The following is the list of firsts in the Philippines.
In order to be listed, each feat must be backed up by a third-party reliable source explicitly stating that the feat is the first. Corporate milestones, such as the first branch or property of a particular company in the Philippines, are excluded, unless it is also a first in its industry.
Architecture and Engineering
The following are the first buildings or structures of their type.
First installed air conditioning system in an office: at the Quezon Executive Office in
Malacañang Palace – under the supervision of Mr. A.D. Williams on May 27, 1936[19]
First installed air conditioning system in a public structure: at the Crystal Arcade in
Escolta,
Manila – building built in 1932[20]
First installed air conditioning system in a hotel: at the
Manila Hotel in along
Manila Bay – building built on July 4, 1912[21]
First installed air conditioning system in a mall: at the
Ali Mall in
Cubao, Quezon City – building opened to the public on June 30, 1976[22]
First installed intercom system in a public structure: at the
Manila Hotel in along
Manila Bay – building built on July 4, 1912[23]
First female commercial pilot: Aimee Carandang – 1993[116]
First Aeta lawyer in Philippine history: Wayda Cosme – 2001[117]
First recipient of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title: awarded in February 2002 to the towns of Bago and Kankanaey in
Bakun, Benguet[118]
First Philippine variety show to be franchised in another country: Eat Bulaga! – throughout Eat Bulaga! Indonesia which was aired on July 16, 2012[119]
First Filipino Lorenzo il Magnifico Award recipient: Michael Villagante – awarded on October 31, 2021[121]
First Philippine program to launch
non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or digital trading cards: Idol Philippines – throughout a partnership with Theta Network which was launched on August 12, 2022[122][123]
First Filipino to travel to all the countries in the world (recognized by the
United Nations): Odette Aquitania Ricasa – August 25, 2022[124]
First films screened: Un Homme Au Chapeau (Man with a Hat), Une scene de danse Japonaise (Scene from a Japanese Dance), Les Boxers (The Boxers), and La Place de L’ Opera (The Place L’ Opera) at the Salon de Pertierra in Escolta, Manila – January 1, 1897[130]
First films shot: Panorama de Manila (Manila landscape), Fiesta de Quiapo (Quiapo Fiesta), Puwente de España (Bridge of Spain), and Esceñas Callejeras (Street scenes) by Antonio Ramos (also first Filipino motion picture producer) – 1898[130]
First hall exclusively for film viewing: Cine Walgrah at No. 60 Calle Santa Rosa in
Intramuros, Manila – 1900[130]
First Filipino-owned movie theater: Cinematograpo Rizal established by Jose Jimenez along Azcarraga street in Manila – 1903[130]
First film produced in the Philippines: La vida de Jose Rizal by Rizalina Photoplay Company and directed by Edward Gross, an American – August 23, 1912
First film produced in the Philippines by Filipinos: Dalagang Bukid – September 19, 1919[131]
First kissing scene in Philippine cinema: Luis Tuason and Isabel "Dimples" Cooper in the film Ang Tatlong Hambog – 1926[132]
First Filipino horror movie: Ang Manananggal – 1927[133]
First all-talking, completely sound Filipino film: Punyal na Ginto – March 9, 1933[134]
First Filipino film to have gained international recognition:[135]Zamboanga – 1937[136]
First Filipino solo recording artist to chart in the US, as her debut single "If You Leave Me Now" peaked at 44 at the
Billboard Hot 100 chart:
Jaya – 1989[156]
First kidney transplant: Rainier Lagman by a 12-man medical team led by Dr. Jorge Garcia at the
Makati Medical Center – May 28, 1994[185]
First
pediatric liver transplant: Erica Buenaventura, a three-year-old, by an 11-member surgical team led by Dr. Vanessa De Villa at
The Medical City Ortigas – January 7, 2011[186][187]
First satellite owned by a Filipino entity:
Agila 1/Mabuhay – acquired as Palapa B2-P by
Mabuhay Satellite Corporation from PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara in 1996
First Filipino satellite launched to space:
Agila 2 – launched in 1997
First satellite designed and built by Filipinos / microsatellite:
Diwata-1 – launched and deployed in 2016[190]
First Filipino cube satellite launched to space:
Maya-1 – launched and deployed in 2018[191]
First asteroids named after a Filipino: 6282 Edwelda – named after Edwin Aguirre and Imelda Joson in 1995[192]
^Bowling was just a
demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics; therefore, the medal is not credited to the overall medal tally for the Philippines.[198]
^While Moreno is a competitor for the Philippines, the medal he won in the mixed team event is credited to the
Mixed-NOC in the official medal tally.[199][200][201]
^Became woman grandmaster in 2016, title confirmed by FIDE in March 2017.[212]
^It was not specified in the source which clubs or teams participated in the match but the trophy of the tournament was won by Sandow football team which became a club in 1909.[213]
^"Philippines: Zuellig Building Earns Platinum LEED Certification". Asia Green Buildings. July 25, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2016. The Zuellig Building is the first development in the Philippines, and among the first in Asia, to earn the highest level [Platinum] in the LEED rating system for "green" architecture, sustainable construction methodologies and resource-efficient building operations.
^"Ayala Bridge completely closed March 21 to April 2". CNN Philippines. July 23, 2015. Archived from
the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016. Built in 1872, the Ayala Bridge was initially made of wood but was reconstructed in steel in 1908. It was the first steel bridge in the Philippines.
^Gopal, Lou (November 9, 2016).
"Manila Hotel: The Golden Years". Positively Filipino Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
^"What makes Filipino horror films scary?".
CNN Philippines. October 27, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021. Philippine cinema conjured up its first horror film in 1927. Jose Nepomuceno's "Ang Mananaggal" scared Filipinos for the first time in black and white.
^Santoro, David (July 2013).
"ASEAN's Nuclear Landscape – Part 1"(PDF). Issues & Insights. 13 (10). Center for Strategic & International Studies: 1–6. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
The following is the list of firsts in the Philippines.
In order to be listed, each feat must be backed up by a third-party reliable source explicitly stating that the feat is the first. Corporate milestones, such as the first branch or property of a particular company in the Philippines, are excluded, unless it is also a first in its industry.
Architecture and Engineering
The following are the first buildings or structures of their type.
First installed air conditioning system in an office: at the Quezon Executive Office in
Malacañang Palace – under the supervision of Mr. A.D. Williams on May 27, 1936[19]
First installed air conditioning system in a public structure: at the Crystal Arcade in
Escolta,
Manila – building built in 1932[20]
First installed air conditioning system in a hotel: at the
Manila Hotel in along
Manila Bay – building built on July 4, 1912[21]
First installed air conditioning system in a mall: at the
Ali Mall in
Cubao, Quezon City – building opened to the public on June 30, 1976[22]
First installed intercom system in a public structure: at the
Manila Hotel in along
Manila Bay – building built on July 4, 1912[23]
First female commercial pilot: Aimee Carandang – 1993[116]
First Aeta lawyer in Philippine history: Wayda Cosme – 2001[117]
First recipient of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title: awarded in February 2002 to the towns of Bago and Kankanaey in
Bakun, Benguet[118]
First Philippine variety show to be franchised in another country: Eat Bulaga! – throughout Eat Bulaga! Indonesia which was aired on July 16, 2012[119]
First Filipino Lorenzo il Magnifico Award recipient: Michael Villagante – awarded on October 31, 2021[121]
First Philippine program to launch
non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or digital trading cards: Idol Philippines – throughout a partnership with Theta Network which was launched on August 12, 2022[122][123]
First Filipino to travel to all the countries in the world (recognized by the
United Nations): Odette Aquitania Ricasa – August 25, 2022[124]
First films screened: Un Homme Au Chapeau (Man with a Hat), Une scene de danse Japonaise (Scene from a Japanese Dance), Les Boxers (The Boxers), and La Place de L’ Opera (The Place L’ Opera) at the Salon de Pertierra in Escolta, Manila – January 1, 1897[130]
First films shot: Panorama de Manila (Manila landscape), Fiesta de Quiapo (Quiapo Fiesta), Puwente de España (Bridge of Spain), and Esceñas Callejeras (Street scenes) by Antonio Ramos (also first Filipino motion picture producer) – 1898[130]
First hall exclusively for film viewing: Cine Walgrah at No. 60 Calle Santa Rosa in
Intramuros, Manila – 1900[130]
First Filipino-owned movie theater: Cinematograpo Rizal established by Jose Jimenez along Azcarraga street in Manila – 1903[130]
First film produced in the Philippines: La vida de Jose Rizal by Rizalina Photoplay Company and directed by Edward Gross, an American – August 23, 1912
First film produced in the Philippines by Filipinos: Dalagang Bukid – September 19, 1919[131]
First kissing scene in Philippine cinema: Luis Tuason and Isabel "Dimples" Cooper in the film Ang Tatlong Hambog – 1926[132]
First Filipino horror movie: Ang Manananggal – 1927[133]
First all-talking, completely sound Filipino film: Punyal na Ginto – March 9, 1933[134]
First Filipino film to have gained international recognition:[135]Zamboanga – 1937[136]
First Filipino solo recording artist to chart in the US, as her debut single "If You Leave Me Now" peaked at 44 at the
Billboard Hot 100 chart:
Jaya – 1989[156]
First kidney transplant: Rainier Lagman by a 12-man medical team led by Dr. Jorge Garcia at the
Makati Medical Center – May 28, 1994[185]
First
pediatric liver transplant: Erica Buenaventura, a three-year-old, by an 11-member surgical team led by Dr. Vanessa De Villa at
The Medical City Ortigas – January 7, 2011[186][187]
First satellite owned by a Filipino entity:
Agila 1/Mabuhay – acquired as Palapa B2-P by
Mabuhay Satellite Corporation from PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara in 1996
First Filipino satellite launched to space:
Agila 2 – launched in 1997
First satellite designed and built by Filipinos / microsatellite:
Diwata-1 – launched and deployed in 2016[190]
First Filipino cube satellite launched to space:
Maya-1 – launched and deployed in 2018[191]
First asteroids named after a Filipino: 6282 Edwelda – named after Edwin Aguirre and Imelda Joson in 1995[192]
^Bowling was just a
demonstration sport at the 1988 Summer Olympics; therefore, the medal is not credited to the overall medal tally for the Philippines.[198]
^While Moreno is a competitor for the Philippines, the medal he won in the mixed team event is credited to the
Mixed-NOC in the official medal tally.[199][200][201]
^Became woman grandmaster in 2016, title confirmed by FIDE in March 2017.[212]
^It was not specified in the source which clubs or teams participated in the match but the trophy of the tournament was won by Sandow football team which became a club in 1909.[213]
^"Philippines: Zuellig Building Earns Platinum LEED Certification". Asia Green Buildings. July 25, 2013. Retrieved December 14, 2016. The Zuellig Building is the first development in the Philippines, and among the first in Asia, to earn the highest level [Platinum] in the LEED rating system for "green" architecture, sustainable construction methodologies and resource-efficient building operations.
^"Ayala Bridge completely closed March 21 to April 2". CNN Philippines. July 23, 2015. Archived from
the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016. Built in 1872, the Ayala Bridge was initially made of wood but was reconstructed in steel in 1908. It was the first steel bridge in the Philippines.
^Gopal, Lou (November 9, 2016).
"Manila Hotel: The Golden Years". Positively Filipino Online Magazine for Filipinos in the Diaspora. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
^"What makes Filipino horror films scary?".
CNN Philippines. October 27, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021. Philippine cinema conjured up its first horror film in 1927. Jose Nepomuceno's "Ang Mananaggal" scared Filipinos for the first time in black and white.
^Santoro, David (July 2013).
"ASEAN's Nuclear Landscape – Part 1"(PDF). Issues & Insights. 13 (10). Center for Strategic & International Studies: 1–6. Retrieved February 20, 2016.