The Philippines
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This Filipino trivia quiz has 49 free questions with answers and covers the Philippines from every angle: Magellan and Lapu-Lapu, Jose Rizal and the 1898 declaration of independence, People Power in 1986, the 7,600 islands, Mayon and Taal, the Banaue rice terraces, adobo, pancit and the pili nut, Sinulog and Dinagyang, jeepneys, tinikling and the barong Tagalog. Openers such as the capital and the currency sit beside harder ones on the Magsaysay Award, Tubbataha Reef and the national gem. It suits Filipino families and balikbayans, a Filipino-themed pub quiz round, a classroom unit on Southeast Asia, or anyone visiting the islands who wants to arrive knowing more than the airport. Every answer has been checked against a reference source and the citation is shown after you answer, so a disputed question can be settled on the spot.
30 of 49 questions with answers and explanations. Play the quiz
Q 01What is the capital city of the Philippines?
Manila
Manila is the capital. Founded as the Spanish colonial capital in 1571, it ceded the title to Quezon City from 1948 to 1976 before regaining it.
Q 02Which European country colonized the Philippines for over 300 years?
Spain
Miguel López de Legazpi began the colonisation in 1565, and until 1821 the islands were governed from Mexico City as part of New Spain.
Q 03The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, a UNESCO site, lies in which mountain range?
Saint Paul
The river flows beneath the Saint Paul Mountain Range on Palawan's northern coast; the park was inscribed by UNESCO in 1999 and later voted one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
Q 04What animal is widely recognized as the national animal of the Philippines?
Carabao
The carabao, the domesticated water buffalo that ploughs rice fields, is popularly regarded as the national animal, though no law has ever declared one; the Philippine eagle is the official national bird.
Q 05Approximately how many islands make up the Philippine archipelago?
7,600
The Philippines is an archipelago consisting of approximately 7,641 islands, though the exact number can fluctuate slightly due to high and low tides.
Q 06What is the national language of the Philippines, which is primarily based on Tagalog?
Filipino
Filipino is the national language of the Philippines and one of its two official languages, alongside English. It is a standardized version of Tagalog, enriched by other Philippine languages.
Q 07Which polymath novelist, executed for sedition in 1896, is popularly regarded as the national hero of the Philippines?
Jose Rizal
Jose Rizal holds the title by acclaim: no law or proclamation formally names him national hero, yet his novels galvanised the independence movement.
Q 08Which active stratovolcano in the Philippines is famous for its nearly perfect conical shape?
Mayon Volcano
Mayon Volcano in Albay province, southeastern Luzon, is the country's most active volcano and is renowned worldwide for its near-perfect symmetrical cone.
Q 09Which soy-and-vinegar meat dish is often considered the unofficial national dish of the Philippines?
Adobo
Adobo, a braise of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and peppercorns with countless regional variations, is widely called the unofficial national dish.
Q 10What is the official currency of the Philippines?
Peso
The Philippine Peso (PHP) is the official currency used throughout the country.
Q 11Which is the largest island in the Philippines by land area?
Luzon
Luzon, at roughly 110,000 square kilometres, is the largest island; it hosts the capital and is home to more than half of all Filipinos.
Q 12What is the highest mountain peak in the Philippines?
Mount Apo
Mount Apo, located on the island of Mindanao, is the highest mountain in the Philippines, standing at 2,954 meters (9,692 ft) above sea level.
Q 13In what year did Ferdinand Magellan arrive in the Philippines?
1521
Magellan reached the islands in March 1521 and claimed them for Spain, but was killed at Mactan within weeks; his crew under Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the first circumnavigation in 1522.
Q 21Which active volcano just south of Manila is known for its lake-filled caldera?
Taal
Taal Volcano is a complex volcano system known for its picturesque caldera lake and its history of frequent and sometimes violent eruptions, posing a significant risk due to its proximity to populated areas.
Q 22Which archipelagic province, the largest by area, is the Philippines' 'Last Frontier'?
Palawan
Palawan's capital Puerto Princesa is administered independently from the province, whose limestone karsts and reefs draw divers from around the world.
Q 23What is Cebu City's largest annual festival, known for street dancing and devotion to the Santo Niño?
Sinulog
The Sinulog Festival in Cebu City is a grand religious and cultural celebration held every January, honoring the Santo Niño (Child Jesus) with lively parades, street parties, and traditional dances.
Q 14What is the climate of the Philippines generally characterized as?
Tropical and maritime
The climate is tropical and maritime: hot and humid with a wet and a dry season, and about 20 tropical cyclones enter Philippine waters each year.
Q 15Which Ifugao landmark is popularly nicknamed the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'?
Banaue Rice Terraces
The Banaue Rice Terraces, hand-carved into the Ifugao mountains by the region's indigenous peoples, are popularly called the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'; nearby clusters form the UNESCO-listed Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras.
Q 16Which colourfully decorated Philippine passenger vehicle evolved from surplus American military vehicles after WWII?
Jeepney
Jeepneys were built from surplus US Army jeeps left behind after 1945, lengthened to carry passengers and painted in flamboyant colours, and became the country's most popular form of public transport.
Q 17What is the Barong Tagalog, the Philippines' national attire for men, typically made from?
Piña or abacá
Piña is pineapple-leaf fibre and abacá comes from a banana relative; cheaper organza, ramie or polyester are now also used.
Q 18Which flower, adopted by proclamation in 1934, is the national flower of the Philippines?
Sampaguita
Sampaguita was adopted by proclamation on 1 February 1934, and the same jasmine is one of Indonesia's three national flowers, known there as melati putih.
Q 19When did the Philippines declare its independence from Spanish colonial rule?
June 12, 1898
Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed independence on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite; the United States did not recognise it and granted full independence only on July 4, 1946.
Q 20What is the predominant religion in the Philippines?
Roman Catholicism
About 79% of the population belongs to the Catholic Church, a legacy of more than three centuries of Spanish rule; Islam is the largest minority faith.
Q 24Which harvest festival in Lucban, Quezon, decks houses with produce and kiping rice wafers?
Pahiyas
The Pahiyas Festival, held every 15 May in honour of San Isidro Labrador, begins with a dawn Mass; the colourful kiping wafers decorating the houses are afterwards eaten grilled or fried.
Q 25Which Philippine president, the 'Father of the Philippine Language', made Tagalog the national language's basis?
Manuel L. Quezon
Manuel L. Quezon, the first president of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, advocated for the establishment of a national language and designated Tagalog as its basis in 1937.
Q 26In what year did the EDSA People Power Revolution take place?
1986
The February 1986 uprising, four days of nonviolent demonstrations along Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, ended Ferdinand Marcos's 20-year rule and installed Corazon Aquino as president.
Q 27What is Malacañang Palace, on the Pasig River in the capital, primarily known as?
The presidential residence
It became the seat of Spanish colonial power after an 1863 earthquake destroyed the governor-general's palace in Intramuros.
Q 28Which of these is a major export product of the Philippines?
Electronics
Semiconductors and electronic products top the export list, ahead of transport equipment, garments, copper, nickel, abaca and coconut oil.
Q 29The eastern coast of the Philippines, facing the open North Pacific, looks out on which sea?
Philippine Sea
The Philippine Sea is defined as the part of the North Pacific off the country's eastern coasts; the South China Sea lies to the west and the Celebes Sea to the south.
Q 30Which tiny Philippine primate, found mainly on Bohol, has enormous eyes and a neck that lets it turn its head 180 degrees?
Tarsier
The Philippine tarsier is one of the smallest primates and the sole member of the genus Carlito; its round head can rotate a full 180 degrees.