Philippines (Republic of the Philippines)

Philippines Republic of the Philippines
Status	Independent State
Capital	Manila
Land Area	298 170km21
Location	Asia
Population	96.5m (2011)2
Life Expectancy	68.34yrs (2017)3
GNI	$8 395 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	PH, PHL, 6085
Internet Domain	.ph6
Currency	Peso (PHP)7
Telephone	+638

1. Overview
2. Philippines National and Social Development
3. Population and Demographics
4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom
5. Peace Versus Instability
6. Religion and Beliefs
7. The Internet
8. Public Health Issues
9. Children's Health
10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries
11. Links

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1. Overview

#china #japan

“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. 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.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“The Philippines is defined by its emerald rice fields, teeming megacities, graffiti-splashed jeepneys, smouldering volcanoes, fuzzy water buffaloes and smiling, happy-go-lucky people. Just when you thought you had Asia figured out, you get to the Philippines. Instead of monks you have priests; instead of túk-túk you have tricycles; instead of pho you have adobo. At first glance the Philippines will disarm you more than charm you, but peel back the country´s skin and there are treasures to be found aplenty. For starters, you can swim with whale sharks, scale volcanoes, explore desert islands, gawk at ancient emerald-green rice terraces, submerge at world-class dive sites and venture into rainforests to visit remote hill tribes.Beyond its obvious physical assets, the Philippines possesses a quirky streak that takes a bit longer to appreciate. There are secret potions and healing lotions, guys named Bong and girls named Bing, grinning hustlers, deafening cock farms, wheezing bangkas (outrigger boats), crooked politicians, fuzzy carabao (water buffalo), graffiti-splashed jeepneys and cheap beer to enjoy as you take it all in.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Philippines National and Social Development

#human_development

UN HDI (2016)11
Pos.		Lower is better Rank11
1	Norway	1
2	Australia	2
3	Switzerland	2
	...
113	Indonesia	113
114	Palestine	114
115	Vietnam	115
116	Philippines	116
117	El Salvador	117
118	Bolivia	118
119	S. Africa	119
120	Kyrgyzstan	120
	World Avg	94.3
q=188.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Higher is better Points12
1	Denmark	83.6
2	Finland	83.1
3	Sweden	82.6
	...
75	Ukraine	56.5
76	Peru	56.4
77	Seychelles	56.3
78	Philippines	56.3
79	Kyrgyzstan	56.0
80	Nicaragua	56.0
81	Bahamas	55.8
82	Ecuador	55.6
	World Avg	55.4
q=198.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life.

3. Population and Demographics

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #overpopulation #Philippines #population

Old-Age Dependency Ratio (2016)13
Pos.		Lower is better Per 10013
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3	Chad	04.7
	...
67	Haiti	09.6
68	Vanuatu	09.9
69	Cape Verde	10.0
70	Philippines	10.3
71	Cambodia	10.4
72	Egypt	10.5
73	Libya	10.5
74	S. Africa	10.5
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

Emigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
116	Hungary	4.6%
117	Colombia	4.6%
118	Sierra Leone	4.6%
119	Philippines	4.6%
120	Egypt	4.4%
121	Germany	4.3%
122	S. Korea	4.3%
123	Belgium	4.2%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

Fertility Rate (2013)15
Pos.		2.0 is best15
1	N. Korea	2.00
2	Brunei	1.99
3	St Vincent & Grenadines	2.01
	...
119	Israel	2.91
120	Jordan	2.93
121	Honduras	3.02
122	Philippines	3.06
123	Lesotho	3.08
124	Namibia	3.08
125	Zimbabwe	3.15
126	Tajikistan	3.19
	World Avg	2.81
q=180.

The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

Immigrants (2010)14
Pos.		%14
1	Qatar	86.5%
2	Monaco	71.6%
3	UAE	70.0%
	...
162	El Salvador	0.7%
163	Ethiopia	0.6%
164	Romania	0.6%
165	Philippines	0.5%
166	India	0.4%
167	Guatemala	0.4%
168	Mongolia	0.4%
169	Papua New Guinea	0.4%
	World Avg	9.2%
q=192.

Life Expectancy (2015)16
Pos.		Higher is better Years16
1	Hong Kong	84.16
2	Japan	83.68
3	Italy	83.34
	...
129	Cambodia	68.81
130	Bolivia	68.74
131	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	68.51
132	Philippines	68.34
133	India	68.32
134	Solomon Islands	68.11
135	Senegal	66.93
136	Laos	66.60
	World Avg	71.27
q=190.

Population (2012)17
Pos.		Population17
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.3b
3	USA	315.8m
	...
9	Russia	142.7m
10	Japan	126.4m
11	Mexico	116.1m
12	Philippines	96.5m
13	Vietnam	89.7m
14	Ethiopia	86.5m
15	Egypt	84.0m
16	Germany	82.0m
	World Avg	36.0m
q=195.

The Philippines's population is predicted to rise to 126.32 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 3.06. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population is growing, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity, i.e., the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate, which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1.

The Roman Catholic Church is the most notable, powerful and active organisation that lobbies against birth-control wherever it can, internationally. Thankfully Most Catholics routinely ignore the Church on this issue, especially in educated and developed countries, but there are still plenty of fast-growing countries where the Catholic Church is still prospering the old-fashioned way. It took the government of the Philippines 13 years to force through legislation to allow government-funded contraception and for sex education in schools because of the strength of the opposition of the Catholic Church there - in a country where 11 women die of pregnancy-related problems every day. The Catholic Church "ferociously" opposed it, warning of moral and social collapse, the destruction of family life, and divine wrath, if it was passed. The bill is considered "a major step toward reducing maternal deaths and promoting family planning in the impoverished country, which has one of Asia's fastest-growing populations. [...] The United Nations said early this year that the bill would help reduce an alarming number of pregnancy-related deaths, prevent life-threatening abortions and slow the spread of AIDS"₁₈.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

4. Human Rights, Equality and Freedom

#equality #freedom #human_rights #philippines #politics #tolerance

The Philippines is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. The Philippines does the second-best in fighting anti-semitic opinions₁₉. It does better than average in terms of the year from which women could participate in democracy₂₀, its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₁ and in LGBT equality₂₂. The Philippines does not succeed in everything, however. It does worse than average in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₃ (still good for Asia), opposing gender inequality₂₄, fighting corruption₂₅, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₆, its Global Peace Index rating₂₇, eliminating modern slavery₂₈ and in supporting press freedom₂₉. Human Rights Watch states starkly that "President Rodrigo Duterte has plunged the Philippines into its worst human rights crisis since the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in the 1970s and 1980s"₃₀.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Philippines

5. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #Philippines #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Peacekeeping and Security (2017)31
Pos.		Lower is better Rank31
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
44	Switzerland	44
45	Bolivia	45
46	Burkina Faso	46
47	Philippines	47
48	UK	48
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49
50	Ireland	50
51	Norway	51
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees and UN Treaties (2017)31
Pos.		Lower is better Rank31
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
58	Croatia	58
59	Bangladesh	59
60	Seychelles	60
61	Philippines	61
62	Indonesia	62
63	Uganda	63
64	Moldova	64
65	Mozambique	65
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Global Peace Index (2012)27
Pos.		Lower is better27
1	Iceland	1.11
2	New Zealand	1.24
3	Denmark	1.24
	...
129	Turkey	2.34
130	Kyrgyzstan	2.36
131	Azerbaijan	2.36
132	Philippines	2.42
133	Ivory Coast	2.42
134	Mexico	2.45
135	Lebanon	2.46
136	Ethiopia	2.50
	World Avg	2.02
q=157.

"The 2012 Global Peace Index is the sixth edition of the world's leading study on global levels of peacefulness. The GPI ranks 158 nations using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, which gauge three broad themes: the level of safety and security in society; the extent of domestic or international conflict; and the degree of militarisation. By generating new information on the state of peace at the national and global level, the Institute for Economics and Peace hopes to make a valuable contribution to better understanding how civil society, researchers, policymakers, and government can create a more peaceful society"₂₇. The most peaceable countries in the world are Iceland, New Zealand and Denmark₂₇ and the worst are Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan₂₇.

Impact of Terrorism (2019)32
Pos.		Lower is better Score32
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
139	Libya	6.77
140	Egypt	6.79
141	Congo, DR	7.04
142	Philippines	7.14
143	Yemen	7.26
144	India	7.52
145	Somalia	7.80
146	Pakistan	7.89
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

6. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #god #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion

Religiosity (2009)33
Pos.		Lower is better %33
1	Estonia	16
2	Sweden	17
3	Denmark	19
	...
93	Rwanda	95
94	Cambodia	96
95	Senegal	96
96	Philippines	96
97	Nigeria	96
98	Cameroon	96
99	Malaysia	96
100	Afghanistan	97
	World Avg	75.1
q=114.

Disbelief In God (2007)34
Pos.		Higher is better %34
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
123	Saudi Arabia	0
124	Rwanda	0
125	Cameroon	0
126	Philippines	0
127	Kuwait	0
128	Madagascar	0
129	Nigeria	0
130	Malawi	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₃₅:

Christian	92.6%
Muslim	5.5%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	1.5%
Jew	0.1%
Unaffiliated	0.1%

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: 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)₃₆.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?

7. The Internet

#internet #it_security #Philippines #politics #the_internet

Freedom On The Internet (2012)37
Pos.		Lower is better37
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
4	Australia	18
5	Hungary	19
6	Philippines	23
7	Italy	23
8	UK	25
9	S. Africa	26
10	Argentina	26
11	Ukraine	27
12	Brazil	27
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

Internet Users (2016)38
Pos.		Higher is better38
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
110	Kenya	45%
111	Belize	45%
112	Ukraine	44%
113	Philippines	44%
114	Jamaica	43%
115	Ecuador	43%
116	Thailand	43%
117	Mauritius	43%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake (2017)39
Pos.		Higher is better Ratio39
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
79	Serbia	0.1
80	Liechtenstein	0.0
81	Cyprus	0.0
82	Philippines	0.0
83	Macedonia	0.0
84	Pakistan	0.0
85	Paraguay	0.0
86	Chile	0.0
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

IT Security (2013)40
Pos.		Lower is better40
1	Ireland	0.11
2	Luxembourg	0.11
3	Belize	0.11
	...
7	Colombia	0.22
8	S. Africa	0.22
9	Japan	0.22
10	Philippines	0.24
11	Czechia	0.24
12	Argentina	0.27
13	Hungary	0.27
14	Peru	0.30
	World Avg	0.98
q=81.

Internet access has become an essential research tool. It facilitates an endless list of life improvements, from the ability to network and socialize without constraint, to access to a seemingly infinite repository of technical and procedural information on pretty much any task. The universal availability of data has sped up industrial development and personal learning at the national and personal level. Individuals can read any topic they wish regardless of the locality of expert teachers, and, entire nations can develop their technology and understanding of the world simply because they are now exposed to advanced societies and moral discourses online. Like every communications medium, the Internet has issues and causes a small range of problems, but these are insignificant compared to the advantages of having an online populace.

8. Public Health Issues

#alcohol #genetics #health #obesity #Philippines #public_health #smoking #sociology #UK

The Philippines has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. The Philippines does better than average for the prevalence of overweight adults₄₁. However The Philippines performs less well in most areas. It does worse than average for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₁, its alcohol consumption rate₄₂, its adolescent birth rate₂₄, its smoking rate₄₃ and in its immunizations take-up₄₄. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016.

Alcohol Consumption (2016)42
Pos.		Lower is better Per Capita42
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
97	Bosnia & Herzegovina	6.4
98	Angola	6.4
99	Mexico	6.5
100	Philippines	6.6
101	Cambodia	6.7
102	Belize	6.8
103	Sao Tome & Principe	6.8
104	Dominican Rep.	6.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

There is nothing wrong with drinking modest and sensible amounts of alcohol but fitness, physical health, mental health and long-term health all suffer as a result of medium- or heavy- drinking₄₅ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₄₆ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₄₇ via increased health service costs, policing costs and lost days' work. Worldwide, alcohol misuse is "among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death" and is a "cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries"₄₈. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₄₉. Deaths from chronic alcohol misuse have been rising for decades, and so has violence, abuse, vandalism and crime all associated with alcohol over-use. The aggression and crime associated with alcohol in some Western countries infringes on the human rights of those who want nothing to do with such behaviour. Many of the social effects of alcohol are psychological and cultural; i.e., people don't have to behave criminally or destructively whilst drunk - it is a culturally learned behaviour. Experiments have shown that behaviour can be controlled: Those who do not wish to behave badly whilst drunk, will not do so.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance (2017)31
Pos.		Lower is better Rank31
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
91	Chile	91
92	Tunisia	92
93	Bahrain	93
94	Philippines	94
95	Bosnia & Herzegovina	95
96	Namibia	96
97	Guyana	97
98	Colombia	98
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults (2016)41
Pos.		Lower is better %41
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
28	Bhutan	27.1
29	Japan	27.2
30	Angola	27.5
31	Philippines	27.6
32	Sierra Leone	27.7
33	Tanzania	27.7
34	Zambia	27.8
35	Togo	28.1
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₅₀. Most Western countries are facing an obesity epidemic. Our cultures are having to change to compensate for widespread ill-health. It is costing our health systems a massive amount of money, and is having negative effects on national economies. The situation has persisted for a suitable length of time for our very perceptions to change; opinions on "normal weights" for people and "average sizes" for clothes has shot up₅₁. Over 2 in 3 adults in the UK are overweight₅₁ and this costs the NHS £5.1 billion per year₅₂ and "costs Britain's economy £47bn a year; more than war, terrorism or armed violence"₅₃. We are forgetting how to be healthy.

The causes are not genetic. Most people who say obesity "runs in their family" are wrong. The rate of increase in obesity is many, many times too fast to be accounted for by a change in inherited genes₅₄. Our culture and lifestyle choices are to blame. The causes of the modern obesity epidemic are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products, poor knowledge of nutrition. Most of this is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheaper mass-produced food. Even some so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₅₅.

Smoking Rates (2014)43
Pos.		Lower is better43
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
135	Iraq	1 227
136	Spain	1 265
137	Malta	1 266
138	Philippines	1 291
139	Indonesia	1 322
140	Libya	1 33356
141	Israel	1 346
142	Argentina	1 359
	World Avg	819
q=182.

9. Children's Health

#health #parenting #Philippines #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate (2015)24
Pos.		Lower is better Per 100024
1	N. Korea	0.5
2	S. Korea	1.6
3	Switzerland	2.9
	...
123	Jamaica	59.7
124	Azerbaijan	59.8
125	Yemen	61.5
126	Philippines	61.7
127	Mexico	62.8
128	Argentina	63.8
129	Laos	64.1
130	Honduras	65.0
	World Avg	47.9
q=185.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 (2015)44
Pos.		Higher is better Avg %44
1	Hungary	99.0
2	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
161	San Marino	79.3
162	Gabon	78.7
163	Micronesia	78.2
164	Philippines	77.9
165	Sweden	77.8
166	Ivory Coast	76.9
167	Congo, DR	76.5
168	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	76.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

10. More Charts and Comparisons to Other Countries