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:
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
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:
two official languages - Filipino (based on
Tagalog) and English, eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano,
Ilocan, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and
Pangasinense
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 (from Spain), 12 June (1898); note
- 12 June 1898 is the date of independence from Spain, 4 July 1946
is the date of independence from the US
onstitution:
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 Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January 2001); note -
the president is both the chief of state and head of government
President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO (since 20 January 2001); 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 16
May 2004)
results of the last presidential election -
Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA elected president; percent of vote -
approximately 40%; Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO elected vice president;
percent of vote - NA%; note - on 20 January 2001, Vice President
Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was sworn in as the constitutional successor
to President Joseph ESTRADA after the Supreme Court declared that
President ESTRADA was unable to rule in view of the mass
resignations from his government; according to the Constitution,
only in cases of death, permanent disability, removal from office,
or resignation of the president, can the vice president serve for
the unexpired term
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 (204 seats;
members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms; note -
additional members may be appointed by the president but the
Constitution prohibits the House of Representatives from having more
than 250 members)
Senate - last held 11 May 1998 (next to be held 14 May 2001); House
of Representatives - elections last held 11 May 1998 (next to be
held 14 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 22 members with one seat
vacated when Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO became vice president and
another seat vacated upon a senator's death; the two seats can only
be filled by election and will remain open until the next regular
election in May 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)
1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
[1] (202) 467-9300
[1] (202) 467-9317
Chicago, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco
San Diego
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
embassy:
mailing address:
telephone:
FAX:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Michael E. MALINOWSKI
1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita 1000 Manila
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 about 3% in
1999 and 3.6% in 2000. 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, moving toward further
deregulation and privatization of the economy, and increasing trade
integration with the region.
GDP-purchasing
power parity :
$310 billion (2000 est.)
GDP-real growth
rate:
3.6% (2000
est.)
GDP-per capita purchasing power parity:
$3,800 (2000 est.)
GDP
agriculture:
industry:
services:
composition by sector
20%
32%
48% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line:
41% (1997
est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
lowest 10%:
highest 10%:
1.5%
39.3% (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5% (2000 est.)
Labor force:
48.1 million
(2000 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:
10% (2000)
Budget:
revenues:
expenditures:
$14.5 billion
$12.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
good international radiotelephone and submarine cable services; domestic
and interisland 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
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 :
note:
3,219 km;
limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels
limited to vessels with a draft of less than 1.5 m
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:
459 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,653,062 GRT/8,512,326 DWT
includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Hong Kong 5, Japan 14, Netherlands
1, Singapore 1, UK 1 (2000 est.)
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
21,220,191 (2001 est.)
Military manpower
males:
fit for military service
14,942,363 (2001 est.)
Military manpower
males:
reaching military age annually
848,181 (2001 est.)
Military expenditures
dollar figure :
$995 million (FY98)
Military expenditures
percent of GDP :
1.5% (FY98)
Transnational Issues
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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