According to Philippine mythology,several million years ago the sea and the sky were engaged in a fierce battle. The quarrel was incited by a giant bird seeking a dry place to rest and roost. The sea raged at the sky, throwing mighty waves at it, and the sky hurled down islands and rocks to subdue the seething sea. The sheer number and weight of the islands and rocks forced the sea to retreat. Thus the bird found a home and the Philippine archipelago was born.
(There are 7,107 islands lying 1,000 km. off the coast of Asia, covering a land area of 300,000 sq.m. About 3,000 islands are named. Some 45 islands have an area of 100sq.m. or more. The rest are smaller islands, islets and rocks. Parts of larger islands which are now fertile land, were once under water. There are about 100 volcanoes, 20 are active, and the rest are dormant.)
From The Philippines: A Journey Through the Archipelago. Publisher: Archipelago Press, Singapore.