From dogs riding motorcycles, to inmates dancing for the Pope, here are 12 of the craziest
things found in the Philippines!!
12.)
Tarsiers Tarsiers are considered to be one of the world’s
smallest primates!
Found in a few places in Asia, there are 3 types of tarsier but the Philippine tarsier
is native to, guess where, the Philippines!
They have been around for about 40 million years but are now in danger of extinction
because of habitat loss and they are very difficult to raise in captivity.
Only about 50% that are taken from the wild survive.
The BBC made a documentary on the tarsier called “Meeting the World’s Smallest Primate”
all about the tarsier and how the animal’s growing popularity is actually putting it
in danger.
However they made several crucial mistakes.
They referred to tarsiers as marsupials, which they are not.
They are primates.
And the big one was that they called the documentary “Meeting the World’s Smallest Primate”
which it is not!!!
If the BBC can’t get it right, how is there hope for the rest of us??
What are we supposed to use as a credible source??
Do you know what the smallest primate in the world is??
Let us know in the comments below!!
The answer is coming up!!!
They only grow to be about 3.5 to 6 inches (9-16 cm) long, excluding the tail which is
usually twice the length of the body.
They weigh about 2 to 5.4 oz. (57.5 to 153 g) and live for about 16 years.
They are famous for their large googly eyes, which are the same size as their brain!!
They have super long fingers, a long tarsus which is where they get their name from, and
a round head that can rotate 180 degrees!
Their face is short, with large, membranous ears that are almost constantly in motion
and they have thick, silky fur.
They move by leaping from tree to tree, at about 10 to 15 feet at a time.
Unfortunately, there are only about 5,000 to 10,000 left in the wild.
And the title for the smallest primate in the world goes to Berthe’s mouse lemur!
11.)
Waterfall Restaurant The Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort
is a working coconut plantation.
Not only is it already beautiful and charming but it is home to one of the most unique restaurants
in the world.
The tables and cook station all sit at the bottom of a waterfall!
Guests are able to enjoy their meal as the water rushes along their feet.
They can also lean under the waterfall after they finish their meal.
No shirt, no shoes, no problem!!
The small waterfall, known as Labasin Falls, is not actually a natural fall, but instead
is the runoff from the Labasin Dam, the Philippines’ first hydroelectric plant.
The entire villa is a historical plantation surrounded by mountains and coconut trees.
Once guests have dried off from their refreshing lunch, they can enjoy numerous local activities
such as bamboo rafting, birdwatching, and can even venture off to nearby rural villages
on an ox-drawn jeepney.
Coconut harvesting lessons are also available on the plantation grounds.
10.)
World’s First Biodegradable Car Also known as “The Phoenix” this bamboo
and rattan roadster was designed by award-winning Filipino designer Kenneth Cobonpue and Albrecht
Birkner.
The roadster is basically made out of bamboo, rattan, steel, and nylon and it is their vision
of future sustainable transportation.
In industrialized countries, people tend to keep a car for 5 years and cars require a
massive amount of non-renewable resources.
Then there is the problem of waste left by automobiles.
For everywhere else, cars are extremely expensive and people tend to keep them 10-20 years.
It took a team of weavers and craftsmen only 10 days to make this biodegradable car.
The Phoenix Roadster can last anywhere between 5 to 10 years, and then it can be recycled,
essentially ending the waste of old cars.
However, the outer skin of the car can just be replaced at very low cost if the owner
wants to keep the car longer.
The Phoenix measures around 153 inches long (3.89 meters).
The designers say the car is inspired by nature with the exterior structure similar to that
of a spine found in a vertebrate or a plant.
There’s still no word on what engine will power the car but it might be 100% electric.
9.)
Bogie Rider A few years ago, a dog made waves as he rode
a bike in the Philippines.
Wearing a certified helmet specifically made for him, the then 4 year old dog was seen
going around the streets of Manila, sitting on the front of his human companion’s motorcycle.
Gilbert, the dog’s owner wanted to get a dog for companionship and for someone to protect
him.
The dog has never fallen off, however once in traffic, he jumped off to tackle thugs
trying to steal his owner's gold necklace.
Gilbert said that he started training Bogie early and he already knew how to fetch at
2 months old! Gilbert loves taking him on trips around the Philippines and treats Bogie
like his own son.
And now for number 8, but first, be sure to subscribe!!
8.)
Barrel Man The Barrel Man is an easy to find and popular
souvenir in the Philippines.
The Barrel Man is so popular that it has even had its own exhibits in museums.
The Barrel Man is basically a wooden figure of a man surrounded by a wooden barrel.
Ok yeah whatever.
BUT there is a surprise hidden under that barrel!!
When you lift the man out of the barrel, you will get a huge male organ sprung in your
face which often catches people off guard, unless you know that it is there.
While no one is really sure of the origins of the Barrel Man, they have been a part of
Filipino art, culture, and jokes for years.
Depending on the size of the Barrel Man, they range anywhere from about $8 to $23 (400-1200
Philippine Pesos).
In recent years, a barrel woman has appeared.
You can probably guess what the surprise is there!!
7.)
Sinarapan The Sinarapan is known as the world’s smallest
fish that we eat and is only found in the Philippines.
They are often found in Bato and Buhi Lakes.
This fish has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records smallest commercially-harvested
fish (not the smallest fish known.)
These fish are transparent and have large, black eyes which is the only thing that gives
them color!
However, in some specimens, the snout is black and there might be a faint black vertical
stripe under the eyes and a row of dark spots at the base of the fin.
If you have a magnifying glass!!
They are about a half of inch in length (12.5 millimeters), but they can be a little smaller
or longer.
To eat them, they are often boiled with vegetables or fried in oil.
They are popular because of their great flavor.
However, they are also sold as dried cakes or sheets and are also available in blocks
of frozen, uncooked sinarapan for you to prepare at home.
If anyone watching this video is from the Philippines or if you have been there let
us know if you have eaten Sinarapan and what you think of it!!
6.)
World’s Largest Pair of Shoes This might not be the first thing you think
of when you think of the Philippines!
However, did you know that the world’s largest pair of shoes sits in the town of Marikina,
Philippines.
Why they decided to make them and how I am not quite sure.
They are made out of real leather and measure over 17 feet long (5.2 meters) and 8 feet
wide (2.4 meters).
In order to fit into these shoes without any help, you would have to be 125 feet tall!!
(38 meters).
In reality, they can fit about 30 people inside.
It took 10 people 77 days to make these shoes and they were certified by the Guinness Book
of World Records in 2002.
The shoes are made out of genuine leather and cost about 2 million Philippine pesos,
or a little over $107,000.
The World’s Largest Shoes are displayed at the Marikina Riverbanks Mall where they
are joined by other normal sized shoes.
Because of these shoes, Marikina is now known as the “Shoe Capital of the Philippines.”
5.)
Poong Nazareno Also known as the Black Nazarene, the Poong
Nazareno is a life-sized, dark wooden sculpture of Jesus carrying the cross en route to his
crucifixion.
It was carved from wood in the 16th century and was taken to the Philippines in 1606.
It is very sacred to the Catholics in the Philippines.
They believe the statue is able to heal terminal cancers and other sicknesses, to grant petitions,
and to help those in need.
The Jesus figure got its dark complexion when the wooden statue survived a burning ship
on its way from Mexico to the Philippines.
Each year there are 3 annual processions, where the Black Nazarene is taken out from
its shrine and it makes its way along the streets of the Manila.
Anywhere from 6-8 million people will gather to see the celebration that takes place on
January 9th. 4.)
Tamaraws Tamaraws, or the Mindoro dwarf buffalo, is
a critically endangered animal native to the Philippines.
It looks a little bit like a small water buffalo and is the largest mammal from the Philippines.
It is actually one of the rarest mammals on earth!!
It has a robust body with dark brown to greyish-black hair with short and stocky legs, and powerful
horns, which measure about 20 inches (51 centimeters).
The horns of the males are thicker and longer than those of the females.
It weighs in at about 485 to 661 pounds (220 – 300 kg).
The tamaraw used to be found all over Mindoro, but because of humans taking over its habitat
and hunting, they are only limited to some grassy, marshy areas.
Tamaraws can live for about 20-25 years.
These animals are also known to be nocturnal, however if they are captive, they tend to
be active during the day and evening.
3.)
World’s Largest Banknote Created in 1998, the world's largest single
banknote is the 100,000-peso note created by the government of the Philippines.
It was designed to celebrate 100 years of independence from Spanish rule.
The note is commemorative and was only offered to collectors, who could purchase one of the
limited-edition notes for 180,000 pesos ($3,700.00).
It is the same size as a regular sheet of legal printer paper (355.6 mm by 215.9mm).
The banknote has 21 security features, including a hologram, so it is extremely hard to counterfeit.
2.)
Hobbit House The Hobbit House was recently on CNNGo’s
list of “world’s weirdest themed restaurants.”
The restaurant was founded in 1973 in Manila, Philippines by Jim Turner, a former Peace
Corps volunteer from Iowa who rescued “little people” or dwarfs from the slums and carnivals
and variety shows where they were mistreated.
Inspired by his favorite author, J.R.R.
Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings book series, it is the only restaurant in the world which
is completely staffed by little people.
Jim employed them as waiters, bartenders, cashiers, entertainers, and even bouncers.
Later on they became managers and even owners.
Jim and the Hobbit House did wonderful things for little people in the Philippines who are
often shunned as outcasts or feared because people think they embody evil spirits.
At the Hobbit House, they have become popular characters who serve drinks, crack jokes and
even entertain onstage.
The Hobbit House is known to have the smallest Elvis impersonator in the world (but talent
scouts from Japan stole him away!).
Until Jim passed away in 2016, he was known to hang out in the Hobbit House every night
with his employees, who he considered his family.
Over the years the children and grandchildren have also found work at the hobbit.
Lonely Planet has called it one of the “trippiest bars in the world!”
1.)
Dancing Inmates Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation
Center (CPDRC), a maximum security prison in Cebu, Philippines made a claim to fame
when their inmates got together to reenact the dance from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
around 2007.
Dancing is encouraged as part of the rehabilitation program at the prison and not only have they
performed Thriller but many others that have become popular such as “Gangnam Style”.
They have their own choreographers and inmates spend up to four hours a day practicing a
growing repertoire of more than two dozen dances.
In 2015, over 2 thousand inmates welcomed the Pope to the Philippines when they performed
the “Pope Dance.”
They have also been seen dancing with U.S. Navy Seals.
About 100 inmates also tried to go on tour after the release of their famous “Thriller”
video.
The group tried to go to the Sinulog festival, however they were turned down because the
majority of inmates had committed serious crimes.
But this did not discourage the inmates as they just continued dancing within the walls
of the rehabilitation center and performed for an audience there.
They received a lot of donations and in 2010, the government suspended the dance program
to investigate the prison’s accounting.
The prison has been criticised for exploiting its prisoners and not improving their living
conditions.
Thanks for watching!
I think it's time for a trip to the Philippines!!
Who's with me??