PHILIPPINES
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 300,000 km2; land area: 298,170 km2
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 36,289 km
Maritime claims: (measured from claimed archipelagic baselines);
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 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
Natural resources: timber, crude oil, nickel, cobalt, silver,
gold, salt, copper
Land use: 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
PEOPLE
Population: 65,758,788 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 54 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Filipino(s); adjective--Philippine
Ethnic divisions: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese
1.5%, other 3%
Religion: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%,
Buddhist and other 3%
Language: Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official
Literacy: 90% (male 90%, female 90%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force: 24,120,000; agriculture 46%, industry and commerce
16%, services 18.5%, government 10%, other 9.5% (1989)
Organized labor: 3,945 registered unions; total membership
5.7 million (includes 2.8 million members of the National Congress of
Farmers Organizations)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: Republic of the Philippines
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)
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:
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
Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LORCS, NAM (observer), UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: 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
ECONOMY
Overview: 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.)
Exports: revenues $8.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--electrical equipment 19%, textiles 16%, minerals
and ores 11%, farm products 10%, coconut 10%, chemicals 5%, fish 5%,
forest products 4%;
partners--US 36%, EC 19%, Japan 18%, ESCAP 9%, ASEAN 7%
Imports: $12.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--raw materials 53%, capital goods 17%, petroleum
products 17%;
partners--US 25%, Japan 17%, ESCAP 13%, EC 11%, ASEAN 10%,
Middle East 10%
External debt: $28.4 billion (1990)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990 est.); accounts
for 30-35% of GNP
Electricity: 6,755,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced,
420 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products,
food processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Agriculture: 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
Currency: Philippine peso (plural--pesos);
1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (P) per US$1--28.055 (January
1991), 24.311 (1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987),
20.386 (1986), 18.607 (1985)
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 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 interisland 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
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army, Navy (including Coast Guard), Marine Corps, Air
Force, Constabulary
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 16,254,775; 11,491,155 fit for
military service; 715,462 reach military age (20) annually
Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 2% of GNP (1990)