About the Philippines
The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. North across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea is Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest separates it from the island of Borneo and to the south the Celebes Sea from other islands of Indonesia. It is bounded on the east by the Philippine Sea. An archipelago comprising 7,107 islands, the Philippines is categorized broadly into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The capital city is Manila.
With an estimated population of about 92 million people, the Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country. It is estimated that there are an additional 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. Its tropical climate sustains one of the richest areas in terms of biodiversity in the world.
Negritos were some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants. They were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples who brought with them influences from Malay, Hindu, and Islamic cultures. Trade introduced Chinese cultural influences. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 marked the beginning of an era of Spanish interest and eventually dominance. The Philippines became the Asian hub of the Manila-Acapulco galleon treasure fleet. Christianity became widespread.
As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, there followed in quick succession the short-lived Philippine Revolution, the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War. In the aftermath, the United States replaced Spain as the dominant power. Aside from the period of Japanese occupation, the United States retained sovereignty over the islands until the end of World War II when the Philippines gained independence. The United States bequeathed to the Philippines the English language and an affinity for Western culture. Since independence the Philippines has had an often tumultuous experience with democracy, with popular "People Power" movements overthrowing a dictatorship in one instance but also underlining the institutional weaknesses of its constitutional republic in others.
Our Location
The Door of Hope is located on about twelve acres of rolling land intersected by a lovely stream that is fed by pure mountain springs. The property borders the ocean on the west coast of Palawan about three hours drive from Puerto Princesa, the capital city of the province of Palawan. Beautiful pristine beaches are a short walk from our land. Behind the property a breathtaking view of forest covered mountains greets us with each sunrise.
We chose the location partly to obtain farmable land that we hope to develop to the point where we will be self sustaining and self supporting. We have already begun raising cows, goats, chickens and pigs. We are also honing our skills at harvesting sea food from the ocean.
All in all we are in a beautiful and peaceful place to raise children. The distance from supplies is a drawback, but the quietness and natural beauty make any sacrifices seem minimal.
Wildlife is prolific in this area. We often see large groups of monkeys, who by the way can be awful pests, destroying a garden in a short period of time. There are wild pigs, wild cats, chicken lizards that reach four or five feet in length. There are eagles, peacocks, wild chickens and quite a variety of snakes, from pythons to cobras (fortunately, we don’t see them very often).
