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
Southeastern
Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China
Sea, east of Vietnam
Geographic coordinates:
13 00 N, 122 00 E
Map references
Southeast Asia
Area
total:
land:
water:
300,000 sq km
298,170 sq km
1,830 sq km
Area - comparative :
slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
36,289 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
exclusive economic zone:
territorial sea:
measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
to depth of exploitation
200 nm
irregular polygon extending up to 100 nm from coastline as defined
by1898 treaty; since late 1970s has also claimed polygonal-shaped
area in South China Sea up to 285 nm in breadth
Climate
tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April);
southwest monsoon (May to October)
Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands
astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and
struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides; active
volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis
Environment
current issues uncontrolled deforestation in
watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in Manila;
increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps which are important
fish breeding grounds
Environment
party to :
international agreements
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed,
but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese
1.5%, other 3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%,
Buddhist and other 3%
Literacy:
definition:
total population:
male :
female:
age 15 and over can read and write
94.6%
95%
94.3% (1995 est.)
languages:
Pilipino (official, based on Tagalog), English
(official)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form:
conventional short form:
local long form:
local short form:
Republic of the Philippines
Philippines
Republika ng Pilipinas
Pilipinas
Data code
RP
Government type
republic
Capital:
Manila
Administrative divisions:
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)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 12 June (1898) (from Spain)
Constitution:
2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987
Legal system:
based on Spanish and Anglo-American law; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
head of government:
cabinet:
elections:
election results:
President Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA (since 30 June 1998) and Vice
President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 30 June 1998); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
President Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA (since 30 June 1998) and Vice
President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 30 June 1998); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
Cabinet appointed by the president with the consent of the
Commission of Appointments
president and vice president elected on separate tickets by popular
vote for six-year terms; election last held 11 May 1998 (next to be
held 11 May 2004)
Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA elected president; percent of vote -
approximately 40%; Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO elected vice president;
percent of vote - NA%
Legislative branch:
elections :
election results:
bicameral Congress or Kongreso consists of the
Senate or Senado (24 seats - one-half elected every three years;
members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the
House of Representatives or Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan (221 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note - an
additional 50 members may be appointed by the president)
Senate - last held 11 May 1998 (next to be held 11 May 2001); House
of Representatives - elections last held 11 May 1998 (next to be
held 11 May 2001)
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - LAMP 12, Lakas 5, PRP 2, LP 1, other 3; note - the
Senate now has only 23 members with one seat vacated when Gloria
MACAPAGAL-ARROYO became vice president; the seat can only be filled
by election and is likely to remain open until the next regular
election in 2001; House of Representatives - percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - LAMP 135, Lakas 37, LP 13, Aksyon
Demokratiko 1, other 35
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court, justices are appointed for four-year terms by the
president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council
Political parties and leaders:
Aksyon Demokratiko or Democratic Action [Raul ROCO]; Laban Ng Masang
Pilipino or LAMP (Struggle of the Filipino Masses) [Joseph ESTRADA,
titular head, Eduardo "Danding" COJUANGO, chairman, Edgardo ANGARA,
party president]; Lakas [Raul MANGLAPUS, chairman, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO,
secretary general, Jose DE VENECIA, party president]; Liberal Party
or LP [Raul DAZA, president, Jovito SALONGA, chairman, Florencio
ABAD, secretary general]; People's Reform Party or PRP [Miriam
DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO]
1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
[1] (202) 467-9300
[1] (202) 328-7614
Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and
Tamuning (Guam)
San Diego and San Jose (Saipan)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
embassy:
mailing address:
telephone:
FAX:
Ambassador Thomas C. HUBBARD
1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita Manila 1000
FPO 96515
[63] (2) 523-1001
[63] (2) 522-4361
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
In 1998 the Philippine economy -
a mixture of agriculture, light industry, and supporting services -
deteriorated as a result of spillover from the Asian financial
crisis and poor weather conditions. Growth fell to about -0.5% in
1998 from 5% in 1997, but recovered to 2.9% in 1999. The government
has promised to continue its economic reforms to help the
Philippines match the pace of development in the newly
industrialized countries of East Asia. The strategy includes
improving infrastructure, overhauling the tax system to bolster
government revenues, and moving toward further deregulation and
privatization of the economy.
GDP-purchasing
power parity :
$282 billion (1999 est.)
GDP-real growth
rate:
2.9% (1999
est.)
GDP-per capita purchasing power parity:
$3,600 (1999 est.)
GDP
agriculture:
industry:
services:
composition by sector
20%
32%
48% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line:
32% (1997
est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
lowest 10%:
highest 10%:
2.4%
33.5% (1994)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.8% (1999)
Labor force:
32
million (1999 est.)
Labor force—by occupation:
agriculture
39.8%, government and social services 19.4%, services 17.7%,
manufacturing 9.8%, construction 5.8%, other 7.5% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate:
9.6% (October
1998)
Budget:
revenues:
expenditures:
$14.5 billion
$12.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
492 km (an additional 405 km are not in operation)
492 km 1.067-m gauge (1996)
Highways:
total:
paved:
unpaved:
199,950 km
39,590 km
160,360 km (1998 est.)
Waterways :
3,219 km;
limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
Pipelines:
petroleum
products 357 km
Ports and harbors:
Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras
Island, Iligan, Iloilo, Jolo, Legaspi, Manila, Masao, Puerto
Princesa, San Fernando, Subic Bay, Zamboanga
Merchant marine:
total:
ships by type:
note:
480 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,973,024 GRT/9,025,087 DWT
good international radiotelephone and submarine cable
services; domestic and inter island service adequate
domestic satellite system with 11 earth stations
9 international gateways; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1
Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific Ocean); submarine cables to Hong Kong, Guam,
Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan
Army, Navy (includes Coast Guard and Marine Corps),
Air Force
Military manpower
military age 20 years of age
Military manpower
males age 15-49:
availability
20,731,979 (2000 est.)
Military manpower
males:
fit for military service
14,607,014 (2000 est.)
Military manpower
males:
reaching military age annually
835,817 (2000 est.)
Military expenditures
dollar figure :
$995 million (FY98)
Military expenditures
percent of GDP :
1.5% (FY98)
Disputes
involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly
Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
claim to Malaysia's Sabah State has not been fully revoked
Illicit drugs
exports locally produced marijuana and hashish to
East Asia, the US, and other Western markets; serves as a transit point
for heroin and crystal methamphetamine
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