Philippine Stamps and Topical Stamp Collecting, 2nd Edition

Animals and Wildlife Conservation

 

1. A common animal in the Philippines is the carabao (water buffalo) which is utilized as a work-animal in the rice fields.
 

2. An animal which resembles the carabao is the Philippine tamaraw.
 

3. The Philippine tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) and the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) are animals endemic to the Philippines. These animals are listed in the CITES Appendix as critically endangered animals, and they symbolize, quite poignantly, the vanishing wildlife in the Philippines.
 

4. The Philippine eagle is one of the world's largest eagle.
 

5. The destruction of the forest is the single, most important factor in the loss of wildlife habitat and the decline in the number of wildlife species. Other factors which have contributed to the loss of habitat and the decrease in wildlife population are illegal hunting, illegal commercial trading and human encroachment.

Flowers

 

1. One of the world's largest flower is the pungapung which has a diameter of one foot. It is found in the forests of Mindanao which is the second largest island in the Philippines.
 

2. The national flower of the Philippines is the sampaguita. It is a small and fragrant flower with a white color.
 

3. Sampaguita flowers can be woven into garlands, and these sampaguita garlands are placed around the necks of the visitors to welcome them.
 

4. Orchids grow in the wild. In the Philippines, these plants are cultivated and used as ornamental plants to decorate homes and gardens.

Lunar New Year Cycle

 

1. The Chinese New Year is based on the Chinese lunar calendar cycle.
 

2. The Chinese lunar calendar is based on a system with two major branches: the heavenly stem of 10 numbers and the earthly branch of 12 numbers.
 

3. The earthly branch of 12 numbers is used to mark the new year. Thus, the lunar new year cycle is a 12-year cycle.
 

4. Each number in the cycle is paired with a name of an animal. The pairs of numbers and animals are the following: 1-rat, 2-ox, 3-tiger, 4-rabbit, 5-dragon, 6-snake, 7-horse, 8-goat, 9-monkey, 10-rooster, 11-dog and 12-pig.
 

5. Year 2006 was the year of the dog. Year 2005 was the year of the rooster. Year 2007 was the year of the pig.

Marine Life

 

1. The Philippine coastline is one of the world's richest sources of marine products.
 

2. Various commercial fishes are found within Philippine waters. These include, among others, the bangus (milkfish), bariles (tuna), banak (mullet), dalag (mudfish) and dilis (anchovy).
 

3. Fish is an important part of the main diet of the Filipinos, and the bangus (milkfish) is a favorite seafood dish of the Filipino people.
 

4. The Philippine seas contain valuable marine products such as pearls, shells and corals. The shell named Conus gloriamaris ("Glory of the Sea") is found in Philippine waters and it is a rare and expensive collector's item.

Sports

 

1. Basketball is the most popular sports in the Philippines.
 

2. In the past, Team Philippines in basketball was a "powerhouse" team in Asia. Today, it is struggling to regain the high status it once enjoyed.
 

3. Another popular sport in the Philippines is boxing. In the arena of international boxing, Filipinos have a good record of accomplishments.

 

​

External Links:

 

Hearts Philippines & Then Some

Geography and Natural Resources - https://philippines-atbp.jimdo.com/geography-resources/

Filipino Culture - https://philippines-atbp.jimdo.com/filipino-culture-a/

Philippines Country Profile - https://philippines-atbp.jimdo.com/philippines-part-vi-country-profile-and-various-topics/