:Philippines People
Population:
67,114,060 (July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)
Birth rate:
28 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
7 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
-1 migrant/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
53 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
62 years male, 68 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
3.5 children born/woman (1992)
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 (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)
:Philippines Government
Long-form name:
Republic of the Philippines
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)
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:
Alliance of Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali GONZALES and Jose (Peping)
COJUANGCO; Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), Fidel Valdes RAMOS; Liberal
Party, Jovito SALONGA; New Society Movement (KBL), Amelda MARCOS
Suffrage:
universal at age 15
Elections:
President:
last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1998);results - Fidel
Valdes RAMOS won 23.6% of votes, a narrow plurality
:Philippines Government
Senate:
last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1998); results - LDP
66%, NPC 20%, Lakas-NUCD 8%, Liberal 6%; seats - (24 total) LDP 24, NPC 5,
Lakas-NUCD 2, Liberal 1
Elections:
House of Representatives:
last held 11 May 1992 (next election to be held NA May 1998); results - LDP
43.5%; Lakas-NUCD 25%, NPC 23.5%, Liberal 5%, KBL 3%;seats - (200 total) LDP
87, Lakas-NUCD 51, NPC 47, Liberal 10, KBL 5
Communists:
the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) controls about 15,500-16,500
full-time insurgents and is not recognized as a legal party; a second
Communist party, 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 Frank G. WISNER II; Embassy at 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila
(mailing address is APO AP 96440); telephone [63] (2) 521-7116; FAX [63] (2)
522-4361; 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
:Philippines Economy
Overview:
Following the recession of 1984-85, the Philippine economy grew on the
average of 5.0% per year during 1986-89. It slowed again during the period
1990-91. 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 35% of
GDP. Major industries include food processing, chemicals, and textiles.
GNP:
exchange rate conversion - $47 billion, per capita $720; real growth rate
0.1% (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
17.6% (1991 est.)
Unemployment rate:
10.0% (1991 est.)
Budget:
$8.4 billion; expenditures $9.36 billion, including capital expenditures of
$1.8 billion (1991 est.)
Exports:
$8.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991 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:
$12.3 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
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:
$28.9 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
growth rate - 5% (1991 est.); accounts for 35% of GNP
Electricity:
7,500,000 kW capacity; 31,000 million kWh produced, 470 kWh per capita
(1991)
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), $7.9 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
:Philippines Economy
Exchange rates:
Philippine pesos (P) per US$1 - 25.810 (March 1992), 27.479 (1991), 24.311
(1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987)
Fiscal year:
calendar year