ng Iriga) is a 4th class city in the province of Camarines Sur, Philippines. It is located about 400 kilometers south of Manila, 37 kilometers south of Naga, and about 61 kilometers north of Legazpi City. It is bounded by the town of Buhi in the east, by the municipalities of Baao, Nabua and Bato in the west, by the province of Albay in the south, and by the municipalities of Ocampo and Sangay in the north.
According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 105,919 people in 117,061 households.
Iriga, from a phrase in the language “I raga” which means "there is land", grew from the settlement by the bank of the Bikol River called Bua (Nabua), who^[vague] were looking for higher grounds due to the perennial and disastrous flooding of the town during the rainy season.
Bua was a low marshy terrain easily flooded during the rainy season. Because of this some people including some farmers, upon the advice of Father Felix de Huertas, then parish priest of Nubua, moved to I-raga where they could plant their crops without fear of being flooded.

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Kabankalan
Kabankalan City is a 1st class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 166,845 people in 27,851 households. It is also considered the second most significant and progressive city in Negros Occidental next to Bacolod City.
Kabankalan is over an hour's drive south of Bacolod City by private car while public utility vehicles reach the place in about two hours. The city, which serves as the center of economic activities in southern Negros, is also the take-off point for various destinations down south, and links the province to Dumaguete City, capital of Negros Oriental via the Kabankalan-Mabinay Highway.
The Kabankalan City Domestic Airport will be the second active airport in the province (after the Bacolod-Silay International Airport) and the scheduled completion of the said airport will be on 2014.
The city hosts three major festivals: the Kabankalan Sinulog every third Sunday of January (celebrated together with Cebu City), Udyakan sa Kabankalan and the Charter Anniversary. Kabankalan is also known for its world renowned Mag-aso Falls and the Balicaocao Resort.

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Kidapawan
Kidapawan City is a 3rd class city in the province of Cotabato, Philippines per Department of Finance Order No. 20-2005. It is the capital city of Cotabato Province. It is a favorite tourist destination in the late October to December and in the summer, where thousands of tourist climb the majestic Mt. Apo, the country's highest peak.
Kidapawan, the city hailed as “The Spring in the Highlands”, comes from the words “TIDA” which means spring and “PAWAN” meaning highland. The city is found at the bottom of the majestic Mt. Apo, the country’s tallest mountain making it a great spot and first-rate tourist attraction. Kidapawan is situated at the southeastern section of Cotabato province, placed in the middle of three other major cities of Davao, Cotabato, General Santos, Koronadal, and Cagayan de Oro.
Its first settlers were predominantly Manobos. The influx of Christian settlers from Luzon and the Visayas has resulted in the evolution of the word Tidapawan to Kidapawan. Strategically located at the foot of Mount Apo, the Philippines' tallest peak at 10,311 feet above sea level, Kidapawan City bustles with renewed energy as it opens its doors to the world. Mount Apo and its other scenic attractions make the province of Cotabato a potential world-class tourist destination.

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Koronadal
City of Koronadal, popularly known as Marbel, is a 1st class component city in the Philippines. It is the capital of the province of South Cotabato and regional center SOCCSKSARGEN (Region XII). According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 169,074.
Koronadal became a component city of South Cotabato by virtue of Republic Act 8803 dated October 8, 2000. In 2003 and 2005 the city was recognized as "Most Competitive City" in the small-city category, and in 2005 and 2006 as the most business friendly city in Mindanao. Koronadal also hosted several national activities such as the Palarong Pambansa in 1996 with GenSan and solo in 2008, Mindanao Business Forum, and National Schools Press Conference.
Koronadal is one of the cities in Mindanao which its native speakers are Ilonggos, the other being Tacurong. 80% of the Population are Hiligaynon Speakers while 20% are Cebuanos, due to its proximity in GenSan and Davao City, and Ilocanos. Koronadal, together with its big brother GenSan are not sectarian cities thus Christians and Muslims live harmoniously in the city. Today, Koronadal is small bustling city that moves to the progress of all people in South Cotabato.

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Lamitan
Lamitan (Filipino: Lungsod ng Lamitan) is a 5th Class city in the province of Basilan, Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 82,074.
The City is bounded on the east by the municipality of Tuburan, on the south by Tipo-Tipo, on the west by Isabela City and on the north by Basilan Strait.
The terrain is relatively plain along the coastal areas and hilly in some areas. The urban area is 2.5 meters above sea level and gently sloping to 300 meters toward the hinterlands.
The climatic condition is the same with other areas in the entire Basilan Island. It has a "D" type of climate and rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year.
On June 18, 2007 voters in Lamitan ratified Republic Act 9393, An Act Converting the Municipality of Lamitan in the province of Basilan into a component City to be known as the City of Lamitan.
According to Lamitan Mayor Roderick Furigay, 26,636 voted "yes" while only 177 voted against the ratification of RA 9393. Lamitan has 34,909 registered voters.

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Laoag
The City of Laoag (Ilokano: Ciudad ti Laoag; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Laoag) is a 1st class city in the province of Ilocos Norte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Ilocos Norte, and the province's political, commercial, and industrial hub. It is the location of the Ilocos region's only commercial airport. The municipalities of San Nicolas, Paoay, Sarrat, Vintar, and Bacarra form its boundaries. The foothills of the Cordillera Central mountain range to the east, and the South China Sea to the west are its physical boundaries.
Laoag experiences the prevailing monsoon climate of Northern Luzon, characterized by a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October, occasionally visited by powerful typhoons.
According to the latest census, it had a population of 102,457 people in 19,751 households.
"Laoag" (Ilocano for "light or clarity"), is an old, flourishing settlement known to Chinese and Japanese traders when the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo arrived at the northern banks of Padsan River in 1572. Augustinian missionaries established the Roman Catholic Church in the area in 1580 and designated Saint William, the Hermit as its patron saint.

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Las Piñas
The City of Las Piñas (Filipino: Lungsod ng Las Piñas) (population: 532,330, 2007 Census) is a city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. It is bounded on the north and northeast by the Parañaque City; on the east and southeast by Muntinlupa City; on the south by the Municipality of Imus, Cavite; on the southwest and west by the Municipality of Bacoor, Cavite; and on the northwest by the scenic Manila Bay. Half of its land area is residential and the remaining half is used for commercial, industrial and institutional purposes. The present physiography of Las Piñas City consists of three zones: Manila Bay, coastal margin and Guadalupe Plateau.
The city is bisected by Real (Spanish for Royal) Street, also known as the Alabang-Zapote Road . It forms part of the Maharlika Highway which spans the whole country. The Alabang–Zapote Road connects the South Luzon Expressway which passes through Muntinlupa City in the east to the Coastal Road along Manila Bay.
The Coastal Road, despite its name, is a major tollway which runs the southern length of Metro Manila's shoreline with Manila Bay. It is an important artery for people commuting to and from Las Piñas City and Cavite to Manila.

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Luzon
Luzon (/luːˈzɑːn/) is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name of one of the three primary island groups in the country centred on the island (the other two being the Visayas and Mindanao). Luzon as an island group includes Luzon proper, the Batanes and Babuyan groups of islands to the north, and the outlying islands of Catanduanes, Marinduque, Masbate, Romblon, and Mindoro. Luzon is the economic and political center of the Philippines, being home to the country's capital city, Manila.
The island of Luzon contains 8 of the 17 administrative regions of the Philippines. These regions are not political entities, but merely serve as administrative groupings of provinces. They are:
Ilocos Region (Region I) is on the northweast side of the island and faces South China Sea. The region is well known for its white sand coastline and rich history. Its provinces are Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan. The region's administrative centers is San Fernando City, La Union.

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Maasin
Maasin City is the provincial capital and a 4th class city in the province of Southern Leyte, Philippines. It is the capital city of Southern Leyte. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 79,737.
On August 10, 2000 Maasin was converted into a city.
The island of Limasawa in Southern Leyte carved a very significant place in Philippine history. In 1521, a Portuguese-born Spanish explorer and navigator, Ferdinand Magellan and his crew came ashore and celebrated the first Roman Catholic Mass on the island. Incidental to the historic event, Magellan made peace with two Filipino rulers, Rajah Kolambu and Rajah Siani who subsequently were converted to Christianity. A marker notes the spot on Limasawa where their blood compact of frienship and alliance was sealed.
Southern Leyte, for centuries, was actually an integral part of the island of Leyte. During the Spanish period, the region was sparsely populated. Continued Moro slave raiding discouraged the establishment and stabilization of other large towns. In the 19th century, immigration from the provinces of Cebu and Bohol increased the population of the region and opened the land towards farming.

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Makati
The City of Makati (/məˈkɑːtɪ/ mə-KAH-tee; Filipino: Makati), in the Philippines, is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines. As the host of various embassies, it is also an important center for international affairs.
With a population of 510,383, Makati is the 16th largest city in the country and ranked as the 44th most densely populated city in the world with 18,654 inhabitants per km².
Makati was founded by Spaniard Miguel López de Legazpi, who dismissed Makati as a worthless swamp. According to folklore, Legazpi asked for the name of the place but, because of the language barrier, was misinterpreted by the natives. Pointing to the receding tide of Pasig River, the natives answered, “Makati, kumakati na,” literally meaning ebbing tide.
Makati became the financial center of the Philippines during the 1950s. Makati is home of the Philippine Stock Exchange and the Makati Business Club.

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Malabon
The City of Malabon is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located just north of Manila, the city has a population of 363,681 as of 2007. It is primarily a residential and industrial town and is one of the most densely populated cities in the metropolis. It has a total land area of 19.714 square kilometers.
Malabon is part of the sub-region of Metro Manila informally called CAMANA VA. CAMANAVA consists of Caloocan City, Malabon City, Navotas City, and Valenzuela City. Caloocan lies to the south and east, Navotas to the west, and Valenzuela to the north. Malabon also borders the town of Obando in the province of Bulacan to the northwest.
Malabon, per legend, came from the words maraming labong which means "plenty of labong", the edible bamboo shoots. Originally called the town of Tambobong, Malabon was founded as a “Visita” of Tondo by the Augustinian friars on May 21, 1599 and remained under the administrative jurisdiction of the province of Tondo from 1627 to 1688.

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Malacañan Palace
The Malacañan Palace, commonly known simply as Malacañang or "the Palace", is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the Philippines. It is located at 1000 José P. Laurel Street, San Miguel, Manila. The house was built in 1750 in Spanish Colonial style. It has been the residence of every Philippine head of government since Rafael de Echague y Berminghan. During the American period, Governors-General Francis Burton Harrison and Dwight F. Davis built an executive building, the Kalayaan Hall, which was later transformed into a museum.
Originally a summer house built by Spanish aristocrat Don Luís Rocha, the structure was sold to Colonel Jose Miguel Formente, and was later purchased by the state in 1825. Since then, Malacañan Palace became the temporary residence of every Governor-General. During the Spanish–American War, Malacañan Palace became the residence of the American Civil Governors, William Howard Taft being the first. During the American period, many administrative buildings were constructed and the Palace was refurbished. To date, Emilio Aguinaldo, was the only head of state who did not live in the Palace complex, instead residing in his private home, in Kawit, Cavite. The Palace was seized by rebels several times, starting from the People Power Revolution, the 1989 coup attempt, where the palace was bombed by T-28 Trojans, the 2001 Manila riots, EDSA II and the May 1 riots.

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Malaybalay
The City of Malaybalay (Filipino: Lungsod ng Malaybalay; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Malaybalay), dubbed as the "South Summer Capital of the Philippines", is a first class component city and the capital and administrative center of the province of Bukidnon, Philippines. The city is bordered north by Impasug-ong; west by Lantapan; south by Valencia City and San Fernando; and east by Cabanglasan and Agusan del Sur. According to the 2010 Census of Population by the National Statistics Office (NSO) the city is inhabited by 153, 085 residents.
When Spanish explorers came to the central portion of the province in the late 18th century, they inquired as to the name of the town. The people replied in Cebuano "walay balay", which means "no house". The Spaniards mispronounced the name and repeated it as "Malaybalay".
It was formerly part of the province of Misamis Oriental as a municipal district in the late 19th century. When the special province of Agusan and its sub-province (Bukidnon) was created in 1907, Malaybalay was designated as the capital of Bukidnon. It was then formally established as a municipality on October 19, 1907 and was created into a city on February 11, 1998 by virtue of R.A. 8490.

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Malolos
City of Malolos (mälō'lōs) (Filipino: Lungsod ng Malolos) is a first class urban component city in the Republic of the Philippines. Malolos is considered as the 115th city in the country. It is the capital city of the province of Bulacan as the seat of the provincial government. It is also the seat of the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Malolos.
The city is 45 kilometres (28 mi) north of Manila. It is one of the major suburbs conurbated to Metro Manila, situated in the southwestern part of Bulacan, in the Central Luzon Region (Region 3) in the island of Luzon and part of the Metro Luzon Urban Beltway Super Region. Bordering Malolos are the municipalities of Bulakan, Bulacan (the former capital of the province) to the southeast, Guiguinto to the east, Plaridel to the north, Calumpit to the northwest, and Paombong to the west. Malolos also lies on the north-eastern shore of Manila Bay.
Malolos was the site of the constitutional convention of 1898, known as the Malolos Convention, that led to the establishment of the First Philippine Republic, at the sanctuary of the Barasoain Church. The convent of the Malolos Cathedral served as the presidential palace at that time. Malolos gave birth to the first constitutional republic in Asia.

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Mandaluyong
The City of Mandaluyong (Filipino: Lungsod ng Mandaluyong) is one of the cities and municipalities that comprise Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located at the approximate geographical centre of Metro Manila, it is bordered on the west by the country's capital, Manila, to the north by San Juan City, to the east by Quezon City and Pasig City, and by Makati City to the south. Its nicknames are "Tiger City of the Philippines", "Metro Manila's Heart", and the "Shopping Mall Capital of the Philippines".{cn}
Among the many attractions in the city is the western half of the Ortigas Center, one of the major centers of business and commerce in the metropolis (the eastern half is in Pasig City). Found within the Mandaluyong portion of the Ortigas Center^{[citation needed]} is the main headquarters of the Asian Development Bank,Banco De Oro, and the headquarters of San Miguel Corporation, Southeast Asia's largest food and beverage company. One of the most prominent pharmaceutical laboratories and factories, Unilab, is located here.^{[citation needed]}

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Mandaue
The City of Mandaue is a city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. It is one of the three urbanized cities in the island and forms a part of the Cebu Metropolitan area. Mandaue City is located on the middle eastern coastal region of Cebu, bordering to its right-side are Mactan Island where Lapu-Lapu City is located. Mandaue is connected to Mactan Island via two bridges which includes the Mactan-Cebu Bridge and Marcelo Fernan Bridge And is bounded south and the west by the Provincial Capital, Cebu City and north by Consolacion which is linked with Cansaga Bay Bridge. The city has an area of about 34.87 square kilometres and has a total population of about 346,693 people.
A community was established in Mandaue by a flourishing group of Indonesian, Malayan and Chinese merchants in what was called the barangay. The Venetian chronicler Antonio Pigafetta wrote a settlement called Mandani existed in the area with a chieftain who was named Apo Noan then a few decades later another ruler named Lam Busan, probably Lakan Busan . Mandaue natives were forced into a town as decreed by the Spanish authorities. This may have started off as a mission village (which included present day Consolacion, Liloan and Poro) serving as a bulwark for the church in the northern Cebu and was managed by the Jesuit in 1638 then a century later by the Recollects. The Philippine revolution in 1898 gave the town a new form of administration in accordance with the organic decree of the Central Revolutionary Government. The short lived revolution was overthrown by the American Troops and a battle nearly destroys the town on 1901 and killing Presidente Benito Ceniza. Mandaue was Independent from being an American Commonwealth and a Japanese Garrison on July 4, 1946 along with the entire nation. Mandaue became a chartered city on June 21, 1969 by Mayor Demetrio Cortes Sr. The city was recognized as a HUC (Highly Urban City) on 1991.

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Manila
Manila (English: /məˈnɪlə/; Tagalog: Maynila, [majˈnilaʔ]) is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities (along with the smaller municipality of Pateros) that comprise Metro Manila.
Manila is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north; Quezon City to the northeast; San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east; Makati to the southeast, and Pasay to the south.
Manila has a total population of more than 1,652,171 according to the 2010 census. Manila is the second most populous city in the Philippines, behind its neighbor, Quezon City. The populace inhabit an area of only 38.55 square kilometers, making Manila the most densely populated city in the world.Metro Manila is the most populous metropolitan area in the Philippines and the 11th in the world with an estimated population of 16,300,000. The greater urban area is the fifth-most populous in the world and has an estimated metropolitan population of 20,654,307 people.
The city is divided into six legislative districts and consists of sixteen geographical districts: Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa and Tondo. Bustling commerce and some of the most historically and culturally significant iconic landmarks in the country, as well as the seat of the executive and judicial branches of the government are to be found in the city; and it is also home to many scientific and educational institutions, numerous sport facilities, a variety of other culturally and historically significant venues. As a primary transportation hub and with the larger capital region bearing its name, there is very little of a general nature to be found in cities anywhere that Manila is lacking.

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Manila Bay
Manila Bay is a natural harbor which serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines.The bay is considered to be one of the best natural harbors in Southeast Asia and one of the finest in the world. Strategically located around the capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and its neighbouring countries, becoming the gateway for socio-economic development even prior to Spanish occupation. With an area of 1,994 km² (769.9 sq mi), and a coastline of 190 km (118.1 mi), Manila Bay is situated in the western part of Luzon and is bounded by Cavite and Metro Manila on the east, Bulacan and Pampanga on the north, and Bataan on the west and northwest. Manila Bay drains approximately 17,000 km² (6,563.7 sq mi) of watershed area, with the Pampanga River contributing about 49% of the freshwater influx. With an average depth of 17 m (55.8 ft), it is estimated to have a total volume of 28.9 billion cubic meters (28.9 cubic km). Entrance to the bay is 19 km (11.8 mi) wide and expands to a width of 48 km (29.8 mi). However, width of the bay varies from 22 km (13.7 mi) at its mouth and expanding to 60 km (37.3 mi) at its widest point.

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Manila Cathedral
The Manila Metropolitan Cathedral-Basilica (also known as the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and informally as Manila Cathedral) is a prominent Latin Rite Roman Catholic basilica located in Manila, Philippines, honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Principal Patroness of the Philippines.
Located in the Intramuros district of Manila, it was originally a parish church owned and governed by the diocese of Mexico in 1571, until it became a separate diocese on February 6, 1579 upon the issuance of a Papal bull by Pope Gregory XIII.
The cathedral serves both as the Prime Basilica of the Philippines and highest seat of the archbishop in the country. The cathedral was damaged and destroyed several times since the original cathedral was built in 1581. The eighth and current incarnation of the cathedral was completed in 1958.
The Basilica has merited three Papal endorsements and two Apostolic visits from Pope Gregory XIII, Pope Paul VI and Blessed Pope John Paul II, who through the papal bull Quod Ipsum declared the cathedral a minor Basilica by his own Motu Proprio on April 27, 1981.

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Marawi
Marawi City is a Muslim city and capital of the province of Lanao del Sur on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The people of Marawi are called the Maranaos and speak the Maranao language. They are named after Lake Lanao, which is called Ranao in the language, whereupon its shores Marawi City lies. The city is also called the Summer Capital of the South because of its higher elevation and cooler climate.
Marawi City has a total land area of 8,755 hectares (21,630 acres). It is located on the shores of Lake Lanao and straddles the area where the Agus River starts. It is bounded to the north by the municipalities of Kapai and Saguiaran; to the south by Lake Lanao; to the east by the municipalities of Bubong and Ditsaan Ramain; and to the west by the municipalities of Marantao and Saguiaran.
The rolling hills of Marawi
Along Lake Lanao
Lake Lanao from Marawi
Beautiful mountains, rolling hills, valleys and a large placid lake dominate the city's landscape. Angoyao Hills (Brgy. Sogod) served as natural viewpoint over the water of the Lake Lanao. Signal Hill (Brgy. Matampay), Arumpac Hill (Brgy. Saduc) and Mt. Mupo (Brgy. Guimba) are considered beautiful but mysterious. Mt. Mupo, located within Sacred Mountain National Park, is known for its untouched trees and beautiful perfect cone.

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Marikina
The City of Marikina, in the Philippines, is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Marikina was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence. The city divided into two districts and composed of 16 barangays. Marikina is one of the top 20 largest cities in terms of population and one of the wealthiest local government unit in the country.
Marikina was given the title the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines" because of its notable shoe industry, being the biggest manufacturer of shoes in the Philippines, producing almost 70% of shoe production in the country. Shoemakers in the city recently finished creating the "World's Largest Pair of Shoes" and it was only recently that the Guinness World Records recognized this feat. The Shoe Museum is home of the famous shoe collection of the former First Lady Imelda Marcos, shoes of the world leaders, past presidents, famous people, and shoes of different countries around the world, and making it the largest collection of pair of shoes in the world.

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Masbate City
The City of Masbate (Bikol: Syudad nin Masbate; Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Masbate; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Masbate; Ilonggo: Syudad sang Masbate or Dakbanwa sang Masbate) is a 3rd class city in the province of Masbate, Philippines. It is the capital city of Masbate province. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 81,585 people in 13,400 households.
The account that "Masbate" was coined after the words "masa" and "bate" remains anecdotal, rich with a mixture of facts and folklore.
The islands of Masbate, Ticao and Burias were explored by Captain Luis Enriquez de Guzman in 1569. This exploration work was continued by Captain Andres de Ibarra, Ibalon(Albay) Province assumed jurisdiction over Masbate Islands, and Masbate was named the town's capital village for security reasons, the seat of government had to be moved time and time again. It was first moved to Mobo and then again, to Guiom. It was later transferred to Palanog near the mouth of Lumbang River to make it more accessible to Bicol Mainland and to the islands of Burias and Ticao. However, government records were kept inland in Cagay.

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Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila (Filipino: Kalakhang Maynila, Kamaynilaan), the National Capital Region (NCR) (Filipino: Pambansang Punong Rehiyon), or simply Metro Manila, is the metropolitan region encompassing the City of Manila and its surrounding areas in the Philippines. It is composed of 16 cities, namely City of Manila, Caloocan, Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Navotas, Pasay, Pasig, Parañaque, Quezon City, San Juan, Taguig, and Valenzuela, plus the smaller Municipality of Pateros.
The region is the political, economic, social, cultural, and educational center of the Philippines. As proclaimed by Presidential Decree No. 940, Metro Manila as a whole is the Philippines' seat of government but the City of Manila is the capital. The largest city in the metropolis is Quezon City, while the largest business district is the Makati Central Business District.
Metro Manila is the most populous of the twelve defined metropolitan areas in the Philippines and the 11th most populous in the world. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 11,855,975, comprising 13% of the national population. The sum total population of provinces with a provincial density above 700 people per square kilometer (more than double the national average) in a contiguous zone with Metro Manila is 25.5 million people as of the 2007 census, one way to refer to the conurbation around Metro Manila is Greater Manila.

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Mexico
Mexico (ⁱ/ˈmɛksɨkoʊ/; Spanish: México, IPA: [ˈmexiko] ( listen)), officially the United Mexican States (Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos (help·info)), is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States of America; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of Mexico. Covering almost two million square kilometres (over 760,000 sq mi), Mexico is the fifth largest country in the Americas by total area and the thirteenth largest independent nation in the world. With an estimated population of over 113 million, it is the eleventh most populous country and the most populous Spanish-speaking country. Mexico is a federation comprising thirty-one states and a Federal District, the capital city.
In Pre-Columbian Mexico many cultures matured into advanced civilizations such as the Olmec, the Toltec, the Teotihuacan, the Zapotec, the Maya and the Aztec before the first contact with Europeans. In 1521, Spain conquered and colonized the territory from its base in México-Tenochtitlan, which was administered as the Viceroyalty of New Spain. This territory would eventually become Mexico as the colony's independence was recognized in 1821. The post-independence period was characterized by economic instability, the Mexican-American War and territorial cession to the United States, a civil war, two empires and a domestic dictatorship. The latter led to the Mexican Revolution in 1910, which culminated with the promulgation of the 1917 Constitution and the emergence of the country's current political system. Elections held in July 2000 marked the first time that an opposition party won the presidency from the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

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Meycauayan
The City of Meycauayan is a first Class, highly urbanized city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. The city is located about 19 kilometres (12 mi) north of Manila and about 22 kilometres (14 mi) south of Malolos City, the provincial capital city. It is bounded by the town of Marilao to the north, Valenzuela City to the south, Caloocan City (North) to the east, and the town of Obando to the west. It encompasses an aggregate area of 22.1 square kilometres (8.5 sq mi), representing 1.17% of the total land area of the province of Bulacan. According to the latest census, it has a population of 196,569 people in 34,882 households.
Meycauayan City is known for its jewelry and tanning industry. It is also home to several industrial parks, mostly located at Barangays Iba, Camalig and Pantoc.
Meycauayan City is administratively subdivided into 26 urban barangays.
Meycauayan City is generally surrounded with plain land and gentle rolling hills. Comfortably above sea level, this terrain is an interweaving of greenery and concrete road network. The slope of the land dips towards a west to north westerly direction. River, natural lake and drainage waterways envelope and criss-cross the area.

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Monterrey
Monterrey (Spanish pronunciation: [monteˈrei] ( listen)), is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the base of many significant international corporations. It is Mexico's second richest city, and the world's 63rd richest, with an economy that had a 2008 GDP of USD $102 billion. Monterrey is one of Mexico's most developed cities, with the highest per capita income in the nation, and is regarded as a highly developed city. Although rich in history and culture, Monterrey is often regarded as the most "Americanized" city in the entire country, even above the cities along the U.S-Mexico border.
Monterrey as an important industrial and business center hosts an array of Mexican companies, including Pemex, Lanix Electronics, CEMEX, Vitro, Zonda Telecom, Mercedes-Benz Mexico, OXXO, Mastretta, BMW de Mexico, Mabe Grupo Bimbo, DINA S.A., Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma Brewery (Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma), formerly fully owned by FEMSA now jointly owned with Heineken and Alestra Telecommunications. Monterrey is also home to international companies such as Sony, Toshiba, Carrier, Whirlpool, Samsung, Toyota, Daewoo, Ericsson, Nokia, Dell, Boeing, HTC, General Electric, Gamesa, LG, SAS Institute and Teleperformance, among others.

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Muntinlupa
The City of Muntinlupa (Filipino: Lungsod ng Muntinlupa) is the southernmost city in Philippine National Capital Region. It is bordered on the north by Taguig City; to the northwest by Parañaque City; by Las Piñas City to the west; to the southwest by the city of Bacoor, Cavite; by the city of San Pedro, Laguna; and by Laguna de Bay to the east, the largest lake in the country. It is classified as a Highly Urbanized City with a population of more than 400,000 and is given the nickname "Emerald City of the Philippines" by the tourism establishment.^{[citation needed]}
Muntinlupa was once notoriously known as the location of the national insular penitentiary, the New Bilibid Prison, where the country's most dangerous criminals were incarcerated. Consequently, Muntinlupa or "Munti" became synonymous with the national penitentiary although it has largely shaken-off this negative image to become one of the most progressive cities in the country.
Muntinlupa is also home to some of the best commercial establishments in the metropolis and is the location of Ayala Alabang Village, one of the country's biggest and most expensive residential communities, where many of the wealthy and famous live.

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Navotas
The City of Navotas (Filipino: Lungsod ng Navotas) is a 1st class city in Metro Manila, Philippines. The city occupies a narrow strip of land along the eastern shores of Manila Bay. Navotas is directly north of Manila, west of Malabon City, and south of Obando, Bulacan.
Dubbed as the "Fish Trading Capital of the Philippines", Navotas is considered to be a very important fishing community with 70% of its population deriving their livelihood directly or indirectly from fishing and its related industries like fish trading, fish net mending, and fish producing having marginal percentage of inter-Island fish producers. Navotas occupies a portion of the Metropolitan Manila bound in the west with shoreline of Manila Bay, which is a strategic coastal front and suitable for all kinds of vessels.
Navotas is part of the informal subregion of Metro Manila called CAMANAVA. This subregion, aside from Navotas, includes the cities of Caloocan, Malabon, and Valenzuela. Navotas is perceived to be prone to flood especially during the rainy season and during high tide, but the national and local government are trying to alleviate the problem. Pollution and overpopulation are other problems that the government is trying to solve. Navotas is famous for fish sauce and shrimp paste (patis and bagoong in Tagalog respectively).

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New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. The city is referred to as New York City or The City of New York to distinguish it from the State of New York, of which it is a part. As a global power city, New York exerts a significant impact upon commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. The home of the United Nations Headquarters, New York is an important center for international diplomacy and has been described as the cultural capital of the world.
Located on one of the world's largest natural harbors, New York City consists of five boroughs, each of which comprises a state county. The five boroughs—The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island—were consolidated into a single city in 1898. With a Census-estimated 2011 population of 8,244,910 distributed over a land area of just 305 square miles (790 km²), New York is the most densely populated major city in the United States. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. The New York City Metropolitan Area's population is the United States' largest, with 18.9 million people distributed over 6,720 square miles (17,400 km²), and is also part of the most populous combined statistical area in the United States, containing 22.1 million people as of the 2010 Census.

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Northern Mindanao
Coordinates: 8°45′N 124°55′E / 8.75°N 124.917°E / 8.75; 124.917 Designated as Region X of the Philippines, Northern Mindanao (Filipino: Hilagang Mindanao) is composed of five provinces and two cities classified as highly-urbanized, all occupying the north-central part of Mindanao island, and the island-province of Camiguin. The regional center is Cagayan de Oro City, where the national government's regional offices and other big establishments are located. Lanao del Norte was transferred to Northern Mindanao from Region XII (then called Central Mindanao) by virtue of Executive Order No. 36.
The vast majority of the region's inhabitants are migrants from Cebu and Bohol. Some inhabitants are of Waray, Tagalog and Maranao descent.
Rainfall in Northern Mindanao is evenly distributed throughout the year. Its abundant vegetation, natural springs and high elevation contribute to the region's cool, mild and invigorating climate.
Northern Mindanao has a total land area of 14,032.93 km² of which 6,571 km² is alienable and disposable lands, and the remaining 7,461.99 km².

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Olongapo
The City of Olongapo (Tagalog: Lungsod ng Olongapo; Sambal: Syodad nin Olongapo) is an independent highly urbanized city located in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 227,270 people in 50,300 households. Along with the town of Subic, it comprises the Metro Olongapo, one of the twelve Metropolitan Areas in the Philippines.
According to popular legend, there once was a group of warring tribes who lived in the area in and around what is now the modern city. A wise old man, seeing the perils of disunity, exerted great effort toward uniting the warring tribes. There were, however, some who bitterly opposed his idea, and one day the old man just disappeared.
After a long search, the old man's body was found, but with the head missing. It is said that the tribesmen launched search parties to locate the severed head of the man. (To the Sambal, decapitation was the only permissible form of assassination.)
These efforts proved to be futile, and the search was eventually called off. A boy, however, vowed to himself that he would not stop searching until he found the elder’s head. He searched for weeks, but found nothing. Then, one day, he chanced upon what appeared to be the old man’s head, resting on top of a bamboo pole. The boy ran back to his people crying, “Olo nin apo! Olo nin apo!” (“head of the elder” in Sambal; translates as “ulo ng apo” in Tagalog), running hysterically from village to village. The phrase stuck, and that, according to legend, is how the area got its name, Olongapo.
To this day, the old man’s head acts as a symbol of the unity of the people of what is now a modern city.

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Ontario
Ontario /ɒnˈtɛərioʊ/ is one of the provinces of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province or territory and fourth largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa.
Ontario is bordered by the province of Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay to the north, Quebec to the east, and to the south by the U.S. states of Minnesota, Michigan (portions to the west), New York (portions to the east), Ohio and Pennsylvania. All but a small part of Ontario's 2,700 km (1,677 mi) border with the United States follow inland waterways: from the west at Lake of the Woods, eastward along the major rivers and lakes of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River drainage system. These are the Rainy River, the Pigeon River, Lake Superior, the St. Mary's River, Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston, Ontario to the Quebec boundary just east of Cornwall, Ontario.

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Ormoc
The City of Ormoc is a 1st class city in the province of Leyte, Philippines. The city's name is derived from ogmok, an old Visayan term for lowland or depressed plain. It is the first non-provincial city of the Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 191,200 people. Ormoc is the economic, cultural, commercial and transportation hub of western Leyte.
Ormoc City is an independent component city, not subject to regulation from the Provincial Government of Leyte. However, the city is part of the congressional district IV of Leyte together with Albuera, Kananga, Merida, and Isabel towns.
In November 1991, the Ormoc region was inundated by Tropical Storm Thelma (local name: Uring). Flash floods and landslides killed more than 6,000 people, mostly in Ormoc itself.
In 1950, Kananga was created in 1950 from the barrios of Lonoy, Kananga, Rizal, Tugbong, Montebello, Aguiting, Tagaytay, Montealegre, Libungao, Naghalin, and Masarayao which all used to be part of Ormoc City.
Ormoc City is a port city and is the largest city by land area in Leyte and second largest in Eastern Visayas after Calbayog City in Samar. Fronting Ormoc Bay, the city's terrain is mostly of gently rolling plains. It is bounded on the northwest by the towns of Matag-ob and Merida, in the north by Kananga, in the northeast by the towns of Jaro, Pastrana and Dagami, and in the south by the town of Albuera. High mountain ranges separate Ormoc from the eastern portion of Leyte. Numerous rivers and streams traverse Ormoc. Among them are the Bao River in the north, Pagsangahan River in the west, the Bagong-bong River in the south, the Panilahan River also in the south and the Anilao and Malbasag Rivers which border the eastern and western flanks of Ormoc City Proper.

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Oroquieta
Oroquieta City is a 3rd class city in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. It is the capital city of Misamis Occidental. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 65,349 people.
Some sources reveal that the town got its name from a famous barrio in Spain where Father Toas Tomas Casado, the first parish priest here, and General Domingo Mariones y Murillo, a hero in the battle of Oroquieta, were born.
Layawan was the oldest name of Oroquieta, which was the barrio in the province of Misamis since 1861 until 1879. The early settlers then of the barrio were Boholano peddlers. They found so many stray animals along the river, thus they named the place Layawan, which means a place of stray animals. A little later, Misamis was divided into two provinces, Misamis Occidental and Oriental. Then in 1880, Layawan changed its name into Oroquieta when it became a town. Some sources revealed that the town got its name from a famous barrio in Spain where Father Toas Tomas Casado, the first parish priest here and General Domingo Mariones y Murillo, a hero in the battle of Oroquieta, were born.

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Ozamiz
The City of Ozamiz is a 3rd class city in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 131,527.
The city of Ozamiz grew out of an old Spanish town called Misamis—a name believed to have been derived from the Subanen word "Kuyamis," a variety of coconut. Other unverified historical sources, however, suggest that the name Misamis came from "Misa" after the Catholic Mass. The origin and the growth of the old Spanish town, Misamis, was due to the presence of the Spanish garrison stationed at the stone fort named Nuestra Senora dela Concepcion del Triunfo which was constructed sometimes the 18th century in order to control the piratical activities originating in the nearby Lanao area. In 1850, the town of Misamis became the capital of the District of Misamis.
After the Second World War, Misamis became a chartered city by virtue of Republic Act 321 on July 16, 1948. RA 321 also renamed Misamis to Ozamiz after a WW-II hero José Ozámiz who hailed from the province of Misamis Occidental and who at one time also served as its governor and congressional representative of the Lone District of Misamis Occidental, a delegate to the 1935 Constitutional Convention that resulted in the creation of the 1935 Constitution for the Philippine Commonwealth Government. In 1941, José F. Ozámiz was elected to the Philippine Senate. Through City Resolution 251-05, Ozamiz is officially spelled with a "Z" in its last letter rather than with an "S".

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Pagadian
The City of Pagadian (Filipino: Lungsod ng Pagadian, Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Pagadian, Spanish: Ciudad de Pagadián, Iranun: Bandar Eng'd a Pagadian, Subanen:Gembagel G'benwa P'hagadi-an/Bagbenwa P'hagadi-an),is the capital of the Province of Zamboanga del Sur and regional center of the Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 1X).
The city had its beginnings as a stopover for traders who ply the road between the Spanish town-fort of Zamboanga on the southern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula and other bigger towns to the north of the old province of Zamboanga. Apart from its sheltered bay and good fishing grounds, it was not a place where anyone envisioned a city would be founded upon it, as it is situation on rolling terrain. In the course of its local history, steady waves of different kinds of people came to stay and eventually called among themselves "Pagadianons."
The iconic symbol of Pagadian is its uniquely designed tricycle built to adopt to the city's hilly terrain. The locals claim with pride that it is the only place in the Philippines one can see a public transport inclined at about 25-40° angle.

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Palayan
The City of Palayan (Ilokano: Ciudad ti Palayan; Kapampangan: Lakanbalen ning Palayan/Siudad ning Palayan; Pangasinan: Siyudad na Palayan/Lunsod na Palayan; Filipino: Lungsod ng Palayan) is a 5th class city in the province of Nueva Ecija, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 33,506 people in 6,279 households.
The City of Palayan was created in 1965 by the Congress of the Philippines and one of the 6 cities of the Philippines whose creation was specifically planned (the other five cities are Manila, Baguio, Quezon City, Trece Martires, and the Island Garden City of Samal). Palayan City is located in the heart of Nueva Ecija.
The new provincial capitol of Nueva Ecija is located here.
When the Japanese Imperial armed forces has did not entered and occupied in Palayan in 1942 during the Japanese Invasion through they the using of the built and re-established of the local military camps, bases and military GHQ of the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines in the town of Palayan stated the Japanese Insurgencies and Occupation.

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Panabo
Panabo City (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Panabo, Filipino: Lungsod ng Panabo) is a 3rd class city near Davao City in the province of Davao del Norte, Philippines. The city has an area of 249 square kilometers. According to the 2010 LGPMS Census, it has a population of 164,035 people in 32,807 households.
Long before the rich lowland was discovered by civilization, a group of stocky-haired aborigines called Aetas have already staked a claim and declared this place their own. Far from being civilized, these people led nomadic life and co-existed with the living creatures of the wilds. They have few wants and were easily satisfied. With the use of their bow and arrow "pana-sa-boboy" as they call it - they hunted for food which primarily consisted of rootcrops and meat of wild boars. "Pana-Sa-Boboy" was their most essential tool and it became part of their life.
Even the Christian settlers came at the onset of the century, the place was already a thriving trading community; thus, the place was already knwn as Taboan, which means "trading center". After the Cristian settlers began pioneering the region, these friendly natives moved further to the hinterlands along with them their "pana-sa-boboy". These later evolved into present day name Panabo.

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Pangasinan
Pangasinan is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The provincial capital is Lingayen. Pangasinan is located on the west central and peripheral area of the island of Luzon along the Lingayen Gulf, with the total land area being 5,368.82 square kilometers (3336.030 sq mi). According to the latest census, it has a population of 2,645,395 people in 477,819 households. The total population is projected to rise to 3,039,500 in 2010. According to the 2007 Philippine general elections, Pangasinan has a voting population of 1,360,807, which is the second highest in the Philippines.
Pangasinan is the name for the province, the people, and the primary language spoken in the province. Indigenous Pangasinan speakers are estimated to number at least 1.5 million. Pangasinan is spoken as a second-language by many of the ethnic minorities in Pangasinan. The most significant minority ethnic groups in Pangasinan are the Ilocano, Bolinao, and Tagalog.
The name Pangasinan means "land of salt" or "place of salt-making"; it is derived from the words Pang, meaning for and asin, meaning "salt”, or For Salt in the Pangasinan language and other related languages. The province is a major producer of salt in the Philippines. Dagupan City is known for its Bangus festival named after the fish they widely produce and made the city famous.

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Parañaque
The City of Parañaque (Filipino: Lungsod ng Parañaque), or simply Parañaque (pop. 552,660; 2007 Census), is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is located at 121’01” longitude and 14’30” latitude and is bordered to the north by Pasay, to the northeast by Taguig, to the southeast by Muntinlupa, to the southwest by Las Piñas, and to the west by Manila Bay.
Like the rest of Metro Manila, Parañaque experiences a tropical climate with only two distinct seasons, wet (July to September) and dry (October to June). The city enjoys an annual rainfall of 1.822 mm and an average temperature of 34.4° C.
Due to its proximity to the sea, Parañaque is one of the major trade and business centres in the Philippines.
Palanyag, as Parañaque was then known, is loosely translated to mean "my beloved", referring to the residents' affection for their hometown. The name could also come from the combination of the terms "palayan" and "palalayag", the former pertaining to the city's once-abundant rice fields, and the latter pertaining to the sailing and fishing occupation of many of its residents. The name was a sign of cooperation and goodwill between the two major working sectors of the town, the farmers and the fishermen.^{[citation needed]}

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Paris
Coordinates: 48°51′24″N 2°21′03″E / 48.8567°N 2.3508°E / 48.8567; 2.3508
Paris (ⁱ/ˈpærɨs/; French: [paʁi] ( listen)) is the capital and largest city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). As of January 2008 the city of Paris, within its administrative limits (the 20 arrondissements) largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,211,297 and a metropolitan population of 12,089,098, and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. Paris was the largest city in the Western world for about 1,000 years, prior to the 19th century, and the largest in the entire world between the 16th and 19th centuries.
Paris is today one of the world's leading business and cultural centres, and its influences in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. It hosts the headquarters of many international organizations such as UNESCO, the OECD, the International Chamber of Commerce or the European Space Agency. Paris is considered one of the greenest and most liveable cities in Europe. It is also one of the most expensive.

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Pasay
The City of Pasay (Filipino: Lungsod ng Pasay) is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila in the Philippines. It is bordered on the north by the country's capital, Manila, to the northeast by Makati City, to the east by Taguig City, and Parañaque City to the south.
Pasay City was one of the original four cities of Metro Manila. Due to its proximity to Manila, it quickly became an urban town during the American Period.
There are many^[which?] conjectures as to the origin of the name "Pasay".
In one version, the name of the municipality came from the wail of a brokenhearted swain. Jose and Paz were in love with each other and were intent on a life together, but Jose's father was a mere tenant of the hacienda of Paz's father. For this reason, their love was forbidden and Jose was ordered to stay away from Paz. Unable to bear her misfortune, Paz died.^{[citation needed]}
At her funeral, the elite came to mourn and pray as Jose watched from a distance. As soon as everyone left, Jose dug a tunnel into the earth to be with Paz. Once joined, he let out a sharp and anguished cry "Paz-ay!" In sorrow and regret, the parents of Paz named their hacienda Paz-ay. In time, the town came to be known simply as Pasay.^{[citation needed]}

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Pasig
The City of Pasig (Filipino: Lungsod ng Pasig) is one of the city-municipalities of Metro Manila in the Philippines and was the former capital of the province of Rizal prior to the formation of this grouping of cities designated as the National Capital Region. Located along the eastern border of Metro Manila, Pasig is bordered on the west by Quezon City and Mandaluyong City; to the north by Marikina City; to the south by Makati City, Pateros, and Taguig City; and to the east by Antipolo City, the municipality of Cainta and Taytay in the province of Rizal.
Pasig is primarily residential and industrial but has been becoming increasingly commercial in recent years. The old provincial capitol lies off of Shaw Boulevard, outside the city. Pasig is one of the three municipalities appointed by the diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines (as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pasig), making the Pasig Cathedral (formerly The Immaculate Conception Cathedral) the landmark coincide to its township in 1573.

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Philippines
The Philippines ⁱ/ˈfɪlɨpiːnz/ FI-lə-peenz (Filipino: Pilipinas [ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs]), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Republika ng Pilipinas) is a sovereign country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between the country and the island of Borneo, and to the south the Celebes Sea separates it from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. Its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire and its tropical climate make the Philippines prone to earthquakes and typhoons but have also endowed the country with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 98 million people, the Philippines is the 7th most populated Asian country and the 12th most populated country in the world. An additional 12.5 million Filipinos live overseas. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. In prehistoric times, Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic societies. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences which remain to this day.

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Puerto Princesa
The City of Puerto Princesa (lit. City of Princess Port, Filipino: Lungsod ng Puerto Princesa) is a city located on the western provincial island of Palawan, one of 80 provinces which make up the Philippines. Though the provincial seat of government for Palawan, the city itself is one of 38 independent cities within the Philippines not controlled by the province in which it is geographically located and is therefore an independent area located within Palawan.
As of 2007, Puerto Princesa had a population of 210,508 people making it the most sparsely populated city in the Philippines. In terms of land area, the city is the second largest geographically after Davao City with an area of 919 mi² (2,381 km²).
Puerto Princesa is located in the mid-section of Palawan. It is bound to the east by the Sulu Sea, to the west by the South China Sea, to the north by the municipalities of San Vicente and Roxas, and to the south by the municipality of Aborlan. It is approximately 306 nautical miles (567 km) from the Philippine capital of Manila, 205 nautical miles (380 km) from Panay Island, and 250 nautical miles (460 km) from Zamboanga City on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

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Quezon City
Quezon City (Filipino: Lungsod Quezon) is the former capital (1948–1976) and the most populous city in the Philippines. Located on the island of Luzon, Quezon City (popularly known to Filipinos as QC) is one of the cities that make up Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. The city was named after Manuel L. Quezon, President of the Philippines, who founded the city and developed it to replace Manila as the country's capital. Quezon City is not located in and should not be confused with Quezon province, which was also named after the president.
Having been the former capital, many government offices are located in the city, including the Batasang Pambansa Complex, the seat of the House of Representatives, which is the lower chamber in the Philippine Congress. The main campuses of two noteworthy universities, the Ateneo de Manila University and the country's national university, the University of the Philippines Diliman, are located in the city.
Before Quezon City was created, it was composed of small individual towns. These were San Francisco del Monte, Novaliches, and Balintawak. On August 23, 1896, the Katipunan led by Andres Bonifacio declared a revolution against Spain in the house of Melchora Aquino in Pugad Lawin (now known as Bahay Toro, Project 8). In the early 20th century, President Manuel L. Quezon dreamt of a city that would become the future capital of the country to replace Manila. It is believed that his earlier trip to Mexico influenced his vision.

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Quiapo Church
The Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, also known as Saint John the Baptist Parish and informally known as Quiapo Church is a prominent Roman Catholic church Latin-rite Basilica located in the District of Quiapo, Manila, Philippines. The church is reputedly famous for enshrining the Black Nazarene, a dark statue of Jesus Christ which many faithful claim to have miraculous powers. The parish belongs to the Archdiocese of Manila and is currently rectored by Rev. Msgr. Jose Clemente Ignacio.
In August 29, 1586, Governor General Santiago de Vera founded the District of Quiapo. The Franciscan Missionaries built the first church of Quiapo with Bamboo and Nipa materials. San Pedro Bautista, a Franciscan missionary at that time was one of the founders of the Quiapo church and several other churches in Metro Manila and Laguna city. The original church was burned in 1639 and was rebuilt with a stronger edifice. It was again partially destroyed by an earthquake of 1863. Under the supervision of Fathers Eusebio de Leon and Manuel Roxas, the third church was completed in 1899. Fr. Roxas raised an unprecedented amount of PhP. 40,000.00 pesos from donations and lay contributions. In October 30, 1928, the church was caught in a fire which almost destroyed the church. Dona Encarnacion Nakpil de Orense, head of the Parish Committee, raised funds for the reconstruction of the church. Filipino Artist and architect, Juan Nakpil also rebuilt the church.

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Rayong
Rayong (Thai: ระยอง, pronounced [ra.jɔːŋ]) is a city (thesaban nakhon) located on the shore of the Gulf of Thailand, in the east coast region of Thailand. It is the capital of Rayong Province, and covers the tambon Tha Pradu and Pak Nam and parts of tambon Choeng Noen and Noen Phra, all within Mueang Rayong district. As of 2005 the population was 54,641. Main industry is fishing, and it is the main producer of Thailand's fish sauce. It is also a center for the chemicals and auto industries. In 2012 Ford Motor Company opened an assembly plant in Rayong to expand Ford's presence in the ASEAN area, employing some 2,200 people.
The city is home to the Map Ta Phut industrial estate, Thailand's largest industrial complex. On May 6, 2012 an explosion at a petrochemical factory on the Map Ta Phut industrial estate forced people in ten nearby communities to evacuate.
Coordinates: 12°40′27″N 101°16′44″E / 12.67417°N 101.27889°E / 12.67417; 101.27889

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Riverbanks Center
Riverbanks Center (also known as Riverbanks Marikina) is a mall and office complex located off of Andres Bonifacio Avenue in Barangay Barangka, Marikina City, Metro Manila, near the Marcos Bridge over the Marikina River.
Riverbanks is located on a 14 hectares (35 acres) site which formerly held a Universal Textile Mills Factory. The Riverbanks Development Corporation acquired the site in 1995. It opened to the public in April 1999.
The self-proclaimed world's largest pair of shoes are on display at Riverbank Center. 5.29 metres (17.4 ft) long and 2.37 metres (7 ft 9 in) wide, equivalent to a French shoe size of 753, they were created over 77 days between August 5 and October 21, 2002 by Marikina City shoe industry businesspeople. The creators attempted to have it certified for the 2004 edition of the Guinness World Records, but due to space limitations the alleged record was not published in the book.
The SM Group's first Savemore market was opened at Riverbanks in 1999. By 2001, the mall had 200 tenants and had completed an expansion of the mall to offer more retail space. The mall's foot traffic grew from 24,000 people per day in 2000 to 51,000 per day (with 63,000 to 70,000 on weekends) in 2001. Later that year, Riverbanks announced another mall extension to house retail businesses which offered 24-hour opening, including fitness centers and convenience stores.

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Rizal
Rizal is a province located in the CALABARZON, just 16 kilometers east of Manila. The province was named after the country's national hero, José Rizal. Rizal Governor Dr. Casimiro Ynares III on June 17, 2008 announced the transfer of the Capitol from Pasig. Its P 270-million capitol building, constructed in Antipolo by Ortigas & Co., owner thereof, was completed by December of that year. Built on 5-hectare lot at the Ynares Center, it employs 2,008 employees. The New Capitol was successfully inaugurated on March 4, 2009, bringing back the Capitol Building inside the provincial territory, from which it was absent for 33 years (when Pasig was incorporated into Metro Manila).
Rizal is bordered by Metro Manila to the west, the province of Bulacan to the north, Quezon to the east and Laguna province to the south. The province also lies on the northern shores of Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country.
Rizal is a mountainous province perched on the western slopes of the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range. Antipolo City boasts of a wonderful view of Metro Manila and it is where Hinulugang Taktak, a waterfall popular with tourists, can be found.

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Rockwell Center
The Rockwell Center is an upscale mixed-use 15.5-hectare project in Poblacion, Makati City, Philippines. It is a project of the Rockwell Land Corporation (established 1995), which is owned by the family of the late industrialist Eugenio Hofileña Lopez of Iloilo City.
Rockwell Center was constructed on a 15.5-hectare lot previously occupied by a former thermal plant which was operated by Lopez-owned MERALCO until the former's closure in 1994. The project of the power plant was named for James Chapman Rockwell, the first president of MERALCO. The lot is surrounded by J.P. Rizal Avenue to the north, where it faces the Pasig River, Estrella Street to the east, Rockwell Drive to the south, and R. Palma Street to the west.
Rockwell Center began its construction in 1998. Its centerpiece, the Power Plant Mall, opened in December 2000.
Rockwell Center includes high-rise office buildings, condominium towers, a law and graduate business school and a shopping mall. Among the plans for the area is the Lopez Centre, proposed to have a height of over 1000 feet, which would make it the country's tallest building.

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Roxas Boulevard
Roxas Boulevard (formerly known as Dewey Boulevard) is a boulevard in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The boulevard, which runs along the shores of Manila Bay, is well-known for its sunsets and stretch of coconut trees. The divided roadway has become a trademark of Philippine tourism, famed for its yacht club, hotels, restaurants, commercial buildings and parks. Originally called Cavite Boulevard, it was renamed Dewey Boulevard in honor of the American Admiral George Dewey, who under his command defeated the Spanish navy in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. The boulevard was again renamed to Roxas Boulevard in the 1960's to honor President Manuel Roxas, the fifth president of the Republic of Philippines.
The boulevard is also an eight-lane major arterial road designated as Radial Road 1 that connects the center of Manila with Pasay City and Parañaque City. The arcing road runs in a north-south direction from Luneta in Manila and ends in Parañaque City, at the intersection of Ninoy Aquino International Airport Road or NAIA Rd. Beyond its southern terminus, starts the Manila-Cavite Expressway, also known as the Coastal Road.

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San Jose del Monte
The City of San Jose del Monte (CSJDM) (Filipino: Lungsod ng San Jose del Monte) is a suburban city in the province of Bulacan, Philippines. It is bordered by Caloocan City and Quezon City in the south; by Rodriguez, Rizal, in the east; Santa Maria and Marilao, both of Bulacan, in the west; and Norzagaray, Bulacan in the north. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 439,090 inhabitants, making it the 19th most populated city in the Philippines.
San Jose del Monte has experienced major economic growth, evidenced by the presence of major commercial banks, fast food chain outlets, real estates, and wide coverage of landline and cellular phone services.
The city's mayor is Reynaldo S. San Pedro, while Vice-Mayor Eduardo S. Roquero heads the Sangguniang Panglungsod. The city is represented in the House of Representatives by Congressman Arthur B. Robes.
Major agricultural crops are leafy vegetables, root crops (cassava as its OTOP^{[clarification needed]}), pineapple, mango and coffee beans.

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Santolan LRT Station
Santolan LRT Station, or M. A. Roxas LRT Station, is a station on the Manila LRT Purple Line (MRT-2). Santolan Station is one of the many elevated stations that can be found on the line. The station is located on the stretch of the Marcos Highway and is named after the barangay that it is in, Barangay Santolan of Pasig. However, it is actually located inside the territory of Marikina City. (The MRT-2 compound is located at the boundary of Pasig City and Marikina City). During the line's planning stages, the station's working name was M. A. Roxas, due to its proximity to M. A. Roxas street. A nearby overpass on Marcos Highway is adjacent to SM City Marikina
The station is the eastern terminus of the Purple Line and is the first and last station for trains headed to and from Recto respectively. The Santolan Depot, where MRT-2 trains are cleaned and maintained, is also near the station, as well as the line's Operations Control Center (OCC). The depot and OCC, however, are located in Marikina City.

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Sapang Baho River
The Sapang Baho River is a river system that runs through Rizal Province and Marikina City in the Philippines. The name, when literally translated, means "smelly creek." It is one of 21 River tributaries of Laguna de Bay and is regularly monitored by the Laguna Lake Development Authority(LLDA) through one of its 15 river monitoring stations.
In the latest (December 2005) Water Quality Status Report listed on the LLDA's site, the Sapang Baho River was listed as "worse than Class D" with very low % Dissolved Oxygen saturation. It also indicated that this status had been "maintained" since the river was last monitored.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources's Water Usage & Classification for Fresh Water, Class D Quality freshwater is suitable for agriculture, irrigation, livestock watering and industrial water supply class II. "Worse than Class D" means that the Sapang Bato is not usable for any of these functions.
The Sapang Baho has been noted to have a blue color which has been attributed to dissolved matter. This mixes with the water in Mangahan floodway, and from there to the Lake.

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Silay
Silay City is a 3rd class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the August 1, 2007 census, it had a total population of 120,365 people. It has a sizable commercial and fishing port and is the site of the new Bacolod-Silay International Airport, which replaced the Bacolod City Domestic Airport.
Silay is often referred to as the "Paris of Negros" due to its artists, cultural shows and large collection of perfectly preserved heritage houses. More than thirty of these houses have been declared as historical landmarks. Silay is the second Philippine city to have been declared a museum city, next to Vigan in Ilocos Sur.^{[citation needed]}
The appellation Silay is derived from the name of a tree which grew abundantly in the area. The Kansilay is the city's official tree.
A local legend tells of how Silay City got its name. It is said that in the days of the datus and rajahs, there once lived a princess named Kansilay. An attack on the settlement by pirates was thwarted when the princess bravely led the people in the village's defense. The fight was furious and the princess fought like a seasoned warrior. Murals that used to grace some of the city's public buildings depict her as a fierce fighter wielding a huge talibong, a short native single-edged sword. The pirates were routed, but at the cost of the princess' life. Her paramour arrived in time to see her die. In grief, the people lovingly buried her. To their surprise, a tree grew right over her grave, the first Kansilay tree, a final gift from the brave princess.

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Singapore
Singapore (ⁱ/ˈsɪŋəpɔər/ SI-ngə-pohr), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, 137 kilometres (85 mi) north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the Singapore Strait to its south. Singapore is highly urbanised but almost half of the country is covered by greenery. More land is being created for development through land reclamation.

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Sipalay
Sipalay City is a 4th class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 62,063 people in 11,955 households.
Sipalay City is politically subdivided into 17 barangays.
Coordinates: 9°45′7″N 122°24′15″E / 9.75194°N 122.40417°E / 9.75194; 122.40417

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SM City Marikina
SM City Marikina is a shopping mall owned and managed by SM Prime Holdings, and is located in Calumpang, Marikina, Philippines. SM Supermalls is owned by Henry Sy, Sr.. SM City Marikina is the first shopping mall that has a wi-fi connection. The mall was designed by dsgn associates, a firm based in Dallas, Texas, in the USA. Interior design was by EDGE Interior Design Pty. Ltd., an Australian design consultant, together with SM City Marikina’s design team including Jose Siao Ling and Associates (architects), D.A. Abcede and Associates (project managers), and BF Construction Corporation, the general contractors of the mall. SM City Marikina is a part of SM's 50th Anniversary and it was the first SM mall to open on 2008.
It is the 31st SM Supermall built in the Philippines, 14th latest SM Mall built within Metro Manila, and 3rd among other SM malls opened in the eastern region of Metropolitan Manila, after SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City and SM Supercenter Pasig in Pasig City (excluding nearby SM City Taytay which is part of Rizal Province). and not Metro Manila .

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SM Mall of Asia
Coordinates: 14°32′6.24″N 120°58′55.75″E / 14.5350667°N 120.9821528°E / 14.5350667; 120.9821528
SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is a shopping mall owned and developed by SM Prime Holdings, the largest mall developer and owner in the Philippines. SM Mall of Asia is the 2nd largest mall in the Philippines after SM City North EDSA, 3rd largest shopping mall in Asia and the 4th (Ref. Forbes' World's 10 Largest Shopping Malls) largest shopping mall in the world. It has a land area of 42 hectares and has a gross floor area of an approximate 390,193 m² (4.2 million square feet) and 407,101 m² of total area. The mall is located in Bay City, Pasay City, Philippines near the SM Central Business Park, the Manila Bay and the southern end of EDSA (Epifanio de los Santos Avenue). The mall attracts a daily average foot traffic of about 200,000 people. SM Mall of Asia's reign from being the largest shopping mall in the Philippines from 2006 was lost when SM City North EDSA had its redevelopment in 2008 pushing Mall of Asia to 2nd place.

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SOCCSKSARGEN
SOCCSKSARGEN (pronounced [sokˈsardʒɛn]) is a region of the Philippines, located in central Mindanao, and is officially designated as Region XII. The name is an acronym that stands for the region's four provinces and one of its cities: South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City. The region is more formally known by its older name Central Mindanao. The regional center is Koronadal City located in the province of South Cotabato.Cotabato City, though geographically within the boundaries of the province of Maguindanao, itself is part of SOCCSKSARGEN, and is independent of that province. Maguindanao province is, in fact, a part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which has its seat in Cotabato City. SOCCSKSARGEN and the province of Maguindanao were once part of the original Cotabato province.
The region has extensive coastlines, valleys and mountain ranges. Known for its river system, the region is the catch basin of Mindanao. The system is a rich source of food, potable water and energy production. Cotabato contains the Rio Grande de Mindanao, which is the longest river in Mindanao and the second longest in the Philippines.

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Sorsogon City
Sorsogon City is a 1st class city in Sorsogon, Philippines. It is the capital city of the province of Sorsogon The city is located at southernmost tip province of Luzon. This city was formed by merging the Bacon and Sorsogon towns. The city serves a trans-shipment point from the Visayas and Mindanao provinces. The city is also dubbed as "Gateway to Southern Philippines". Sorsogon City is one of the region’s leading cities in urbanization, Bicol's largest city in terms of land area and one of its most populous cities.
Sorsogon City was created by virtue of Republic Act 8806 which was enacted on August 16, 2000 and ratified in December 2000.
Prominent politicians of the locality behind its creation were former Sorsogon 1st District Representative and now Senator Francis Escudero and former Bacon Municipal Mayor Leovic R. Dioneda. Former Bacon Vice-Mayor Aurelio Destacamento, joined by former Sorsogon councilors Antonio C. Detera, Azel Diesta and Telo Mella fought before the two local legislative chambers, for the approval of appropriation ordinances providing budget for the holding of its plebiscite.

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Spain
Spain (ⁱ/ˈspeɪn/ SPAYN; Spanish: España, pronounced: [esˈpaɲa] ( listen)), officially the Kingdom of Spain (Spanish: Reino de España), is a sovereign state and a member of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Its mainland is bordered to the south and east by the Mediterranean Sea except for a small land boundary with the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar; to the north and north east by France, Andorra, and the Bay of Biscay; and to the northwest and west by the Atlantic Ocean and Portugal.
Spanish territory also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the African coast, and two autonomous cities in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla, that border Morocco. Furthermore, the town of Llívia is a Spanish exclave situated inside French territory. With an area of 504,030 square kilometres (194,610 sq mi), it is the second largest country in Western Europe and the European Union after France, and the fourth largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine and France.

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Surigao
The City of Surigao (Filipino pronunciation: (sů-rēh-GAŮ) (Filipino: Lungsod ng Surigao; Surigaonon: Siyudad nan Surigao) is located at the northeasternmost tip of Mindanao Island in the Philippines and the capital of the province of Surigao del Norte. It has a total land area of 245.34 km² which is roughly 1.4% of Caraga region. According to the 2010 census, 140,540 people live in the city with an annual growth rate of 1.52%. An average of 573 persons live per square kilometer, the most densely populated urban area in Caraga region. The demonym for a Surigao resident is Surigaonon or Surigueño.
The absence of a fort in Surigao belies its significance and sphere of influence during the Spanish period. It was the capital of the expansive province of the same name from 1750 until its dissolution in 1911, covering a third of Mindanao Island's total land area. It is one of the oldest port towns in Mindanao, founded by Spanish colonizers in 1655. Today, Surigao is among the most important seaports in the country. Asian Institute of Management ranks it as among the most competitive smaller cities, with an estimated total income of 500 million pesos in 2010.

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Sydney
Sydney ( /sɪdni/) is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is classified as an Alpha+ World City indicating its influence in the region and throughout the world.
Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people. Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.
The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleet as a penal colony. The city is built on hills surrounding Port Jackson which is commonly known as Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge feature prominently. The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and beaches including the famous Bondi Beach and Manly Beach. Within the city are many notable parks, including Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

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Tacloban
The City of Tacloban (Waray: Syudad han Tacloban, Tagalog or Filipino: Lungsod ng Tacloban) is a city approximately 360 miles southeast of Manila. It is the first in Eastern Visayas to be classified as a Highly Urbanized City. It is the capital of the Philippine province of Leyte and is the largest city in terms of population in Eastern Visayas. It is also considered as the regional center of the Region VIII. Tacloban was briefly the seat of the Philippine Commonwealth Government, from October 20, 1944 to February 27, 1945.
In an extensive survey conducted by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center and released in July 2010, Tacloban City was ranked among the top ten most competitive cities in the Philippines. Tacloban ranked fifth overall, and second in the emerging cities category.
Tacloban was first known as Kankabatok, an allusion to the first inhabitants of the place – Kabatok. They established their dwelling in the vicinity of the present day Sto. Niño Church. Others who came later were Gumoda, Haraging and Huraw who erected their own settlements in nearby sites. Huraw’s domain is the hill where the city hall now sits. The combined settlements acquired the name Kankabatok, meaning Kabatok’s property.

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Tacurong
Tacurong City is a 4th class city in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Philippines. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 90,477. Tacurong now has a total land area of 15,340 hectares, the smallest in land area among the 12 municipalities that compose the new province of Sultan Kudarat, created on November 22, 1973 by Presidential Decree No. 341. Tacurong became a component city of Sultan Kudarat in 2000 by virtue of Republic Act 8805 in September 2000.
The place which later became the city of Tacurong was once a barangay of the municipality of Buluan of the then empire province of Cotabato. The place was originally called “Pamansang”, after a creek that flows from south to north of the area. In the 1940s, the place became the way station of the 19-C Survey Team due to is strategic location and suitability for the purposes of the survey team. During those years, the place also became a stopover point for travelers and the Oblate missionaries on their way to the different points of Cotabato Province.

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Tagaytay
The City of Tagaytay (Filipino: Lungsod ng Tagaytay) is a component city in the province of Cavite, in the Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations because of outstanding scenery and cooler climate provided by its high altitude. Tagaytay overlooks Taal Lake in Batangas and provides one of the iconic views of the Philippines, the view of Taal Volcano Island in the middle of the lake, viewable from several vantage points in the city.
Tagaytay is relatively close to the capital city of Manila, only 55 km (34 mi) away via Aguinaldo Highway, providing an easy escape for the locals from the heat of the big city.
Tagaytay City has a total land area of 66.1 km² (26 sq mi) which represents about 4.37% of the total area of the Province of Cavite. It lies within 120° 56' longitude and 14° 6' latitude and overlooks Manila Bay to the North, Taal Volcano and Lake to the south and Laguna de Bay to the east.
The southern and eastern portions of Tagaytay City are covered by hills and mountains which is generally forests and open grasslands. The city lies along Tagaytay Ridge, a ridge stretching about 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Mount Batulao in the west to Mount Sungay (now People's Park in the Sky) in the east with elevations averaging about 610 metres (2,000 ft) above sea level. Mount Sungay, in Tagaytay, is the highest point of the province of Cavite at 709 metres (2,326 ft).

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Tagbilaran
Tagbilaran City is a 2nd class component city in the island province of Bohol, Philippines and serves as its capital. Tagbilaran lies on the southwestern part of the province, and has a total land area of 32.7 km², with about 13 km of coastline. The city is on the south of Cortes, southwest of Corella west of the town of Baclayon and is about 630 km southeast of Manila and 72 km south of Cebu City.
It is the principal gateway to Bohol and is known as the "City of Friendship". Tagbilaran is considered by the Institute for Solidarity in Asia as one of the eight Philippine Dream Cities, along with Samal, San Fernando, La Union, Cebu City, Iloilo City, Marikina, Naga, Calbayog City and Surigao City. It was also recognized as one of the 20 "Most Competitive Cities in the Philippines" and "Pinoy Cities on the Rise" in 2005 and 2007, and first in the Quality of Life Category for the same two years, awarded by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Center.
A hundred years before Spaniards arrived in the Philippines, the settlement of which eventually became Tagbilaran City was already involved in trading with China and Malaysia. This early settlement had contact with the Spaniards in 1565, when the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and the native chieftain Datu Sikatuna pledged peace and cooperation through the famous blood compact.

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Taguig
The City of Taguig (formerly spelled as Tagig; Filipino: Lungsod ng Taguig) is a highly urbanized city located in south-eastern portion of Metro Manila in the Philippines. From a thriving fishing community along the shores of Laguna de Bay, it is now an important residential, commercial and industrial center. The recent construction of the C-5 highway and the acquisition of the Fort Bonifacio development area has paved the way for the cityhood of the municipality. It will also be accessed by the future C-6 Road.
Taguig City lies on the western shore of Laguna de Bay and is bordered by Muntinlupa City to the south, Parañaque City to the southwest, Pasay City to the west, Cainta and Taytay on the northeast and Makati City, Pateros, and Pasig City to the north. Taguig River, a tributary of the Pasig River cuts through the northern half of the municipality and Napindan River, also a tributary of the Pasig forms the common border of Taguig with Pasig City.
The city ranked first among Philippine cities in the Ease of Doing Business Index, conducted by the World Bank's International Finance Corporation.

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Taguig River
The Taguig River is a river of the Philippines, a tributary of the Pasig River. It eventually joins the Pateros River, forming the common border between the municipality of Pateros and Makati City.
Coordinates: 14°31′N 121°05′E / 14.517°N 121.083°E / 14.517; 121.083

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Tagum
Tagum City (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Tagum/Siyudad sa Tagum, Filipino: Lungsod ng Tagum) is a First Class City of the 1st Congressional District of the Province of Davao del Norte, Philippines and serves as its provincial capital. It is also the center of commerce and trade.
Cited as one of the 20 most viable and most competitive business sites in the Philippines in 2005 by the Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project, Tagum City is one of the fastest-growing cities in Mindanao and in the Philippines. Tagum has become a bustling center of culture, commerce, health services, and entertainment in the Davao Region, in Mindanao and in the southern Philippine region.

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Tandag
Tandag is a city and the provincial capital of the province of Surigao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 44,327 people in 8,449 households.
Tandag is politically subdivided into 21 barangays.
Surigao formerly, was extended from what is known as Agusan, including the islands east of it and the northern regions of Davao and the capital of the province that time was Caraga and so the Spaniards called the people Caragas.
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Type II Climate characterized by no dry season and with a very pronounced maximum rainfall from November to January. The City enjoys steady weather condition being outside the typhoon belt.
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Tandag along with the other 15 towns recently regained its citihood after the Supreme Court reversed its earlier decision.
Recently Tandag lost its cityhood, along with 15 other cities, after the Supreme Court of the Philippines granted a petition filed by the League of Cities of the Philippines, and declared the cityhood law (RA 9392) which allowed the town to acquire its city status, unconstitutional. The said cities, the court ruled, did not meet the requirements for cityhood.

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Tangub
Tangub City is a 5th class city in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 49,695 people in 9,480 households. It is known as the Christmas Capital of Mindanao for its display of the holiday's famous symbols.
The city was formerly called Regidor until 1930 when it was given its modern name.
Tangub City is politically subdivided into 55 barangays.
Tangub City through its Sinanduloy Cultural Troupe is a regular participant of Sinulog Festival, a festival held in Cebu City. Sinulog is the country’s biggest and most anticipated festival is set to take center stage every year. . This festival is the pageantry of sights, sounds and colors as it honors and pays homage to the patron saint of Cebu, Sr. Sto. Niño-the child Jesus.The highlights of the festival is from January 9–18, yearly. Tangub City has won ten grand champion streak in the Sinulog-Based Category of said festival.
Tangub City is the Christmas Symbol Capital of the Philippines.

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Tanjay
Tanjay City is a 4th class city in the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines.
It was created by virtue of Republic Act 9026 otherwise known as "An act converting the Municipality of Tanjay, province of Negros Oriental into a component city to be known as the City of Tanjay". The Act was approved and signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on March 5, 2001. This act, which is a consolidation of House Bill No. 8880 and Senate Bill No. 2256, was finally passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on February 8, 2001. Tanjay was finally proclaimed a component city on April 1, 2001 after a plebiscite was conducted for the purpose.
According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 79,098 people. It has a land area of 478.30 km².
The city is part of the 2nd Congressional District of the Negros Oriental and is located 30 kilometers north of Dumaguete City. It is bounded on the north by Bais City, on the south by the Municipality of Amlan, on the east by the Tañon Strait and west by the Municipality of Pamplona.

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Tarlac City
The City of Tarlac is a first class city in the province of Tarlac, Philippines. Tarlac provincial capitol building is shown on the back of the Philippines 500 peso note that features former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. According to the latest census, Tarlac City has a population of 314,155 people in 51,703 households. The Land in Tarlac City is among the few portions of the province which surfaced before the beginning of the Pinatubo eruptions.
The city has been proclaimed as one of the recently declared Highly-Urbanized cities in the Philippines under the power of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo but the decision was opposed by the provincial government.
The city is situated at the center of the province. To its north is Gerona, west is San Jose, south is Capas and Concepcion and eastern boundaries are Victoria and La Paz. This is also the location of Tarlac River. Tarlac City is approximately 24 meters above sea level on some parts but reaching even 50 meters on large western portions. Tarlac City was historically a part of what is now Porac, Pampanga. Parts of Tarlac city are claimed to be among the few portions of land in the province which was not created by ancient eruptions from Mount Pinatubo.

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Texas
Texas (ⁱ/ˈtɛksəs/) (Alibamu: Teksi ) is the second most populous and the second most extensive of the 50 United States, and the most extensive state of the 48 contiguous United States. The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in East Texas. Located in the South Central United States, Texas shares an international border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the south, and borders the US states of New Mexico to the west, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and Louisiana to the east. Texas has an area of 268,820 square miles (696,200 km²), and a growing population of 25.7 million residents.
During the Spanish colonial rule, the area was officially known as the Nuevo Reino de Filipinas: La Provincia de Texas. Antonio Margil de Jesús was known to be the first person to use the name in a letter to the Viceroy of Mexico in July 20, 1716. The name was not popularly used in daily speech but often appeared in legal documents until the end of the 1800s.

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Thailand
Thailand ( /ˈtaɪlænd/ TY-land or /ˈtaɪlənd/;Thai: ประเทศไทย, RTGS: Prathet Thai), officially the Kingdom of Thailand (Thai: ราชอาณาจักรไทย, RTGS: Ratcha Anachak Thai; IPA: [râːt.tɕʰā ʔāːnāːtɕàk tʰāj] ( listen)), formerly known as Siam (Thai: สยาม; RTGS: Sayam), is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and the southern extremity of Burma. Its maritime boundaries include Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand to the southeast, and Indonesia and India in the Andaman Sea to the southwest.
The country is a constitutional monarchy, headed by King Rama IX, the ninth king of the House of Chakri, who, having reigned since 1946, is the world's longest-serving head of state and the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history. The king of Thailand is titled Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, the Upholder of the Buddhist religion, and the Defender of all Faiths.

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Toulon
Coordinates: 43°08′N 5°55′E / 43.13°N 5.92°E / 43.13; 5.92
Toulon (French pronunciation: [tu.lɔ̃]; Provençal Occitan: Tolon in classical norm or Touloun in Mistralian norm), italian language: Tolone, is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence.
Toulon is an important centre for naval construction, fishing, wine making, and the manufacture of aeronautical equipment, armaments, maps, paper, tobacco, printing, shoes, and electronic equipment.
The military port of Toulon is the major naval centre on France's Mediterranean coast, home of the French Navy aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle and her battle group. The French Mediterranean Fleet is based in Toulon.
Archaeological excavations, such as those at the Cosquer Cave near Marseilles, show that the coast of Provence was inhabited since at least the Paleolithic era. Greek colonists came from Asia Minor in about the 7th century BC and established trading depots along the coast, including one, called Olbia, at Saint-Pierre de l'Almanarre south of Hyères, to the east of Toulon. The Ligurians settled in the area beginning in the 4th century BC.

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Trece Martires
The City of Trece Martires (Filipino: Lungsod ng Trece Martires) is a third-class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. The city serves as the seat of government of the Cavite, where many of the provincial government offices are located. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 90,177 people in a land area of 49.10 square kilometers.
It is named after the Thirteen Martyrs of Cavite, who were executed by the Spaniards on September 12, 1896.
Trece Martires City is strategically located at the heart of the Province of Cavite. Its major source of income is real property taxes. Agriculture has long been neglected in favor of commercialism and industrialization. With its 14.75% growth-rate due to immigration from other municipalities, especially from Metro Manila, the projected population by 2010 is 110,000. The major cause of this ballooning population is in-migration (which is gladly facilitated by the LGU even though it is not sustainable, in order to support the incumbents for the upcoming 2010 elections).

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Tuguegarao
Coordinates: 17°37′0″N 121°43′0″E / 17.616667°N 121.716667°E / 17.616667; 121.716667 Tuguegarao City (Filipino: Lungsod ng Tuguegarao) is the city capital of Cagayan, Philippines and the regional capital of Region 02 (Cagayan Valley Region). Tuguegarao is the economic center of the Cagayan Valley Region; it is located on a peninsula in the Cagayan Valley. It is sheltered by the Sierra Madre Mountains in the East; Cordilleras in the West; and, the Caraballo Mountains in the South. It grew on the banks of the Cagayan River and the Pinacanauan River, near the southern border of the province.
Tuguegarao City is a Center of Excellence in Education, Commerce, Trade and Culture and as the Economic Center of Region 02, Tuguegarao City continuously aims for outstanding performance and competence in administration, citizen participation, community and economic development, cultural arts, education, fiscal management, infrastructure, intergovernmental cooperation, planning, public safety, recreation and leisure services, social services, and technology.

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United States
The United States of America (commonly abbreviated to the United States, the U.S., the USA, America, and the States) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west, across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Pacific and Caribbean.
At 3.79 million square miles (9.83 million km²) and with over 312 million people, the United States is the third or fourth largest country by total area, and the third largest by both land area and population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries. The U.S. economy is the world's largest national economy, with an estimated 2011 GDP of $15.1 trillion (22% of nominal global GDP and over 19% of global GDP at purchasing-power parity). Per capita income is the world's sixth-highest.

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Victorias
Victorias City is a 4th class city in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 81,743 people in 15,361 households.
Victorias is notable for being the site of Victorias Milling Company, the Philippine's largest sugar refinery and sitting on a 7,000 hectare compound is the world's largest integrated sugar mill. Within the VMC chapel is the world famous mural of the Angry Christ painted by international artist Alfonso Ossorio. The mural has been featured in various publications like Life Magazine
Victorias City is politically subdivided into 26 barangays.
Coordinates: 10°54′N 123°05′E / 10.9°N 123.083°E / 10.9; 123.083

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Vigan
The City of Vigan (Ilokano: Ciudad ti Bigan; Tagalog: Vīgân; Chinese: 美岸; pinyin: Měi'àn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bîgá) is a 5th class city in the province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the capital of the Province of Ilocos Sur. The city is located on the western coast of the large island of Luzon, facing the South China Sea.
It is a World Heritage Site in that it is one of the few Hispanic towns left in the Philippines, and is well known for its cobblestone streets, and a unique architecture that fuses Philippine and Oriental building designs and construction, with colonial European architecture.
According to the latest Philippines census, it has a population of 47,246 people in 9,193 households.
Former Philippine president Elpidio Quirino, the sixth president of the Philippines, was born in Vigan, at the current location of the Provincial Jail (his father was a warden); and resided in the Syquia Mansion.
The area of Vigan was originally a settlement of traders coming from the Fujian Province, China. At the time of Spanish colonisation, the Chinese settlers, whose language was Southern Fujianese (Min Nan, often referred to as "Hokkien" by most Filipinos), referred to the area as "Bee Gan" (Chinese: 美岸; pinyin: Měi'àn), which means "Beautiful Shore." Since the Castillian and Basque Spanish conquistadors interchanged V and the B to refer to the B sound, they spelled the Hokkien Chinese name "Bee Gan" as "Vigan", which is the name used to this day.

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Western Visayas
Coordinates: 10°35′N 122°35′E / 10.583°N 122.583°E / 10.583; 122.583 Western Visayas, one of the regions of the Philippines, is designated as Region VI. It consists of six provinces; Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo and 16 cities making it the region with the highest number of cities. Iloilo City is the regional center.
Western Visayas is composed of six provinces and the highly urbanized cities of Bacolod and Iloilo.
Notes:
The Western Visayas region was created from Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo (including its then-subprovince of Guimaras) and Negros Occidental by Presidential Decree No. 1 as part of the Integrated Reorganisation Plan of President Ferdinand Marcos.
The Province of Palawan was transferred to Region VI (Western Visayas) on May 23, 2005 by Executive Order 429. The Department of the Interior and Local Government announced in June 2005 that the transfer had been completed. However, Palaweños criticized the move, citing a lack of consultation, with most residents in Puerto Princesa City and all municipalities but one preferring to stay with Region IV-B. Consequently, Administrative Order No. 129 was issued on August 19, 2005 to address this backlash. This Order directed the abeyance of Executive Order 429 pending the approval of an implementation plan for the orderly transfer of Palawan from Region IV-B to Region VI. Hence, Palawan is currently (as of May, 2007) still part of Region IV-B.

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Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga (Zamboangueño Chavacano/Spanish: Ciudad de Zamboanga; Tagalog: Lungsod ng Zamboanga; is a highly urbanized city located in Mindanao, Philippines. It is currently ranked as the 6th most populous city (807,129 population as of 2010 NSO Census) and the 3rd largest by land area in the Philippines (1,483.3849/km² (572.738/sq mi)).
It is the seat of one of the largest number of military and police bases in the country. It is also home of the 3rd Air Division of the Edwin Andrews Air Base, which handles the Air Force of the Philippines in the city; and the 6th Naval District in Camp General Basilio Navarro also known as Western Mindanao Command, the main headquarters of Armed Forces of the Philippines in Western part of Mindanao; the Philippine Army, Philippine Marines, and Philippine Navy are assigned to that command. The "Camp Enrile" and other three military camps can be found in the city.
It is the former capital of Moro Province, now Mindanao Island, from 1903 to 1913. On September 15, 1911, the Municipalidad de Zamboanga was converted into a city by the legislative order Act. No.272. It is known as Ciudad Latina de Asia in Zamboangueño Language or Asia's Latin City in English for its strong Hispanic/Latin influence.^{[citation needed]}

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Zamboanga Peninsula
Zamboanga Peninsula is a peninsula and an administrative region in the Philippines. Designated as Region IX, the region consists of three provinces, namely, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay, its component cities of Dipolog, Dapitan, Pagadian, and Isabela (Capital of Basilan Province, which is a part of the ARMM) and the highly-urbanized city of Zamboanga. The region was previously known as Western Mindanao before the enactment of Executive Order No. 36 on September 19, 2001. Pagadian City is the regional center.
After the United States annexed the Spanish East Indies in 1898, Zamboanga was briefly independent as the Republic of Zamboanga. It became a part of the Moro Province, which consisted of the Central and Western parts of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. The name and status of Moro province soon changed to the Department of Mindanao and Sulu on August 16, 1916, that caused Zamboanga to become a province.
On 1942, the occupied by the Japanese Imperial forces taken in Zamboanga Peninsula

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Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang (Chinese: 湛江), formerly known as Tsamkong, Tsankiang, Fort-Bayard, and Kwang-Chou-Wan, is a prefecture-level city at the southwestern end of Guangdong province of Southern China, facing the island of Hainan to the south.
Its population is 6,993,304 inhabitants at the 2010 census. 1,400,685 live in the built up area made of 4 urban districts (Chikan, Xiashan, Potou and Mazhang)
Zhanjiang has direct juridiction over 9 county-level divisions:
Zhanjiang is located to the southwest of the city of Guangzhou on an inlet of the South China Sea. It is located on the eastern coast of the Leizhou Peninsula. The dialect in downtown districts is Cantonese, while the people in most counties speak Hai'nan dialect (or Leizhou dialect as referred locally). The dialect in Lianjiang County is Hakka.
During the Qin Dynasty (221BC–206BC), the area of today's belonged to Xiang Shire and the central government of the Han Dynasty (206BC–220AD) set Xuwen County administering the whole Leizhou Peninsular. It was one of the earliest departure points on the Marine Silk Road. The population spiked during the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties.

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Andrés Bonifacio
Andrés Bonifacio y de Castro (30 November 1863 – 10 May 1897) was a Filipino nationalist and revolutionary. He is often called "the great plebeian," "father of the Philippine Revolution," and "father of the Katipunan." He was a founder and later Supremo ("supreme leader") of the Katipunan movement which sought the independence of the Philippines from Spanish colonial rule and started the Philippine Revolution. He is considered a de facto national hero of the Philippines, and is also considered by some Filipino historians to be the first President, but he is not officially recognized as such.
Bonifacio was born to Santiago Bonifacio and Catalina de Castro in Tondo, Manila and was the eldest of five children.Sagmit 2007, p. 149.</ref> His father was a tailor who served as a tenyente mayor of Tondo, Manila while his mother was a mestiza born of a Spanish father and a Filipino-Chinese mother who worked at a cigarette factory. As was custom, upon baptism he was named for the saint on whose feast he was born, Andrew the Apostle.

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Bayani Fernando
Bayani Fimpoy Fernando (born July 25, 1946) is the former Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
He has announced his intention to run for President of the Philippines in the 2010 election. However, after talks with Richard Gordon, he agreed to slide as Vice President for Gordon's newly-established party, Bagumbayan, their tandem dubbed as the Transformers. He did not win in the elections, placing third.
Bayani Fernando was born in San Juan, Rizal (now as a part of Metro Manila) on July 25, 1946. He finished his secondary education from Marikina School of Arts and Trades (renamed, Marikina Institute of Science and Technology in 1979, and currently Marikina Science High School since 2001). He finished college with a degree on Mechanical Engineering at the Mapúa Institute of Technology.
Fernando first ran for public office in 1992, becoming mayor of Marikina City. His administration as mayor transformed the former municipality into one of the best-managed cities and a paradigm of responsive and effective governance. His term saw the transformation of Marikina from a 4th class municipality to a model Philippine city accorded with 55 citations and distinctions. He was re-elected mayor twice, serving until 2001. He was succeeded by his wife, Ma. Lourdes C. Fernando.

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Bicolano people
The Bicolanos are the fifth-largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group.^{[citation needed]}
Bicolanos live in the southeastern peninsula of Luzon, now containing the provinces of Albay, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon. Many Bicolanos also live near in the province of Quezon.
The Bicolanos number about 5,907,000.^{[citation needed]} They are descended from the Austronesian-speaking immigrants who came from Southern China during the Iron Age. Some Bicolanos also have Chinese, Arab, and Spanish admixtures. Their language is referred to as Bicol or Bicolano. The Bicolano language is very fragmented, and its dialects are mutually incomprehensible to speakers of other Bicolano dialects. The majority of the Bicolano people are devout Roman Catholics. Catholic Mass is celebrated daily in many churches in the Bicol Region.
The Bicolano cuisine is primarily noted for the prominent use of chili peppers and gata (coconut milk) in its food. A classic example is the gulay na lada, known outside the region as Bicol Express, a well-loved dish using siling labuyo (native small chillies) and the aforementioned gata.

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Diosdado Macapagal
Diosdado Pangan Macapagal (September 28, 1910 – April 21, 1997) was the ninth President of the Philippines, serving from 1961 to 1965, and the sixth Vice President, serving from 1957 to 1961. He also served as a member of the House of Representatives, and headed the Constitutional Convention of 1970. He is the father of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010.
A native of Lubao, Pampanga, Macapagal graduated from the University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas, after which he worked as a lawyer for the government. He first won election in 1949 to the House of Representatives, representing a district in his home province of Pampanga. In 1957 he became vice president in the administration of President Carlos P. Garcia, and in 1961 he defeated Garcia's re-election bid for the presidency.
As president, Macapagal worked to suppress graft and corruption and to stimulate the Philippine economy. He introduced the country's first land reform law, placed the peso on the free currency exchange market, and liberalized foreign exchange and import controls. Many of his reforms, however, were crippled by a Congress dominated by the rival Nacionalista Party. He is also known for shifting the country's observance of Independence Day from July 4 to June 12, commemorating the day Filipino patriots declared independence from Spain in 1898. His re-election bid was defeated in 1965 by Ferdinand Marcos, whose subsequent authoritarian rule lasted 20 years.

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Emilio Aguinaldo
Emilio Aguinaldo y Famy (March 22, 1869 – February 6, 1964) was a Filipino general, politician, and independence leader. He played an instrumental role during the Philippines' revolution against Spain, and the subsequent Philippine-American War or War of Philippine Independence that resisted American occupation.
Aguinaldo became the Philippines' first President. He was also the youngest (at age 29) to have become the country's president, the longest-lived president (having survived to age 94) and the president to have outlived the most number of successors.
Emilio, nicknamed Miong was born on March 22, 1869 at Cavite El Viejo (now Kawit). The seventh of the eight children of Kapitan Carlos Aguinaldo y Jamir and Kapitana Trinidad Famy y Valero.
He was the seventh of eight children. His parents were of Chinese and Tagalog descent. His father, Carlos, died when Aguinaldo was just nine years old. After graduating from the University of Santo Thomas and at the San Juan de Letran College in Manila, Aguinaldo returned home to Kawit, where he developed a growing awareness of Filipino frustration with Spanish colonial rule.

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Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos (September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician who held the title of President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives (1949–1959) and a member of the Philippine Senate (1959–1965). He was Senate President from 1963–1965.
While in power he implemented wide-ranging programs of infrastructure development and economic reform. However, his administration was marred by massive authoritarian corruption, despotism, nepotism, political repression, and human rights violations.
In 1983, his government was accused of being involved in the assassination of his primary political opponent, Benigno Aquino, Jr. Public outrage over the assassination served as the catalyst for the People Power Revolution in February 1986 that led to his removal from power and eventual exile in Hawaii. It was later discovered that, during his 20 years in power, he and his wife Imelda Marcos had moved billions of dollars of embezzled public funds to accounts and investments in the United States, Switzerland, and other countries.

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Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola (Basque: Iñigo Loiolakoa, Spanish: Ignacio de Loyola) (1491 – July 31, 1556) was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation. Loyola's devotion to the Catholic Church was characterized by unquestioning obedience to the Catholic Church's authority and hierarchy.
After being seriously wounded at the Battle of Pamplona in 1521, he underwent a spiritual conversion while in recovery. De Vita Christi by Ludolph of Saxony inspired Loyola to abandon his previous military life and devote himself to labour for God, following the example of spiritual leaders such as Francis of Assisi. He experienced a vision of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus while at the shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat in March 1522. Thereafter he went to Manresa, where he began praying for seven hours a day, often in a nearby cave, while formulating the fundamentals of the Spiritual Exercises. In September 1523, Loyola reached the Holy Land to settle there, but was sent back to Europe by the Franciscans.

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Ilocano people
The Ilocano or Ilokano people are the third largest Filipino ethnolinguistic group. Aside from being referred to as Ilocanos, from "i"-from, and "looc"-bay, they also refer to themselves as Samtoy, from the Ilocano phrase "sao mi ditoy", meaning 'our language here.' The word "Ilocano" came from the word "Iloco" or "Yloco."
The Ilocano people are indigenous to coastal areas of northern Luzon in the Philippines. Today, the Ilocanos are the dominant ethnic group in northern Luzon, and their language (Ilocano) has become the lingua franca of the region, as Ilocano traders provide highland peoples with their primary link to the commerce of the outside world.Ilocandia is the term given to the traditional homeland of the Ilocano people; present-day Ilocandia roughly encompasses regions 1 through 3 of the Philippines (the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and parts of Central Luzon), as well as the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Many Ilocanos have left their homeland to settle elsewhere. The Ilocanos are the majority in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Apayao, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino. They form 10-49% of the populations of the province of Aurora, Zambales, Kalinga, Nueva Ecija, Ifugao, Benguet, Pangasinan, and Tarlac. Less than 10% in the Batanes, and Mountain Province. Further government-sponsored migrations have led to the resettlement of Ilocanos to Mindanao, particularly to the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat. Other important Ilocano communities exist in Metro Manila and the world over.

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Imelda Marcos
Imelda R. Marcos (born Imelda Remedios Visitasion Romualdez on July 2, 1929) is a Filipino politician and widow of 10th Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Upon the ascension of her husband to political power, she held various positions to the government until 1986. She is the first politician elected as member of the Philippine legislature in three geographical locations (Manila, Leyte, Ilocos Norte). In 2010, she was elected to become a member of the House of Representatives to represent Ilocos Norte's second district. She is sometimes referred to as the Steel Butterfly or the Iron Butterfly. She is often remembered for symbols of the extravagance of her husband's political reign, including her collection of 2,700 pairs of shoes.
Her paternal ancestors, the Lopezes of Leyte, were wealthy, landed and prominent, and claimed to have founded the town of Tolosa, Leyte. Spanish mestizos, the Lopezes were descended from the Spanish friar and silversmith Don Francisco Lopez, originally from Granada in the Andalusian region of Spain. Together with Fray Salustiano Buz, he arrived by way of Acapulco to build Roman Catholic missions in the island provinces of Samar and Leyte (Buz would establish his home base in Palapag, Samar, the exit-entry point of the Manila Galleons in the Visayas islands). It was common then for Spanish friars to take mistresses, and Lopez's life-long relationship with a Chinese mestiza, Maria Crisostomo y Talentin of Basey, Samar, produced seven children. The eldest of them was Trinidad Lopez, or Doña Tidad in later years.

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Japanese people
The Japanese people (日本人, Nihonjin, Nipponjin^?) are a nationality originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries are referred to as nikkeijin (日系人^?). The term ethnic Japanese may also be used in some contexts to refer to a locus of ethnic groups including the Yamato, Ainu and Ryukyuan people.
The Japanese language is a Japonic language that is sometimes treated as a language isolate; it is also related to the Ryukyuan languages, and both are suggested to be part of the proposed Altaic language family. The Japanese language has a tripartite writing system using Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji. Domestic Japanese people use primarily Japanese for daily interaction. The adult literacy rate in Japan exceeds 99%.
Japanese religion has traditionally been syncretic in nature, combining elements of Buddhism and Shinto. Shinto, a polytheistic religion with no book of religious canon, is Japan's native religion. Shinto was one of the traditional grounds for the right to the throne of the Japanese imperial family, and was codified as the state religion in 1868 (State Shinto was abolished by the American occupation in 1945). Mahayana Buddhism came to Japan in the sixth century and evolved into many different sects. Today the largest form of Buddhism among Japanese people is the Jōdo Shinshū sect founded by Shinran.^{[citation needed]}

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Koreans
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula.
South Koreans call Koreans Hanguk-in (한국인; 韓國人)—or simply 한인/Han-in for South Koreans living abroad—or informally Hanguk saram (한국 사람; 韓國 사람), while North Koreans call Koreans Chosŏnin (조선인; 朝鮮人) or Chosŏn saram (조선 사람; 朝鮮 사람). See Names of Korea, Korean romanization, Hangul (한글) and Hanja (한자).
Koreans are believed^{[by whom?]} to be descendants of peoples of Manchuria, often said to be Altaic- or proto-Altaic-speaking tribes, linking them with Mongols, Turkic and Tungusic peoples. Archaeological evidence suggests proto-Koreans were migrants from south-central Siberia, who populated ancient Korea in successive waves from the Neolithic age to the Bronze Age. The same tomb style is an indication telling who lived there. The largest concentration of dolmen in the world is found on the Korean peninsula. In fact, with an estimated 35,000 dolmen Korea counts for nearly 40% of the world’s total. Similar dolmens can be found outside of Korea, in Manchuria, Shandong, and Kyushu. Yet it is unclear why this culture only flourished so extensively on the Korean peninsula in the area of Northeastern Asia.

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Marcelino Teodoro
Marcelino Teodoro is a Filipino politician. He is a current member of the Philippine House of Representatives; a legislator for the 1st District of Marikina City.
When the Lone district of Marikina was divided into 2 separate districts, he campaigned for the first District of Marikina and was supported by Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando. On May 2007, Marcelino Teodoro won the congress seat for Marikina.
On July 2, 2007, neophyte Congressman from the 1st district of Marikina had initiated a bill to establish compulsory computer education for elementary and high school curriculums and for other purposes. The bill calls for the inclusion of computer education in the curriculum of public and private elementary and high schools.
On July 3, 2007, the congressman from Marikina authored a measure which provides for free public pre-school education to all qualified children in order to promote quality education in all levels.
The bill lists the prohibitions with regard to the installation of billboards and signages, to wit: a) those that obstruct the view of vehicular or pedestrian traffic; b) those on posts or walls that obstruct roadways and pedestrian lanes; c) those that take the space reserved for safety and informative road signs; d) those that block any rural or urban natural vista; among others.

wn.com/Marcelino_Teodoro
Marides Fernando
Maria Lourdes Carlos-Fernando or shortly known as Marides Fernando (known as MCF in her constituents in Marikina City), was an award-winning city mayor of Marikina and the wife of Former MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, also a former city mayor of Marikina. She was a finalist for the 2008 World Mayor award.

wn.com/Marides_Fernando
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI (Latin: Benedictus PP. XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger on 16 April 1927) is the 265th Pope, a position in which he serves dual roles as Sovereign of the Vatican City State and leader of the Catholic Church. As pope he is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter. Benedict XVI was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on 24 April 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, on 7 May 2005. A native of Bavaria, Pope Benedict XVI has both German and Vatican citizenship.
After a long career as an academic, serving as a professor of theology at various German universities—the last being the University of Regensburg—he was appointed Archbishop of Munich and Freising and cardinal by Pope Paul VI in 1977. In 1981, he settled in Rome when he became Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, one of the most important dicasteries of the Roman Curia. From 2002 until his election as Pope, he was also Dean of the College of Cardinals, and as such the primus inter pares among the cardinals. Prior to becoming Pope, he was "a major figure on the Vatican stage for a quarter of a century" as "one of the most respected, influential and controversial members of the College of Cardinals"; he had an influence "second to none when it came to setting church priorities and directions" as one of Pope John Paul II's closest confidants.

wn.com/Pope_Benedict_XVI
Spanish people
The term Spanish people (or Spaniards) has two distinct meanings: Traditionally, it applies to people native to any part of Spain. More recently, it has also come to have a legal meaning, referring to people who hold Spanish citizenship.
Within Spain there are a number of nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history. The official language of Spain is Spanish (also known as Castilian), a standard language based on the mediaeval dialect of the Castilians of north-central Spain. There are several commonly spoken regional languages. With the exception of Basque, the languages native to Spain are Romance languages.
There are substantial populations outside Spain with ancestors who emigrated from Spain; most notably in Latin America.
The earliest modern humans inhabiting Spain are believed to have been Neolithic peoples who may have arrived in the Iberian Peninsula as early as 35,000–40,000 years ago. In more recent times the Iberians are believed to have arrived or developed in the region between the 4th millennium BC and the 3rd millennium BC, initially settling along the Mediterranean coast. Celts settled in Spain during the Iron Age. Some of those tribes in North-central Spain, which had cultural contact with the Iberians, are called Celtiberians. In addition, a group known as the Tartessians and later Turdetanians inhabited southwestern Spain and who are believed to have developed a separate civilization of Phoenician influence. The seafaring Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians successively founded trading colonies along the Mediterranean coast over a period of several centuries. The Second Punic War between the Carthaginians and Romans was fought mainly in what is now Spain and Portugal.

wn.com/Spanish_people
Tagalog people
The Tagalog people are an ethnic group in the Philippines. The name Tagalog comes from either the native term tagá-ilog, meaning 'people living along the river', or another native term, tagá-alog, meaning 'people living along the ford', a ford being a shallow part of a river or stream where people, animals, or vehicles can cross it. The prefix taga- means "coming from" or "native of", while the word ilog means 'river'. Translated, tagá-ilog means 'coming from the river' or 'native of the river', and tagá-alog means 'coming from the ford' or 'native of the ford' with 'the' being implied in both cases. Either way, the original name has been contracted to become simply Tagalog. In more recent times, the people of this ethnolinguistic group rarely refer to themselves as "Tagalog", and instead, refer to themselves simply as "Filipino".
The Tagalogs are one of the most widespread groups of people in the Philippines. They form a majority in the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Laguna, Marinduque, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Quezon, and Rizal. Other provinces with some significant Tagalog populations include the provinces of Palawan, Tarlac, and in Zambales.

wn.com/Tagalog_people

WELCOME TO MARIKINA CITY, PHILIPPINES

Welcome to Marikina City .. Marikina was given the title the "Shoe Capital of the Philippi...

published: 11 Jan 2012

author: dansky03

24Oras: Provident Village sa Marikina, lubog nanaman sa baha

24 Oras is GMA Network's flagship newscast, anchored by Mike Enriquez and Mel Tiangco. It ...

published: 07 Aug 2012

author: gmanews

Marikina River - Habagat Aug. 7 2012

...

published: 07 Aug 2012

author: Robert Porter

Marikina River - August 7 2012

Marikina River by Riverbanks Mall, earlier this morning around six thirty....

published: 07 Aug 2012

author: designfilipino

marikina river 8-7-2012 10am

Water level at Marikina River August 7, 2012. This video was taken at around 10am. take a ...

published: 07 Aug 2012

author: manoy420

The Pinoy Foodie - Marikina City Part 1

The Pinoy Foodie - Marikina City Part 1...

published: 17 Jan 2012

author: diyavp

BT: Taas ng tubig sa Marikina river, binabantayan

Balitanghali is the daily noontime newscast of GMA News TV anchored by Raffy Tima and Pia ...

published: 30 Jul 2012

author: gmanews

Chicser Mall Tour at SM Marikina

Chicser Mall Tour at SM Marikina, September 7, 2012. Had a great event graced with 3000 pe...

published: 08 Sep 2012

author: chicserofficial

Vice Ganda Marikina

...

published: 08 Feb 2012

author: TheVicegandajokes

Ranz Solo @ SM Marikina

Surprise solo performance by Ranz Kyle at SM Marikina...

published: 11 Sep 2012

author: chicserofficial

MARIKINA at 10:49 AM

...

published: 07 Aug 2012

author: ANCalerts

Skechers Streetdance Battle 8 - Marist School of Marikina

HIGH SCHOOL FINALIST: Marist School of Marikina - High Impact For more on Skechers Streetd...

published: 25 Sep 2012

author: Skechers Streetdance Battle

SM Marikina Chicsers GT

SM Marikina GT...

published: 08 Sep 2012

author: arfarf21

Marikina River water level receding

BETTINA MAGSAYSAY, ABS-CBN NEWS...

published: 10 Aug 2012

author: ANCalerts

Marikina High School 1997 - Happy New Year!

a tribute to Class 1997...

published: 31 Dec 2011

author: Marikina High

SM Marikina

FZ35 test vid...

published: 04 Jun 2010

author: ProDigi

sm marikina

published: 23 Jul 2012

author: Damon Salvatorre

VSF Marikina Batch 1994

30+ years of friendship... VSF Marikina Batch 1994...

published: 07 Jul 2012

author: jarz de leon

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photo: AP / Channi Anand

An Indian army soldier patrols near the line of control, the line that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan, after a reported cease-fire violation, in Mendhar, Poonch district, about 210 kilometers (131 miles) from Jammu, India, Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013.

India lashes out at Pakistan after deadly Kashmir encounter

The Star

09 Jan 2013

JAMMU, India (Reuters) - India slammed arch-rival Pakistan on Wednesday over a fire fight in the disputed territory of Kashmir in which two of its soldiers were killed, and said the mutilation of one of the bodies was "inhuman". India's Defence Minister A.K. Antony waits to speak at a plenary session of the 11th International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) Asia Security Summit ... REUTERS/Tim Chong ... ....(size: 2.6Kb)

photo: AP / Alexandre Meneghini

In this Oct. 24, 2012 photo, soldiers stop to check a car as they patrol in a convoy near the town of El Alcalde in Michoacan state, Mexico. Knights Templar, a quasi-religious drug cartel that controls the area and most of the state, monitors the movements of the military and police around the clock.

Mexico to compensate drug-violence victims

Al Jazeera

10 Jan 2013

Mexican has enacted a law that will ensure that the victims and relatives of crime are compensated with payments and social services from the state. The law, enacted by President Enrique Pena Nieto on Wednesday, comprises the creation of a fund to pay relatives up to $70,000 in compensation for an innocent victim killed in attacks by drug gangs ... “There are thousands of people who have suffered the ravages of violence ... Share ... ....(size: 18.3Kb)

photo: AP / Arshad Butt

Pakistani police officers and local residents gather at the site of a bomb blast that targeted paramilitary soldiers in a commercial area in Quetta, Pakistan, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 40 others, according to police, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013.

Bombings kill 115 in Pakistan

Newsday

11 Jan 2013

QUETTA, Pakistan -- A series of bombings killed 115 people in Pakistan yesterday, including 81 who died in a sectarian attack on a billiard hall in the southwest city of Quetta, officials said. The blasts punctuated one of the deadliest days in recent years in Pakistan, where the government faces a bloody insurgency by militants in the northwest and Baluch militants in the southwest ... No group claimed responsibility for the attack.. . .....(size: 7.7Kb)

photo: AP / Jacques Brinon

Kurdish activists gather outside a building where three Kurdish women were shot dead, in Paris, Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013. Police say three Kurdish women have been shot dead at a pro-Kurdish centre in Paris in what the French interior minister is calling an execution.

Three Kurdish women shot dead in Paris

The Times of India

10 Jan 2013

PARIS. Three Kurdish women, including one of the founders of a militant group battling Turkish troops since 1984, were "executed" at a Kurdish center in Paris, the interior minister said on Thursday. Turkey's Anadolu news agency identified one of the victims as Sakine Cansiz, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK ... He called it a "totally intolerable act." ... ....(size: 1.7Kb)

photo: White House / Pete Souza

File - Members of Congress, the Cabinet, and Supreme Court applaud as President Barack Obama enters the House Chamber to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress, Jan. 27, 2010.

Unworthy Governments and the Paine of It All

WorldNews.com

10 Jan 2013

Article by WN.com Correspondent Dallas Darling. "Lay then, the axe to the root, and teach governments humanity. It is their sanguinary punishments which corrupt mankind." -Thomas Paine, "The Rights of Man". If alive today, Thomas Paine would recognize that the United States Government is not worthy of its citizens ... He would caution the People ... Paine would also empathize with ... In another town, Paine would identify with ... (1) Paine, Thomas....(size: 4.8Kb)

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PhilHealth contribution hike hit

Journal Online

11 Jan 2013

MEMBERS of the House of Representatives yesterday expressed differing views over the increase in members’ contributions to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) which takes effect this month. Marikina City Rep ... Quezon City Rep ... National . ....(size: 1.6Kb)

‘Get to the bottom of the case’

Journal Online

11 Jan 2013

THIS was the marching order of President Benigno S. Aquino III as the Palace branded as “completely erroneous” reports that Malacañang had authorized the operation in Atimonan, Quezon codenamed “Coplan Armado” that left 13 dead ... For her part, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the President has ordered for “the conduct of a full thorough, exhaustive and credible investigation.” ... and House Deputy Majority Leader and Marikina City Rep ... ....(size: 3.2Kb)

Mixed reactions on PhilHealth contributions increase (Congress of the Philippines)

noodls

11 Jan 2013

(Source. Congress of the Philippines). Source. Public Relations and Information Bureau. Mixed reactions on PhilHealth contributions increase. Send FeedBack. 11 January 2013 09.29.10 AM. Writer. Lorelei V. Castillo, Media Relations Service-PRIB ... Rep. Marcelino Teodoro (1st District, Marikina City) welcomed the increase in PhilHealth contribution as long as PhilHealth keeps its word in increasing the health coverage of its members ... Rep ... Rep ... Rep ... 49....(size: 4.6Kb)

The Awards, A Reckoning

Sun Star

11 Jan 2013

FROM the title itself, one could easily surmise what this piece is all about. Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan has racked up a lot of recognition and citations since he re-assumed the mayorship three years ago. And they are no awards from fly-by-night, unknown or unimpressive bodies. On the contrary, they are prestigious ones ... Recent winners in the Philippines include ... 4 in 2006; and, Marides Fernando of Marikina City, ranked no ... Rep ... ....(size: 5.6Kb)

Do ‘chicken joys’ in the streets taste better?

Sun Star

10 Jan 2013

Many agreed with him and one guy from Pasig City even added that he finds the public market of Marikina City as a clean one, far out much better than the rest in the country. In a way, this writer agrees because this writer lived for a short while in Marikina City and truly, it is clean ... Even the parking space in the market place of Marikina is ......(size: 2.6Kb)

Reaction

The Daily Tribune

10 Jan 2013

Dear Editor.. For two consecutive days, The Daily Tribune through the articles of Mr. Efren B. Chavez last Jan ... We were helping people, like the river, to have a fresh start. Our goal was to restore dignity among people and nature. Ondoy caught everyone by surprise, and we were caught off guard when the need for NHA to relocate thousands of families from Marikina, Manila and Pasig to Calauan confronted us ... Electrification is ongoing....(size: 7.0Kb)

MMDA employee grand prize winner in media party

Journal Online

09 Jan 2013

Marikina has recovered from Ondoy’s onslaught. Mayor Del De Guzman of Marikina City recalled in his State-of-the-City Address last January 9 that the effect of typhoon Ondoy when he took over the reins of the city government was 50-percent discount for taxes left behind by the former mayor in 2010 ... For one, I was a witness when Marikina was devastated by Ondoy....(size: 5.0Kb)

Del golfest lures big field

The Daily Tribune

08 Jan 2013

The event was held in honor of the Marikina City mayor who celebrated his 50th birthday. He is also the current president of the Rotary Club of Marikina....(size: 1.3Kb)

Solons junk death penalty re-imposition, total gun ban

Journal Online

08 Jan 2013

LAWMAKERS have junked again calls to revive death penalty and a total gun ban policy following recent violent incidents like the shooting rampage in Kawit, Cavite that left eight people dead and the indiscriminate firing during the welcoming of New Year that killed two children. House Deputy Majority Leader and Marikina City Rep ... Zambales Rep ... ....(size: 1.8Kb)

Joint oil exploration divides House execs

Journal Online

08 Jan 2013

THE suggestion of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Ma Keqing for the Philippines and China to forge a joint exploration of oil and gas reserves in the West Philippine Sea at the height of continued bickering over boundaries has divided leaders of the House of Representatives. House Deputy Majority Leader and Marikina City Rep ... Sherwin Tugna and Zambales Rep ... “I do not agree with this ... Top Stories . ....(size: 2.7Kb)

SSS-Baguio opens clinic

Sun Star

08 Jan 2013

SOCIAL Security System (SSS)-Baguio recently opened its branch clinic last January 7, to ensure effective delivery of medical services to members and employees. SSS Medical Services Division director Dr ... “Sickness and disability claimants are often within hearing distance of other transacting members ... New PE centers at SSS branches in Diliman, Novaliches, Pasig-Shaw, Caloocan, Marikina, Antipolo, Manila, Makati-Gil Puyat, Makati-J.P....(size: 2.5Kb)

‘Freebies’ for taxpayers

Journal Online

07 Jan 2013

THE Marikina City government is offering free coffee, giving calendars and car wash to encourage taxpayers to settle their taxes early this 2013. According to Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman, the freebies given are part of their “come-ons” to ease the boredom of ......(size: 1.4Kb)

Divorce? No way, stresses Philippine gov't

China Daily

06 Jan 2013

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III will not touch the divorce question with a 10-foot pole. Divorce is not just low on the Aquino administration radar, it is not on its radar screen at all, Palace officials have stressed repeatedly ... Valte was categorical in saying that divorce legislation was not a priority of Aquino, who is a bachelor at 52 ... The “Anti-Divorce and Unlawful Dissolution of Marriage” bill, authored by Marikina Rep ... ....(size: 3.7Kb)

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Marikina
Lungsod ng Makina

— Highly-Urbanized City —

City of Marikina

Marikina Riverbanks Center at night

Official seal of Marikina
Seal

Nickname(s): Shoe Capital of the Philippines

Motto: "Discipline, Good Taste, Excellence"

Metro Manila showing the location of Marikina City

Marikina

Location in the Philippines

Coordinates: 14°38′24″N 121°5′50″E / 14.64°N 121.09722°E

Country

Philippines

Region

National Capital Region

Districts

1st and 2nd Districts of Marikina

Barangays

Class

1st Class City;
Highly Urbanized

Settled

April 16, 1630

Chartered city

December 8, 1996

Government

• Mayor

Del R. De Guzman (Liberal)

• Vice Mayor

Jose Fabian I. Cadiz (Liberal)

• Representatives

First District -
Marcelino Teodoro
(Independent)
Second District -
Miro Quimbo
(Liberal)

• City Council

Councilors

Area

• Total

21.5 km² (8.3 sq mi)

Elevation

14.7 m (48.2 ft)

Population (2009)

• Total

496,205

• Density

23,000/km² (60,000/sq mi)

• Demonym

Marikenyo

Time zone

PST (UTC+8)

ZIP Code

1800

Area code(s)

Website

www.marikina.gov.ph

The City of Marikina, in the Philippines, is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Marikina was former capital of the province of Manila during the declaration of Philippine Independence. The city divided into two districts and composed of 16 barangays. Marikina is one of the top 20 largest cities in terms of population and one of the wealthiest local government unit in the country.

Marikina was given the title the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines" because of its notable shoe industry, being the biggest manufacturer of shoes in the Philippines, producing almost 70% of shoe production in the country. Shoemakers in the city recently finished creating the "World's Largest Pair of Shoes" and it was only recently that the Guinness World Records recognized this feat. The Shoe Museum is home of the famous shoe collection of the former First Lady Imelda Marcos, shoes of the world leaders, past presidents, famous people, and shoes of different countries around the world, and making it the largest collection of pair of shoes in the world.

Marikina is noted as one of tourism and cultural hub of Metro Manila and one of the wealthiest local government units in the Philippines. Aside the traditional shoe and leather industry, many places in Marikina are now recognized for its eco-friendly points, balance of industry, people and nature. Among this, the residents satisfies the basic services and balance governance of the city. The city features typically many spacious parks, museums, tree-lined streets, bike-lanes, traffic signs, crossings, walkways, churches, antiquated houses and commercial establishments. Despite the latter, most of the city is classified as residential and industrial. The city also considered as one of the healthiest and livable cities within the Asia-Pacific, awarded Hall of Fame for its cleanest and greenest city, most awarded city in Metro Manila and most competitive city in the Philippines. The people of Marikina are amongst the most disciplined in the Philippines.

History [link]

Spanish period
The Augustinians were the first to arrive at the valley in 1500, at the spot now known as Chorillo, in Barangay Barangka. The Jesuits next came in 1630 in a place called Jesús de la Peña. They established a mission and built a chapel in a place now called Jesus Dela Peña, where the first mass in Marikina was held. On April 16, 1630, Fray Pedro de Arce, apostolic ruler of the Archbishop of Manila, approved the transfer of ecclesiastical control and supervision of Marikina area to the Jesuits. The area was later called Mariquina in 1787 after Felix Berenguer de Marquina who was the governor-general at that time, and Mariquina was declared a pueblo under the Spanish colonial government.

Hacienda Mariquina
By the 19th century, Hacienda Mariquina was owned and administered by the Tuazon family and had become the biggest in the Philippines. For its size, natural beauty, and plentiful harvest, the hacienda was declared a mayorazgo by the Spanish colonial government. At one time, the estate was administered by a beautiful native lass, Doña Teresa dela Paz, who was married to a scion of the Tuazon family.

Shoe industry
Marikina emerged as a town of shoemakers. Shoe-making began in 1887 through the pioneering efforts of Don Laureano "Kapitan Moy" Guevarra, assisted by Tiburcio Eustaquio, Ambrocio Sta. Ines, and Gervacio Carlos.

Bonifacio arrival
Andrés Bonifacio arrived in Mariquina before he and his Katipuneros proceeded to the caves of Montalban. Later, when the Philippine Revolution broke out, Mariquina became the capital of the Province of Manila from 1898 to 1899, a period which declare the Philippine Independence by Emilio Aguinaldo, the first Philippine president, in Kawit, Cavite.

Manila's capital
Marikina became a province of Manila's capital during the declaration of Philippine Independence in 1898.

Incorporate period
Shortly after the Americans took possession of the Philippines, its name officially became Marikina and the province of Rizal was created on June 11, 1901 by virtue of Act No. 137 by the First Philippine Commission which during the time was acting as the unicameral legislative body in the island of Luzon. Marikina, along with many other towns around Manila were incorporated into the new province. On November 7, 1975, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 824, the thirteen western towns of Rizal, including Marikina, were made part of the new Metropolitan Manila Area.

Japanese occupation and World War II
In early 1942, the Japanese Imperial forces occupied Marikina. Followed on 1945, Marikina was liberated by the combined U.S. and Philippine Commonwealth ground troops who attacked the Japanese Imperial Army by artillery from Quezon City. Almost all the big buildings including the church bell tower were destroyed. In reality, the Japanese had already left town and retreating to the north. The destruction which saw over 200 civilians casualties at the end of World War II.

Some the local Filipino troops under the pre-war 4th & 42nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was entering and recaptured in Marikina and helped the U.S. liberation forces attacking the Japanese troops during the liberation in February 1945.

Shoe Capital
By the turn of the 19th to 20th century, Marikina had emerged as a town of shoemakers. Honed by years in shoe manufacturing, the natives had developed a work ethic that prepared them for the arrival of heavy industries in the 1950s. With the industrial plants came waves of workers who chose to stay, rapidly increasing the population. The city soon became a victim of runaway growth, resulting in the Marikina River being polluted by the factories and squatters along the riverbanks. And despite of these, Marikina named as the Shoe Capital of the Philippines.

Recovery and transformation to Urbanized City
In 1992, under the leadership of Mayor Bayani Fernando. Marikina has since been transformed into the beautiful and industrialized urban city that it is now. Marikina River transform into beautiful waterways along the beautiful parks on the riverbanks. On December 8, 1996, the municipality of Marikina became a chartered city and transformed rapidly into a highly urbanized and first class city by virtue of Republic Act No. 8223, same date as the Feast of Immaculate Concepcion.

Industries and commercial establishments rapidly growth in the city. Cleanliness and greening into some other parts of the city remains maintainable. Community and the people became disciplined and informed.

Disasters
Marikina lies in a valley, and for this reason, flooding frequently occurs during typhoons and especially unexpected strong rains. Flooding in the low-lying areas of the city is caused by the overflowing of the Marikina River.

Since October 23, 1988, Typhoon Unsang brought heavy rains resulted to widespread flooding in Marikina. Much of the city was submerged by floods and many residents were stranded most of them found on their houses' rooftops and trees and their properties and businesses are damaged.

On September 26, 2009, tropical storm Ondoy (Ketsana), caused record amounts of flooding in the city. The strong river current entered streets and homes, damaging property and killing more than 200 residents. Marikina easily resurrected from ruins in comparison to other towns nearby, despite being the hardest-hit of all cities.

Another disaster prone is the Valley Fault System (also known as Marikina Fault Line), lies in the western portion of the city which these areas has in high-risk of earthquakes.

Timeline

Date or Year	Milestone
1570	The Augustinians were the first to arrive at the valley, at the spot now known as Chorillo, in Barangay Barangka.
April 16, 1630	The Jesuits was next to arrived in a place called Jesus Dela Peña. They established a mission and built a chapel where the first mass in Marikina was held. Fray Pedro de Arce, apostolic ruler of the Archbishop of Manila, approved the transfer of ecclesiastical control and supervision of Marquina area to the Jesuits.
1687	The area was later called Mariquina and Mariquina was declared a pueblo (officially town) under the Spanish colonial government
1787	Don Benito Mendoza became the first Gobernadorcillo of Mariquina.
1822	Don Juan Gregorio became the first Alcalde Capitan of Mariquina.
1887	Don Laureano "Kapitan Moy" Guevarra, father of shoe industry in the Philippines, made and designed the first pair of shoes in Mariquina (Marikina). Mariquina emerged as a town of shoemakers.
1896	Andrés Bonifacio and the Katipuneros arrived in Mariquina.
1898	Mariquina became the capital of Manila province during proclamation of Philippine independence.
1900	Don Vicente Gomez became the first Alcalde Presidente after Mariquina became a capital of province of Manila.
June 11, 1901	Shortly after the Americans took possession of the Philippines, its name officially became Marikina and the province of Rizal was created by virtue of Act No. 137^[1] by the First Philippine Commission which during the time was acting as the unicameral legislative body in the island of Luzon.
1938	Juan Chanyungco became the first Mayor of Marikina in modern time.
February 17–19, 1945	Combined Filipino and American soldiers was invaded to the liberation of Marikina from the Japanese forces, and which saw over 400 civilians are casualties. Filipino forces under the pre-war 4th & 42nd Infantry Division of the Philippine Commonwealth Army was sent in Marikina and attacked and defeating the Japanese forces.
1956	As a town of shoemakers and shoe industry, Marikina named as the "Shoe Capital of the Philippines".
June 1975	Metro Manila Commission was created under Presidential Decree No. 824 integrating four cities and 13 towns, majority of which were in the Province of Rizal. Marikina then became part of the Metropolitan Manila area.
November 7, 1975	Marikina officially became part of National Capital Region, also known as Metro Manila.
October 23–24, 1988	Typhoon Unsang brought widespread flooding in Marikina, leaving the entire city submerged.
June 1992	Bayani Fernando started to serve as a mayor of Marikina. Marikina has been rapidly transformed into what it is today.
December 8, 1996	Marikina became a chartered city and Marikina City transformed rapidly into a highly urbanized and first class city by virtue of Republic Act No. 8223 authored by Romeo Candazo.
June 2001	Marides Fernando, wife of former mayor Bayani Fernando started to serve as mayor of Marikina City. Marikina transformation continues and considered as "Developed City".
2004	Marikina City awarded as the Most Competitive Metro City in the Philippines.
2006	The first medium rise condominium, the Marquinton Residences, was inaugurated in the heart of the city. Marquinton is one of the symbolic landmark structure in Marikina today.
May 2007	Under Republic Act No. 9364 which was filed by Congressman Del R. De Guzman and Senator Edgardo J. Angara, Marikina City was divided into 2 congressional districts serving 2 representatives.
2008	Marides Fernando is one of the finalists to the 2008 World Mayor Awards, an award-giving body to all the excellent mayors worldwide. Marides Fernando is the only mayor in Asia-Pacific region who has been included in this list.
2008	The Riverbanks Center has been declared as the city’s business, finance, and commercial triangle, and Metro Manila's latest developing business and commercial district.
September 2008	SM City Marikina opens with a grand celebration, situated along Marcos Highway, near Riverbanks Center and considered as one of the largest mall in Metro Manila.
September 26–27, 2009	Marikina City was widely devastated by a flash flood due to torrential rains caused by Tropical Storm Ondoy. The City was declared under state of calamity. Flood water flowed thru the towns and barangays from 10 am and then subsided at around seven in the morning the following day. The national and international aides arrived immediately to the city for relief, retrieval and recovery operations. Most notably, Marides and Bayani rallied able Mariquenos to help clean up the city, exhibiting one of the ultimate examples of Bayanihan.
May 10, 2010	Del R. De Guzman, former vice-mayor and congressman, elected and served as the new mayor of Marikina City, ended Fernandos' reign of about 2 decades.
September 26–27, 2010	Marikina City commemorated the 1st Anniversary of Tropical Storm Ondoy disaster, the most devastated area during this calamity. The local government also celebrating the full recovery after one year.

Marikina City today
The Riverbanks Center has been declared as the city’s business, finance, and commercial triangle, and Metro Manila's latest developing business and commercial district. And also, Marikina City starts booming with residential condominiums and towers, commercial centers and business parks, mostly concentrated in 3-triangular points: Marcos Highway, Sumulong Highway, and The Riverbanks Center as the hub. Recently mall giant SM built an SM Shoemart Mall near Riverbanks and just few meters away from the City Hall are Marquinton real estate and Blue Wave.

At present, the shoe industry has become a pride of the Philippines and a boost to the growth of its economy. The city also now boasts of hosting other big companies, multinationals, local and foreign, as well as leading exporting firms. Numerous banks, land development firms, residential realties, business centers, industrial centers, commercial centers, information and communication technology centers, hotels and condominiums is also boasts the city that Marikina rapidly into a highly urbanized city in a short time.

Marikina City today is a multi-awarded metropolitan city, often cited for its vibrant economy, a highly-skilled and literate work force, an involved and enlightened business community, environment conscious, disciplined people and a responsive local government that puts a premium on governance, sustainable urban development and public service. Marikina City is one of the most industrialized city in Metro Manila and also one of the richest local government unit in the Philippines in terms of current assets, cash in banks, share of internal revenue allotment, gross income and gross net income.

Proof positive of the city's standing in the league of metropolitan cities in the Philippines are the numerous awards and citations that have been bestowed. Marikina was one of the many cities, particularly Puerto Princesa City and Las Piñas City, awarded as The Cleanest and Greenest City which Marikina was the second local government, after Las Piñas City, to set as Hall of Famer in that category awarded by the Philippine government. The most recent and most prestigious award received the city of Marikina was the Most Competitive Metro City in the Philippines from the prestigious Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Policy Research Center, Asia Foundation, International Labour Organization (ILO), German Technical Foundation, and Konrad Adenauer Stiflung, and the Continuing Excellence Award in Local Governance given by the Galing Pook Foundation, DILG, Local Government Authority and the Ford Foundation. Marikina is the second local government in the Philippines, after Las Piñas City, that has been honored with the prestigious Global 500 Roll Of Honour of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). Marikina was also considered as one of the Healthiest and Most Livable Cities in Asia-Pacific region. It has won over 200 awards and recognitions, both local and abroad, in a span of just 16 years. Since Marikina has been considered as business-friendly city in Metro Manila, it has become an ideal location for industry, business, commerce and for residences. Marikina is also one of the host cities of the recent 2005 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines at the Marikina Sports Park. Mayor Marides Fernando was also recognized as finalist at the 2008 World Mayor Awards amongst the mayors from New York City, Paris and Sydney, as the only city mayor in Asia-Pacific belonging in the list of finalist.

Geography [link]

Marikina City Hall

The city lies on a valley of the same name. Marikina River runs through the mid-west portion of the city. There are two distinct seasons namely dry season from November to April and wet season from May to October

Marikina City is one of the large distribution in Metro Manila in terms of land area at approximately 21.5 square kilometers (2,150 hectares), about 3.37% of the total land area of Metro Manila. The city lies on so-called the Marikina Valley which extends to the south towards Pasig City and Cainta, Rizal. Marikina River runs through the central portion of the city and Nangka River runs through the north portion. The dynamic Sierra Madre Mountains, the longest mountain range in the Philippines is located at the eastern portion while the Quezon City hills are located to the west. It is also the home of the Marikina Valley Fault System, one of the active faults in the Philippines.

Marikina City is a lush valley bounded by mountain ranges and sliced by a river. Located along the eastern border of Metro Manila, it is bordered on the west by Quezon City, to the south by Pasig City and Cainta, Rizal, to the east by Antipolo City, the capital of Rizal province, and to the north by San Mateo also in Rizal province. It is approximately 21 km. away from Manila and lies within 14°38′24″N 121°5′50″E / 14.64°N 121.09722°E / 14.64; 121.09722Coordinates: 14°38′24″N 121°5′50″E / 14.64°N 121.09722°E / 14.64; 121.09722.

The southern portion of the city occupies the numerous commercial, industrial and business establishments and interesting places; it is also located at the "center" of the city which is the busiest district of the city. While the northern portion is primarily residential areas and industrial zones and some various establishments small and medium enterprises are also booming. Loyola Grand Villas, located at the northwest portion of the city is a rich gated community that occupies upper-middle class and rich residential areas.

Rivers and Creeks [link]

Further information: Marikina River

Further information: Sapang Baho River

While the Marikina River is the city's best known water body of water, Marikina also hosts a number of smaller rivers and creeks. ^[2]

Boundary rivers/creeks [link]

Three of bodies of water trace out the boundaries of Marikina with the Province of Rizal.

The Balanti Creek^[2] and Sapang Baho River^[2] to the Southeast form the basis of Marikina's boundary with Cainta, Rizal, and are collectively referred to by locals simply as the "Sapa" (creek).

The Nangka River^[2] to the north forms the basis of the boundary between Marikina and San Mateo, Rizal until it empties into the Marikina River at the city's northernmost barangay, Nangka.

Interior creeks [link]

Bangkaan creek^[2], which begins near the Marikina Science High School, and Park creek^[2], which flows through Marikina Heights, flow into the Concepcion Creek^[2] in Barangay Concepcion Uno, and into Usiw creek^[2] in Barangay San Roque, which meets the Balanti creek to form the Sapang Baho River.

Climate [link]

Under the Köppen climate classification system, the city of Marikina features a tropical monsoon climate. Together with the rest of the Philippines, Marikina lies entirely within the tropics. Its proximity to the equator means that the temperature range is very small, rarely going lower than 20 °C (68 °F) and going higher than 38 °C (100 °F). However, humidity levels are usually very high which makes it feel much warmer. It has a distinct, albeit relatively short dry season from January through May, and a relatively lengthy wet season from June through December.

Climate data for Marikina, Philippines
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	30 (86)	30 (86)	31 (88)	33 (91)	34 (93)	34 (93)	33 (91)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31 (88)	31.7 (89.1)
Average low °C (°F)	21 (70)	21 (70)	21 (70)	22 (72)	23 (73)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	24 (75)	23 (73)	22 (72)	22.75 (72.95)
Precipitation mm (inches)	25.4 (1)	25.4 (1)	38.1 (1.5)	25.4 (1)	38.1 (1.5)	127 (5)	254 (10)	431.8 (17)	406.4 (16)	355.6 (14)	203.2 (8)	152.4 (6)	2,082.8 (82)
Source: pagasa.gov.ph

Demography [link]

Barangays and districts [link]

Marikina City is divided into 16 barangays. These barangays are then grouped into 2 geographical districts, as per Republic Act No. 9364 which was principally authored by Del R. De Guzman--Districts 1 and 2. District 1 occupies the southwest side of Marikina River and the entire south of Marikina City, and District 2 occupies the northwest (Loyola Grand Villas) side of Marikina River and the entire northern and eastern part of Marikina City which is considered as the bigger district of the 2 in terms of land area. Concepcion was formerly known as Bayan-Bayan.^[3]

Barangay	District	Zip Code	Area (has.)	Population ('09)
Barangka	District 1	1803	116.96	28,870
Calumpang	District 1	1801	72.24	21,733
Concepcion II (SSS Village)	District 2	1811	184.25	27,242
Concepcion I	District 2	1807	212.91	54,136
Fortune	District 2	1810	219.36	32,055
Industrial Valley Complex	District 1	1802	64.5	19,402
Jesus Dela Peña	District 1	1804	82.34	13,646
Malanday	District 2	1805	87.37	53,937
Marikina Heights	District 2	1810	205.76	39,597
Nangka	District 2	1808	181.68	36,372
Parang	District 2	1809	164.20	52,349
San Roque	District 1	1801	108.79	23,025
Sta. Elena	District 1	1800	44.29	8,286
Sto. Niño	District 1	1800	145.55	38,158
Tañong	District 1	1803	77.83	14,291
Tumana	District 2	1805	181.97	33,195
Marikina City	-	-	2,150	496,205

People [link]

People native to Marikina City refer to themselves as "Marikeños". Marikeños are remarked to be some of the most disciplined people in the Philippines, largely due to the influence, ethics and administration of its former mayor, Bayani Fernando.

Ethnic groups [link]

Like other places in Metro Manila, the original settlers are Tagalogs. Throughout the centuries, there has been constant migration of Spaniards, Visayans, Bikolanos, Ilokanos, Chinese and Americans. There are also very small migration from Indians, Koreans and Japanese.

Languages [link]

The main language is Filipino, which is based on Tagalog. Other languages such as Cebuano and Ilocano are prevalent among some families and their respective communities mainly among barangays such as Malanday and Nangka, where there are a large number of migrants from other parts of the country.

In addition, due to continuous development of the city, English language is used in education, business and information technology.

Religions [link]

Marikina was one of the seats of the Spanish colonial government in the past centuries, and has been used as the base of Roman Catholic missions to the Philippines. Among the religious orders include the Dominicans, the Franciscans, the Jesuits and the Augustinians which the first to arrive in Marikina. Almost 94% of Marikeños are Roman Catholic.

Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned is the seat of Nuestra Señora de los Desamparados, the Patron Saint of Marikina City. Other notable churches in the city include Jesus Dela Peña Chapel, this first chapel established in Marikina, and Immaculate Conception Parish (ICP) in Concepcion Uno, second largest and most populated church in Marikina. Other Christian faiths like The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons), Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) (which its international headquarters are located here), Iglesia ni Cristo, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Members Church of God International (known as Ang Dating Daan) Philippine Independent Church (Aglipayan) and some others. Some other religions in Marikina are Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Islam. There is also a growing number of free thinkers such as agnostics and atheists.

In 2009, a new parish was erected in Marikina was inaugurated. Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Tumana was erected early this year.

Government [link]

Further information: Del R. De Guzman

Further information: Marides Fernando

Further information: Bayani Fernando

Marikina City is governed by a Mayor and Vice Mayor elected to three-year terms. The Mayor is the executive head and leads the city's departments in executing the city ordinances and improving public services while the Vice Mayor heads a legislative council. Marikina City is divided into 2 districts, Districts 1 and 2, where each districts is represented by a congressman in the House of Representatives of the Philippines.

Marikina boasts one of the wealthiest local governments in the Philippines in terms of current assets, cash in banks, share of internal revenue allotment, gross income and gross net income.

Current Government [link]

The focal point of governance is people. The status of living of people, particularly the vulnerable members of society, provides the most important yardstick of community management. Much has been done on infrastructure development and other areas of community building in the past year, and it is high time that efforts be geared toward human upliftment.

It is in this light that the present administration has adopted as its governance philosophy, “Tunay na Kaunlaran, Tao Naman.” Simply put, Marikina residents will feel secure because they know and feel that the city government is working with them in mind and their interests at heart.

The 7K program of the city will now translate this philosophy into concrete action and results in the areas of Health (Kalusugan), Education (Karunungan), Peace and Order (Kapayapaan at Kaayusan), Livelihood (Kabuhayan), Environment (Kalikasan), Housing (Katiyakan sa Paninirahan), and Good Governance (Katapatan at makataong paglilingkod).

It is hoped that the pursuit of the various programs/projects that are attuned to the 7K will bring new spirit, new character, and new hope to Marikina and its people.

A new approach, a new atmosphere – one that respects and champions human dignity. This is what a new Marikina is positioned to be.

Past Mayors

Mayor	Year Started	Year Ended
Juan Chanyungco	1938	1945
Enrique Dela Paz	1945	1948
Gil Fernando	1948	1951
Juan Chanyungco	1952	1955
Gil Fernando	1956	1959
Osmundo De Guzman	1960	1986
Teofisto Santos	1986	1986
Rodolfo B. Valentino	1987	1992
Bayani Fernando	1992	2001
Ma. Lourdes Fernando	2001	2010
Del R. De Guzman	2010	present

City seal [link]

Marikina City Seal

The official seal of the City of Marikina bears the inscriptions Lungsod ng Marikina, Pilipinas, the year 1630 referring to the founding date of the municipality, and 1996 the year of approval of the City Charter. The two mountains represent the majestic twin ranges of the Cordillera and Sierra Madre between which the Marikina Valley nestles, traversed by the Marikina River.

The rising sun points to the eastern location of the city, with each ray representing the city's barangays. The machinery gear symbolizes its industries and the shoelast represents the traditional manufacture of the city. The torch focuses on the lofty and noble ideals for human development and a better quality of life, and is symbolic of its Hispanic culture and tradition.

The bamboo underscores a mixture of the people's natural humility and strength of character and also emphasizes the city's transition from an agricultural past to the urbanized, industrial present; while the leaves and branches symbolize order and serenity. The bamboo and the wheel represent the Marikina and its people's respect for, and protection of the environment so as to remain in harmony with progress.

Education [link]

The city government prides itself in giving quality free education to its constituents through its primary, secondary and tertiary schools including one science high school. Marikina's literacy rate is about 98%.

Marikina has numerous public and private elementary and high school, colleges and universities, and the city-owned institutes like Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina, Marikina Polytechnic College and the Marikina Science High School. There are also privately-owned academic institutions such as Marikina Catholic School, and Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, which is known as the "Center of Future Teachers" for it has graduated most of its college Education students as LET passers. Exclusive private schools here are Marist School Marikina and St. Scholastica's Academy Marikina. Other private schools are Roosevelt College, Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College, Kostka School, Mother of Divine Providence School, St. Nicholas School (which sits as the head of Marikina Private Schools Administrators Association), Holy Trinity School, Charis School, Infant Jesus Academy Marikina, to name a few.

Health [link]

Marikina became one of the healthiest cities in Asia-Pacific. Marikina provides medical missions and free medical operations in the city. There are numerous hospitals in Marikina, one of the public hospital in Marikina is Amang Rodriguez Medical Center (AMMC). There are also privately owned Marikina Valley Medical Center, just a few blocks away from AMMC and ST. Vincent General Hospital. Other private hospitals include Garcia General Hospital and SDS Medical Center Inc, Immaculate Concepcion Hospital and Medical City Marikina Clinic.

Numerous clinics provide basic health check-ups and free health services for Marikeños. The city also offers services such as health centers in each barangay to provide basic medical and services needs in the community and the city has also a privileges card for discounted fees and free services like emergency, medical and security services.

Peace and order [link]

Marikina has clean surroundings, tree-lined streets, hassle-free roadways, walkable sidewalks, parks and playgrounds, a healthy public market, good shopping centers and restaurants, free public elementary, high school and college, squatter-free environment, free-health services, minimum traffic, less pollution and a low crime rate. Marikina established Rescue 161, a hotline number for emergencies within city and a team of paramedics, policemen and firemen will come in less than 5 minutes.

Marikina won several awards and recognitions and now a hall of famer of such awards including Cleanest and Greenest City in Metro Manila and the Philippines, Best Police Stations due to effectiveness to resolve and minimized crimes in the city, Best Public Market due to cleanliness and orderliness, Best Public Schools in Metro Manila, Most Effective Bike-Lanes and most of all, Marikeños are one of the Most Disciplined People in the Philippines.

Economy [link]

Marikina was the biggest manufacturer of quality shoes, and Marikina produced 80% of the shoe production of the Philippines. All locally produced shoes are made in Marikina, from slippers to shoes. Marikina also produced shoes which is made of rubber, wood (bakya), and plastic.

Industries [link]

Marikina is the home to a member of industries, some of which are the biggest and most successful in their fields, and foremost of all, shoe manufacturing, being the best in local craftmanship.

Manufacturing [link]

The city manufactures food processing, cigarettes, porcelain and chinaware, confectionery, automobiles and cars, appliances, electronics, crafts like bags, hats and slippers, and foremost of all, shoes.

Commerce and trade [link]

Public markets in Marikina are often divided into two, the dry goods section and the wet goods section. Commerce in these public markets are in full swing, especially in the early morning. Under the urban renewal program of the city, some of the public markets had been refurbished and given a fresher look, like the "Marikina Public Market" also known as "Marikina Market Mall", or locally called the "Pamilihang Bayan", the biggest and cleanest market in Metro Manila.

Modern shopping malls dot the city especially in the southern portion of Marikina. SM City Marikina, Blue Wave Mall at Marquinton, Robinsons Place, are some of Metro Manila's major shopping and commercial centers stands along Marcos Highway. The popular commercial center that lies in Marikina is the Riverbanks Center.

For the adventurous shoppers, you may venture beyond the hotel or shopping complex package and combine other interesting destinations for cheap buys such as in Marikina Market Mall. Bargaining is the major part of your shopping experience when you pass by that area, as it sells goods at rock-bottom prices. Riverbanks Center gives a comfort to the shoppers as it offers air-conditioned mall, but the price of the goods here is still very similar to the goods bought outside. Some of goods are cheap electronic products, toys and other cheap equipments needed into your homes.

Banking [link]

Almost all of the major commercial international and local, and government banks in the Philippines operate a branch in the city. Major banks operate in the city with more than one branch. At this time, there are 60 banking institutions offer banking services to businesses and residents. Most of these are concentrated in Barangay Sta. Elena, Sto. Niño, Concepcion Uno, San Roque, Calumpang and Barangka.

Information Technology [link]

Marikina lined up as one of Information Technology hub in Metro Manila and continuously growth of outsourcing and call centers, among them is ICT Groups, Sykes, NCO, Teletech, to name a few. There are numerous contact centers worldwide with IT-based offices in the Philippines in Makati City, Ortigas Center and Riverbanks Center in Marikina City.

Transportation [link]

Currently, elevated light rail systems run through Marikina City. The first or last station of LRT 2 is Santolan located along Marcos Highway. The station connects to Claro M. Recto Avenue in Manila.

Public transportation within the city, like in most of the urban areas in the Philippines, is facilitated mostly using inexpensive jeepneys and buses. Tricycles (motorbikes with an attached two seater carriage) are the usual transportation used for short distances, while Taxi cabs are used by the upper middle class. The roads are organized around a set of long narrow and circumferential roads that radiate and circle in and around the city.

One of the most notable attractions in Marikina is the bikeways and bikelanes along major roads and streets. This is the only city in the Philippines which has an effective bikeways.

Utilities and communications [link]

Marikina's source of electricity is part of the Manila Electric Company or Meralco. Water supply for the city is supplied by the Manila Water Company. Marikina's communication system is powered by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone company, Globe Telecom, Bayan Telecommunications Corporation (BayanTel) and others. Cellular network in the Philippines particularly the metropolitan areas is increasing rapidly together with the low cost of calls and text messaging. Such big companies that control the cellular networks in the Philippines and Marikina itself are Globe Telecom, Smart Communications (PLDT) and Sun Cellular from Digitel. Cable television access is provided by SkyCable, Home Cable and Global Destiny. Internet Digital Subscriber Line or DSL coverage is provided by PLDT, cable internet is serviced by Sky Cable's ZPDee and Global Destiny. Wireless broadband is provided by Globeliness Broadband and Smart Communications. Marikina has its own radio station operated and owned by the city government, DZBF-AM (BF named after Bayani Fernando, the owner of radio station and a former mayor of Marikina and former chairman of MMDA), is an AM radio station that provides information, news and events happening in Marikina, and it also provides some entertainment like other commercial AM radio stations.

Tourism [link]

Marikina has its own share of attractions to offer. Sports and recreational facilities are available to its residents and those from nearby towns and cities. Historical landmarks and church, antiquated houses and galleries view to the attention of history and culture buffs. It's also attracts major commercial centers, man-made parks, large structure buildings, and most of them, a traditional shoe-making in the city, the natural river parks and the hospitality of Marikeños.

Events and festivals [link]

These are some of the notable events and festivities in Marikina:

Events	Date	Place of event
Marikina Cultural Arts and Festivals	February	Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina
Marikina Holy Week Procession	Holy Week Season	Citywide
Ka-Angkan Festival/Marikina Foundation Day	April 16	Riverbanks Center Amphitheater/City-wide
Feast of Our Lady of the Abandoned (Patroness of Marikina)	Every 2nd Sunday of May	Diocesan Shrine-Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned, Citywide
Police Memorial Day	September 8	Citywide
Mama Mary Fluvial Parade and Festival	September 8	Marikina River Park
Ondoy Tragedy Commemoration Day	September 26	Citywide
Marikina Christmas Festival and Bazaar	mid-October - early January	Marikina River Park and Riverbanks Center
Sapatero Festival	November 15 - November 30	Riverbanks Center
Marikina Cityhood Day	December 8	Citywide
Rehiyon-Rehiyon Parade and Festival	December 8	Marikina Sports Park
Advance New Year's Day Fireworks Display Celebration	December 30	Marikina Sports Park

Landmarks and attractions [link]

Here are some of Marikina's points of interest:

Cityhood Park
Located at the corner of Shoe Avenue and Sumulong Highway, beside Marikina Sports Park. It is the newest attraction in the city showcasing a beautiful and colorful water fountain, with benches and trees surrounding it. Cityhood Park is now a signature landmark of Marikina because it was featured in numerous television programs. The facade looks like a church with a giant clock on top of it and bells which rings every hour accompanied with music.

Evolution Park

Jesus de la Peña Chapel

Where this park stands was once the only grazing farm in Marikina, in which 18 stone cows now stand, and is located in Marikina Heights.

Jesus Dela Peña Chapel
The first church in Marikina. In April 1630, Fray Pedro de Arce, apostolic ruler of the Archbishopric of Manila, approved the transfer of ecclesiastical control and supervision of the Marikina area to the Society of Jesus, and directed the Augustinians to cede the territory to the Society to be converted to ranch for the support of the Universidad Maximo de San Ignacio in Manila. The Jesuits also decided to build a mission chapel near the banks of Marikina River, a rocky place which they called Jesus Dela Peña. Cavada also considers the year 1630, as the year the mission church was completed, and where mass was regularly held.

Loyola Memorial Park
Located along A. Bonifacio Avenue, a privately-owned memorial park set on a sprawling area of 36,000 m² and developed in 1965. The Loyola Memorial Park is the oldest, probably one of the biggest, and most prominent memorial parks in the Philippines.

Manila Boystown Complex
This 23-hectare Manila city government-owned institution and facility in Parang, Marikina is exclusively for Manila’s abandoned, forgotten, and voluntarily surrendered children, teenagers, and senior citizens.

Marcos Highway
was named by former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos Highway is an 8-lane national highway and the main road between Metro Manila and Rizal Province, also known as Marikina-Infanta Highway. Marcos Highway passing the boundaries of Antipolo, Cainta, Pasig and Marikina. There are 3 main intersections in Marcos Highway such as Amang Rodriguez Avenue (Pasig), Imelda Avenue (Marikina-Cainta) and Masinag (Antipolo), and an interchange located in SM City Marikina which provide access exclusively between Marikina to major business districts such as Ortigas Center, Eastwood City and Makati City. Some of its landmarks include Sta. Lucia Mall, Robinsons Metro East, SM City Marikina, LRT2 Santolan Station, Masinag Market and Riverbanks Center. Also, Marcos Highway is well known for numerous establishments like car shops, major schools, restos, food chains, exclusive villages, billboards, industrial parks, etc.

Marikina City Hall
Marikina City Hall is one of the most beautiful city halls in Metro Manila and it has state-of-the-art facilities inside. The city hall is surrounded by many city government agencies and offices, spacious parks, monuments and open areas, and it was located in the heart of the city. Another building is the Justice Hall Building which the extension to the main city hall building. Marikina City Hall has e-government services offered for the people of Marikina. It also has an emergency hotline, Marikina Rescue 161, which is exclusive to the residents of Marikina.

Marikina City's Largest Pair of Shoes in the World
This is certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest pair of shoes. It is currently displayed at the Riverbanks Center and it is one of the top attractions in the city.

Marikina Hotel
This is the city's first government-owned hotel that will further boost the influx of tourists in the city, and located at SSS Village.

Marikina Entertainment District
A. Tuazon Avenue's (Gil Fernando Avenue) well-known line-up of having many adventurous bars, live acoustic bands restos, nightclubs and other drinking joints, nearly the entire stretch.

Marikina Industrial Zone
Located at the northeast portion of the city which was established in the 1970s. It is home to a number of industries and some of which are the biggest and are the leaders in their fields, some of these are Purefoods-Hormel, Nestlé, Fortune Tobacco, Armscor and other leading industries and big companies.

Marikina Market Mall
Metro Manila's cleanest and well-maintained market is Marikina Public Market, known as Marikina Market Mall. It is also one of the biggest market place in Metro Manila in terms of area.

Marikina River Park

Marikina River Park
Most awarded river which set as the Hall of Fame awardee for the Cleanest Inland Body of Water in the Philippines. Marikina River Park is a popular camping site, picnic grounds and recreational park, such as concrete jogging and bike lanes, benches and skating rink. At night, Marikina River Park transforms into a modern nightlife events center because of numerous bars, restaurants, cafés and night clubs along the riverbanks. Other attractions in Marikina River include the Roman Garden, Chinese Pagoda, Kawayanan, Youth Camp, Animal Trail, Skating Rink and Women's Park. It is also a traditional venue for the Marikina Christmas Festival which begins annually as early as October.

Marikina Sports Park
Established in 1969 and then known as the Rodriguez Sports Center, the property was bought from the provincial Government of Rizal in 1995. It is also one of the premier sports complex established in the Philippines. It is now a popular venue for national, regional and international sports competitions and other sports and entertainment events, such as the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. Inside the sports park includes the bronze statues of different Olympic sports, Olympic-size oval and swimming pool, boxing, tennis, table tennis, taekwondo, aerobics arena and others.

OLA Parish Church, houses the Patron Saint of Marikina

Diocesan Shrine-Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned
Also known as OLA Church, this Spanish-era church is located along J. P. Rizal Street in Santa Elena. The church was started by the Augustinians in 1687 and was finished in 1690. On October 21, 1791, the whole parish was consecrated under the Marian title, Nuestra Sra. Delos Desamparados (Our Lady of the Abandoned), the second oldest parish in the Philippines after that of Sta. Ana in Manila under that title This place of worship was destroyed by earthquakes and by fires in 19th century. It has undergone a series of renovations since 1963. The church houses the miraculous image of the religious patron of Marikina City, Our Lady of the Abandoned (OLA), which was canonically crowned last October 15, 2005 by virtue of Pope Benedict XVI, the first under his papacy. Leading the coronation rites was His Eminence, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales of the Archdiocese of Manila. On August 5, 2007, the church was elevated into a diocesan shrine by the Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, D.D., Bishop of Antipolo. Also in 2007, the parish was made the residence of the new auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Antipolo, Most Rev. Francisco M. de Leon, D.D. who serves as its parish priest. The shrine has now become a center of pilgrimage not only for Marikina residents but also from devotees of Our Lady of the Abandoned from Metro Manila and other neighboring provinces.

Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College
OLOPSC is a private, non-sectarian, Filipino tertiary learning institution located in Concepcion, Marikina. It was founded by Dionisio Salvador, Sr. in 1978. The institution is a reputable source of students with morale and discipline. As of 2009, there are already 5000+ estimated students enrolled. OLOPSC is considered as a landmark due to its structural design. The passersby describe OLOPSC as one with the castle-like design structure which is pleasing into the eyes of toddlers.

Philippine Science Centrum
This is the Philippines largest and well-maintained science centrum and it is one of the most visited amenities inside Riverbanks Center especially the field trips of students came from different schools in Metro Manila.

The Riverbanks Center
Formerly Universal Textiles, Asia's largest textile mills company, located along A. Bonifacio Avenue and nearby Marcos Highway. It is now a center for shopping, commerce, business and entertainment in Marikina, and in 2008, it was declared as Metro Manila's latest developing business district. Other attractions and buildings in Riverbanks Center include Riverbanks Mall, Riverbend Hotel, Riverbanks Amphitheatre, Gazebo, Philippine Science Centrum, Floating Stage, Open-air food stalls and Stone Carabaos. At Riverbanks Mall, here you will find almost everything you need at a price reasonably affordable, such as supermarkets, department stores, a numerous boutiques, cellphone shops, shops, food stands, fastfood chains and many more. Also, Riverbanks Center is a home of ICT Group, one of the largest IT call centers in the Philippines. SM City Marikina is also nearby within Riverbanks Center.

Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina
This 200-year old building was once owned by Don Laureano "Kapitan Moy" Guevarra, recognized as the father of shoe industry in the Philippines. This is where the first pair of shoes in Marikina was designed and made in 1887. Inside this building can be found Doll Museum, Marikina City's museum, a dioramas showcasing the events and history of Marikina. This building is the center of culture and arts of Marikina.

Shoe Museum
The Shoe Museum houses about 800 pairs of shoes belonging to former First Lady Imelda Marcos. It is also a place which a record-holder as the most numerous pair of shoes in the world.

File:SMMarikina2.jpg

SM City Marikina

SM City Marikina
SM City Marikina is the first shopping mall that has a wi-fi connecetion. The mall was designed by dsgn associates, an award-winning design firm based in Dallas, Texas, in the USA. Interior design was by EDGE Interior Design Pty. Ltd., a design consultant based in Australia, together with SM City Marikina’s design team includes Jose Siao Ling and Associates (architects), D.A. Abcede and Associates (project managers), and BF Construction Corporation, the general contractors of the mall. SM City Marikina is a part of SM's 50th Anniversary and it was the first SM mall to open on 2008.

Teatro Marikina
This is the center of performing arts of Marikina and eastern Metro Manila. This facility also caters to various events such as plays, concerts, shows, exhibits and seminars. Teatro Marikina is also the venue of annual pre-pageant of Miss Earth in the Philippines, notable concerts and plays played by the biggest celebrities and artists in the Philippines.

Women's Park
Located beside Marikina River Park. It is a park dedicated to females of Marikina.

World of Butterflies
You will find hundreds of butterflies in different variety, kind and sizes. Also, frogs, caterpillars and all animals necessary for the food chain of the butterfly is bred there. A souvenir house is also available. It's considered as the Philippines largest collection of different butterflies and other species. Field trips and tourist are attracted to this place because of its natural ambiance especially for the nature lover.

St. Scholastica's Academy Marikina
St. Scholastica’s Academy of Marikina (SSAM) is a Catholic educational institution providing elementary and secondary education. It is established in accordance with the policies and standards set by the Department of Education and owned and administered by the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing. It is registered with SEC as a non-stock, non-profit corporation, with its assets and income used directly and exclusively for educational purposes including expansion when needed to carry out the aims and objectives of the school.

Miscellaneous [link]

Hospitals in Marikina [link]

These are the major hospitals in Marikina:

Public Hospitals

Amang Rodriguez Medical Center
Marikina Diagnostic and Specialty Center

Private Hospitals

Garcia General Hospital
Marikina Valley Medical Center
Immaculate Conception Hospital
The Medical City Marikina
P. Gonzales Memorial Hospital
St. Victoria Hospital
St. Vincent Hospital
Sta. Monica Hospital
SDS Medical Center Inc.

Roads in Marikina [link]

These are some of the major roads in Marikina:

National (Major) Highway

Marcos Highway (Marikina-Infanta Road)
E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C-5)
Sumulong Highway (Corazon Aquino Avenue)

National (Major) Roads

A. Bonifacio Avenue
Bayan-Bayanan Avenue (Immaculate Concepcion Ave.)
J. P. Rizal Avenue
Shoe Avenue (Marikina Avenue)
Gil Fernando Avenue (Angel Tuazon Avenue)
Fortune Avenue (Claro. M. Recto Avenue)
Erano Manalo Avenue (E. Rodriguez Avenue)
Major Dizon Avenue
General Ordoñez Ave. (Molave Street)
C5 Access Road
Katipunan Road
Bagong Farmers Avenue
Evangelista Avenue
Kalye Budin ng Galapagi

Bridges and Overpass

Marikina Bridge (Marikina River)
Marcos Highway Bridge (Marikina River)
Disodado Macapagal Bridge (Marikina River)
Gil Fernando Bridge (Marikina River)
Nangka Bridge (Nangka River)
Modesta Bridge (Nangka River)
Balara-San Mateo Bridge (Marikina River)
SM City Bridge (Marikina River)
C5 Overpass
SM City Marikina Overpass

Twin and sister cities [link]

International [link]

Wikinews has related news: Brampton, Canada and Marikina, Philippines seeing double as cities twin

Local [link]

References [link]

^ "An Act Extending the Provisions of "the Provincial Government Act" to the Province of Rizal". LawPH.com. http://lawph.com/statutes/act137.html. Retrieved 2011-04-12.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h "Marikina City Disaster Coordinating Council Perparedness Program, Marikina City Philippines" (PDF). Official Entry to the WHO Healthy City Project Awards 2004. Marikina City Disaster Coordinating Council Perparedness Program. 2004. http://www.alliance-healthycities.com/PDF/WHO%20Awards/Marikina_WHOAward2004_Emergency%20%20Preparedness.pdf. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
^ "An Act Changing the Name of the Barrio of Bayan-bayanan, Municipality of Marikina, Province of Rizal, to Concepcion". LawPH.com. http://lawph.com/statutes/ra1514.html. Retrieved 2011-04-12.

Prints [link]

Marikina Yellow Pages Directory, Directory Publications, Inc.
Marikina Citizens' Factbook, Annual City Factbook
Marikina River Digest, Official Publication of Marikina
Balitang Komunidad, Official Newsletter of Marikina
Marikina City Annual Report, Annual City Report Book
WOW (World of Women) Magazine

External links [link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marikina City

v t e Metro Manila

Political Divisions	Caloocan · Las Piñas · Makati · Malabon · Mandaluyong · Manila · Marikina · Muntinlupa · Navotas · Parañaque · Pasay · Pasig · Pateros · Quezon City · San Juan · Taguig · Valenzuela

Geography	Manila Bay · Pasig River · Laguna de Bay · Marikina River · San Juan River · Parañaque River · Taguig River · Manggahan Floodway · Marikina Valley Fault System · List of rivers and esteros · Greater Manila Area · Mega Manila

History	History of Manila · Manila-Acapulco Galleon · Battles of La Naval de Manila · Province of Manila · Battle of Manila Bay · Battle of Manila (1899) · Battle of Zapote River · Battle of Manila (1945) · Treaty of Manila (1946) · Metropolitan Manila Development Authority

Economy	Makati CBD · Ortigas Center · Bonifacio Global City · Bay City · Eastwood City · Alabang · E-City · Newport City · Triangle Park · Araneta Center · Ayala Center · Eton Centris · Riverbanks Center · Rockwell Center · Binondo · Skyscrapers

Public Utilities	Manila Electric Company (Meralco) · Maynilad Water Services · Manila Water Company

Education	Universities and Colleges · University Belt

Culture	Museums · Theaters · Parks · Malls · Hotels · Cinemas · Radio Stations · Metro Manila Film Festival · Rehabilitation of the Pasig River · Imperial Manila

Landmarks	Rizal Park · Intramuros · Fort Santiago · CCP Complex · Manila Cathedral · Quezon Memorial Circle · Ayala Avenue · Epifanio de los Santos Avenue · Roxas Boulevard · Malacañan Palace · Coconut Palace · EDSA Shrine · Quiapo Church · Manila Chinese Cemetery · Manila American Cemetery and Memorial · Las Piñas Bamboo Organ · People Power Monument · Araneta Coliseum · SM Mall of Asia · Manila Ocean Park · Resorts World Manila

Transportation	Public transport in Manila · LRT · MRT · PNR · Major Roads · Metro Manila Skyway · Ninoy Aquino International Airport · Clark International Airport (in Angeles) · Manila Seaport Terminal · Pasig River Ferry

Category · Portal · WikiProject

v t e Cities of the Philippines

Highly-urbanized Cities	Angeles Bacolod Baguio Butuan Cagayan de Oro Caloocan Cebu Davao General Santos Iligan Iloilo Lapu-Lapu Las Piñas Lucena Makati Malabon Mandaluyong Mandaue Manila Marikina Muntinlupa Naga, Camarines Sur Navotas Olongapo Parañaque Pasay Pasig Puerto Princesa Quezon City San Juan Tacloban Taguig Valenzuela Zamboanga

Independent Component Cities	Cotabato Dagupan Ormoc Santiago

Component Cities	Alaminos Antipolo Bago Bais Balanga Batangas Batac Bayawan Baybay Bayugan Biñan Bislig Bogo Borongan Cabadbaran Cabanatuan Cadiz Calamba Calapan Calbayog Candon Canlaon Carcar Catbalogan Cauayan Cavite Danao Dapitan Dasmariñas Digos Dipolog Dumaguete El Salvador Escalante Gapan Gingoog Guihulngan Himamaylan Ilagan Iriga Isabela Kabankalan Kidapawan Koronadal La Carlota Lamitan Laoag Legazpi Lipa Maasin Malaybalay Malolos Marawi Masbate Mati Meycauayan Muñoz Naga, Cebu Oroquieta Ozamiz Pagadian Palayan Panabo Passi Roxas Sagay Samal San Carlos, Negros Occidental San Carlos, Pangasinan San Fernando, La Union San Fernando, Pampanga San Jose San Jose del Monte San Pablo Santa Rosa Silay Sipalay Sorsogon Surigao Tabuk Tacurong Tagaytay Tagbilaran Tagum Talisay, Cebu Talisay, Negros Occidental Tanauan Tandag Tangub Tanjay Tarlac Tayabas Toledo Trece Martires Tuguegarao Urdaneta Valencia Victorias Vigan

v t e Largest cities or towns of Philippines Philippines 2010 Census
Rank	City name	Region	Pop.	Rank	City name	Region	Pop.
1	Quezon City	National Capital Region	2,761,720	11	Parañaque	National Capital Region	588,126
2	Manila	National Capital Region	1,652,171	12	Dasmariñas	CALABARZON	575,817
3	Caloocan	National Capital Region	1,489,040	13	Valenzuela	National Capital Region	575,356
4	Davao City	Davao Region	1,449,296	14	Las Piñas	National Capital Region	552,573
5	Cebu City	Central Visayas	866,171	15	General Santos	SOCCSKSARGEN	538,086
6	Zamboanga City	Zamboanga Peninsula	807,129	16	Makati	National Capital Region	529,039
7	Antipolo	CALABARZON	677,741	17	Bacolod	Western Visayas	511,820
8	Pasig	National Capital Region	669,773	18	Marikina	National Capital Region	496,205
9	Taguig	National Capital Region	644,473	19	San Jose del Monte	Central Luzon	454,553
10	Cagayan de Oro	Northern Mindanao	602,088	20	Iloilo City	Western Visayas	424,619

http://wn.com/Marikina

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http://de.wn.com/Marikina City

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Vice Ganda
Birth name	Jose Marie Viceral
Born	(1976-03-31) March 31, 1976 (age 36) Tondo, Manila, Philippines
Medium	Stand-up comedy, television, film, music
Nationality	Filipino
Years active	1999–present
Genres	observational comedy, satire
Subject(s)	everyday life, current events, pop culture, human sexuality
Influences	Roderick Paulate, Dolphy, Allan K, Joey de Leon
Notable works and roles	Gandang Gabi, Vice!, It's Showtime, Praybeyt Benjamin, Petrang Kabayo

Vice Ganda (born March 31, 1976) is a Filipino stand-up comedian, television host and actor. He is best known as the main judge on ABS-CBN’s talent show It's Showtime and the host of Gandang Gabi, Vice!.
He is declared as 43rd Box Office Entertainment Awards, Phenomenal Box Office Star & Male Concert Performer of the Year, in the year 2012.

He is also known for his lead roles in commercially successful films Petrang Kabayo and The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin which became the highest-grossing film in Philippines.^[1]^[2]^[3]

He gained popularity for his comic routines, for which he uses observational comedy on typical “Pinoy” lifestyle and his use of situational irony and sarcasm when reacting to Filipino culture & behavior and human sexuality. He is the first openly gay endorser for a major product in the Philippines, which is Globe Telecom in the Philippines.^[4]^[5]

1 Early life
2 Career
3 Filmography
- 3.1 Television
- 3.2 Film
4 Discography
- 4.1 Studio album
- 4.2 Compilation album
5 Awards/ Nominations
6 References
7 External links

Early life [link]

Vice, Jose Marie Viceral, is the youngest of five children. He grew up in the neighborhood of José Abád Santos Street in Manuguit, Tondo, Manila. His father, a barangay captain, was murdered when he was young prompting his mother to work as a caregiver abroad leaving them by themselves. He obtained his college education at Far Eastern University studying Political Science.^[6] Around the age of 19, Vice was writing and performing his stand-up comic routines in comedy bars in Ermita, Manila.

Career [link]

Stand-up comedy [link]

Vice launched his stand-up career in Punchline and The Library, whose manager Andrew de Real gave him the screen name “Vice Ganda”.^[7] There he spent several years developing his materials in the comedy clubs. Vice’s career began to build after appearances on television and reviews from tabloid columns. He worked alongside fellow comedians Chocoleit, Pooh, John Lapus and Rey Kilay.

Television career [link]

He appeared in several TV series and sitcoms 'Dyosa under the direction of Wenn V. Deramas. Vice also had another supporting role in the drama series Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik.

His biggest break came in 2009, when he became part of Showtime, a talent search program which made him a regular host/judge until present. His life story of being bullied as a young closeted gay has also been featured in the drama anthology, Maalaala Mo Kaya.^[8] Aside from Showtime, he is currently hosting his own Sunday talk show, the consistently top rated Gandang Gabi, Vice!.^[9] Currently he is under the management of ABS-CBN, handling him is business unit head Deo Endrinal^[10] after being managed for four years^[11] by local entertainment columnist/host Ogie Diaz.^[12]

Film career [link]

Vice starred in minor roles until in 2009 where he appeared alongside Vilma Santos and John Lloyd Cruz in the film In My Life, depicting a story of a young Filipino gay couple struggling life in New York when one of their parents tries to live with them. A year later he starred in a comedy film, a remake of Petrang Kabayo.^[13] It proved to be a hit when it was released.^[14] The following year, Vice starred in Praybeyt Benjamin with Derek Ramsay directed by Wenn V. Deramas. The movie became the first local film to reach 300-million Pesos in ticket sales and proved to be an even greater box office success than Petrang Kabayo.^[15] He is presently under contract with Viva Films.^[16]

Music [link]

On June 15, 2011, Vice released his first studio album, Lakas Tama. The album was released under Vicor Records and featured mostly pop and novelty songs including "Palong Palo" written by Callalily frontman Kean Cipriano.^[17] He is also included in the compilation album of Showtime released by Star Records.

Filmography [link]

Television [link]

Year	Title	Role	Network
1995–1999	Pogi	Jojo	NBN 4
1999	Judy Ann Drama Special	Antonia	ABS-CBN 2
2000	Eat Bulaga (segment: "O! Diva")	himself (contender)	GMA 7
2007	Comedy Central Market	Rica Reyes	GMA 7
	Kokey	Lyka Horse	ABS-CBN 2
	Maging Sino Ka Man: Ang Pagbabalik	Joko
2008	Ligaw Na Bulaklak	Tony
	Dyosa	Salaminsim
	Pieta	Tita Ganda
	"Kung Fu Kids	Hum the Horse
2009	Maalaala Mo Kaya (episode: "Bola")	Himself
2009–Present	It's Showtime	Himself (judge/host)
2011	100 Days to Heaven	August
2011	Pilipinas Got Talent (Season 3)	Himself (guest performer)
2011–present	Gandang Gabi, Vice!	Himself (host)
2012	Pinoy Big Brother: Teen Edition 4	Himself (guest)

Film [link]

Year	Title	Role	Production	Reference
2007	Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat	Res' Chinese employer	Viva Films	^[18]
2008	Condo	Mandy	IndieSine	^[19]^[20]
2008	Ikaw Pa Rin: Bongga Ka Boy!	Host	Viva Films	^[21]
2009	In My Life	Hillary	Star Cinema	^[22]
2010	Noy	Jane	CineMedia Films	^[23]
	Hating Kapatid	Beauty	Viva Films	^[24]^[25]
	Petrang Kabayo	Peter Kasimsim / Petra	Viva Films	^[26]^[27]
2011	The Unkabogable Praybeyt Benjamin	Private Benjamin "Benjie" Santos VIII / Brandon’s girlfriend	Star Cinema & Viva Films	^[27]
2012	My Gay Boyfriend	Jackie	Star Cinema & Viva Films	^[28]

Discography [link]

Studio album [link]

Year	Title	Label
2011	Lakas Tama	Vicor Records (Philippines)

Compilation album [link]

Year	Title	Label
2010	Showtime The Album^[29]^[30]	Star Records

Awards/ Nominations [link]

Year	Award	Category	Work	Outcome
2012	43rd Box Office Entertainment Awards	Phenomenal Box Office Star of the Year	Praybeyt Benjamin (Highest Grossing Filipino Film of All Times)	Won
2012	43rd Box Office Entertainment Awards	Male Concert Performer of the Year	Vice Ganda Todong Sample sa Araneta	Won
2011	Globe T@tt Awards	Most Likable Celebrity ^[31]		Won
2011	Yahoo! Philippines OMG! Awards	Funniest Comedian^[32]	Gandang Gabi, Vice!/ Showtime	Won
2010	42nd Box-Office Entertainment Award	Bert Marcelo Achievement Award for Excellence in Comedy^[33]	Showtime/ Petrang Kabayo	Won
2010	StarStudio Celebrity Style Awards	Most Stylish Comedian^[34]	Dress Style	Won

References [link]

^ Neil Ramos (November 17, 2011). "'Praybeyt Benjamin' earns P327M". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/341637/praybeyt-benjamin-earns-p327m.
^ "Vice Ganda's 'Praybeyt Benjamin' now the 'Highest-Grossing Filipino Movie of All Time'". November 8, 2011. http://noypistuff.blogspot.com/2011/11/vice-gandas-praybeyt-benjamin-now.html.
^ Ricardo F. Lo (November 16, 2011). "FUNFARE:Who's the real Box-Office star? Why Pacquiao entered politics". The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/funfare/article.aspx?articleId=748630&publicationSubCategoryId=70.
^ Crispina Martinez-Belen (September 7, 2011). "Celebrity World:'Thelma' star stirs heated brawl between actors Coco and Matteo". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/333453/thelma-star-stirs-heated-brawl-between-actors-coco-and-matteo.
^ "Globe Prepaid Superlahat20". April 11, 2011. http://www.girlopinion.com/2011/04/11/globe-prepaid-superlahat20-for-davaoenos/.
^ Ricardo F. Lo (April 09, 2008). "FUNFARE:Vice Ganda teaches ‘tormentor’ a whammy lesson". The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/funfare/article.aspx?articleid=54947&publicationsubcategoryid=70.
^ Ricky Lo (May 09, 2010). "Vice Ganda: Feeling Beautiful". The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/funfare/exclusivesarticle.aspx?articleid=573580&publicationsubcategoryid=70.
^ Rhea Manila P. Santos (February 20, 2009). "Laugh and cry with Vice Ganda’s life story on Maalaala Mo Kaya". ABS-CBN. http://www.abs-cbn.com/Headlines/Article/2541/Laugh-and-cry-with-Vice-Ganda-s-life-story-on-Maalaala-Mo-Kaya.aspx.
^ Kaye Villagomez (September 3, 2011). "Vice Ganda explains anti-teleserye stance". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/node/332933/vice-ganda-explain.
^ "Ogie Diaz no longer Vice Ganda's manager". ABS-CBN News. November 23, 2011. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/11/23/11/ogie-diaz-no-longer-vice-gandas-manager.
^ Rommel R. Llanes (November 22, 2011). "Ogie Diaz confirms Vice Ganda is no longer his talent; Deo Endrinal is Vice's new manager". Philippine Entertainment Portal. http://www.pep.ph/news/32033/ogie-diaz-confirms-vice-ganda-is-no-longer-his-talent-deo-endrinal-is-vice39s-new-manager/1/4.
^ Maureen Marie Belmonte (October 3, 2011). "Vice and Ogie's 'love-hate' relationship continues". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/node/336467/vice-and-ogie.
^ Alex Valentin Brosas (January 15, 2010). "Vice Ganda to star in ‘Petrang Kabayo’ remake". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/238726/vice-ganda-star-petrang-kabayo-remake.
^ Jullie Y. Daza (November 1, 2010). "Who's Laughing at Vice Now?". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/285330/whos-laughing-vice-now.
^ Boy Abunda (November 10, 2011). "Anne ayaw makipag-agawan ng korona kay Vice Ganda". Pilipino Star Ngayon. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=746430&publicationSubCategoryId=96.
^ Alex V. Brosas (August 31, 2011). "Vice Ganda clears the air on rumored rift with Vic del Rosario and concert director GB Sampedro". Manila Bulletin. http://mb.com.ph/node/332645/vice-ganda-clear.
^ Punch Liwanag (July 1, 2011). "Audio Junkie:'Masa' music overload". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/node/324965/ma.
^ "Apat Dapat, Dapat Apat". July 10, 2011. http://www.theadrstudios.com/?p=2383.
^ "'Condo' Groundbreaks 2008 IndieSine Line-up". January 17, 2008. http://www.clickthecity.com/movies/?p=2660.
^ "Condo: 2008 movie". January 23, 2008. http://www.cocomartin.net/condo/.
^ "Ikaw Pa Rin: Bongga Ka Boy! Full Cast & Crew". May 14, 2008. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1176198/fullcredits.
^ Ricky F. Lo (July 23, 2009). "Straight from the 'horse's' mouth". The Philippine Star. http://www.philstar.com/funfare/article.aspx?articleid=489337&publicationsubcategoryid=70.
^ "Coco Martin pushes his film “Noy” for Oscars entry". November 16, 2011. http://www.megascene.net/?p=4531.
^ "Vice Ganda sacrifices for his siblings". Viva Entertainment. July 19, 2010. http://www.viva.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1714:vice-ganda-sacrifices-for-his-siblings&catid=1:news&Itemid=2.
^ "Viva Films' Hating Kapatid is a rare casting coup". The Philippine Star. May 24, 2010. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=577944&publicationSubCategoryId=70.
^ "Vice Ganda Stars Remake Petrang Kabayo". ABS-CBN News. January 15, 2010. http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/01/15/10/vice-ganda-stars-remake-petrang-kabayo.
^ ^a ^b "Vice Ganda's transformation from Petrang Kabayo to Praybet Benjamin". The Philippine Star. September 29, 2011. http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=731995&publicationSubCategoryId=70.
^ NESTOR CUARTERO (June 1, 2011). "'Two and a Half Sisters' and an indigenous cultural exhibit". Manila Bulletin. http://www.mb.com.ph/node/320751/two-and-a-half-.
^ "Showtime the album, an early Christmas treat". Star Records. October 19, 2010. http://www.abs-cbn.com/Feature/Article/8872/Showtime-the-album-an-early-Christmas-treat.aspx.
^ "Show Time The Album". October 19, 2010. http://www.starrecords.ph/album_details.asp?id=361.
^ Mary Grace Keiner (September 1, 2011). "Vice Ganda received an award at 2011 T@tt Awards". http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/10219138-vice-ganda-received-an-award-at-2011-ttt-awards.
^ Jason Domantay (Jun 24, 2011). "OMG! Awards winners thank voters". Yahoo! OMG! Philippines. http://ph.omg.yahoo.com/news/omg--awards-winners-thank-voters.html.
^ JEFFREY O. VALISNO (June 30, 2011). "Bisyo na ’to". Business World Weekender. http://www.bworldonline.com/weekender/content.php?id=33992.
^ Manila Santos (October 06, 2010). "Fashion reigns at the first ever StarStudio Celebrity Style Awards". ABS-CBN News. http://www.abs-cbn.com/Feature/Article/8780/Fashion-reigns-at-the-first-ever-StarStudio-Celebrity-Style-Awards.aspx.

External links [link]

Persondata
Name	Jose Marie Borja Viceral
Alternative names	Vice Ganda
Short description	Actor, Comedian
Date of birth	March 31, 1976
Place of birth	Tondo, Manila, Philippines
Date of death
Place of death

http://wn.com/Vice_Ganda

This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_Ganda

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Ronald Watson "Ron" Henley (born December 5, 1956 in Houston, Texas) is a grandmaster of chess, chess writer, producer of chess videos and is involved in financial trading funds. As President of RWH Advisors, International Grandmaster Ron Henley acts as Special Consultant to Ultra High Net Worth Individuals and Family Offices.

Henley was awarded the International Master title in 1980, and the International Grandmaster title in 1982. He won the GM title by winning a 26-player round-robin grandmaster super-tournament in Surakarta, Denpasar, Indonesia, defeating Grandmaster Tony Miles in the last round.

Henley has been second, analyst and trainer for former World Chess Champion Anatoly Karpov in several matches throughout the 1990s. Henley has written several chess books, and also served as a chess trainer and promoter of young, women chess stars such as Irina Krush. At University of South Florida, Henley received one of the first ever chess scholarships in America. While there in 1976 the USF Chess team won the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship with a perfect 8-0 team score. In 1977 Henley won the Association of College Unions National Individual Championship. Henley narrated the double-volume chess video, "American Chess Princesses," in which Irina Krush, Elina Groberman, Laura Ross and Shirley Ben-Dak present some of their best games from the 1997 FIDE World Youth Chess Championships held in Cannes, France. In the late 1990s Henley founded the www.chesssuperstore.com which sponsored Irina Krush and Hikaru Nakamura. He was appointed by Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov as President of the World Chess Champions Council Inc, a New York not for profit entity which promotes chess in the schools.

From 1985 through 2001, Henley was an American Stock Exchange Member, as a trader, market maker and specialist. Henley traded extensively in Phillip Morris, Wells Fargo and Teva Pharmaceutical. From 2001 to 2005, Henley was a founding partner and Head Trader of a statistical arbitrage family of hedge funds, with clients such as Bank of America, Gottex Fund of Funds and Aegon USA Insurance Company. Henley went into business consulting where he joined the Board of Directors of several private companies including Quantum Genomics. Henley re-entered the world of finance.

Books [link]

Elista Diaries: Karpov-Kamsky, Karpov-Anand, Anand Mexico City 2007 World Chess Championship Matches (with Anatoly Karpov) ISBN 0-923891-97-8
Archangel!: A Defense Against the Ruy Lopez ISBN 1-883358-01-9
The King's Indian Attack! ISBN 1-883358-02-7
The Spanish Exchange! ISBN 1-883358-08-6
The Dragon!: Powerplay ISBN 1-883358-06-X
The ChessBase University BlueBook Guide to Winning with The King's Indian Attack! ISBN 1-883358-00-0

External links [link]

Ron Henley player profile at ChessGames.com
Ron Henley rating card at FIDE
US Tournament record for Ron Henley

Persondata
Name	Henley, Ron
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Date of birth	December 5, 1956
Place of birth
Date of death
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