PHILIPPINES                                                                     
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 300,000 km2; land area: 298,170 km2                                 
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly larger than Arizona                                  
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
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                
                                                                                
Disputes: involved in a complex dispute over the Spratly Islands                
with China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam; 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                                                                          
Population: 65,758,788 (July 1991), growth rate 2.1% (1991)                     
                                                                                
Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                    
                                                                                
Net migration rate: - 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)                         
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 54 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 62 years male, 67 years female (1991)                 
Total fertility rate: 3.6 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Filipino(s); adjective--Philippine                           
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: Christian Malay 91.5%, Muslim Malay 4%, Chinese               
1.5%, other 3%                                                                  
                                                                                
Religion: Roman Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%, Muslim 5%,                         
Buddhist and other 3%                                                           
                                                                                
Language: 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)                                                          
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Republic of the Philippines                                     
                                                                                
Type: republic                                                                  
                                                                                
Capital: Manila                                                                 
                                                                                
Administrative divisions: 73 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:                                                  
PDP-Laban, Aquilino PIMENTEL;                                                   
Struggle of Philippine Democrats (LDP), Neptali GONZALES;                       
Nacionalista Party, Salvador LAUREL, Juan Ponce ENRILE;                         
Liberal Party, Jovito SALONGA                                                   
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age 15                                                   
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
President--last held 7 February 1986 (next election to be                       
held May 1992); results--Corazon C. AQUINO elected, precipitating the           
fall of the MARCOS regime;                                                      
                                                                                
Senate--last held 11 May 1987 (next to be held May 1992);                       
results--pro-Aquino LDP 63%,                                                    
liberal LDP and PDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 25%,                                  
opposition Nationalista Party 4%,                                               
independent 8%;                                                                 
seats--(24 total) pro-Aquino LDP 15, liberal                                    
LDP-Laban (Pimentel wing) 6, opposition Nationalista Party                      
1, independent 2;                                                               
                                                                                
House of Representatives--last held on 11 May 1987 (next to be                  
held May 1992);                                                                 
results--pro-Aquino LDP 73%, liberal LDP and PDP-Laban                          
(Pimentel wing) 10%, opposition Nationalista Party 17%;                         
seats--(250 total, 180 elected) number of seats by party NA                     
                                                                                
Communists: the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) controls               
about 18,000-23,000 full-time insurgents and is not recognized as a legal       
party; a second Communist party, the pro-Soviet 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 Nicholas PLATT; Embassy at 1201 Roxas Boulevard,                 
Manila (mailing address is APO San Francisco 96528); telephone  63  (32)        
211-101 through 3; 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                                                                         
Overview: The economy continues to recover from the political                   
turmoil following the ouster of former President Marcos and several coup        
attempts. After two consecutive years of economic contraction (1984 and         
1985), the economy has since 1986 had positive growth, although in 1990         
the economy slowed considerably from 1989. 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 25% of GDP. Major         
industries include food processing, chemicals, and textiles.                    
                                                                                
GNP: $45.2 billion, per capita $700; real growth rate 2.5%                      
(1990 est.)                                                                     
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 12.7% (1990 est.)                             
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 9.3% (1990 est.)                                             
                                                                                
Budget: $7.2 billion; expenditures $8.12 billion,                               
including capital expenditures of $0.97 billion (1989 est.)                     
                                                                                
Exports: revenues $8.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990 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: $12.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);                                     
                                                                                
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: $28.4 billion (1990)                                             
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 1.9% (1990 est.); accounts                   
for 30-35% of GNP                                                               
                                                                                
Electricity: 6,755,000 kW capacity; 28,000 million kWh produced,                
420 kWh per capita (1990)                                                       
                                                                                
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), $6.6 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--28.055 (January                  
1991), 24.311 (1990), 21.737 (1989), 21.095 (1988), 20.568 (1987),              
20.386 (1986), 18.607 (1985)                                                    
                                                                                
Fiscal year: calendar year                                                      
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
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                                                                           
                                                                                
Inland waterways: 3,219 km; limited to shallow-draft (less than                 
1.5 m) vessels                                                                  
                                                                                
Pipelines: refined products, 357 km                                             
                                                                                
Ports: Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Guimaras, Iloilo, Legaspi,                  
Manila, Subic Bay                                                               
                                                                                
Merchant marine: 569 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 8,429,829               
GRT/15,171,692 DWT; includes 1 passenger, 9 short-sea passenger,                
17 passenger-cargo, 163 cargo, 18 refrigerated cargo, 24 vehicle carrier,       
8 livestock carrier, 10 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 8 container, 41                 
petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker, 1 chemical tanker, 7              
liquefied gas, 3 combination ore/oil, 252 bulk, 7 combination 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                        
                                                                                
Civil air: 53 major transport aircraft                                          
                                                                                
Airports: 280 total, 235 usable; 71 with permanent-surface runways;             
none with runways over 3,659 m; 9 with runways 2,440-3,659 m;                   
50 with runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                   
                                                                                
Telecommunications: good international radio and submarine cable                
services; domestic and interisland service adequate; 872,900 telephones;        
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                                                       
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Army, Navy (including Coast Guard), Marine Corps, Air                 
Force, Constabulary                                                             
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 16,254,775; 11,491,155 fit for              
military service; 715,462 reach military age (20) annually                      
                                                                                
Defense expenditures: $1.1 billion, 2% of GNP (1990)                            
                                                                                
