Philippines' World Records

Sili King
The Guinness Book of World Records recognizes Eriberto Gonzales of Camalig, Albay as the fastest chili eater. In the Philippines, he is known as the "Sili King". Gonzales accomplished his feat in the "Sili-Eating Challenge 1999" in Bicol where he ate 350 pieces of sili in three minutes. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

World's Sweetest Fruit

What can be considered as the world's sweetest mango is produced in the island province of Guimaras. While other countries have different varieties of the tropical mango (Mangifera indica), none of them tastes like the superbly delicious Guimaras mango, which is a variety of the popular Carabao Mango (Manginera indica).In 1995, the Guinness Book of World records listed the Carabao Mango as the sweetest fruit in the world. In the Philippines, mango ranks third among fruit crops in production, next to banana and pineapple. The country supplies mangoes to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and recently the United States. In 1995, the Philippines produced 432,322 metric tons of mangoes, with an average production of 6.35 metric tons per hectare and 250 kilograms per tree from a total production area of 68,056 hectares.

World's Fastest Reader

ON JULY 17, 1968, Professor Florence Schale, Director for Rapid Reading Program of Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, told the whole world that her prize pupil established a score of 50,000 words per minute for the record books with one hundred percent comprehension in her final exams.

Prof. Schale's prize pupil was the "petite, smiling, warm and unassuming" 15-year old Maria Teresa Fabros Calderon from the Philippines.

In subsequent tests given by the University of Minnesota, the University of Illinois, the Purdue University and Northwestern University, Maritess reset the record books with her reading speed of 80,000 words per minute with 100 percent comprehension.

Newspapers across the world bannered her name, paid tribute to her exceptional ability, and gave her an honorific title: "World's Fastest Reader."

World's Largest Flower

In February 2002, an environmental organization discovered what could be one of the world's largest flowers in the 5,511-hectare Sibalom National Park in Antique province. Measuring about 22 inches in diameter, the endangered flower, locally named as "Uruy", (Rafflesia sp.) has no stem and leaves. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The Leaf Musician

He became famous around the world for his distinct talent. The Guinness Book of World Records has recognized Filipino National Artist Levi Celerio as the only man who could play beautiful music with a leaf.Celerio appeared in "That's Incredible" and the Mel Griffin show where he played music with a leaf. The Guinness Book of World Records said: "The only leaf player in the world is in the Philippines". As a composer and lyricist, Celerio wrote more than 4,000 songs.

World's Largest Pearl

A Filipino diver discovered what is now described as the world's largest pearl in a giant Tridacna (mollusk) under the Palawan Sea in 1934. Known as the "Pearl of Lao-Tzu", the gem weighs 14 pounds and measures 9 ½ inches long and 5 ½ inches in diameter. As of May 1984, it was valued at US$75 million. It is believed to be 600 years old.

According to legend, the PEARL was cultivated in China by Lao Tzu using a small carved jade amulet with the faces of the ancient three friends, Buddha, Confucius and himself around 600 BC. The Pearl became a symbol of world peace by demonstrating that the three sages with differing views can live peacefully side by side in this magnificent PEARL. For centuries it was known as the PEARL of LAO TZU.A famous date in world history, the PEARL was rediscovered May 7, 1934 inside a Tridacna Clan by a Muslim tribe in the Philippines. The tribal chief renamed it the Pearl of God or the PEARL of ALLAH. This is documented with photos in Natural History, November 1939, the magazine of the American Museum of Natural History Certified as the World's Largest Pearl