Over the past weeks, the Philippines has gone through a terrible beating by two raging typhoons. The country encounters several typhoons all throughout the year but these two have produced some of the worst casualties that it has ever encountered.

Ondoy

On September 24, typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) made landfall at 55 km/h and brought the worst rainfall to Metro Manila. It didn’t produce strong winds that were enough to cause alarm but extremely heavy rains were said to have surpassed the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in the United States a few years back.

Because of the heavy rains, flood water levels in the city reached a record of 20 feet high with Ondoy finally causing billions of pesos in damages both in Metro Manila and the nearby provinces and at least 337 reported deaths as of October 9, 2009.

Pepeng

A few days after Ketsana left the Philippine Area of Responsibility came typhoon Pepeng (international name: Parma). The tropical storm has raised the alert levels in the country once more while everyone was still reeling from the effects of Ondoy. A lot of places in Manila and other provinces are still submerged in water but everyone was still advised to get ready for another onslaught of rains.

And rain it did. For the next couple of days, Pepeng hovered over northern Luzon causing total power interruptions in many provinces, landslides in Baguio, Benguet, Cordillera and other upland areas and major flooding in Pangasinan and Nueva Ecija. Because of the heavy downpour, dams had to release a lot of water submerging most of Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija and some parts of Tarlac. Meanwhile, floodwaters which haven’t even receded in Manila continued to rise again. Parma left the country with more damages and at least 200 people killed mostly due to landslides.

Two typhoons later, the sun is shining again and the Filipino is seen in his best – in the midst of the disasters, the country is now slowly picking up the pieces through help from its citizens and from the international community. The flood water in many areas is slowly subsiding. It’s going to be a while before the Philippines is back on its feet again but Filipinos are known for their tenacity and their strength particularly during trying times.

‘Diverse’ is probably the only word that describes the culture, geography, history and people of the Philippines. What appears to be an unfortunate passing on of powers from colonizer to colonizer gave the Philippines a unique mix of Chinese, Japanese, Spanish and American influences, and is probably also the reason for its continuing identity crisis.

Stretched across the Philippine waters are naturally rich islands that make up the splendid archipelago. Poised forests, insane beaches, hidden caves, uplands, lowlands, marine life and exotic wilderness—all these are contained within the Philippine Islands.

Still unknown to many because of its off path location from other South East Asian destinations, this pearl of the orient teems with all the greatest natural wonders from north to south, and east to west. The greatest natural treasures lie in places such as Bohol, which holds the famed Chocolate Hills, and in Banaue, where the impressive manmade Rice Terraces can be found. The country’s tallest peak, Mount Apo in Mindanao is an intimidating yet overwhelming sight. Aside from the surface obvious riches, the deepest waters of the country also hold impressive assets. The shipwrecks and ruins down Coron and the rare whale sharks in Donsol are just some of these wonders. Natural for island filled places, the beaches in the country are forerunners in tourism. The prominent Boracay Island and Sipalay are among the greatest glimpses of beaches you would see in the country. The country also has a wealth of historic places where the fascinating record of times past can be recounted. The rich places of Vigan, Samar and Leyte and the capital Manila hold the greatest historical exhibits of the country.

Recently, the government launched the “More Than The Usual” tourism campaign to promote the Philippines to both leisure and adventure travelers. The video below is an good depiction of what you can expect:

Fiestas are part of the Filipino culture. Most of them reflect the country’s religious heritage. No matter which province in the Philippines you visit, you’re bound to come across some sort of festival or another showcasing the best that that particular area has to offer.

Feast of the Black Nazarene

This is one yearly fiesta that attracts millions of people from all over the Philippines. Devotees of the Black Nazarene head to Quiapo in Manila every January 9 to pay tribute and take part in the procession as the life-size statue of the Black Nazarene is paraded along the streets of Manila before it goes back to the Quiapo Church where it is housed. The 400 year old image has been associated with a number of miracles and many people believe that touching even so much as the carriage that holds the statue will give them blessings for the coming year.

Panagbenga

The flower season in Baguio City creates the perfect setting for the yearly flower festival. This is actually a month-long event with exhibits and city activities happening every weekend. The culmination of the festival, however, is held on the fourth week of February. The flower parade happening on that weekend always draws a crowd of guests from the lowlands.

Flores de Mayo

Come the month of May, practically every province in the Philippines celebrates Flores de Mayo. This marks the beginning of the rainy season although it also means that the flowers are beginning to bloom again after a long dry spell. The most notable attraction of the festival is every town’s Santacruzan. This is a pageant parade of the most beautiful ladies in the town. Every year, ladies don their best Filipiniana-inspired gowns and walk along the streets under bamboo arcs that are decorated with fresh flowers.

Bancas and beachlife

Cruise the islands of the world’s second largest archipelago, from Luzon in the North to frontiers of Palawan. There’s thousands of islands and many more gorgeous beaches waiting to be discovered, and the island hopping starts here.

This Philippines travel blog is the beta version of a 100 page, picture laden site, rich in travel tips and essential info, coming soon. We’ve been all over Southeast Asia seeking out the best spots and they’re all here on this site to help make your travels easier and more rewarding.

Whether you are coming to dive, sail, treat yourself to fresh seafood, mingle with the locals, soak up the sun, trek volcanic peaks or simply lie on the tropical beaches, the Philippines promises an excellent holiday. Start planning it here.

One fantastic way to experience the Philippines is to hire your own private villa on one of the islands, and you can find plenty of choices on sites like self catering breaks.