NOV20
All country briefings

Asia · Country briefing

Philippines

A child-friendly mission briefing for 20 November — capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.

  • Capital
    Manila
  • Population
    ~117 million
  • Time zone
    Asia/Manila (UTC +8)
  • Currency
    Philippine peso (PHP)
Philippines, with Manila marked
loading map…

Climate in November: End of the rainy season; warm and often humid.

Capital

Manila

Photo to be commissioned

Fun facts

What makes Philippines a bit special.

  • Islands

    Made up of 7,641 islands

  • Mangoes

    Some say the world's best

  • Christmas

    Celebrated for 4 months a year

  • Volcanoes

    Around 24 are still active

  • Coral Triangle

    Centre of marine biodiversity

  • Karaoke

    Was invented here

Native animals

Wildlife your partner class might know best.

  • 🦅

    Philippine eagle

    One of the largest eagles in the world

  • 🐒

    Tarsier

    Tiny primate with huge eyes

  • 🦈

    Whale shark

    The world's largest fish, gentle and harmless

  • 🐃

    Carabao

    National animal — a water buffalo

  • 🦬

    Tamaraw

    A dwarf buffalo found only here

School life

In a Philippines classroom

Filipino and English are both school languages. Christmas decorations often appear in September.

Typical school day: Often 07:30–16:30 with breaks.

School year: August to June.

Greetings to learn

Say hello like a local

  • Kumusta!
    Filipino · koo-MOOS-tah
  • Hello!
    English

Five questions to ask

Conversation starters

  1. 01How many languages do you speak?
  2. 02What's your favourite school subject?
  3. 03What food do you eat at home?
  4. 04What's the weather like today?
  5. 05What music do you listen to?

What not to assume

Friendly cautions

  • ℹThe Philippines is over 7,000 islands with many languages.
  • ℹClimate and culture vary widely across the islands.

Culture

Food, music, sport, festivals.

  • Food

    • Adobo
    • Sinigang
    • Lechon
    • Halo-halo

  • Music

    • OPM (Original Pilipino Music)
    • Traditional rondalla

  • Sport

    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Sepak takraw

  • Festivals

    • Christmas (very long!)
    • Sinulog
    • Pahiyas
Reflection prompts
  • “Would you like to celebrate Christmas for four months?”
  • “What music tells the story of your country?”

Could your class meet Philippines?

Choose Philippineswhen you register — we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.

Register your classroom