Top 10 Philip­pines facts

Manila. The one-month Battle of Manila was the scene of the worst urban fighting in the Pacific theater. It culminated in total devastation of the city and a bloodbath often compared to Stalingrad. Manila was listed as the second most devastated capital city of WW2, after Warsaw.

A Japanese army officer hidden in the jungle since the end of World War II. After World War II, Lubang Island was where Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese army intelligence officer, hid in the jungles when the Allies reclaimed the Philippines. Despite flyers being dropped by airplanes in his hiding area, he adamantly believed that the war was not over yet. In March 1974, he was officially relieved of duty, 29 years after the end of the war, making him one of the last Japanese soldiers to surrender.

Manila is the most densely populated city in the world, with 41,515 inhabitants per square kilometre.

Mindanao. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, as of the 2010 census, the main island was inhabited by 20,281,545 people, while the entire Mindanao island group had an estimated total of 25,537,691 (2018) residents.

Luzon. The Banaue Rice Terraces were carved into the mountains of Ifugao in the Philippines by ancestors of the indigenous people. It is commonly thought that the terraces were built over 2,000 years ago with minimal equipment, largely by hand. They are frequently called the "Eighth Wonder of the World".

Celebes Sea. The Celebes Sea is famous for its high biodiversity. Of all known 793 coral species, 580 live in the Celebes Sea.

South China Sea is regarded as the most dangerous point of potential conflict in East Asia. The Spratly Islands, located in the middle of the sea, are disputed between Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Luzon. With over 50 % of the country's total population, it is also the most populous island in the Philippines and the fourth most populous in the world (after Java, Honshu, and Great Britain).

Apo. Mount Apo is the largest and the tallest solfataric mountain on the island of Mindanao and in all of the Philippines. The mountain has an elevation of 9,692. Six indigenous groups of people including Bagobo, Ubos, and Tagacaol live around the regions of Mount Apo and consider the mountain a sacred place and also a place for worship rituals.

Philippines. The Bataan Death March began in Mariveles on Bataan in the Philippines and the Filipino and American prisoners continued with little food or water for days beginning on April 9th. The march took place over a stretch of 60 miles and ended at Capas. The sick and injured were mistreated and died along the route. The Bataan Death March was just one of the brutal acts conducted by Japan during World War II.