Philippines

republicIndependence 4 July 1946 (from US)

Philippines as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 75 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalManila

Area300,000 km2

Populationas each edition published it

67.11 million July 1992 · 66.12m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.97% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 21.8 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 65.13 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.5 children per woman 1992 · 4.3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

53 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 48 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $860 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.6% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Total area

300,000km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona

Coastline

36,289km

land boundaries: none

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, 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, 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

14 fields

Population

67,114,060

(July 1992), growth rate 2.0% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

28Death

7Net migration

-1

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%

Literacy

90%

(male 90%, female 90%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun - Filipino(s); adjective - Philippine

Languages

Pilipino (based on Tagalog) and English; both official

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

Republic

20 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

66%

LDP 66%NPC 20%Lakas-NUCD 8%Liberal 6%

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
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

Economy

Following the recession of 1984-85, the Philippine economy grew on the | average of 5.0% per year during 1986-89.

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

17.6%

(1991 est.)

Unemployment rate

10.0%

(1991 est.)

External debt

$28.9billion

(1991)

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.)

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%

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

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

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 552 ships by type

passenger 1short-sea passenger 11passenger-cargo 13cargo 155refrigerated cargo 22vehicle carrier 23livestock carrier 8roll-on/roll-off cargo 13container 8petroleum tanker 35chemical tanker 1liquefied gas 6combination ore/oil 2bulk 247combination 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 7552 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,150,425 GRT/13,624,527 DWT

Airports, 278 total, 244 usable

permanent-surface runways

72runways | over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

9runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

156,000Railroads

378 (1982)Inland waterways

3,219

Highways: (1984); 29,000 km paved; 77,000 km gravel, crushed-stone, or stabilized-soil surface; 50,000 km unimproved earth · Railroads: , 34% government owned · Inland waterways: ; limited to shallow-draft (less than 1.5 m) vessels

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

good international radio and submarine cable services;
domestic and interisland service adequate;
872,900 telephones;
broadcast 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