Country Report

1. Country Report By: Ms. Ma. Liezel M. Austria

2. The Philippines • Philippines, Republic of the (in Filipino, Republika ng Pilipinas), an island grouping that extends southward to include Indonesia and Malaysia. • The Philippines includes more than 7,100 islands. • The terrain is mountainous and includes many active volcanoes. • The location of the Philippines just north of the equator gives the republic a moderate tropical climate suited for the cultivation of export crops such as coconuts and pineapples.

3. Manila, located on east central Luzon Island, is the national capital and largest city. • The republic’s cultural institutions, industries, and federal government are concentrated in this rapidly growing metropolitan area. • The people of the Philippines are called Filipinos. • Most Filipinos are of Malay descent. Filipinos of mixed descent (through various combinations of Malay, Chinese, and Spanish). • Nearly 83 million people live in the Philippines. • The official languages are English and Tagalog.

4. The houses are traditionally constructed of bamboo and nipa palm thatching and raised above the ground on poles. • Simple wooden houses with galvanized iron roofs are also common. • Except in the remotest areas, rural houses are equipped with electricity and indoor plumbing. • More services and modern facilities are available in towns and cities.

5. Farming, fishing, and forestry are the primary occupations in rural areas. • Many of the rural poor are employed as tenant farmers and landless agricultural workers. • Most urban residents are employed in the service sector or in manufacturing. • There is a growing middle class of government employees, teachers, and small-business owners.

6. The Map

7. Natural Regions • The Philippines can be divided into three geographic areas: • the northern islands of Luzon and Mindoro, • the central islands of the Visayan Islands (Visayas) and Palawan, • and the southern islands of Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago.

8. Luzon and Mindanao are the two largest islands, anchoring the archipelago in the north and south. • Luzon has an area of 104,700 sq km (40,400 sq mi) • and Mindanao has an area of 94,630 sq km (36,540 sq mi).

9. Climate The Philippine Islands have a tropical climate. At sea level, temperatures rarely fall below 27°C (80°F). Interior valleys and leeward sides of islands tend to be warmer, mountain slopes and peaks and windward sides of islands tend to be cooler.

10. Natural Resources The Philippines has extensive mineral: Deposit of copper,gold, silver, nickel, lead, and chromium. Other important, but less plentiful, deposits of zinc, cobalt, and manganese also exist. Copper has been mined extensively and is the leading mineral product.

11. The Philippine waters are abundant with many varieties of fish, which are an important natural resource as a staple of the Philippine diet and an export commodity.

12. Population • The Philippines had a population of 65,036,621 in 1990. • The estimated population in 2003 was 84,619,974. • The population is growing by about 2 percent a year, giving the Philippines one of the world’s highest population-growth rates. • The high birthrate contributes to a predominantly young population; in 2001 about 57 percent of the population was under the age of 25.

13. Principal Cities • Manila is the capital of the Philippines and the country’s chief port, main commercial and cultural center, and largest city. • Other important cities include Quezon City, which is part of the Manila metropolitan area, and served as the country’s capital from 1948 to 1976; • Davao, a provincial capital and a seaport; • Cebu, a seaport and the trade center for a farming and coal-mining region; • and Zamboanga, also a seaport.

14. Religion • The Philippines has the only predominantly Christian population in Asia, reflecting Spain’s colonization of the islands in the 16th century. • About 94 percent of the people are Christians, about 5 percent are Muslims, and the remainder are Buddhists, animists, or nonbelievers.

15. Way of Life • One of the most notable characteristics of Filipino society is its strong family and community relationships. • These are strengthened by the traditional Filipino concept of utang na loob, in which an act of voluntary assistance creates an obligation that the receiver must attempt to repay through reciprocal assistance. • This often creates a long-term relationship of giving and receiving between individuals or families, and some obligations can last for generations.

16. The social values of loyalty, support, and trust are deeply embedded in the Philippine identity. Respect for others, especially elder members of society and people in positions of authority, is taught from an early age.

17. Education Education in the Philippines is free and compulsory for children ages 6 through 12. Tagalog and English are the primary languages of instruction. The literacy rate is 95.9 percent of the adult population, with little variation between males and females. Virtually all children aged 6 to 12 are enrolled in school, and attendance is compulsory. Enrollment for ages 13 through 16 is 76 percent. At the university level, enrollment stands at 29 percent of the relevant age group.

18. Transportation • The most unique form of transportation in the Philippines is the jeepney—a converted army jeep outfitted with many decorations. In metropolitan Manila, the colorful jeepneys are often used for short trips and are an integral part of the area’s public transportation system, which also includes bus and rail lines.

19. MANILA Manila is the capital and largest city of the Philippines. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on Luzon Island, the city has a deep, sheltered harbor and modern waterfront, which help make it the country’s main seaport. The Pasig River divides Manila between the original city, on its southern bank, and the more modern section, on its northern bank.

20. Participant’s INFORMATION • I am Ma. Liezel M. Austria, 25 years old, single, and of excellent health. • Born on the 26th of January 1978 and I am presently residing at Muntinlupa City • I graduated at the University of the Philippines Los Baños with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Chemistry

21. I have worked as an extensionist, as a quality assurance analyst, and now I am presently holding a position as Instructor I of the Institute of Environmental Studies-Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University, Bacnotan, La Union, Philippines • I am committed to improve the quality of education; to contribute towards institutional and community development of R & D; to extend my expertise to the external community for the purpose of promoting R & D. • Since I am an educator and an advocate of Environmental Education, this training/workshop on POP’s will be very beneficial in • After this course, I expect to share and impart this knowledge to my colleagues, my friends and my students as well

22. Daoist (Taoist) temple This Daoist (Taoist) temple is on Cebu Island, in the Philippines. The Chinese inhabitants have influenced many economic and social elements of the Philippine culture. Daoism, a philosophical and religious system, was introduced to the country by the Chinese.

23. PLACES Bugnay Village, on northern Luzon Island, the Philippines, is situated on the Chico River in the Cordillera Mountains. Here villagers farm rice in terraces. Approximately one half the population is involved with agriculture, and rice is an important subsistence crop.