TOP Population Halo-halo is a Filipino word that means mixture. While it describes a popular dessert, it could also describe the Filipino. They look like Asians, write and speak English like Americans, worship like Spaniards and have an outlook that is international. Nationals of the country are called Filipinos. The largest portion of the population is of Malay descent.
Some people are mestizo - of mixed Spanish and Chinese descent.
These people live in caves. The Philippines is the only predominantly Christian country in Asia. Small groups of Buddhists and Taoists are also found. The national language in the Philippines is Filipino, which is based on the Tagalog dialect. Altogether, there are 87 local languages and 111 dialects spoken in the archipelago, with Cebuano, Tagalog, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Bicol, Maranao, Pampango and Pangasinense as the major ones.