Because of its archipelagic nature, Philippines is a culturally diverse country. With its topography consisting of mountainous terrains, dense forests, plains, and coastal areas, the Philippines is rich in biodiversity. It is considered as one of the mega biodiversity countries in the world with a high percentage of flora and fauna endemism. Despite having widespread poverty, the Philippines has fared relatively well in Human Development Index HDI , particularly in comparison to other Southeast Asian nations.
The Philippines has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences. Prior to Spanish colonization in , the Filipinos had a rich culture and were trading with the Chinese and the Japanese. In , after years and rebellions, the Filipinos, with leaders like Jose Rizal and Emilio Aguinaldo, succeeded in winning their independence. In , the Philippines became the first and only colony of the United States. Following the Philippine-American War, the United States brought widespread education to the islands.
Filipinos fought alongside Americans during World War II, particularly at the famous battle of Bataan and Corregidor which delayed Japanese advancement and saved Australia. They then waged a guerilla war against the Japanese from to The Philippines regained its independence in Filipinos are a freedom-loving people, having waged two peaceful, bloodless revolutions against what were perceived as corrupt regimes.
The Philippines is a vibrant democracy, as evidenced by 12 English national newspapers, 7 national television stations, hundreds of cable TV stations, and 2, radio stations. There are wide disparities in income and quality of life across regions and sectors in Philippines. Springer Professional. Back to the search result list. Table of Contents Frontmatter Chapter 1. Introduction Abstract. We never had significant relations with the Philippines. The Philippines are a question mark.
The number is used as a symbol of the nation. The chapter gives a summary presentation of the main physiographic features of the country mountains and plains, lakes and rivers, peninsulas and inter-island seas and its geophysical origin within the general scheme of plate tectonics.
It also includes statistical comparisons with other island or archipelagic countries and raises some questions about the effects of the split of the country between many islands big and small. The tropical maritime climate of the Philippines is marked by high temperature and abundant rainfall.
The chapter first examines the major characteristics of the climate, dominated by the seasonal alternation of the Amihan and Habagat monsoons, leading to sharp differences between regions for their patterns of rainy seasons. Typhoons not directly hitting the Philippines can still generate high levels of rainfall and enhance flooding, due to the increase in the strength of the habagat southwest monsoon flow.
Local conditions may affect the patterns of precipitation at different scales of space and time. In this mostly wet country, episodes of drought may also occur and cause problems for agriculture, especially for rice growing. This chapter examines the human background of the country from its early settlement to the end of the Spanish colonial era. Different theories have been presented to explain the initial settlement of the country.
The Austronesian societies developed a social structure and patterns of commerce that were not completely erased by the Spanish colonization following the discovery travels of Magellan and others, and the conquest of the islands by Legazpi in the sixteenth century. Spanish control meant the imposition of the Catholic Church as a powerful element of organization in the countryside, and the development of cities following colonial Spanish guidelines.
Manila was central to a large maritime trade network symbolized by the Manila galleons linking the Philippines, China and Spanish America Acapulco. The excesses of the Spanish friars were a major factor in the Philippine revolution of the s where writer Jose Rizal was a dominant figure.
The end of the Spanish colonial order in marked the beginning of a second colonization by the United States. This chapter covers the twentieth century, when the Philippines were changed by the US colonization after a brutal war of conquest. Progress in education, medicine, urbanization and transportation was obvious, while the Americans fostered the development of a Filipino political class that was called to govern the country alongside American political ideals, as was hoped with the implementation of the Philippine Commonwealth in under president Quezon.
The difficult years of the Japanese occupation gave place to an independent nation in , which had to deal with the presence of US military bases during the Cold War, profound social inequalities inherited from the Spanish period, and an economic dependence towards the United States. The central figure of Ferdinand Marcos exemplifies the difficulties of the country to attain a truly democratic life.
Political power is still controlled by an oligarchy of a few dozen families. Corruption and violence are parts of the daily difficulties encountered by Filipinos. The Philippine archipelago, with more than million inhabitants, is the 12th most populous in the world, one the fastest growing and youngest countries in Asia, and will soon overtake an aging Japan.
Causes of the high rate of population growth include the teachings of the influential Philippine Catholic Church no divorce, contraception or abortion and the active sexual life of young Filipinos. Many women become pregnant at a very early age, soon after puberty. The country has not developed population control policies as some other countries Thailand, China have. Therefore it has a very young population with few elderly people, a situation that may be good for the economy demographic window of opportunity.
The chapter relates the debate around the Reproductive Health Bill, a key legislation aiming at making it easier for couples to control fertility despite virulent opposition from the Church. Other data show that the demographic and epidemiographic transition of the Philippines is far from over: infant mortality rates, although they have gone lower, are still too high.
Infant diarrhea and malnutrition kill many children every year. Mosquito-borne diseases, especially malaria and dengue, are threats for the entire population, while tuberculosis remains strong in the country.
A country of many islands, the Philippines is also a country of many languages. The Tagalog language of Manila has been chosen as the base of the national Pilipino language, even if Cebuano counts as many speakers.
The languages of the Philippines have common grammatical structures, but wide differences in vocabulary. Contrary to Latin America where Spanish and Portuguese became the dominant languages, Spanish did not dominate the local languages, since colonial priests preferred to learn local languages rather than teaching Spanish to their flocks.
Today, there is debate about the role to give to English, a colonial language, in the educational system, while English is a definite asset for the Philippines in the global economy. Legislation tend today to protect their customs and lifestyles, even if it seems too late for many of them. One of the richest countries of the region at the end of World War II, its rankings have slipped, and its growth rates have been weak for several decades.
We examine the main causes of the mediocre economic performance of the country since the s. Many analysts have pointed out an excessive bureaucracy, high levels of corruption and the lack of industrial investment in a country dominated by landed interests.
On June 24, , Manila was declared the capital of the entire achipelago. Soon, Manila became a replica of a European medieval city. There were churches, palaces and city halls built in the Spanish baroque style. Work began on building a wall around the city to keep the pirates and Moros at bay.
It took years to finish this wall. The end result was an astounding eight foot-thick, three mile-long wall, with two forts and a bastion, guns in place, manned by a force of 5, men and 10, reserves. This walled city became known as Intramuros. Beautiful as it was, Intramuros stood as a perfect illustration of the discrimination at that time against the natives called Indios.
Although it was built by Indio workers and Chinese artisans, Intramuros was meant only for the clergy and the Spanish nobility. The natives could not enter except to work as servants.
Outside the walls, in the arabales or suburbs, lived the Indios, the Chinese and other foreigners. The diversity of trade and culture in the suburbs made it alive and interesting. Tondo, Binondo, Sta. Cruz, and Quiapo bustled with commerce. These places were home to the merchants, carpenters, blacksmiths, carriage makers, masons, and other artisans. Over the centuries, the Spanish rule was occasionally threatened by attacks from the sea and by internal uprisings. The Chinese, Dutch and British all tried to lay siege on Manila but were unsuccessful.
This reform movement ultimately led to a revolution and by , the days of the Castilian rule were numbered. The most lasting legacy of the Spanish rule was the Catholic religion which makes the Philippines the only Christian nation in Asia. But as soon as the Spaniards left, the Americans took over. The outbreak of war in the Pacific in disrupted American rule. Manila was declared an open city and the Americans withdrew their defenses.
For three years, Manila was occupied by the Japanese imperial forces. Life at that time was made difficult by strict Japanese military rule. When the American troops entered Manila to liberate it, they had to bomb the city to dislodge the tenacious Japanese.
Manila was devastated. On July 4, , a year after the end of the war, the Philippine flag was hoisted signalling the recognition of Philippine independence. The Philippines has a population of From a long history of Western colonial rule, interspersed with the visits of merchants and traders, evolved a people of a unique blend of east and west, both in appearance and culture.
The Filipino character is actually a little bit of all the cultures put together. The bayanihan or spirit of kinship and camaraderie that Filipinos are famous for, is said to be taken from Malay forefathers. The close family relations are said to have been inherited from the Chinese. The piousness comes from the Spaniards who introduced Christianity in the 16th century. Hospitality is a common denominator in the Filipino character and this is what distinguishes the Filipino. Filipinos are probably one of the few, if not the only, English-proficient Oriental people today.
The Filipinos are divided geographically and culturally into regions, and each regional group is recognizable by distinct traits and dialects — the sturdy and frugal Ilocanos of the north, the industrious Tagalogs of the central plains, the carefree Visayans from the central islands and the colorful tribesmen and religious Moslems of Mindanao.
Tribal communities can be found scattered across the archipelago. The Philippines has more than dialects spoken, owing to the subdivisions of these basic regional and cultural groups.
About 15 percent is Moslem and these people can be found basically in Mindanao. The rest of the population is made up mostly of smaller Christian denominations and Buddhist. The country is marked by a true blend of cultures; truly in the Philippines, East meets West. The background of the people is Indonesian and Malay. There are Chinese and Spanish elements as well. The history of American rule and contact with merchants and traders culminated in a unique blend of East and West, both in the appearance and culture of the people of the Filipinos, or people of the Philippines.
Hospitality, a trait displayed by every Filipino, makes these people legendary in Southeast Asia.
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