1 of 3 Countries - The Philippines

I was born and brought up in Quezon City, Philippines until I was 12, which was when I first came to England to live with my mother. The Philippines is a country rich in culture and tourism. It has many islands and beautiful beaches. Amongst the beaches I have visited are Puerto Galera and Boracay. The views are relaxing and magnificent where beautiful sands and sea can be overlooked just a few metres by the villas.

I grew up in a poor area on the outskirts of Metro Manila with my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins living in the same area. I was lucky enough to migrate to England at the age of 12 and get to study in university as well as see other places in the world. Amongst the many things I like about the Philippines apart from its slums are the fun things to do and many places to go; especially now (11 years later) that I am currently here, I would say that the country itself has gone through major development compared to what it was like many years before. Some areas now have improved housing and property developments as well as road structures. Vehicular and other types of pollution are still very much present however. Food and other basic expenses are easily affordable. The Philippines is also a great holiday destination and tourist attraction as it is made up of over 7,000 islands many of which have been improved for holiday destinations. Here are pictures of me and my girlfriend Grace in Mall of Asia, which is the 3rd LARGEST MALL IN THE WORLD.

-----------------------STATISTICS ------------------------ From the website

http://www.lakbaypilipinas.com/travel_philippines.html THE PHILIPPINES

Pearl of the Orient

Background

The Philippines were ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the Spanish-American War. They attained their independence in 1946 after being occupied by the Japanese in World War II. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986 when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile. In 1992, the US closed down its last military bases on the islands. The Philippines has had two electoral presidential transitions since Marcos' removal by "people power." In January 2001, the Supreme Court declared Joseph ESTRADA unable to rule in view of mass resignations from his government and administered the oath of office to Vice President Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO as his constitutional successor. The government continues to struggle with ongoing Muslim insurgencies in the south.

THE PHILIPPINES stands at the crossroads of the developed western world and the Orient. It lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, stretching more than 1,840 kilometers. Composed of 7,107 islands, the Philippines is readily accessible to the different capitals of the world. Its three main islands are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The South China Sea washes its western shores. Taiwan, China and Hong Kong are northern neighbors and further north is Japan. To the west lie Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. An arm of the archipelago reaches out towards Borneo and at its feet stands the chain of Indonesian islands. To the east and south, the waters of the Pacific Ocean sweep its headlands, looking out towards Micronesia and Polynesia. Its unique location has made the Philippines the commercial, cultural and intellectual hub of Asia from the dawn of history.

Economy

In 1998 the Philippine economy - a mixture of agriculture, light industry, and supporting services - deteriorated as a result of spillover from the Asian financial crisis and poor weather conditions. Growth fell to about -0.5% in 1998 from 5% in 1997, but recovered to about 3% in 1999 and 3.6% in 2000. The government has promised to continue its economic reforms to help the Philippines match the pace of development in the newly industrialized countries of East Asia. The strategy includes improving infrastructure, overhauling the tax system to bolster government revenues, moving toward further deregulation and privatization of the economy, and increasing trade integration with the region.

Climate

March to May is hot and dry, with temperatures ranging from 22° to 32°C. June to October is rainy. November to February is cool; temperatures range from 22° to 28°C. Average humidity year-round is 77%.

Ethnic Groups

91.5% Christian Malay, 4% Muslim Malay, 1.5% Chinese and 3% other.

Languages

The national language is Pilipino, which is based on the language of Tagalog, although there are at least one or two dialects spoken in every region. English is both spoken and understood throughout the country, especially in business negotiations and in the government. Hokkien, Cantonese and Mandarin are spoken by older members of the Filipino-Chinese community.

Religion

83% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist and other.

The Philippines in the World

THE PHILIPPINES is readily accessible from the travel capitals of the world. Traveling time

to Manila from Hong Kong is an hour and 50 minutes;

Singapore, 3 hours and 10 minutes;

Bangkok, 3 hours and 50 minutes;

Tokyo, 4 hours and 15 minutes;

Sydney, 10 hours and 20 minutes;

London, 20 hours and 45 minutes;

Paris, 21 hours and 15 minutes;

Frankfurt, 19 hours and 40 minutes;

San Francisco, 16 hours and 15 minutes;

Los Angeles, 15 hours and 20 minutes; and

New York, 25 hours and 20 minutes.

Wealth of Wonders

The Worlds Smallest Monkey

The Worlds Best Beaches

The Banaue Rice Terraces

The Worlds Smallest Bat

The Worlds Best Diving Destinations