Republic Of The Philippines Essay, Research Paper

Republic of the Philippines, is an island country located in Southeast Asia. It lies 600 miles from mainland Asia, on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines has been called the “Pearl of the Orient Sea” ever since a man by the name of Jos Rizal described if in a poem he wrote ini 1896 called, Mi *ltimo adi s (My Final Farewell). The Philippines has anout 65 million people. Its population rises about 2 1/2 percent yearly. About half of the people including approximately 1 1/2 million in Manila live in Luzon, the largest island.

Almost all Filipinos are related th the Malays of Indonesia and Malaysia. Chinese make up the second largest group in the Philippines adn smaller numbers of American, Europeans, Indians, and Japanese also live on the islands. Small group of Filipinos live in isolated moutain areas. These small groups include the BNegritos, whos ancestors settled in the islands about 30,000 years ago. During the 1970s, anthropologists discovered another group of Filipinos, called the Tasadays, on the island of Mindanao. They thought Tasadays lived in caves and ate fruits and vegetables. However, today many scholars doubt the authenticity of this discovery.

About 50 percent of the Philippine people make a living by farming. Most of the farmland belongs to wealthy landowners, who hire laborers who live and work on their estates. Large numbers of people also have jobs in the fishing, lumbering and mining industries. Their houses have wooden walls, and their roofs are made out of thatch ot corrugated iron. The wealthy Philippine people live in large houses that are surrounded by walls. Many poor urban people live in roughly constructed shacks in sprawling slums.

Most of the Filipino families are large and maintain a close relationship with all family member, including elder relatives, and distant cousins. Men hold the most positions of authority at home and business. Many work in professional fields. A growing number of women work in textile or electronic factories.

The Philippines has two official languages: Pilipino and English. Pilipino is the national language, and required subject in all Philippine elementary school. Pilipino is a variation of Tagalof, the language of the people of the Manila area. More than half the people of the Philippines speak Pilipino, and also a large number use Tgalog. Other languages Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon Ilongo, and Bicol.

Almost 3/4 of the people in the Philippines speak English. Elementary and high schools conduct many classes in English, and universities require students to pass the English examination when applying for admission. About 30 percent of the college-age Filipinos attend college, mostly ar private institution in Manila, is the nation’s largest university. English is also widely used in the commerce and government of the nation. A small number of Filipinos speak another language like Spanish or Chinese. About 90 percent of the Philippine people can read and write. The las requires children from seven to twelve years old to fo to school through at least sixth grade.

The Philippine Constitution guarantees freedom of worship. About 95 percent of the people are Christians, more than in any other Asian country. About 85 percent of the population are Roman Catholics. The nation also has many Protestants, Muslims and members of the Philippine Independent Church and the Philippine Church of Christ.

The weather iln the Philippnes is, said to be, beautiful. It has hot, humid climate. During the hottest months, from March to May, the temperatures may reach to about 100 degrees farhenheit. The weather cools off during the rainy season, which lasts from June to February, byt the teperature seldom falls below 70 degrees farenheit. Manila’s temperature averages between 75-82 degrees farenheit The rainfall in the Philippines averages about 100 inches a year, but some may reach up to even 180 inches a year. About five typhoons strike the Philippines yearly causing property damage and loss of life.

The Philippine economy traditionally depend heavily on the production of crops and lumber. The Filipinos are very hard-working and diligent people. Manufacturing and mining have caused serios pollution ptoblrm in the Philippines. About 48 percent of the Philippine workers make their living in agriculture, fishing or forestry. About 37 percent work in service industries, which include education, medicine, trade, government, communication, financial services, and transportation. About 15 percent work in manufacturing, mining and construction.