Philippines, the Land

Lisa Arsenault is an elementary-school teacher in Ajax, Ontario.

The format of the Philippines instalment in the Lands, Peoples, and
Culture Series will be familiar to the collector of Bobbie Kalman’s
travel books. The three volumes feature short chapters describing
aspects of the country.

In Philippines, the Land, Greg Nickles does an excellent job of showing
how the lives of the people are influenced by their location on a string
of tropical islands rife with active volcanoes, and prone to earthquakes
and monster waves. Housing, farming, fishing, travel, industry, and
natural resources are all predicated on geographical conditions.
Philippines, the People discusses the various ethnic groups in the
Philippines, their history and traditions, country and city life,
schooling, food and clothing, sports, and pastimes. Philippines, the
Culture highlights the multicultural aspect of Filipino society, which
influences religious practices, festivals, and language. Their
traditional arts and crafts and music and dance are described, as well
as more modern endeavors such as their development of one of the
world’s largest movie and television industries.

The text in each volume is peppered with interesting sidebars and
anecdotes. An account of a typical day in the life of an urban Filipino
boy is included in Philippines, the People along with a
delicious-sounding recipe, and Philippines, the Culture retells an
interesting Aboriginal myth. The books are replete with beautiful color
pictures, charts, and maps. All three are highly recommended.