Philippines

This article is about the country in Southeast Asia. For the town in the Netherlands, see Philippine (Netherlands).

Republic of the Philippines Republika ng Pilipinas
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan, at Makabansa ("For God, People, Nature, and Country")
Anthem: Lupang Hinirang ("Chosen Land")
Location of Philippines (green) in ASEAN (dark grey)  –  [Legend]
Capital	Manila
Largest city	Quezon City
Official languages	Filipino (Tagalog) , English
Recognised regional languages	Bikol, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilokano, Kapampangan, Kinaray-a, Maguindanao, Maranao, Pangasinan, Tausug, Waray-Waray
Voluntary and optional languages		Spanish and Arabic
National language	Filipino
Demonym(s)	Filipino or Pinoy
Government	Unitary presidential constitutional republic
• President	Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
• Vice President	Noli de Castro
• Senate President	Juan Ponce Enrile
• House Speaker	Prospero C. Nograles
• Supreme Court Chief Justice	Reynato Puno
Independence  from Spain from United States
• Established	April 27, 1565
• Declared	June 12, 1898
• Self-government	March 24, 1934
• Recognized	July 4, 1946
• Current constitution	February 2, 1987
Area
• Total	300,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi) (72nd)
• Water (%)	0.61%
Population
• 2009 estimate	91,983,000 (12th)
• 2007 census	88,574,614
• Density	306.6/km2 (794.1/sq mi) (44th)
GDP (PPP)	2008 estimate
• Total	$320.384 billion (36th)
• Per capita	$3,546 (123rd)
GDP (nominal)	2008 estimate
• Total	$168.580 billion (47th)
• Per capita	$1,866 (121st)
Gini (2006)	45.8
HDI (2006)	0.745  (102nd)
Currency	Peso (Filipino: piso ) (PHP)
Time zone	UTC+8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+0 (not observed)
Drives on	right
Calling code	63
ISO 3166 code	PH
Internet TLD	.ph
Spanish and Arabic are recognized as auxiliary languages in the Philippine Constitution. Rankings above were taken from associated Wikipedia pages as of December, 2007, and may be based on data or data sources other than those appearing here.

The Philippines (Template:Lang-tl [pɪlɪˈpinɐs]) officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean.

The Philippines is the world's 12th most populous country, with an estimated population of about 92 million people. Its national economy is the 47th largest in the world, with an estimated 2008 gross domestic product (GDP nominal) of over US$ 168.6 billion (nominal). It is estimated that there are about 11 million overseas Filipinos worldwide, equivalent to about 11% of the total population of the Philippines.

The Philippines was a former colony of Spain and the United States, which gained independence in 1946. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. Ecologically, the Philippines is one of the most diverse countries in the world.

Etymology

Main article: Name of the Philippines

The name Philippines was derived from King Philip II of Spain in the 16th century. Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos used the name Las Islas Filipinas, in honor of the Prince of Asturias (Spain) during his expedition to the islands, originally referring to the islands of Leyte and Samar. Despite the presence of other names, the name Filipinas was chosen as the name of the archipelago.

The official name of the Philippines changed throughout the course of its history. During the Philippine Revolution, it was officially called República Filipina or the Philippine Republic. From the period of the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War, until the Commonwealth period, American colonial authorities referred to the country as the Philippine Islands, a translation of the original Spanish name. It was during the American period that the name Philippines began to appear, a name that has become its common name. The official name of the country is now Republic of the Philippines.

History

Main article: History of the Philippines

Early history

A pre-Hispanic indigenous Ifugao village.

The earliest evidence of human inhabitants on the island include the 40,000 year old Tabon Man of Palawan and the Angono Petroglyphs in Rizal, both of whom appear to suggest the presence of human settlement prior to the arrival of the Negritos and Austronesians. The Negritos began to settle on the islands 30,000 years ago, before the end of the last ice age.

Speakers of the Malayo-Polynesian languages, a branch of Austronesian, began to arrive in successive waves beginning about 6,000 years ago, displacing the early settlers. At around 300–700 C.E., they began to trade with Indianized kingdoms in the Malay Archipelago, adopting influences from both Buddhism and Hinduism.

The Austronesian people included the ancestors of the Ifugao, who, from 2205 to 2106 B.C.E., fled their ancestral homeland in mainland Asia and migrated to the Cordilleras. Thereafter, they established villages and built the Banaue Rice Terraces on the highland regions of central Luzon.

There was no unifying political state encompassing the entire Philippine archipelago. Instead, the region was dotted by numerous semi-autonomous barangays or villages under the sovereignty of competing thalassocracies ruled by Datus, Rajahs or Sultans or by upland tribal societies ruled by chieftains. Villages such as the Kingdom of Maynila and Namayan, the Dynasty of Tondo, the Madya-as Confederacy, the Rajahnates of Butuan and Cebu and the sultanates of Maguindanao and Sulu existed alongside the highland villages of the Ifugao and Mangyan. Some of these regions were part of the Malayan empires of Srivijaya, Majapahit and Brunei.

In the year 900 the Dynasty of Tondo centered in Manila Bay flourished via an active trade with Chinese sea-traders in the area. Later serving as a smuggling nexus after the Chinese imposed restrictions on their foreign trade. During this time, the chieftain Datu Puliran Kasumuran of Tondo, presented a document of trade agreement for their father Namwaran to Angkatan and her brother Bukah from their villages in Tondo. This is described in the Philippine's oldest known document "The Laguna Copperplate Inscription".

By year 1011 Rajah Sri Bata Shaja, the chieftain of the Rajahnate of Butuan sent a trade envoy under ambassador Likan-shieh to the Chinese traders, demanding diplomatic status with their trade. The request being approved, opened up direct commercial links with the Rajahnate of Butuan and the Chinese traders. Thereby diminishing the monopoly on Chinese trade by their rivals: the Dynasty of Tondo and the Kingdom of Champa.

By the 12th century several exiled datus of the collapsing empire of the Srivijaya, Majapahit and Brunei led by Datu Puti led a mass migration to the central islands of the Philippines, fleeing from the island of Borneo. Upon reaching the island of Panay and purchasing the island from a Negrito chieftain, they established a tribal confederation of settlements and named the Confederation of Madya-as centered in Aklan and settled the islands of the Visayas. This confederation reached it's peak under Datu Padojinog and during his reign the confederations' hegemony extended over most of the islands of Visayas.

Flag of the Sulu sultanate.

In 1380, Karim ul' Makdum and Shari'ful Hashem Syed Abu Bakr, an Arab trader born in Johore, arrived in Sulu from Malacca and they established the Sultanate of Sulu. Shariff Mohammed Kabungsuwan of Johor introduced Islam in the island of Mindanao and had spread to parts of the Visayas and Luzon by the 16th century. He subsequently married a local princess and established the Sultanate of Maguindanao.

However, during the reign of Sultan Bolkiah in 1485 to 1521, the Sultanate of Brunei decided to break the Dynasty of Tondo's monopoly in the China trade by attacking Tondo and establishing the villages of Selurong (now Manila) as a Bruneian province. A new tribe under Rajah Salalila was also established to challenge the tribes of Rajah Lakan Dula in Tondo. Islam was further strengthened by the arrival to the Philippines by traders and proselytizers from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Colonial period

In 1521, Portuguese-born Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived at Samar and Leyte and claimed the islands for Spain. Colonization began when Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi, arrived from Mexico in 1565 and formed the first European settlements in Cebu. In 1571, the Spanish occupied the kingdoms of Maynila and Tondo and established Manila as the capital of the Spanish East Indies. The colony was governed as a territory of the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1565 to 1821 and administered directly from Spain from 1821 to 1898.

A map of the Spanish East Indies.

The fragmented nature of the islands made it easy for Spanish colonization. The Spanish then attempted to bring political unification to the Philippine archipelago via the conquest of various local villages but they were unable to subjugate the Sultanates of Mindanao and the highland villages of northern Luzon. The Spanish introduced elements of western civilization such as the code of law, western printing and the Gregorian calendar alongside new food resources such as maize, pineapple and chocolate from Latin America. From 1565 to 1821, the Philippines was governed from Mexico City via the Royal Audiencia of Manila, before it was administered directly from Madrid after the Mexican revolution. The Manila Galleons which linked Manila to Acapulco traveled once or twice a year between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Spanish military fought off various indigenous revolts and several external colonial challenges, specially from the British, Chinese pirates, Dutch and Portuguese. Roman Catholic missionaries converted most of the lowland inhabitants to Christianity and founded schools, universities and hospitals. In 1863 a Spanish decree introduced education, establishing public schooling in Spanish.

After the British occupation of 1762–1764, the Spanish opened Philippine ports to world trade. Wealth increased and many criollos and mestizos became rich. The influx of Spanish and Mexican settlers secularized churches and government positions traditionally held by the criollos. The ideals of revolution also began to spread through the islands. Criollo insurgency resulted in the Novales mutiny, and the revolt in Cavite El Viejo in 1872 that would lead to the Philippine Revolution.

The first official census in the Philippines was carried out in 1878. As of December 31, 1877, the country's population was recorded at 5,567,685 persons.

An ideology of a revolution grew after colonial authorities executed three progressive secular priests, Mariano Gómez, José Burgos and Jacinto Zamora (known as Gomburza), who were accused of rebellion, in 1872. This would inspire a Propaganda Movement in Spain, organized by expatriate patriots José Rizal, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, lobbying for political reforms in the Philippines. The movement produced a newspaper, La Solidaridad. Rizal, who wrote the novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, returned to the Philippines and established the organization La Liga Filipina which also called for reforms. He was exiled to Dapitan, where he met Josephine Bracken. He was executed on December 30, 1896, on charges of rebellion.

Andrés Bonifacio, meanwhile, established the secret society Katipunan in 1892, which sought independence from Spain through armed revolt. Bonifacio and the Katipunan started the Philippine Revolution in 1896. A faction of the Katipunan, the Magdalo of Cavite province, challenged Bonifacio's position as the leader of the revolution. Emilio Aguinaldo took over from Bonifacio (who was executed afterwards) and formed the Republic of Biak-na-Bato in 1897. A ceasefire was agreed at the Treaty of Biak-na-Bato, which led to the revolutionary leaders to depart for Hong Kong, in exile, officially ending the revolution on May 17, 1897, though rebel activities continued regardless of the treaty.

The Spanish-American War began in Cuba in 1898 and reached the Philippines after the United States invaded the islands and fought Spain in the Battle of Manila Bay. Aguinaldo collaborated with the United States, returned from exile and declared Philippine independence from Spain in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1898, and established the República Filipina or the Philippine Republic in Malolos, Bulacan the following year after Spain's defeat. Meanwhile, Spain ceded the islands together with Cuba, Puerto Rico and Guam, to the United States for $20 million during the Treaty of Paris. This lead to the Philippine-American War, during which, Aguinaldo was captured on March 23, 1901. The war (along with the Moro Rebellion), continued until 1913. At least 34,000 Filipinos lost their lives as a direct result of the war and as many as 200,000 may have died as a result of the cholera epidemic at the war's end.

File:Manuel Quezon inauguration.JPG

Former politician, Manuel L. Quezon in his inauguration as President of the Commonwealth of the Philippines during the American period.

As a result of the Jones Law and the subsequent Tydings-McDuffie Act, the Philippines became a Commonwealth. The Commonwealth was officially inaugurated in November 15, 1935. Manuel L. Quezon was elected as president in 1935, with the task of preparing the country for sovereignty. During his term numerous tasks regarding agrarian reform were initiated, including the colonization of Mindanao, an area considered as part of the hinterlands at the time. He also faced several challenges from leftist groups, such as the Sakdalista. Apart from this, his projects also included the establishments of a new capital and the formation of a unifying National Language.

Efforts to prepare the country for independence were hampered by the Japanese invasion during World War II. Despite an effort to defend the country in Bataan and Corregidor, the country was occupied and was turned into a controlled government by various foreign and local political dictators run by José P. Laurel. Numerous war crimes were committed during the years of the occupation, such as the plight of comfort women and the Bataan Death March. In exile, Quezon continued representing the Commonwealth in forums such as the Pacific War Council and the United Nations until his death in 1943. The islands were liberated in 1944–1945, beginning in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, where General Douglas MacArthur led the Allied Forces and the United States Military (U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps) and escorted Sergio Osmeña, Quezon's successor, back to the country. The liberation ended after the Battle of Manila, killing almost 100,000 people, bringing the death toll for the country to at least a million dead. On July 4, 1946, the United States granted the Philippines its independence from colonial rule.

Contemporary period

After the World War II, the Philippines faced the plague of political instability. Since 1946, remnants of the Hukbalahap communist rebel army continued to roam the rural regions, disgruntled after the government had rejected their contribution during World War II. Attempts at reconciliation were established by former President Ramón Magsaysay.

File:Edsa shrine.jpg

A statue of the Virgin Mary was built on the EDSA Shrine, after the People Power Revolution.

The 1960s was a period of economic growth for the Philippines, which developed into one of the wealthiest in Asia. Ferdinand Marcos became president and barred from seeking a third term, he declared Martial law on September 21, 1972. Using the crises of political conflicts, the tension of the Cold war, a rising Communist rebellion and an Islamic insurgency as justifications; he governed by decree, along with his wife Imelda Marcos. After being exiled to the United States, opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr. (Marcos' chief rival) was assassinated at the Manila International Airport (also called the Ninoy Aquino International Airport) on August 21, 1983. In 1986, the People Power Revolution occurred. The people gathered and protested in EDSA, instigated by the Archbishop of Manila, Jaime Cardinal Sin, who was opposed to the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. After losing the subsequent election to Corazón Aquino (the widow of Benigno Aquino) who became the first female president of the Philippines and the first female president in Asia, Marcos and his allies departed to Hawaii in exile.

The return of democracy and government reforms after the events of 1986 were hampered by national debt, government corruption, coup attempts, a Communist insurgency and an Islamic separatist organization. The economy improved during the administration of Fidel V. Ramos, who was elected in 1992. However, the economic improvements were negated at the onset of the East Asian financial crisis in 1997. The 2001 EDSA Revolution led to the downfall of the Philippine president, Joseph Ejercito Estrada. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took leadership in 2001 following the impeachment of the Estrada government.

Politics and government

Main articles: Politics of the Philippines, President of the Philippines, and Constitution of the Philippines

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the current President of the Philippines.

File:Malacanang palace view.jpg

The Malacañang Palace is the official residence of the President of the Philippines.

The Philippines has a presidential, unitary form of government (with some modification, there is one autonomous region largely free from the national government), where the President functions as both head of state and head of government and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The president is elected by popular vote to a single six-year term, during which time she or he appoints and presides over the cabinet.

The bicameral Congress is composed of a Senate, serving as the upper house, with members elected to a six-year term, and a House of Representatives, serving as the lower house, with members elected to a three-year term. They are elected from both legislative districts and through sectoral representation.

The judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, composed of a Chief Justice as its presiding officer and fourteen associate justices, all appointed by the Philippine President from nominations submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council.

There have been attempts since the Ramos administration to change the government to a federal, unicameral or parliamentary government.

Security and defense

Main articles: Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police

The BRP Rajah Humabon (PF-11) is the current flagship, and largest warship of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Philippine defense is handled by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which is modeled after the United States armed forces and is composed of three branches: the Air Force, the Army, and the Navy (including the Marine Corps). Civilian security is handled by Philippine National Police under the DILG. In metropolitan areas, groups like the MMDA are in charge local issues, such as traffic.

In the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the largest separatist organizations, the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, are actively engaging the government, seeking more rights and better autonomy for their people. Militant organizations, such as the New People's Army and the Abu Sayyaf Group, have been roaming the provinces, however their presence has decreased in recent years due to successful security provided by the Philippine government.

The Philippines has been an ally of the United States since World War II. It has supported American policies during the Cold War, and has participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars as a result of the country's involvement with SEATO, a group that includes Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. After the start of the War on Terror, there has been additional support from the United States military. The country is currently working with the United States, through a visiting forces agreement, with the intention of ending the insurgency in the country. The Philippines also has a military agreement with Australia. Other important military allies include Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

International relations

Main article: Foreign relations of the Philippines

File:Philippines Embassy in US.JPG

The Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C., United States.

The Philippines' international relations is focused on its ideals of democracy, peace and trade with other nations, as well as the well-being of the 11 million Overseas Filipinos living outside the country. It has aligned itself with several nations around the world including its Southeast Asian and Asia-Pacific neighbors, the United States, the Middle East, the Vatican and other countries.

As a founding and active member of the United Nations, it has been elected several times into the Security Council and is an active participant in the Human Rights Council as well as in peacekeeping missions, particularly in East Timor. Aside from the United Nations, the country is also a founding and active member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) with the intention of strengthening relations with its Southeast Asian neighbors and promoting economic and cultural growth between member states. It has hosted several summits and is an active contributor on the direction, and policies of the bloc.

The Philippines has participated in international politics with other countries. It has supported most of the policies with regards to foreign affairs. As a Major non-NATO ally, the country supported the United States during the Cold War and the War on Terror. It has committed itself to promote democratic ideals and values. Japan is also treated as an ally due to the Official Development Assistance given to the people. Relations with Spain, Europe and Latin America remained positive due to shared history, culture and traditions. Relations with Middle Eastern countries, where more than two million Overseas Filipinos are employed, have been optimistic. Recent foreign policy has been mostly about economic relations with its Southeast Asian and Asia-Pacific neighbors.

The Philippines is a member of the East Asia Summit (EAS), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Latin Union, the Group of 24 and the Non-Aligned Movement. It is also seeking to strengthen relations with Islamic countries by campaigning for observer status in the Organization of Islamic Conference.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of the Philippines

Provinces and regions of the Philippines.

The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. These are divided into 17 regions, 80 provinces, 120 cities, 1,511 municipalities and 42,008 barangays. In addition, the Section 2 of Republic Act No. 5446 asserts that the country has acquired islands from Sabah formerly (North Borneo).

Region	Designation	Regional center
Ilocos Region	Region I	San Fernando, La Union
Cagayan Valley	Region II	Tuguegarao, Cagayan
Central Luzon	Region III	San Fernando, Pampanga
CALABARZON	Region IV-A	Calamba, Laguna
MIMAROPA	Region IV-B	Calapan, Oriental Mindoro
Bicol Region	Region V	Legazpi, Albay
Western Visayas	Region VI	Iloilo City
Central Visayas	Region VII	Cebu City
Eastern Visayas	Region VIII	Tacloban
Zamboanga Peninsula	Region IX	Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur
Northern Mindanao	Region X	Cagayan de Oro City
Davao Region	Region XI	Davao City
SOCCSKSARGEN	Region XII	Koronadal, South Cotabato
Caraga	Region XIII	Butuan
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao	ARMM	Cotabato City
Cordillera Administrative Region	CAR	Baguio
National Capital Region	NCR	Manila

Geography

Main article: Geography of the Philippines

Mount Apo in Mindanao.

Chocolate Hills in Bohol.

The Philippines constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometres (116,000 square miles). It is located between 116° 40', and 126° 34' E. longitude and 4° 40' and 21° 10' N. latitude and borders the Philippine Sea on the east, the South China Sea on the west, and the Celebes Sea on the south. The island of Borneo is located a few hundred kilometres southwest and Taiwan is located directly to the north. The Moluccas and Sulawesi are located to the south-southwest and Palau is located to the east of the islands.

The Philippines is divided into three island groups: Luzon (Regions I to V, NCR and CAR), Visayas (VI to VIII), and Mindanao (IX to XIII and ARMM). The port of Manila, on Luzon, is the capital city and the second largest city after Quezon City.

Mayon Volcano in Luzon.

Most of the mountainous islands were covered in tropical rainforest and are volcanic in origin. The highest mountain is Mount Apo, located in Mindanao measuring at 2,954 metres (9,692 ft) above sea level. There are many active volcanos such as the Mayon Volcano, Mount Pinatubo and Taal Volcano. The islands are also located within the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific, and approximately 19 typhoons strike per year.

Located on the northwestern fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines have experienced frequent seismic and volcanic activities. Around 20 earthquakes are registered daily, though most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquake was the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

The longest river is the Cagayan River in northern Luzon. Manila Bay is connected to Laguna de Bay by means of the Pasig River. Subic Bay, the Davao Gulf and the Moro Gulf are some of the important bays. Transversing the San Juanico Strait is the San Juanico Bridge that connects the islands of Samar, and Leyte.

Natural resources

Main article: Ecoregions in the Philippines

The Philippine Eagle is a bird of prey found in the rainforests of the islands.

The Philippines has abundant natural resources in areas such as agriculture, natural beauty and minerals. It has fertile lands, diverse flora and fauna, extensive coastlines and rich mineral deposits.

Endemic species include the tamaraw of Mindoro and the tarsier of Bohol. The Philippines lacks predators, with the exception of snakes, such as pythons, cobras and birds of prey, such as the national bird, known as the Philippine eagle. Other native animals include the palm civet cat, the Mouse deer, the Visayan warty pig, and several species of bats.

Rainforests boast an array of flora, including several types of orchids and rafflesia. The narra is considered as the most important type of hardwood while banyan trees or the balete. The islands' major crops include rice, corn, sugarcane, coconut, abaca, and tobacco. Rice is the most important source of food along with corn. The coconut, mango, watermelon and other native fruits are important contributors to the nation's income.

Due to the volcanic nature of the islands, mineral deposits are abundant. This also allows the Philippines to become a powerhouse with regards to geothermal energy.

The Philippine territorial waters encompass as much as 1.67 million square kilometres, producing a unique and diverse marine life, an important part of the Coral Triangle. There are 2,400 fish species. Other marine products include corals, pearls, crabs and seaweeds. The rain forests offer prime habitat for more than 530 species of birds, some 800 species of orchids, and some 8,500 species of flowering plants.

Climate

Main article: Climate of the Philippines

The Philippines has a tropical climate and is usually hot and humid. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5°C (79.7°F). There are three recognized seasons: "Tag-init" or "Tag-araw" (the hot season or summer from March to May), "Tag-ulan" (the rainy season from June to November), and "Tag-lamig" (the cold season from December to February). The southwest monsoon (from May to October) is known as the "Habagat" and the dry winds of the northeast monsoon (from November to April) as the "Amihan". The coolest month is January, and the warmest is May. Both temperature and humidity levels reach the maximum in April and May. Manila and most of the lowland areas are hot and dusty from March to May. Even at this period, the temperatures rarely rise above 37°C. and sea-level temperatures rarely fall below 27°C. Annual rainfall measures as much as 5,000 millimeters in the mountainous east coast section but less than 1,000 millimetres in some of the sheltered valleys. Sitting astride the typhoon belt, most of the islands experience annual torrential rains and thunderstorms from July to October.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Philippines

The skyline of Ortigas Center in the foreground with Makati City in the background on the left.

The Philippines is a newly industrialized country, with an economy anchored on agriculture but with substantial contributions from manufacturing, mining, remittances from overseas Filipinos and service industries such as tourism, and business process outsourcing. It is also listed in the roster of the "Next Eleven" economies.

The economy was largely anchored on the Manila-Acapulco galleon during the Spanish period and bilateral trade with the United States during the American period. Pro-Filipino economic policies were first implemented during the tenure of Carlos P. Garcia with the "Filipino First" policy. By the 1960s, the economy was regarded as the second largest in Asia, next to Japan. However, the leadership of Ferdinand Marcos would prove disastrous, by transforming the market economy into a centrally planned economy. The country suffered severe economic recession, only to recover in the 1990s with a program of economic liberalization. Today, there is a mixed economy.

File:Monument To Immortality.jpg

The Philippine Stock Exchange with the statue of martyred Filipino opposition leader during the Marcos dictatorship, Benigno S. Aquino, Jr..

The Asian Financial Crisis affected the economy to an extent, resulting in a lingering decline of the value of the peso and falls in the stock market, although the extent to which it was affected was not as severe as that of its Asian neighbors. This is largely due to the fiscal conservatism of the government partly as a result of decades of monitoring and fiscal supervision from the International Monetary Fund, in comparison to the massive spending of its neighbors on the rapid acceleration of economic growth. By 2004, the economy experienced six percent growth in gross domestic product and 7.3% in 2007. The government aims to accelerate economy, and GDP growth by 2009.

In a bid to further strengthen the economy, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo pledged to turn the country into a developed country by 2020. As part of this goal, she instituted five economic "super regions" to concentrate on the economic strengths of various regions, as well as the implementation of tax reforms, continued privatization of state assets and the building-up of infrastructure in various areas of the nation.

The Philippine economy is heavily reliant on remittances as a source of foreign currency, surpassing foreign direct investment. China and India have emerged as a major economic competitors, siphoning away investors who would otherwise have invested their businesses, particularly telecommunication companies. Regional development is also somewhat uneven, with Luzon, and Metro Manila in particular gaining most of the new economic growth at the expense of the other regions, although the government has taken steps to distribute economic growth by promoting investment in other areas of the country.

The Philippines is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It is also a member of the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Colombo Plan and the G-77 and other International organization. The daily income for 45% of the population of the Philippines is less than US$ 2.

Demographics

Main articles: Demographics of the Philippines, Filipino people, and Overseas Filipino

Population growth of the Philippines.

Map of the dominant ethnicities of the Philippines by province.

As of 2009, the Philippines is the world's 12th most populous nation, with a population of over 92 million. In 2009, 11% of Filipinos are living abroad as migrant laborers. An estimated figure of half of the population resides on the island of Luzon. Manila, the capital city, is the eleventh most populous metropolitan area in the world. Life expectancy is 71.09 years, with 74.15 years for females and 68.17 years for males. Population growth rate between 1995 to 2000 was 3.21% but has decreased to an estimated 1.95% for the 2005 to 2010 period.

Ethnicity

Main article: Ethnic groups of the Philippines

Filipinos belong to several Asian ethnic groups, grouped within the Malay or Malayo-Polynesian speaking people, who speak Austronesian languages. They originated from a population of Taiwanese aborigines, that migrated to the Philippines thousands of years ago from Taiwan, and brought with them knowledge of agriculture and ocean-sailing technology. Various people of different races and nationalities have intermarried with various indigenous ethnic groups. Their descendants are known as mestizos. The official population of all types of mixed blood individuals living in the country remain unknown.

Among the various indigenous ethnic groups are the Visayan, Tagalog, Ilocano, Moro, Kapampangan, Bicolano, Pangasinense, Igorot, Lumad, Mangyan, Ibanag, Badjao, Ivatan and the Palawan tribes. Negrito, Aeta and the Ati, are considered the indigenous inhabitants of the islands, and are estimated to number around 300,000 people (0.3%). Other ethnic groups include Chinese, Spanish, American, Arab, British, Europeans, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, South Asian and other ethnic groups.

Language

Native Languages (2000)
Tagalog	22 million
Cebuano	20 million
Ilokano	7.7 million
Hiligaynon	7 million
Waray-Waray	3.1 million
Kapampangan	2.9 million
Bicol Central	2.5 million
Chavacano creoles	2.5 million
Pangasinan	2.4 million
Bicol Albay	1.2 million
Maranao	1.2 million
Maguindanao	1.1 million
Kinaray-A	1.1 million
Tausug	1 million
Surigaonon	0.6 million
Masbateño	0.5 million
Aklanon	0.5 million
Ibanag	0.3 million

Main article: Languages of the Philippines

Over 180 native languages and dialects are spoken in the Philippines. They are part of the Borneo-Philippines group of the Malayo-Polynesian languages, which is itself a branch of the Austronesian language family.

According to the 1987 Philippine Constitution, Filipino and English are the official languages. Filipino is the de facto version of Tagalog, spoken mainly in Metro Manila and other urban regions. Both Tagalog and English are used in government, education, print, broadcast media and business. Major languages recognized in the constitution include Bicolano, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog and Waray-Waray. Spanish and Arabic are both recognized as auxiliary languages.

Other languages such as Aklanon, Boholano, Chavacano, Zamboangueño, Cuyonon, Ifugao, Itbayat, Ivatan, Kalinga, Kamayo, Kankana-ey, Kinaray-a, Maguindanao, Maranao, Masbatenyo, Romblomanon, Surigaonon, Tausug, Yakan and several Visayan languages are dominant in their respective provinces.

Religion

Main article: Religion in the Philippines

The Basilica Minore de San Sebastián is a Catholic church that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Philippines is one of two predominant Roman Catholic countries in Asia, the other being East Timor. It is composed of several diocese and archdiocese. More than 90% of the population are Christians. About 80% belong to the Roman Catholic Church while the remaining 10% belong to other Christian denominations, such as the Philippine Independent Church, Iglesia ni Cristo, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Seventh Day Adventist, United Church of Christ and the Orthodox Church.

Several Baroque churches are included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the San Agustín Church in Manila, the Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, the Nuestra Señora de la Asunción (Santa María) Church in Ilocos Sur, the Santo Tomás de Villanueva Church in Iloilo and the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño in Cebu.

Religion in the Philippines
Religion			Percent
Catholic			80%
Protestant			10%
Islam			5%
Ethnic/Folk religions			2%
Buddhism/Chinese religions			2%
Others			1%

Between 5% to 10% of the population are Muslim, most of whom live in parts of Mindanao, Palawan and the Sulu Archipelago, an area known as Bangsamoro or the Moro region. Some have migrated into urban and rural areas in different parts of the country. Most Muslim Filipinos practice Shafi'i, a form of Sunni Islam, while other tribal groups such as the Bajau, practice a form mixed with Animism.

Philippine traditional religions are still practiced by many aboriginal and tribal groups, often syncretized with Christianity and Islam. Animism, Folk religion and Shamanism remain present as undercurrents of mainstream religion, through the albularyo, the babaylan and the manghihilot. Meanwhile, Buddhism, Taoism and Chinese folk religion, are dominant in Chinese communities.

Religions such as Bahá'í Faith, Hinduism, Judaism, other spiritual beliefs and those with no religion form the remaining minority.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Main article: Transportation in the Philippines

Jeepneys were originally made from U.S. military jeeps left over from World War II.

In spite of the mountainous terrain, approximately 14 percent of the 158,810 kilometres (98,110 miles) of roads in the Philippines are paved. Buses, jeepneys, taxis, tricycles and motorcycles are available when getting around the major cities and towns. In 2007, there are about 5.53 million registered motor vehicles and an average annual registration rate of 4.55%.

Train service is provided by the Strong Republic Transit System, which unified the three main railway networks that provide service of different areas of Metro Manila, and parts of Luzon, that includes the Manila Light Rail Transit System (LRT), the Manila Metro Rail Transit System (MRT) and the Philippine National Railways (PNR).

File:PAL 747&320.jpg

The Philippine Airlines is the first commercial airline in Asia.

Seaports can be found throughout the islands. The busiest seaports are Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga, which are parts of the 3,219 kilometre of waterways and seaports. Passenger ships and other sea vessels such as Superferry, Negros Navigation and Sulpicio Lines serves Manila, with links to various cities and towns. In 2003, the 919-kilometres Strong Republic Nautical Highway (SRNH) was established and this is an integrated set of highway segments and ferry routes covering 17 cities.

Rivers, such as the Pasig River and Marikina River, have air-conditioned commuter ferries run by the Pasig River Ferry Service, connecting their numerous tributaries in Manila, Makati City, Mandaluyong City, Pasig City and Marikina City.

There are 262 airports in the country, 75 of which have runways. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is the main airport. Other important airports include the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Francisco Bangoy International Airport. Philippine Airlines, Asia's oldest commercial airline still operating under its original name and Cebu Pacific, the leading domestic airline, are the major airlines serving most domestic and international destinations.

Communications

Main article: Communications in the Philippines

The Philippines has one of the most sophisticated cellular phone industries in the world and one of the highest concentrations of users. Telecommunications are dominated by the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, which is also the largest company in the country. Globe Telecom, Smart Communications and Sun Cellular on the other hand, are three of its largest cellular service providers.

There are an estimated 41 million cellular phone users, the reason that the Philippines has been named as the "Texting Capital of the World", and the ownership rate is increasing. Text messaging has fostered a culture of quick greetings, and forwarded jokes among the Filipinos. Out of this growing number of avid texters, 5.5 million of them use their cellular phones as virtual wallets, making it a leader among developing nations in providing financial transactions over cellular networks. In 2007, The nation sent an average of 1 billion SMS messages per day.

Radio, television and internet are used frequently. There are approximately 381 AM and 628 FM stations and 250 national and 1,501 cable TV stations, as well as 14 million Internet users or 16% of the total population, being served by almost 100 Internet providers.

Culture and society

Main articles: Culture of the Philippines, Literature of the Philippines, and Music of the Philippines

An Ifugao (Malayo-Polynesian) sculpture.

Philippine culture is a mixture of Eastern and Western culture. The Hispanic influences are derived from that of Spain and Mexico. These influences are most evident in literature, folk music, folk dance, language, food, art and religion. Spanish settlers introduced Iberian-Mexican customs, traditions and cuisines. Philippine cuisine is a mixture of Asian and European dishes.

Philippine tradition exhibits festivities known as Barrio fiestas (district festivals) to commemorate their patron saints. One of the most visible Hispanic legacies is the prevalence of Spanish surnames and names among Filipinos. This peculiarity, unique among the people of Asia, came as a result of a colonial decree, the Clavería edict, for the systematic distribution of family names and implementation of the Spanish naming system on the population. A Spanish name and surname among the majority of Filipinos does not always denote Spanish ancestry.

Islamic instruments of gongs and a drum that make up the Philippine kulintang ensemble, an example of pre-Hispanic musical tradition.

The majority of street names, towns and provinces are in Spanish. Spanish architecture made a significant imprint in the Philippines. This can be seen in the country's churches, government buildings, and universities. Many Hispanic houses and buildings are preserved, like the towns in Vigan and among others. The kalesas, horse-driven carriages, were a mode of transportation during the Spanish period. They are still being used today.

The use of English language in the Philippines is contemporaneous and is the United States' visible legacy. There is also an influence of American Pop cultural trends, such as the love of fast-food, film and music. Many street corners exhibits fast-food outlets. Aside from the American commercial industries such as California Pizza Kitchen, McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC, Starbucks, TGI Fridays and Shakey's Pizza, local fast-food chains have emerged, including Goldilocks, Jollibee, Greenwich Pizza (acquired by Jollibee in 1994), and Chowking (acquired by Jollibee in 2000). Modern day Filipinos also listen and watch contemporary European and American music and film. However, Original Pilipino Music (also known as OPM) and local films are also appreciated.

Philippine culture has also received influence from various Indigenous culture and other Cultures of Asia. This includes the Malayo-Polynesian, Islamic, Chinese and other cultures.

Cuisine

Main article: Filipino cuisine

The Halo-halo is a dessert made of ice, milk, various fruits and ice cream.

Philippine cuisine is Malayo-Polynesian in origin with a predominant Hispanic base and has received varying degrees of influence from Chinese, American and other Asian cuisine.

Filipinos traditionally eat three main meals a day. This include agahan (breakfast), tanghalían (lunch), and hapúnan (dinner), plus an afternoon snack called meriénda (another variant is minandál or minindál). Dishes range from a simple meal of seafoods, pork, vegetable, and rice, to paellas, and cocidos. Popular dishes include lechón, chorizo, tapa, adobo, kaldereta kare-kare, crispy pata, sinigang, pancit and lumpia.

Today, Philippine cuisine continues to evolve in techniques and styles of cooking dishes, in both traditional Filipino and modern cuisines. Fast food is also popular. American chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain has hailed Filipino pork cuisine and named the country at the top of his "Hierarchy of Pork".

Education

Main article: Education in the Philippines

File:UST Main Bldg Facade.jpg

The University of Santo Tomas, one of the Philippines' most notable universities.

Education in the Philippines is mostly Westernized, based on the American education system. Philippine DepEd reports a functional literacy rate of 84.1% for 2003. Other agencies are much more optimistic. Literacy is about equal for males and females. Spending for education composes 2.5% of the GDP. There were 42,152 elementary schools and 8,455 high schools registered with DepEd for school year 2006–2007. Classes start in June and end in March. The majority of colleges and universities follow a semester calendar from June to October and November to March. There are a number of foreign schools with study programs. The general pattern of formal education follows six stages:

• Preschool
• Elementary school
• High school
• Post-secondary education
• Graduate education
• Adult education

The Department of Education (DepEd), formerly (DECS), covers elementary, secondary, and non-formal education, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) administers the post-secondary, middle-level education training and development, while the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) supervises the college as well as graduate academic programs and degrees as well as regulate standards in higher education.

Mythology and literature

Main articles: Philippine literature and Philippine mythology

Philippine literature, and mythology are literatures that focus on a collection of various topics of everyday life, nature, and spiritual beliefs. This include the paranormal stories about supernatural creatures, such as the Aswang (Vampire), the Diwata (Fairy), and Nature. The most recognized Philippine mythology includes the Ibong Adarna, Bernardo Carpio, Lam-Ang and Urduja.

Francisco Balagtas is recognized as one of the Philippines most famous writers. His works include Florante at Laura (Florante and Laura). Other writers include José Rizal who have produced Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not), and El Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) and Fernando María Guerrero who is known for his book of Hispanic literatures. Modern literature, such as Dekada '70 and Bayan Ko (My Country), have also received national recognition, that illustrates the Martial law period in the 1970s, and the Pre-colonial period. Contemporary literature has mostly been focused on humor and everyday life, such as the works of Bob Ong.

Media

Main articles: Cinema of the Philippines, Television in the Philippines, Internet in the Philippines, Social networking in the Philippines, and Philippine drama

Philippine media is based on Filipino (a de facto version of Tagalog) and English. Other Philippine languages, including various Visayan languages are also used in the media. Radio is currently the most accessible type of media due to the remoteness of certain rural locations and most local languages are broadcasted in this format.

The entertainment industry is vibrant with scandals and issues among celebrities, which are written in most broadsheets and tabloids. Drama and fantasy shows are anticipated in major television networks such as ABS-CBN, GMA Network and TV5, so are Latin telenovelas, Asianovelas and anime. Daytime television is dominated by game shows, variety shows, and talk shows such as Eat Bulaga, Game KNB? and Wowowee. Philippine cinema is also appreciated, but have faced competition from American and European films. Despite this, critically praised directors and actors remain active, including Mike de Leon, Lino Brocka, Judy Ann Santos, Vilma Santos and Nora Aunor (known for her role in Himala, the most critically acclaimed film in the nation).

The Internet has gained popularity in recent years including Social networking and MMORPGs, which are the most frequent internet activities and has lead a Philippine-based company known as "Level Up! Games" to emerge in the Philippine industry.

Sports and recreation

Main article: Sports in the Philippines

A child demonstrating a kicking ball game called sipa.

File:Purefoodsvsredbullgamefour.jpg

A professional basketball game being played between the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and Barako Bull Energy Boosters.

Various sports are played in the Philippines including basketball, boxing, volleyball, badminton, billiards, football (soccer), ten-pin bowling and sipa.

Traditional Filipino sports are popular, among the youth, primarily as children's games, such as luksung baka, patintero, piko, and tumbang preso. Sungka, while not as popular as it once was, is still viewed as a significant part of the traditional native Filipino games. Card games are popular during festivities, with some, including Pusoy and Tong-its, being used as a form of illegal gambling. Majhong is played in some Filipino communities.

Basketball is played at both amateur and professional level and is considered to be the most popular sport in the Philippines. In almost every corner of the cities, there is a basketball court as it is the favorite recreational activity by Filipinos.

Basketball, boxing, billiards, soccer, horse racing, chess and ten-pin bowling are the most watched sports. Philippine sports have produced several sports heroes, such as Francisco Guilledo, Flash Elorde, and Manny Pacquiao in boxing, Paulino Alcántara in football (soccer), Carlos Loyzaga, Robert Jaworski and Ramon Fernandez in basketball, Efren Reyes in billiards, Eugene Torre in chess, and Rafael Nepomuceno in bowling. Motocross, figure skating, cycling and mountaineering have become popular.

See also

Main article: Outline of the Philippines

• List of Philippines-related topics

External links

Government

• Official website of the Philippine Government – Portal to governmental sites
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members

General information

• BBC Country Profile on the Philippines
• "Philippines". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
• Philippines from the United States Department of State includes Background Notes, Country Study and major report
• Philippines at UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Template:Dmoz
• Wikimedia Atlas of Philippines
• Philippines, an external wiki
• See Action For Economic Reforms to know about economic and social issues in the Philippines

Maps

• WikiSatellite view of Philippines at WikiMapia

Other

• Washington Post's: How the Philippines Sees America
• Philippines Daily Photos
• Origins of the Filipinos and Their Languages by Wilhelm G. Solheim II (PDF)
• History of the Philippine Islands in many volumes, from Project Gutenberg (and indexed under Emma Helen Blair, the general editor)
• WikiAnswers: Q&A about the Philippines
• Asia Philippines PHOTOS
• USAID country health statistical report : Philippines (May 2008)
• Template:Wikitravel
• WOW Philippines Tourism Ad
• Around Philippines PHOTOS

Wikimedia

• Wikimedia Philippines