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The Philippines

The Philippines 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. Multiple ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands. Ecologically, the Philippines is one of the most diverse countries in the world.

Etymology
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

Early history
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.

During 2205 to 2106 B.C.E., The Ifugao, fled their ancestral homeland in mainland Asia and migrated to the Cordilleras. Thereafter, they established a plutocratic society and built the Banaue Rice Terraces on the highland regions of central Luzon.

At around 300–700 C.E., the peoples of the islands began to trade with Indianized kingdoms in the Malay Archipelago, adopting influences from both Buddhism and Hinduism.

Classical epoch
There was no unifying political state encompassing the entire Philippine archipelago. Instead, the region was dotted by numerous semi-autonomous barangays (villages) under the sovereignty of competing thalassocracies ruled by Datus, Rajahs or Sultans or by upland tribal societies ruled by chieftains. States: 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 societies 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 Lord-Minister, Jayadewa: presented a document of debt forgiveness to Lady Angkatan and her brother Bukah, the children of Namwaran. This is described in the Philippine's oldest known document "The Laguna Copperplate Inscription".

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

By the 12th century several exiled datus of the collapsing empire of the Srivijaya led by Datu Puti led a mass migration to the central islands of the Philippines, fleeing from Rajah Makatunao of the island of Borneo. Upon reaching the island of Panay and purchasing the island from Negrito chieftain Marikudo, they established a confederation of polities and named it the Confederation of Madya-as centered in Aklan and they settled the surrounding 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.

In 1380, Karim ul' Makdum and Shari'ful Hashem Syed Abu Bakr, an Arab trader born in Johore, arrived in Sulu from Malacca and established the Sultanate of Sulu. At the end of the 15th Century Shariff Mohammed Kabungsuwan of Johor introduced Islam in the island of Mindanao and he subsequently married a local princess and established the Sultanate of Maguindanao. Islam had spread to other parts of the Visayas and Luzon by the 16th century.

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 state of Selurong (now Manila) as a Bruneian satellite-state. A new dynasty under the Islamized Rajah Salila was also established to challenge the House of Lakandula in Tondo. Islam was further strengthened by the arrival to the Philippines by traders and proselytizers from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Colonial era
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.

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.

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 led 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 to 1,000,000 may have died as a result of a cholera epidemic and guerrilla warfare.

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.

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 23, 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.

The presidency of Arroyo was marred by a handful of political difficulties. Terrorism in the south began to fester and move up north while an unruly military began plotting coup attempts in the capital, Manila. Several natural disasters also posed a challenge along with political controversies popping-up here and there. Yet, despite the bleak situation, positive did occur. The economy continued to grow and stabilize, despite a financial crisis, while relations with neighboring countries continued to prosper. Two democratic elections were also held at this time.

Politics and government
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 to change the government to a federal, unicameral or parliamentary government beginning in the term of Ramos up to the present administration.

Security and defense
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
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 current relations it enjoys with other Southeast Asian states is in contrast with its relations with them before the 1970s when it was at war with Vietnam and was heavily disputing Sabah with Malaysia, although misunderstandings between these states continue to exist due to the Spratly Islands.

The Philippines values its relations with the United States, and has actively supported most of the other's 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 also committed itself to promote the American ideals of democracy. Despite this history of goodwill, controversy continues to exist between the relations of the two nations, with varying issues such as the Philipine-American War, the Bell Trade Act, the presence of U.S. military bases in Subic Bay and Clark, and the Visiting Forces Agreement. Japan is also treated as an ally due to the Official Development Assistance given to the people, although historical tensions exist due to the plight of comfort women.

Relations with Spain, Europe and Latin America remained positive due to shared history, culture and traditions. Despite the threat of violence (such as domestic abuse and war) on Overseas Filipino Workers, particularly on domestic workers, relations with Middle Eastern countries (including Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) continue to be friendly as proven by the continuous employment of more than two million Overseas Filipinos living there. 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

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).

Geography
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.

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
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. A notable example of the volcanic features of the islands include the Benham Plateau to the east, a region active in tectonic subduction.

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
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
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.

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
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. By 2009, the Philippines has become 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
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.

The islands is composed of a multitude of different ethnic groups and cultures. These include non-tribal peoples sucj as the Visayan, the Tagalog, the Ilocano, the Moro, the Kapampangan, the Bicolano, the Pangasinense, the Ibanag and the Ivatan. Indigenous peoples arealso present including the Igorot, the Lumad, the Mangyan, the Badjao, and the tribes of Palawan. Negritos, such as the Aeta and the Ati, are considered the aboriginal inhabitants of the islands and are estimated to number around 300,000 people (0.3%). Migrant ethnic groups who have settled in the country from elsewhere include Chinese, Spanish, Americans, Arabs, British, Europeans, Indonesians, Japanese, Koreans, and South Asians.

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

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
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
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
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).

Philippine Airlines was 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
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
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.

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
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 American and Chinese and other Asian cuisines.

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
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
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
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
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.

Web References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines
http://www.solimansecurity.com/  

Philippines

The islands of the Philippines present a comb­ination that is unique in Asia. The people are Malayo-Polynesian; the majority of the population is Roman Catholic; English is the only common language in a country that has 87 native tongues; nearly four centuries of Spanish colonialism have left a flavor of Latin America; and 100 years of US influence (following the Spanish-American War in 1898) mean that the Philippines is also somewhat Americanized.

Long ago, and before the Spaniard explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived from across the Pacific on his round the world voyage in 1521, Islam had reached the southern island of Mindanao. It is still the religion of a substantial minority in that part of the country. The Spanish then imposed whatever unity [he archipelago can be said to have (there are 7,107 islands), building haciendas and sugar plantations on its main islands. Administered by the USA from 1898, the Philippines was occupied by the Japanese during the Second World War, was governed by the corrupt and authoritarian Marcos regime from 1965 to 1986, and faced a wide range of insurgencies during the last half of the twentieth century. The first insurgents were communist; more recently they have been members of the Islamic Moro National Liberation Front.

There are three main island groupings within the archipelago of the Philippines: the Luzon group, the Visayan group, and the Mindanao and Sulu Islands. Luzon to the north and Mindanao to the south are the two biggest islands and together they constitute two-thirds of the country's total land area.

Common to all the main islands is a ruggedly mountainous and volcanic topography with narrow coastal belts, a north-south alignment of upland ridges, and rivers that drain toward the north. Lying to the north of Manila Bay, and stretching to the shores of the Lingayan Gulf, is Luzon's heavily populated central plain. This is an important rice­ producing area. Beyond hills to the northeast lies the fertile valley of the Cagayan River. Irrigated rice terraces, constructed by the Igorot people, rise tier upon tier up the mountain slopes of northern Luzon. The peninsulas of southeastern Luzon contain a number of volcanoes. The highest peak in the Philippines, Mnt Apo (2,954 m; 9,692 ft), is on Mindanao.

Government investment and a range of tax concessions have been used to try to encourage industrial development. Mixing agriculture and light industry, the Philippine economy has been growing at a steady rate in recent years, without approaching the dynamic performance of other countries in the region.

While rice is the Philippines' main food crop, maize is the staple on the islands of Cebu, Leyre, and Negros, reflecting the country's old connection with Spanish America.

The country is well supplied with mineral resources and nickel, tin, copper, zinc and lead are processed in smelting and refining works. The Philippines is also the world's biggest supplier of refractory chrome, and the second biggest user of geothermal power after the USA. Foreign invest­ment turned sluggish as a consequence of the 1998 regional economic slowdown. Persistent weaknesses in the economy include rudimentary infrastructure, power failures due to inadequate generating capacity, low domestic savings rates, and a foreign debt of US$45 billion.

Fact File

Official NAME Republic of the Philippines
FORM OF GOVERNMENT Republic with two legislative
Bodies (Senate and House of Representatives)
CAPITAL Manila
AREA 300,000 sq km (115,830 sq miles) TIME ZONE GMT + 8 hours
POPULATION 79,345,812
PROJECTED POPULATION 2005 89,055,628
POPULATION DENSITY 264.5 per sq km (685 per sq mile)
LIFE EXPECTANCY 66.6
INFANT MORTALITY (PER 1,000) 33.9 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES Filipino, English
OTHER LANGUAGES About 87 indigenous languages LITERACY RATE 94.4%
RELIGIONS Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and other 3%
ETHNIC GROUPS Malay 95.5%, Chinese 1.5%, and other 3%
CURRENCY Philippine peso
ECONOMY Services 48%, agriculture 42%, industry 10%
GNP PER CAPITA US$1,050
CLIMATE Tropical, with wet season June to November
HIGHEST POINT Mt Apo 2,954 m (9,692 ft)