PHILIPPINES
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PHILIPPINES
@Philippines:Geography
Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea
and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
Map references: Southeast Asia
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PHILIPPINES - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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MANILA 1,987,000 14.37N,120.58E 63-2 GMT+8
Quezon City 1,323,000 14.39N,121.02E 63-2 GMT+8
Davao 836,000 7.05N,125.38E 63-35 GMT+8
Cebu 624,000 10.17N,123.56E 63-32 GMT+8
Zamboanga 423,000 6.55N,122.05E 63-62 GMT+8
Cagayan de Oro 343,000 8.29N,124.40E 63-8822 GMT+8
Bacolod 318,000 10.38N,122.58E 63-34 GMT+8
Iloilo 285,000 10.41N,122.33E 63-33 GMT+8
Angeles 246,000 15.09N,120.33E 63-455 GMT+8
General Santos 230,000 6.07N,125.11E 63-8321 GMT+8
Batangas 176,000 13.45N,121.03E 63-43 GMT+8
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Area:
total area: 300,000 sq km
land area: 298,170 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona
Land boundaries: 0 km
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
International disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly
Islands with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and possibly Brunei;
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, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold,
salt, copper
Land use:
arable land: 26%
permanent crops: 11%
meadows and pastures: 4%
forest and woodland: 40%
other: 19%
Irrigated land: 16,200 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and
struck by five to six cyclonic storms per year; landslides, active
volcanoes, destructive earthquakes, tsunamis
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping,
Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Wetlands
@Philippines:People
Population: 73,265,584 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38% (female 13,841,552; male 14,214,234)
15-64 years: 58% (female 21,603,818; male 20,923,307)
65 years and over: 4% (female 1,425,706; male 1,256,967) (July 1995
est.)
Population growth rate: 2.23% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 30.42 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 6.97 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 49.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.65 years
male: 63.16 years
female: 68.25 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.81 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Filipino(s)
adjective: Philippine
Ethnic divisions: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese
1.5%, other 3%
Religions: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%, Buddhist and
other 3%
Languages: Pilipino (official; based on Tagalog), English (official)
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population: 94%
male: 94%
female: 93%
Labor force: 24.12 million
by occupation: agriculture 46%, industry and commerce 16%, services
18.5%, government 10%, other 9.5% (1989)
@Philippines:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of the Philippines
conventional short form: Philippines
local long form: Republika ng Pilipinas
local short form: Pilipinas
Digraph: RP
Type: republic
Capital: Manila
Administrative divisions: 72 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: 15 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: President Fidel Valdes RAMOS
(since 30 June 1992); Vice President Joseph Ejercito ESTRADA (since 30
June 1992); election last held 11 May 1992 (next to be held NA May
1998); results - Fidel Valdes RAMOS won 23.6% of the vote, a narrow
plurality
cabinet: Executive Secretary; appointed by the president with the
consent of the Commission of Appointments
Legislative branch: bicameral Congress (Kongreso)
Senate (Senado): elections last held 11 May 1992 (next to be held NA
May 1995); results - LDP 66%, NPC 20%, Lakas/NUCD 8%, Liberal 6%;
seats - (24 total) LDP 15, NPC 5, Lakas/NUCD 2, Liberal 1, independent
1
House of Representatives (Kapulungan Ng Mga Kinatawan): elections last
held 11 May 1992 (next to be held NA May 1995); results - LDP 43.5%;
Lakas/NUCD 25%, NPC 23.5%, Liberal 5%, KBL 3%; seats - (200 total) LDP
87, NPC 45, Lakas/NUCD 41, Liberal 15, NP 6, KBL 3, independents 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Filipino Struggle (Laban ng
Demokratikong Pilipinas, LDP), Edgardo ESPIRITU; People Power-National
Union of Christian Democrats (Lakas ng Edsa, NUCD and Partido Lakas
Tao, Lakas/NUCD); Fidel V. RAMOS, President of the Republic, Raul
MANGLAPUS, Jose DE VENECIA, secretary general; Nationalist People's
Coalition (NPC), Eduardo COJUANGCO; Liberal Party, Jovito SALONGA;
People's Reform Party (PRP), Miriam DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO; New Society
Movement (Kilusan Bagong Lipunan; KBL), Imelda MARCOS; Nacionalista
Party (NP), Salvador H. LAUREL, president
Member of: APEC, AsDB, ASEAN, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Raul Chaves RABE
chancery: 1600 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 467-9300
FAX: [1] (202) 328-7614
consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los
Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle
consulate(s): San Diego and San Jose (Saipan)
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador John D. NEGROPONTE
embassy: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita Manila 1000
mailing address: APO AP 96440
telephone: [63] (2) 521-71-16
FAX: [63] (2) 522-43-61
consulate(s): 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: Domestic output in this primarily agricultural economy
failed to grow in 1992 and rose only slightly in 1993. Drought and
power supply problems hampered production, while inadequate revenues
prevented government pump priming. Worker remittances helped to
supplement GDP. A marked increase in capital goods imports,
particularly power generating equipment, telecommunications equipment,
and electronic data processors, contributed to 20% annual import
growth in 1992-94. Provided the government can cope with the
substantial trade deficit and meet the fiscal targets agreed to with
the IMF, the Philippines should duplicate the strong growth
performance of 1994 in 1995-96.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $161.4 billion (1994
est.)
National product real growth rate: 4.3% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $2,310 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (1994 est.)
Unemployment rate: 9% (1994)
Budget:
revenues: $14 billion
expenditures: $15.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY94/95 est.)
Exports: $13.4 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: electronics, textiles, coconut products, copper, fish
partners: US 39%, Japan 16%, Germany 5%, Hong Kong 5%, UK 4% (1993)
Imports: $21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: raw materials 40%, capital goods 25%, petroleum products
10%
partners: Japan 23%, US 20%, Taiwan 6%, Singapore 5%, South Korea 5%
(1993)
External debt: $40 billion (1994 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 1.4% (1993); accounts for 28% of
GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 6,770,000 kW
production: 20.4 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 278 kWh (1993)
Industries: textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food
processing, electronics assembly, petroleum refining, fishing
Agriculture: accounts for 22% of GDP and about 45% of labor force;
major crops - rice, coconuts, corn, sugarcane, bananas, pineapples,
mangos; 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; transit point for Southwest Asian
heroin bound for the US
Economic aid:
recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $3.6 billion;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $7.9 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $5 million;
Communist countries (1975-89), $123 million
Currency: 1 Philippine peso (P) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: Philippine pesos (P) per US$1 - 24.622 (January 1995),
26.417 (1994), 22.120 (1993), 25.512 (1992), 27.479 (1991), 24.311
(1990)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Philippines:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 800 km (est.); note - including about 390 km in Luzon
narrow gauge: 800 km 1.067-m gauge
Highways:
total: 160,700 km
paved: 29,000 km
unpaved: 131,700 km
Inland waterways: 3,219 km; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m)
vessels
Pipelines: petroleum products 357 km
Ports: Batangas, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iligan,
Iloilo, Jolo, Legaspi, Manila, Masao, Puerto Princesa, San Fernando,
Subic Bay, Zamboanga
Merchant marine:
total: 552 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,748,083 GRT/14,373,730
DWT
ships by type: bulk 237, cargo 134, chemical tanker 4, combination
bulk 10, combination ore/oil 1, container 10, liquefied gas tanker 6,
livestock carrier 9, oil tanker 46, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 11,
refrigerated cargo 24, roll-on/roll-off cargo 13, short-sea passenger
17, vehicle carrier 29
note: a flag of convenience registry; Japan owns 13 ships, Norway 2,
Switzerland 1, Taiwan 1, and South Korea 1
Airports:
total: 269
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 24
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 32
with paved runways under 914 m: 133
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 4
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 67
@Philippines:Communications
Telephone system: 872,900 telephones; good international radio and
submarine cable services; domestic and interisland service adequate
local: NA
intercity: 11 domestic satellite links
international: submarine cables extended to Hong Kong, Guam,
Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan; 3 INTELSAT (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Pacific
Ocean) earth stations
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 267 (including 6 US), FM 55, shortwave 0
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: 33 (including 4 US)
televisions: NA
@Philippines:Defense Forces
Branches: Army, Navy (includes Coast Guard and Marine Corps), Air
Force
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 18,238,568; males fit for
military service 12,876,771; males reach military age (20) annually
752,622 (1995 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $731 million, 1.4% of
GNP (1992)
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