Top Ten Beaches in the Philippines

The Philippines have been well known for its fantastic beaches. Here are some of the best beaches in the Philippines that one may consider visiting.Boracay Island

1. Boracay – has always been the favorite place of beach goers to go in the Philippines. This is because of the great white sand and cool waters, Boracay is the place for people looking to party. It is even considered as one of the finest beaches in the world. Boracay is located in the North West part of the Visayas area called Panay. more on this link, Boracay resorts.

Pagudpud

2. Pagudpud – if you’re looking for a place that can be like Hawaii, Pagudpud is the place to visit. The strong winds and waves can be compared to that of Hawaii which makes this place often visited by surfers. Pagudpud also has long continuous white sands and inviting beach waters for people looking to just swim. Compared to Boracay, this place is more secluded. Pagudpud, a haven in the north.

Mactan Island

3. Mactan Island – the queen city of the South, Cebu, also has its fair share of great beaches. One of them is the so called Mactan Island. It is a tropical island resort. It provides tourist with great entertainment such as night life activities that will spice up the visit.

Panglao

4. Panglao - if you love to dive visiting Panglao is the place to be. This place is a tiny island found hidden in it’s bigger nearby island of Bohol.

Camiguin

5. Camiguin – the place has been known to be one of the most beautiful places in the Philippines because it still seems like a paradise. Some people even consider the place the “Garden of Eden” in the country. Camiguin has a great topography that includes waterfalls, and the hot and cold springs. The place will be mesmerizing and will definitely tempt you to go back.

Dakak

6. Dakak – a private beach that spans about 750 meters long the Sulu Sea. The beach also has great white sands that can be compared to powder. The pool’s water comes from the spring water and the waterfalls that are on the area.

Honda Bay

7. Honda Bay – this are islands that surround the capital of the South Western province of Palawan. Among these islands, the tourist can go island hopping, diving and swim on the cool waters. In one of the islands, one can see the variety of fishes without swimming out too deep.

El Nido

8. El Nido – the place has been known as the country’s last frontier and Palawan - the Island of the Gods. This place offers great beaches that will take you away from the urban life. This place is the best to visit if you are looking for complete peace and quiet. Aside from the magnificent beach, the place also offers you a sight of the beautiful seascapes, towering marble cliffs and a variety of tropical birds.

Pearl Farm

9. Pearl Farm – far south in the city of Davao, lies the premier beach resort know as the Pearl Farm. The place no longer has the pearls you are looking for. But the place can still offer an experience as valuable as a pearl. This is because of the great resort that is accompanied by the white sands. Samal Island..

Siargao

10. Siargao – this place is another surfers dream. The place offers you waves that can curl up to 12 feet high. Aside from the waves, the place also has beaches that still remains unspoiled by urban lifestyle. The coziest place..

Zamboanga City

Officially, the City of Zamboanga (Chavacano de Zamboanga/Spanish: Ciudad de Zamboanga) is a highly-urbanized city located on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. It is one of the first chartered cities and the sixth largest in the country. Zamboanga City is also one of several cities in the Philippines that are independent of any province, though it is usually grouped with Zamboanga del Sur for statistical purposes. The word Zamboanga is a corrupted version of the Bahasa Sug jambangan, which means garden. Asia's Latin City..

Zamboanga
the City of Flowers

For almost three centuries, the Spaniards held the City of Zamboanga with Fort Pilar as the center of settlement. The presence of the Spaniards amidst many Filipino ethnic groups resulted in the development of a unique dialect – chavacano – a mixture of Spanish and the native dialects which is still the predominant medium of communication in the city today. view here..
Maps of Zamboanga City and Vicinity.

Fort Pilar

Bolong Beach, Zamboanga City

Dipolog City

Dipolog City

Dipolog is a 2nd 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^[1] and has also been called the "Bottled Sardines Capital of the Philippines."^[2]

Dipolog can be reached by plane via Dipolog Airport or by ferry at the nearby Pulauan Port^[3] 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.^[4]

A popular city attraction is the foreshore boulevard which, though still in its second phase of construction, has become a popular haven for exercise and leisure. It is also the site for various celebrations and festivals in the city. In the third phase of the project, the length of the boulevard will be extended to reach the seaport in Barangay Galas. see more.. the Orchid City.

beloved hometown

Dapitan City

The City of Dapitan is a 2nd class city in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 68,178 people in 13,560 households. It is historically significant as being the place where the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal was exiled by the Spaniards and is known as the "Shrine City in the Philippines". see more.. Dr. Jose Rizal (Exile 1892 - 1896). more on this link.. http://dapitan.com/

History

Dapitan traces its beginnings long before the Spanish conquistadores set foot on the island of Mindanao. Its earliest settlers were the Subanens, a nomadic tribe of Indonesian stock known to have settled and lived along the banks of the river or “suba” out of which their present day tribal identify originated. Fear of pirates taking shelter during foul weather in the natural harbors of Dapitan’s irregular coastlines forced the timid Subanens to move further into the hinterlands.

Early cartographers of the Philippines showed Dapitan’s location in their maps of Mindanao in varying names in which they had known it such as: “Dapito” in Kaerius’ map of 1598, “Dapite” in Dudley’s map of 1646, “Dapyto” in Sanson’s map of 1652, and “Dapitan” in Moll’s map of East Indies 1729 and in Murillo Velarde’s map of 1734.

There are two versions of how Dapitan got its name. One is from Fr. Urdaneta, who called the place “Daquepitan” which was later changed to “Dacpitan” and still later to “Dapitan” because of the difficulty in pronouncing the former. The second version is derived from the word “Dapit” which means “to invite” in the local Cebuano dialect. This refers to the original group of Boholanos from Panglao, Bohol who were invited by Datu Pagbuaya, the acknowleged founder of the city, to go with him to the “Dakung Yuta”, that is Mindanao, and the settlement they established was called Dapitan. This is the traditional version of how Dapitan got its name.

In various historical reports, there are authentic accounts of trading voyages in the early periods and it is hinted that commercial relations may have been established with Dapitan, already a thriving settlement. It is probable that interaction occurred with the traders and there may have been a mingling of culture.

In addition, the divergent cultures brought by the European invaders, the Americans, the Japanese and the different Visayan groups of settlers in Dapitan which caused the emergence of a distinct culture the present crop of Dapitanons have.

The Transition to Township

Dapitan was already a thriving settlement when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived in 1595. It is believed that with Legaspi in the expedition were some Agustinian friars who converted the natives to Christianity. Foremost of the converts were Pedro Manooc, son of Pagbuaya, and Manooc’s daughter, Maria Uray.

Even long before the Jesuits were expelled from the Philippines in 1768, they had already established mission stations in Zamboanga, Dapitan, Iligan and Butuan. Outside of these strategic beachheads, however, the whole Mindanao hinterlands remained untouched by the Cross. The permanent Dapitan mission was founded in 1629 headed by a Jesuit missionary, Father Pedro Gutierrez.

It was only after the establishment of the Jesuit mission that a strong and stable form of government was finally erected. The Spanish authorities adopted the local form of government that was already existing but placed the officials under the absolute control of the Spanish government. The settlement came to be known as the “pueblo”, and its head variously called either “Datu”, “Capitan” or “Cabeza de Barangay”.

The politico-military commandancia of Dapitan until the end of the Spanish domination in 1898 was still dependent on Misamis. It was only during the revolutionary period that Dapitan became an integral part of the Filipino forces in Zamboanga.

During the American occupation, Dapitan continued to be a part of Zamboanga, one of the two districts comprising the Provincia Mora. Dapitan remained a part of Zamboanga province until 1952 when it was divided into two provinces, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur.

Kinabayo Festival

Kinabayo Festival which is celebrated every July 25 in Dapitan City Zamboanga del Norte Philippines celebrate a mysterious and colorful pageant re-enacting the Spanish-Moorish wars, mainly the Battle of Covadonga where the Spanish forces under General Pelagio took their last stand against Saracan. They were able to overturn the tide through the miraculous spirit of St. James. The addition of local color and modernism has made this annual celebration a popular attraction which brings thousands of tourists to Dapitan City.

History

St. James, the Greater is the patron saint of Dapitan City. Earlier on into the Spanish rule, Dapitan was still flooded by Moro pirates. The Jesuit priests fatefully set up St. James, to protect the Dapitanons from an attack of invaders. It was believed that in the fifth century, an apparition of St. James, atop a horse carrying a sword, guided the Spansih Christians into victory over the Moors in the Battle of Covadonga. Three centuries later, St. James still plays a significant part in the Dapitanons’ lives. For the past three years the Kinabayo Festival of Dapitan has been celebrated by city folk centering on his feast day, July 25. On that day a magnificent re-enactment of the Battle of Covadonga is unfurled before the city folk and tourists. It is 45 days of celebration that can only be rivaled by Cebu’s Sinulog and Aklan’s Ati-Atihan.

..will be posting more..