REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Official name: Republika ng Pilipinas (Republic of the Philippines) Location: South East Asia International organisations: The Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation Forum, The Association of South East Asian Nations, The Non-Aligned Movement, The United Nations, The World Trade Organisation Borders: None Coastline: Celebes Sea, Pacific Ocean, South China Sea Land area: 298,170 Km2 Population: 84,500,000 Ethnicity: 97% of the population is of Filipino-Malay stock. There are small Chinese and European minorities. Languages: The national language is Tagalog, a Malay language, but this is not understood in many parts of the country. The official langauges are Tagalog and English. English is de facto the language of government and business. Other languages spoken are Cebuano, Ilocan, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense.

Religion: Christian 92% (Catholic 83%, Protestant 9%), Moslem 5% (mainly in the south), Buddhist and other 3%.
Form of government: Presidential democratic republic. The country is divided into 73 provinces and 61 chartered cities.

Capital: Manila
Constitution: The current Constitution of the Philippines came into effect on 11 February 1987.
Head of state: The President, elected by direct universal suffrage for a six-year term.
Head of government: The President, who appoints the members of the Cabinet.
Legislature: The Congress (Kongreso) is a bicameral legislature. The House of Representatives (Kapulungan Mga Kinatawan) has 208 members elected for three-year terms from single-member constituencies, plus up to 52 seats allotted to party-lists by proportional representation. The Senate (Senate) has 24 members, elected for six-year terms by proportional representation.
Electoral authority: The Commission on Elections runs national elections.
Freedom House rating: Political Rights 2, Civil Liberties 3

Political history

The Philippine islands were discovered by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 and conquered by Spain during the mid 16th century: Manila was founded in 1571. The Philippines were part of the Spanish Empire until 1898, when they were seized by the United States during the Spanish-American War. A nationalist movement had developed during the 19th century, and Filipino patriots resisted the imposition of American rule.

After a brief war the Americans prevailed, but undertakings were given that the Philippines would soon receive self-government. An elected assembly was created in 1907, and from 1916 the legislature had control of most domestic affairs. In 1935 the Philippines were given full internal self-government with an elected President and legislature on the American model. Following four years of Japanese occupation and re-occupation by the United States, the Philippines became fully independent in 1946.

During the 1950s the Philippines was a functioning democracy, although a stubborn Communist insurgency and endemic corruption undermined the democratic system. Ferdinand Marcos was elected President in 1965 and in 1972 established an authoritarian regime, characterised by massive theft of public funds by Marcos, his wife and his cronies. In 1986 his regime collapsed following the murder of opposition leader Benigno Aquino and a popular uprising of great bravery by the people of Manila.

Marcos was succeeded by Aquino's widow Corazon, and constitutional government has been successfully maintained since. In 2001 President Joseph Estrada was removed from office for corruption and succeeded by his Vice-President, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who won a term in her own right in 2004.

Since Philippines politics revolves around the presidency, the country has a weak party system. So little interest is taken in congressional elections that no official figures are kept of elections to the House of Representatives. The parties with the largest representation in the Congress are the centrist National Union of Christian Democrats and Liberal Party, and two conservative parties, the Nationalist People's Coalition and the Struggle for Democratic Filipinos. The left is represented by the Bayan Muna party.