Philippines-Archipelago

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands located in Southeast Asia. It is a democratic unitary presidential republic with diplomatic relations with most other countries in the world and is a participant in the international scene. The Philippines is classed as a developing country although it was once the second largest economy in Asia. Filipinos are mostly of Malay descent with a little Chinese, Spanish and American. The population is predominantly Roman Catholic although there is a large Muslim population in the south. The Philippines was discovered in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan who was later killed in a battle with local chieftain, Lapu-Lapu. Several decades later, Spain returned and established the Philippines as a colony in 1565. The archipelago remained under Spanish control until 1898 despite brief British occupation of Manila 1762 - 1764. Towards the end of Spanish rule, Filipinos developed a sense of liberalism and nationalism. Individuals such as Dr. Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio sought independence, the former through peaceful negotiation and reform and the latter through outright revolution. Revolution finally came and Filipinos began their struggle for independence which was proclaimed by General Emilio Aguinaldo in 1898. Independence was short lived and 1898 marked the beginning of American colonial rule which lasted until 1946, with three years of occupation from Japan 1943 - 1945. President Ferdinand Marcos proclaimed martial law in 1972 and exercised legislative powers. Martial law was ended in 1981 and the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 let to the ouster of Marcos in 1986. A number of unsuccessful military coups have been launched against some post-Marcos governments but the largest threats to national security are the communist and Muslim insurgencies. The Philippines is in the UTC +8 time zone and does not observe daylight saving time (DST). The country international telephone calling code is +63 and the country internet TLD is .ph.

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Philippine Symbols

Symbols can represent many things and sovereignty, nationalism and national identity are no exception. The most common symbols of sovereignty and nationhood are a national flag and anthem but there many others, such as a pledge of allegiance.

Geography and Environment

The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands and is one of the largest archipelagos in the world. It is located in Southeast Asia. The climate is tropical and the Philippines is prone to natural disasters such as cyclonic storms and volcanic activity. Various terrains exist within the archipelago including plains, forests, highlands and mountains. The major environmental issues are illegal logging resulting in deforestation and soil erosion and air and water pollution in the large urbanised areas, in particular the Metro Manila area.

History of the Philippines

The Philippines was discovered in 1521 and officially established as a colony of Spain in 1565 leading to over three centuries of Spanish rule. It was during this time that the inhabitants were introduced to and converted to Catholicism. The Muslims in the southern part of the Philippines refused rule by Spain and religious conversion and so began centuries of conflict. Spanish rule began to crumble as Filipinos aspired for self-rule and developed a sense of nationalism. Numerous revolts broke out and finally in 1896, it was an outright revolution led by Andres Bonifacio. When the US declared war on Spain in 1898, it was not long before Filipino revolutionaries led by General Emilio Aguinaldo and the US joined sides to finally topple Spanish authority in the Philippines. Filipinos finally achieved independence but when it became clear the US (that acquired the Philippines from Spain) did not recognise this independence war was inevitable. The Filipinos were defeated however, the US promised eventually self-rule. In 1935, the Philippines became a Commonwealth with independence due in 1946. The Commonwealth was interrupted by WWII and harsh and brutal the Japanese occupation. In 1946, true independence was granted by the US and the Philippines eventually grew into Asia's second largest economy. Martial law was declared in 1972 and the country fell under the Marcos dictatorship which was finally overthrown in 1986 by a People Power revolution.

Politics, Government and Administrative Map

The Philippines is currently a democratic unitary presidential republic. The executive branch consists of an elected president who serves as both head of state and head of government, an elected vice-president and an appointed cabinet. The legislative branch consists of a bicameral congress consisting of a House of Representatives (lower house) and a Senate (upper house). The Judiciary branch consists of the Supreme Court and lower (regional, provincial etc) courts. The Philippines is primarily divided into provinces (which are grouped into administrative regions). Provinces are headed by an elected governor and vice-governor. Provinces are further divided into cities and municipalities with their respective elected mayors and vice-mayors. Cities and municipalities and divided into the smallest political unit which is the barangay. The barangay also has an elected executive and legislative body.

National Government and Political Documents

The political and government system of the Philippines has changed several times in more recent history. There are several former constitutions specifying both presidential and parliamentary governments and both unicameral and bicameral legislative branches. Currently, there are intentions for amend the current 1987 Constitution in favour of a federal parliamentary republic.

Local Government and Administrative Map

The Philippines is divided into Local Government Units or LGUs. There are four levels of LGU which are region, province, city/municipality and barangay. The administrative map shows regions, provinces and the super regions but cities/municipalities and barangays are also listed.

Economy and Development

Officially classed as developing country, the Philippines was once the second largest economy in Asia. In 1970 however, a path of loans and heavy borrowing was taken. This swelled the debt from only US$2.3 billion in 1970 to US$24.4 billion in 1983. The decline of Philippines exports, the corruption and economic mismanagement of the Marcos regime followed by the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 1983 all contributed to the breakdown of the economy. The Philippines defaulted on its debt 1983 - 1984 with the economy undergoing significantly negative growth in 1984 and 1985. Since the downfall of Marcos in 1986, administrations have opened up the economy to foreign investment but the privatisation of the economy has been too slow. A trade deficit is the result of heavily importing goods while exporting very little. To make matters worse, government expenditures exceed government revenues. Exports warn that the Philippines is in a state of fiscal crisis and if the crisis is not resolved in the next few years then the Philippines will once again default on its debt. The Philippine Peso (PHP) or piso is the currency of the Philippines.

People, Culture and Society

The list of Philippine heroes starts at the time the Spanish discovered the Philippines. The revolution against Spain produced many more heroes and heroines the most famous being Dr. Jose Rizal. Independence was proclaimed and so began the list of Philippine presidents starting with General Emilio Aguinaldo. Some of the earlier Philippine presidents participated in revolution for independence against Spain and later the US. Years later, there were those presidents that had been part of underground resistances against the Japanese during the occupation in WWII. Ferdinand Marcos tried to establish a New Society during his regime but was later ousted. Today, Philippine society is plagued with corruption within the government and communist and Muslim insurgencies. Filipinos have high family values and usually try to establish good tries with all members of the community, especially in rural areas. In the Philippines, East literally does meet West.

International and Defence

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is responsible for the defence of the Philippines. The AFP consists of the Army, Navy and Air Force. The origins of the AFP begin with General Emilio Aguinaldo and the revolution against Spain. Military became a part of politics during the Marcos regime and the martial law years. A number of unsuccessful coups have been attempted against some of the post-Marcos governments. The greatest threats to national security are the communist and Muslim insurgencies. The US had a number of military bases in the Philippines such as Subic Bay and Clarke Air Base but these have been closed in the post-Marcos years. The Philippines has diplomatic relations with most countries in the world and has membership in a number international and regional organisations, such as the United Nations (UN) and is a founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Philippines currently has two disputes. The first is over the Malaysian state of Sabah. The Spratly Islands are disputed by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam but an agreement in 2002 has helped ease the tension in the region although the dispute remains unresolved.

Graphical Statistics

The following statistics and general information are intended to give a general overview of the Philippines on province level (where possible). It should be noted that information for newer or changed provinces may not be available or will be shared with the original/mother province. Although the NCR is not a province, is it treated as such as a convenience for comparison of figures.

About the Author and Webmaster, Places Visited and the Guest Book

About me, the author and webmaster of this site, David A. Short and the places I have visited on my many trips to the Philippines including photos and information on the places I have been to. You can also sign the guest book and read past entries.