http://www.LivingInthePhilippines.comis theORIGINAL, firstPhilippines Expat site on the Net, since 1989. This is not one of many knock-offs, copycats, imitations. Some have permutations of the names,misspellings and "in" and "the" or "ing." left off to deceive you. This is the original, by: Don A. Herrington
irregular
polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined by 1898
treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped area in
South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
Disputes:
involved in a
complex dispute over the Spratly Islands with China, Malaysia,
Taiwan, and Vietnam; claims Malaysian state of Sabah
Climate:
tropical
marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon
(May to October)
Terrain:
mostly
mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
arable land 26%; permanent crops 11%; meadows and
pastures 4%; forest and woodland 40%; other 19%; includes irrigated
5%
Environment:
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and
struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; subject to
landslides, active volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunami;
deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
73 provinces
and 61 chartered cities*; Abra, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur,
Aklan, Albay, Angeles*, Antique, Aurora, Bacolod*, Bago*, Baguio*,
Bais*, Basilan, Basilan City*, Bataan, Batanes, Batangas, Batangas
City*, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Bulacan, Butuan*, Cabanatuan*,
Cadiz*, Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro*, Calbayog*, Caloocan*, Camarines
Norte, Camarines Sur, Camiguin, Canlaon*, Capiz, Catanduanes,
Cavite, Cavite City*, Cebu, Cebu City*, Cotabato*, Dagupan*, Danao*,
Dapitan*, Davao City* Davao, Davao del Sur, Davao Oriental, Dipolog*,
Dumaguete*, Eastern Samar, General Santos*, Gingoog*, Ifugao, Iligan*,
Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Iloilo, Iloilo City*, Iriga*, Isabela,
Kalinga-Apayao, La Carlota*, Laguna, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur,
Laoag*, Lapu-Lapu*, La Union, Legaspi*, Leyte, Lipa*, Lucena*,
Maguindanao, Mandaue*, Manila*, Marawi*, Marinduque, Masbate,
Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Misamis
Oriental, Mountain, Naga*, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, North
Cotabato, Northern Samar, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Olongapo*,
Ormoc*, Oroquieta*, Ozamis*, Pagadian*, Palawan, Palayan*, Pampanga,
Pangasinan, Pasay*, Puerto Princesa*, Quezon, Quezon City*, Quirino,
Rizal, Romblon, Roxas*, Samar, San Carlos* (in Negros Occidental),
San Carlos* (in Pangasinan), San Jose*, San Pablo*, Silay*,
Siquijor, Sorsogon, South Cotabato, Southern Leyte, Sultan Kudarat,
Sulu, Surigao*, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Tacloban*,
Tagaytay*, Tagbilaran*, Tangub*, Tarlac, Tawitawi, Toledo*, Trece
Martires*, Zambales, Zamboanga*, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del
Sur
Independence:
4 July 1946 (from US)
Constitution:
2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
Legal system:
based on Spanish and Anglo-American law;
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
National holiday:
Independence Day (from Spain), 12 June (1898)
Executive branch:
president, vice president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
bicameral Congress (Kongreso) consists of an upper
house or Senate (Senado) and a lower house or House of
Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--President
Corazon C. AQUINO (since 25 February 1986); Vice President Salvador
H. LAUREL (since 25 February 1986)
Political parties and leaders:
Political parties and leaders: PDP-Laban, Aquilino
PIMENTEL; Struggle of Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali GONZALES;
Nacionalista Party, Salvador LAUREL, Juan Ponce ENRILE; Liberal
Party, Jovito SALONGA
Suffrage:
universal at age 15
Elections:
President--last held 7 February 1986 (next election
to be held May 1992); results--Corazon C. AQUINO elected,
precipitating the fall of the MARCOS regime; Senate--last held 11
May 1987 (next to be held May 1992); results--pro-Aquino LDP 63%,
liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 25%, opposition
Nationalista Party 4%, independent 8%; seats--(24 total) pro-Aquino
LDP 15, liberal LDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 6, opposition Nationalista
Party 1, independent 2; House of Representatives--last held on 11
May 1987 (next to be held May 1992); results--pro-Aquino LDP 73%,
liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 10%, opposition
Nationalista Party 17%; seats--(250 total, 180 elected) number of
seats by party NA
Communists:
the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)
controls about 18,000-23,000 full-time insurgents and is not
recognized as a legal party; a second Communist party, the
pro-Soviet Philippine Communist Party (PKP), has quasi-legal status
Ambassador Emmanuel PELAEZ; Chancery at 1617
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20036; telephone (202)
483-1414; there are Philippine Consulates General in Agana (Guam),
Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco,
and Seattle; US--Ambassador Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at 1201 Roxas
Boulevard, Manila (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96528);
telephone [63] (32) 211-101 through 3; there is a US Consulate in
Cebu
Flag:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red
with a white equilateral triangle based on the hoist side; in the
center of the triangle is a yellow sun with eight primary rays (each
containing three individual rays) and in each corner of the triangle
is a small yellow five-pointed star
The economy
continues to recover from the political turmoil following the ouster
of former President Marcos and several coup attempts. After two
consecutive years of economic contraction (1984 and 1985), the
economy has since 1986 had positive growth, although in 1990 the
economy slowed considerably from 1989. The agricultural sector
together with forestry and fishing, plays an important role in the
economy, employing about 45% of the work force and providing almost
30% of GDP. The Philippines is the world's largest exporter of
coconuts and coconut products. Manufacturing contributes about 25%
of GDP. Major industries include food processing, chemicals, and
textiles.
GNP:
$45.2
billion, per capita $700; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.7% (1990
est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.3% (1990
est.)
Budget:
$7.2 billion; expenditures $8.12 billion,
including capital expenditures of $0.97 billion (1989 est.)
accounts for
about one-third of GNP and 45% of labor force; major crops--rice,
coconut, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapple, mango; animal
products--pork, eggs, beef; net exporter of farm products; fish
catch of 2 million metric tons annually
Illicit drugs:
illicit
producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; growers are
producing more and better quality cannabis despite government
eradication efforts
Economic aid:
US
commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.6 billion; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88),
$6.6 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million; Communist
countries (1975-89), $123 million
378 km
operable on Luzon, 34% government owned (1982)
Highways:
156,000 km
total (1984); 29,000 km paved; 77,000 km gravel, crushed-stone, or
stabilized-soil surface; 50,000 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
3,219
km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
Pipelines:
refined
products, 357 km
Ports:
Cagayan de
Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Subic Bay
Merchant marine:
569 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,429,829 GRT/15,171,692 DWT; includes
1 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger, 17 passenger-cargo, 163 cargo,
18 refrigerated cargo, 24 vehicle carrier, 8 livestock carrier, 10
roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 41 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 7 liquefied gas, 3
combination ore/oil, 252 bulk, 7 combination bulk; note--many
Philippine flag ships are foreign owned and are on the register for
the purpose of long-term bare-boat charter back to their original
owners who are principally in Japan and Germany
Civil air:
53
major transport aircraft
Airports:
280
total, 235 usable; 71 with permanent-surface runways; none with
runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 50 with runways
1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
good
international radio and submarine cable services; domestic and
inter island service adequate; 872,900 telephones; stations--267 AM
(including 6 US), 55 FM, 33 TV (including 4 US); submarine cables
extended to Hong Kong, Guam, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; satellite
earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT,
and 11 domestic
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