Philippines trivia: 45 questions and answers

Manila. Manila is the capital. Its neighbour Quezon City has more people and was the official capital from 1948 to 1976, but the capital has been Manila again since 1976.

About 7,600. About 7,600: the usual official figure is 7,641 islands, grouped into Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Mount Apo. Mount Apo, 2,954 m, a dormant volcano on Mindanao near Davao City, is the highest mountain in the country.

True. True. Filipino, based on Tagalog, and English are the official languages, and well over a hundred other languages are spoken across the islands.

False. False. The Philippines drives on the right, like the United States.

Lapulapu. Lapulapu, the chief of Mactan. Magellan was killed in the battle, and Lapulapu is remembered as a national hero.

Eye doctor. Rizal was an eye doctor. His novels Noli Me Tángere and El Filibusterismo criticised Spanish colonial rule.

Acapulco. Acapulco, in Mexico. The galleons carried Chinese silk and porcelain east and Mexican silver west.

EDSA. EDSA, a main avenue of Metro Manila. That is why the revolution is also called the EDSA Revolution.

True. True. The Treaty of Manila was signed on 4 July 1946. Independence Day is now celebrated on 12 June, the date of the 1898 declaration.

False. False. It was the second-largest of the 20th century, after the 1912 eruption of Novarupta in Alaska.

Tamarind. Tamarind is the classic souring agent of sinigang, though cooks also use unripe mango, guava or bilimbi.

Pampanga. Pampanga. The modern sizzling version was created in 1974 by Aling Lucing in Angeles City.

Mix-mix. Halo-halo means 'mix-mix': you stir the shaved ice, milk, beans, fruit and jellies together before eating.

A railway train. A railway train: the Bicol Express ran from Manila to Legazpi, in the Bicol region.

Itlog, egg. Itlog, egg. Tapsilog joins TAPa (cured beef), SInangag (garlic fried rice) and itLOG (egg).

True. True. Noodles came with Chinese settlers, and long noodles are a wish for long life.

False. False. The usual pair is a spoon in the right hand and a fork in the left, with the side of the spoon used for cutting.

True. True. The acid firms and whitens the fish. Pregnant women, young children, older people and anyone with a weak immune system are advised to avoid raw fish.

Baguio. Baguio, about 1,500 m above sea level, where the cool air draws people away from the lowland heat.

Zamboanga City. Zamboanga City, at the southwestern tip of Mindanao, is the main home of Chavacano.

True. True. Quezon City had about 3.1 million people and Manila about 1.9 million. Both are part of Metro Manila.

Its almost perfectly symmetrical cone. Its almost perfectly symmetrical cone. Mayon, near Legazpi, is also the most active volcano in the Philippines.

Miagao Church. Miagao Church, near Iloilo City, is one of the four Baroque Churches of the Philippines listed in 1993. The other three places are famous sights but not World Heritage Sites.

Their grass turns brown in the dry season. Their grass turns brown in the dry season. There are at least 1,260 of these rounded hills.

The Ifugao. The Ifugao, who carved the terraces into the steep mountainsides and water them from the forests above.

José Rizal. José Rizal. Bronze footsteps in the ground mark his last walk from his cell.

True. True. Visitors enter the cave from the sea by small boat. The national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Philip II. Philip II. A Spanish expedition named some of the islands 'Felipinas' after him in the 1540s, when he was still a prince.

Boondocks. Boondocks, from the Tagalog bundok, 'mountain'. Bungalow and jungle come from languages of India.

The Philippine eagle. The Philippine eagle, one of the largest eagles in the world. It is critically endangered and appears on the 1,000-peso note.

True. True. Carols and decorations can appear from 1 September, the start of the 'ber months'.

False. False. Independence Day is 12 June, the date of the 1898 declaration. The holiday was moved from 4 July in 1962, and a 1964 law made it official.

False. False. It is one of the smallest primates, only about 8.5 to 16 cm tall, with huge eyes for hunting at night.

It shows respect. It shows respect. Filipinos add po when speaking to older people or strangers, as in 'salamat po'.

Expensive. Expensive. Mahal means both 'beloved' and 'costly'. 'Delicious' is masarap.

False. False. Oo means 'yes' (opo to an older person). 'No' is hindi.

Para po!. Para po! means 'Stop here, please!'. Kain tayo! is 'Let's eat!', Ingat! is 'Take care!', and Mano po is said when greeting an elder.

Good morning. Good morning, said politely with po. Good afternoon is magandang hapon and good evening is magandang gabi.

A toilet. A toilet. CR stands for 'comfort room', so you ask 'Nasaan po ang CR?'.

True. True. Filipinos say it to invite people to the table, even someone just passing by.

911. 911. It replaced the old 117 number in 2016 and connects to police, fire and ambulance services.

July to October. July to October. Leave spare days when island-hopping, because ferries and flights can be cancelled.

True. True. English is an official language, and people often mix it with Filipino.

False. False. Jeepneys, tricycles and markets run on cash, so carry small notes and coins.