The Philippines covers a total surface area of 300,000 kilometres, with 298,170 of the total area being land and the remaining 1,830 being water (Asianinfo.org n.d.). The 7,107 islands of the archipelagic state are grouped into Luzon in the north, Visayas in the central and Mindanao in the south. The country is divided into 18 regions and has 81 provinces (UNESCO 2009a). The archipelago is around 800 kilometres from the Asian mainland and is characterized by high mountains with alluvial plains and narrow fertile valleys as well as flat lowlands. Unlike the larger islands with their relatively diverse topography, the smaller islands are mountainous with surrounding flat lowlands (Asianinfo.org n.d.).
The population of Philippines, as per 2010, is estimated to be 93.3 million (World Bank n.d.(c)). About 34.9% of the population are children and youth under the age of 14. The workforce of the country (15-64 year olds) represents approximately 60.9% of the population and 4.2% of the population is 65 years old and above (SCRIBD n.d.). The nationals of the Philippines are Filipinos, belonging to 160 distinct indigenous ethnic groups and speaking 172 native languages and many dialects originating from Austronesian or Malayo Polynesian. The official languages are Filipino (formerly called Tagalog) and English. English is used primarily as the medium of instruction in all public and private institutions of learning. Regional divisions and linguistic differences have created major difficulties in communication hampering the promotion of educational and cultural development (UNESCO 2009a).
The Philippines is one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. Its economy grew by 7.6% in 2010, which was well above the government’s target (World Bank n.d.(a)). The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in 2010 was approximately US$ 2,104 (World Bank n.d.(b)). The Philippines owes this tremendous growth to the country’s richness in natural resources in terms of minerals, flora and fauna. Agriculture plays a large role in the growth process and the main products are sugarcane, coconuts, rice, corn, bananas, cassava, pineapples, mangoes, pork, eggs, beef and fish. The industrial sector is comprised of industries such as electronics assembly, garments, footwear, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, wood products, food processing, petroleum and fishing. The leading contributor to GDP is the services sector with a share of approximately 49.4% followed by industry and agriculture, which accounted for 33.3% and 17.3% respectively (2009). Despite the robust economic growth, the island nation is characterized by wide income inequality, shown by a significant difference between the growth rate of the capital Manila and the other regions of the country (UNESCO 2009a).
The Philippines gained independence from the United States of America in 1946. It is a democratic and republican state with a presidential form of government in which the president wields executive power. There is a Congress that formulates laws and an independent judiciary system to ensures that laws are uniformly upheld. In other words, the political system of the Philippines occurs within an organized framework of a presidential, representative and democratic republic with the president as both the head of state and the head of government within a multi-party system (UNESCAP n.d.).
The Philippines is divided into 18 regions and 81 provinces for administrative convenience. The country is also divided into a hierarchy of Local Government Units (LGUs) with the 81 provinces as the primary units. The provinces are further subdivided into 115 cities and 1,425 municipalities, which are in turn composed of 43,000 barangays, where a barangay is the smallest local government unit. In each regional capital, the 26 departments of the national government have their regional offices (UNESCAP n.d.).
The Philippines is faced with wide income inequality and widespread household poverty. The problem of poverty is mostly in the rural areas, which accounts for roughly 75% of the population living below the national poverty line. Urban poverty is also on the rise, particularly among the migrant population, with an estimated 24% of urban households currently living in poverty. Additionally, in spite of recent gender equity gains, women and children are still victims of gender-based violence. It is estimated that approximately 9% of all women aged 18 years and above experience violence and approximately 70% of child-abuse victims are girls. There is also a rampant problem of cross-border trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation and forced labour. Last but not least, the Department of Health (DOH) has noted an annual increase in the number of HIV/AIDS reported cases ranging from 200–300 annually, translating into a 20% increase from 2004 to 2006. There is also believed to be many unreported cases due to social stigma and the fact that the island nation is a predominately catholic country (UNESCO 2009a).
