H.E. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (term: January 2001 - June 2004)
The Republic of the Philippines is a constitutional democracy, with the President elected as Head of State and Government. The national government has three separate and co-equal branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial, all of whom exercise a system of checks and balances.
The Executive Branch consists of the President and his Cabinet; the Legislative Branch is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate; and the Judicial Branch, the system of courts headed by the Supreme Court. Local governments are similar to the executive branch in structure and function. Provinces are headed by governors; cities and municipalities by mayors; and the barangays, locally organized communities, by barangay chairpersons.
The Philippines has a population of close to 76.4 million people (based on the 2000 Census). It is a young population with 50% of the people who are below 22 years old. The labor force, composed of those between 15 to 64 years of age, is estimated at 26 million. The middle class constitutes 25% of the population and is expected to grow with increased business and employment opportunities.
The country has one of the most highly educated populations in Southeast Asia. English is widely spoken and understood, and is used extensively in business, government, and education.
Filipinos are ethnically of Malay stock, which has been enriched through the centuries by Chinese, Muslim/Arab, Spanish and Americans bloods. Their character is thus a unique blend of said cultures and traits put together. Filipinos are known for bayanihan (mutual self-ship), close family relations, and a world-renowned Filipino hospitality towards others, which makes the country a favored destination among seasoned travelers.
The national language is Filipino although there are at least 87 regional languages. English, widely spoken and understood, is the language used for most business and legal transactions. Hokkien, Cantonese, and Mandarin and spoken by older members of the Filipino-Chinese community.
At least 80 percent of Filipinos belong to the Roman Catholic faith. About 15 percent is Moslem, and who can be found predominantly in Mindanao. The rest of the population is made up mostly of smaller Christian denominations and Buddhists.
The Philippines is an archipelago of some 7,107 islands. It has a land area of about 333,000 square kilometers and a coastline of 18,411 kilometers. It is divided into three major island groups: Luzon in the north, Visayas in the center, and Mindanao farther down in the south.
Strategically located in the Asia Pacific region, the Philippines is readily accessible from the major travel centers of the world. Travel time from Hongkong to Manila is an hour and 50 minutes; from Singapore, 3 hours and 10 minutes; Bangkok, 3 hours and 50 minutes; Tokyo, 4 hours and 15 minutes; Sydney, 8 hours and 20 minutes; London, 14 hours and 45 minutes; Frankfurt, 14 hours and 15 minutes; Los Angeles, 12 hours and 20 minutes. Manila is the country's capital and main port city of Cebu, in the south, is the second international gateway.
The climate is generally tropical, with two distinct seasons ranging from dry (between November and May) to rainy (usually from June to October). Average rainfall is about 2,030 millimeters and temperatures ranges from a low of 20 C to a high of 31 C.
In the manufacturing sector, the output is distributed as follows: consumer goods,57%, intermediate goods, 25% and capital goods, 18%. The dominant sub-sectors for consumer goods are food and beverage, wearing apparel, footwear and tobacco. For intermediate goods, the demand is strong for petroleum products and coal for power generation and chemicals for drugs and personal care products. Electronics, including semi-conductors, and iron and steel led manufactured capital goods.
The Philippines is rich in mineral resources. The Mining Act of 1995 liberalized the industry, paving the way for the entry of foreign mining firms through a package of incentives, including net operating loss carry-over and accelerated depreciation. The construction industry, which took off in 1994, is expected to sustain its growth. Private investors are taking greater interest in infrastructure projects under the expanded build-operate and transfer (BOT) programs. The demand for office and residential buildings, as well as shopping malls, subdivision projects and industrial estates, remains strong.
The main agricultural products are rice, corn, coconut, and sugar. The Philippines is one of the largest exporters of coconut oil and sugar, although their relative shares are on the decline. Poultry and livestock have emerged as the new growth areas of the sector.
The major livestock products are hog, cattle, carabao, goat, and dairy products. Chicken and duck are the leading poultry products. Having vast stretches of coastlines, the Philippines boasts of an abundance in fish species. Among the leading species are tuna and tuna-like varieties, roundscad, sardines, anchovy, and slipmouth.
Historians believe the islands of the Philippines dates back to the Paleolithic age. Based on the archeological artifacts recovered, Filipino society and culture were fairly developed prior to contacts with other countries. Filipinos had commercial relations early on with China, Indo-China, Malaysia, India, and the Arab countries. Chinese silk, porcelain, jars, gold, ivory, and beads were traded for wax, bird's nest, teakwood, rattan, pearls, precious stones, and other marine and forest products.
Ferdinand Magellan came to the Philippines on March 16, 1521 and claimed the country for the Spanish Crown. A colonial government was established in Manila in 1571. Spain introduced changes in the political, social, and cultural life of the people. One of these is Christianity. In 1896, the Filipinos staged the first nationalistic revolution in Asia against European colonizers. The 1896 Revolution was the culmination of a succession of revolts against Spanish oppression. The death by musketry of Dr. Jose Rizal, who led the reform movement, fueled the fires of revolution.
On June 12, 1898, leaders of the revolution declared the country's sovereign state and proclaimed the first Republic of the Philippines, the first constitutional democracy in Asia. Meanwhile, Spain declared war against the United States over Cuba and was defeated. As an offshoot, the Philippines was ceded to America by Spain through the Treaty of Paris.
Under American rule, agriculture, commerce, and trade developed. Among the changes they introduced were: the modernization of transportation and communication, the improvement of banking and currency, and a system of public education.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Japan occupied the country. In 1945, the Americans under Gen. Douglas MacArthur liberated the country and granted it independence in 1946.
The Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed on July 4, 1946, with Manuel Roxas as President. Massive rehabilitation and rebuilding out of the devastation brought about by the war was started. In 1972, Martial Law was declared by then President Ferdinand Marcos. Political repression and economic deterioration during the Martial Law Years resulted in the historic "People Power" Revolution of February 25, 1986. This led to the proclamation of Corazon C. Aquino as President of the Philippines.
Filipinos, under the leadership of President Aquino, restored the democratic institutions of the country. A Constitution, ratified on February 2, 1987, provided for a tripartite system of government: the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. This was the type of government before Marcos declared Martial Law and adopted a modified parliamentary government. Also restored were the freedoms of speech, press, and of assembly.
On June 30, 1992, Fidel V. Ramos became the 12th President of the Philippine Republic. President Ramos, a hero of the 1986 EDSA uprising, anchored his government on twin themes of "people empowerment" and "global excellence" as the engines of economic growth and social equity.
On the 100th anniversary year of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence, Joseph Ejercito Estrada became the 13th President of the Philippines. President Estrada has prioritized the creation of an environment of peace and order in which business does well and food security for the majority of the Filipino people, among others.
On 20 January 2001, the incumbent President, H.E. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, took her oath of office as the 14th President of the Philippines in front of thousands of Filipinos at EDSA, in what is now popularly known as EDSA People Power II. The main thrust of President Macapagal-Arroyo's adminstration is good governance.
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