The Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected president and was tasked with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands fell under Japanese occupation during World War II, and US forces and Filipinos fought together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Republic of the Philippines attained its independence. A 20-year rule by Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a "people power" movement in Manila ("EDSA 1") forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts that prevented a return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected president in 1992. His administration was marked by increased stability and by progress on economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph ESTRADA was elected president in 1998. He was succeeded by his vice-president, Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after ESTRADA's stormy impeachment trial on corruption charges broke down and another "people power" movement ("EDSA 2") demanded his resignation. MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2004. Her presidency was marred by several corruption allegations but the Philippine economy was one of the few to avoid contraction following the 2008 global financial crisis, expanding each year of her administration. Benigno AQUINO III was elected to a six-year term as president in May 2010 and was succeeded by Rodrigo DUTERTE in May 2016.

The Philippine Government faces threats from several groups, some of which are on the US Government's Foreign Terrorist Organization list. Manila has waged a decades-long struggle against ethnic Moro insurgencies in the southern Philippines, which has led to a peace accord with the Moro National Liberation Front and ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The decades-long Maoist-inspired New People's Army insurgency also operates through much of the country. The Philippines faces increased tension with China over disputed territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam

13 00 N, 122 00 E

Southeast Asia

slightly less than twice the size of Georgia; slightly larger than Arizona

0 km

36,289 km

tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

mostly mountains with narrow to extensive coastal lowlands

highest point: Mount Apo 2,954 m

timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

arable land 18.2%; permanent crops 17.8%; permanent pasture 5%

16,270 sq km (2012)

astride typhoon belt, usually affected by 15 and struck by five to six cyclonic storms each year; landslides; active volcanoes; destructive earthquakes; tsunamis

uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds

the Philippine archipelago is made up of 7,107 islands; favorably located in relation to many of Southeast Asia's main water bodies: the South China Sea, Philippine Sea, Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and Luzon Strait

102,624,209 (July 2016 est.)

Tagalog 28.1%, Cebuano 13.1%, Ilocano 9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 7.6%, Hiligaynon Ilonggo 7.5%, Bikol 6%, Waray 3.4%, other 25.3% (2000 census)

Filipino (official; based on Tagalog) and English (official); eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Catholic 82.9% (Roman Catholic 80.9%, Aglipayan 2%), Muslim 5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, other Christian 4.5%, other 1.8%, unspecified 0.6%, none 0.1% (2000 census)

1.59% (2016 est.)

24 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)

6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)

-2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)

MANILA (capital) 12.946 million; Davao 1.63 million; Cebu City 951,000; Zamboanga 936,000 (2015)

23

114 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

3.06 children born/woman (2016 est.)

48.9% (2011)

4.7% of GDP (2014)

1 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 93.7% of population

rural: 90.3% of population

total: 91.8% of population

urban: 6.3% of population

rural: 9.7% of population

total: 8.2% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 77.9% of population

rural: 70.8% of population

total: 73.9% of population

urban: 22.1% of population

rural: 29.2% of population

total: 26.1% of population (2015 est.)

0.08% (2015 est.)

42,500 (2015 est.)

600 (2015 est.)

4.7% (2014)

19.9% (2014)

2.7% of GDP (2009)

presidential republic

80 provinces and 39 chartered cities

4 July 1946 (from the US)

Independence Day, 12 June (1898); note - 12 June 1898 was date of declaration of independence from Spain; 4 July 1946 was date of independence from the US

several previous; latest ratified 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987 (2016)

mixed legal system of civil, common, Islamic, and customary law

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (Struggle of Filipino Democrats) or LDP [Edgardo ANGARA]

Lakas ng EDSA-Christian Muslim Democrats or Lakas-CMD [Ferdinand Martin ROMUALDEZ, president]

Liberal Party or LP [Joseph Emilio ABAYA, president]

Nacionalista Party or NP [Manuel "Manny" VILLAR]

Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC [Eduardo COJUNGCO, Jr.]

PDP-Laban [Aquilino PIMENTEL III]

People's Reform Party or PRP [Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO]

Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (Force of the Philippine Masses) or PMP [Joseph ESTRADA]

United Nationalist Alliance or UNA [Toby TIANGCO (acting)] - PDP-Laban and PMP coalition for the 2013 election

Black and White Movement [Vicente ROMANO]

Kilosbayan [Jovito SALONGA]

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, CD, CICA (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red; a white equilateral triangle is based on the hoist side; the center of the triangle displays a yellow sun with eight primary rays; each corner of the triangle contains a small, yellow, five-pointed star; blue stands for peace and justice, red symbolizes courage, the white equal-sided triangle represents equality; the rays recall the first eight provinces that sought independence from Spain, while the stars represent the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao; the design of the flag dates to 1897

three stars and sun, Philippine eagle; national colors: red, white, blue, yellow

The economy has been relatively resilient to global economic shocks due to less exposure to troubled international securities, lower dependence on exports, relatively resilient domestic consumption, large remittances from about 10 million overseas Filipino workers and migrants, and a rapidly expanding outsourcing industry. The current account balance has recorded consecutive surpluses since 2003, international reserves remain at comfortable levels, and the banking system is stable.

Efforts to improve tax administration and expenditures management have helped ease the Philippines' debt burden and tight fiscal situation. The Philippines has received investment-grade credit ratings on its sovereign debt under the AQUINO administration and has had little difficulty financing its budget deficits. However, weak absorptive capacity and implementation bottlenecks have prevented the government from maximizing its expenditure plans, which the administration has been working to address. Although it has improved, the low tax-to-GDP ratio remains a constraint to supporting increasingly higher spending levels and sustaining strong growth over the longer term.

Economic growth has accelerated, averaging 6.0% per year from 2011 to 2015, compared with 4.5% under the MACAPAGAL-ARROYO government; and competitiveness rankings have improved. The Philippines has not sustained steady growth in foreign direct investment, which continues to lag regional peers.

Although the economy has grown at a faster pace under the AQUINO government, challenges to achieving more inclusive growth remain. The unemployment rate has declined somewhat in recent years but remains high, hovering at around 6.5%; underemployment is also high, ranging from 18% to 19% of the employed. At least 40% of the employed work in the informal sector. Poverty afflicts about a quarter of the population. More than 60% of the poor reside in rural areas, a challenge to raising rural farm and non-farm incomes. The AQUINO administration has been working to boost expenditures for education, health, transfers to the poor, and other social spending programs. Infrastructure remains underfunded and the government is relying on the private sector to help with major projects under its Public-Private Partnership program. Continued efforts are needed to improve governance, the judicial system, the regulatory environment, and the overall ease of doing business.

Notable achievements over the past year include passage of laws that liberalized the entry of foreign banks into the country; partially relaxed the cabotage law by allowing foreign vessels to ply import and export cargo within the archipelago; and passage of anti-trust legislation. Substantial progress has also been made towards passage of a Customs Tariff and Modernization Act to meet international standards and commitments, with strong prospects of enactment into law before President AQUINO steps down from office. However, the Philippine Constitution and other laws restrict foreign ownership in important activities/sectors - such as land ownership and public utilities.

$741 billion (2015 est.)

$700.4 billion (2014 est.)

$659.9 billion (2013 est.)

$292 billion (2015 est.)

5.8% (2015 est.)

6.1% (2014 est.)

7.1% (2013 est.)

$7,300 (2015 est.)

$7,000 (2014 est.)

$6,700 (2013 est.)

23.4% of GDP (2015 est.)

24.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

24.2% of GDP (2013 est.)

sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassava (manioc, tapioca), pineapples, mangoes; pork, eggs, beef; fish

electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum refining, fishing

6% (2015 est.)

41.76 million (2015 est.)

6.3% (2015 est.)

6.8% (2014 est.)

25.2% (2012 est.)

46 (2012)

46.4 (2009)

15.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

-0.9% of GDP (2015 est.)

44.8% of GDP (2015 est.)

45.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

calendar year

1.3% (2015 est.)

4.2% (2014 est.)

6.13% (31 December 2015)

6.13% (31 December 2014)

5.58% (31 December 2015 est.)

5.53% (31 December 2014 est.)

$56.56 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$51.92 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$179.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$172.3 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$166.7 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$158.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$286.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$318.7 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$268.8 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

$8.396 billion (2015 est.)

$10.76 billion (2014 est.)

$43.28 billion (2015 est.)

$49.82 billion (2014 est.)

semiconductors and electronic products, transport equipment, garments, copper products, petroleum products, coconut oil, fruits

Japan 21.1%, US 15%, China 10.9%, Hong Kong 10.6%, Singapore 6.2%, Germany 4.5%, South Korea 4.3% (2015)

$64.97 billion (2015 est.)

$67.16 billion (2014 est.)

electronic products, mineral fuels, machinery and transport equipment, iron and steel, textile fabrics, grains, chemicals, plastic

China 16.2%, US 10.8%, Japan 9.6%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 6.5%, Thailand 6.4%, Malaysia 4.8%, Indonesia 4.4% (2015)

$80.67 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$79.54 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$77.46 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$77.66 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$59.3 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$56.65 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$41.1 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$35.79 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

Philippine pesos (PHP) per US dollar -

45.503 (2015 est.)

44.395 (2014 est.)

44.395 (2013 est.)

42.23 (2012 est.)

43.313 (2011 est.)

74 billion kWh (2014 est.)

66 billion kWh (2014 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

0 kWh (2013 est.)

19 million kW (2014 est.)

68% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

20.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

11.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)

24,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)

13,710 bbl/day (2013 est.)

1.503 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

100 million bbl (1 January 2016 es)

1.373 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

329,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)

219,800 bbl/day (2014 est.)

1.577 million bbl/day (2014 est.)

3.47 billion cu m (2015 est.)

3.339 billion cu m (2015 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

98.54 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es)

88 million Mt (2013 est.)

multiple national private TV and radio networks; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems available; more than 350 TV stations - 6 major TV networks operating nationwide with 1 being government owned; about 1,300 cable TV providers with more than 2 million subscribers, and some 1,300 radio stations; the Philippines adopted Japan’s Integrated Service Digital Broadcast – Terrestrial standard for digital terrestrial television in November 2013 and is scheduled to complete the switch from analog to digital broadcasting by the end of 2015 (2015)

.ph

RP (2016)

247 (2013)

2 (2013)

gas 567 km; oil 138 km; refined products 185 km (2013)

3,219 km (limited to vessels with draft less than 1.5 m) (2011)

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the South China Sea as high risk for piracy and armed robbery against ships; numerous commercial vessels have been attacked and hijacked both at anchor and while underway; hijacked vessels are often disguised and cargo diverted to ports in East Asia; crews have been murdered or cast adrift

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force (2013)

17-23 years of age (officers 20-24) for voluntary military service; no conscription; applicants must be single male or female Philippine citizens with either 72 college credit hours (enlisted) or a baccalaureate degree (officers) (2013)

1.3% of GDP (2015)

1.19% of GDP (2012)

1.21% of GDP (2011)

1.19% of GDP (2010)

Philippines claims sovereignty over Scarborough Reef (also claimed by China together with Taiwan) and over certain of the Spratly Islands, known locally as the Kalayaan (Freedom) Islands, also claimed by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; the 2002 "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," has eased tensions in the Spratly Islands but falls short of a legally binding "code of conduct" desired by several of the disputants; in March 2005, the national oil companies of China, the Philippines, and Vietnam signed a joint accord to conduct marine seismic activities in the Spratly Islands; Philippines retains a dormant claim to Malaysia's Sabah State in northern Borneo based on the Sultanate of Sulu's granting the Philippines Government power of attorney to pursue a sovereignty claim on his behalf; maritime delimitation negotiations continue with Palau

domestic methamphetamine production has been a growing problem in recent years despite government crackdowns; major consumer of amphetamines; longstanding marijuana producer mainly in rural areas where Manila's control is limited