The Philippines is evaluated a merging economy which has transformed from an agricultured- base to service and manufacturing economy

The Philippines at a glance

- Name of the country: the Philippine Republic

- Capital city: Manila

- National Day: 12 June 1898

- Geographical location: The Philippines is an archipelago that consists of 7,107 islands. It is adjacent to Taiwan Sea to the North, separated from Malaysia by Sulu and Celebes seas to the South and separated from Vietnam by the East Sea (about 1,500 kilometer from Vietnam) to the West. The East is surrounded by Pacific Ocean. 

- Area: 300,000 sq km

- Population: more than 100 million

- Languages: Tagalog. English is widely used as an official language in offices and schools

- Religion: Christian is official religion followed by about 85% of population. The remaining are Muslim (10%), Protestant (5%) and others.

 - Political institution: Republic. President is both head of state and head of government with 6-year term and not reelected for the second term. The legislature is Congress consisting of the upper house (Senate) and the lower house (House of Representatives). The Judiciary system of the Philippines is under management and supervision by the Supreme Court divided into four levels including Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, regional Trial Court, Metropolitan Trial Court, Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts in cities and Shari’a District Court.

Embassy of the Philippines in Vietnam

Address: 27B - Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi, Vietnam

Tel: (84-04) 39437873/39434493/39437948/39439826/39433849

Fax: (84-04) 39435760

Email: hanoi.pe@dfa.gov.ph; hnpe2000@gmail.com.

Website: hanoipe.org

Embassy of Vietnam in Philippines

Address: 670 Pablo Ocampo St, Malate, Manila, Philippines

Tel: +63-2-5216843

Fax: +63-2-5260472

Email: vnemb.ph@mofa.gov.vn/ vnembph@yahoo.com

The Philippine Archipelago used to be colony of the Spanish for over 350 years and colony of the US for nearly 100 years. Name of the country was originated when Ruy López de Villalobos named the Samar and Leyte islands into Las Islas Filipinas after the name of King Philip II of Spain during his unsuccessful expedition in 1543. This Archipelago used to have various names such as Spanish East Indies, Nueva Castilla and San Lázaro. At last, the name Filipinas was used as the whole Archipelago.

The Politics and Government

The Philippines has a democratic government headed by president who functions as both head of state and head of government and is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The bicameral Congress is composed of the Senate, serving as the upper house, with 24 members elected to a six-year term and a half retiring after a three-year term, and the House of Representatives, serving as the lower house, with 250 members elected to a three-year term.

The judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, composed of a Chief Justice as its presiding officer and fourteen associate justices, all of whom are appointed by the President from nominations submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council.

The Philippines is one of the founding and active members of the United Nations since its establishment on 14 October 1945. It is also a founding member of ASEAN, member of East Asia Summit (EAS) and active participant in APEC, Latin Union and Group of 24. It is a non-NATO ally of the US and is also a member of Non-Aligned Movement.

Culture

The culture of the Philippines is based on cultural traditions of variety of groups of native people including Tagalogs, Ilokanos, Visayans, Bikolanos and others. But it is also influenced by Chinese, Spanish and American culture.

Influence of the Spanish on Filipino culture originated from Mexico and Spanish culture which was resulted from more than three hundred years of colonization. Spanish influence can be seen in the customs and rituals related to Roman Catholicism especially in religious festivals.

Annually, the Filipino people nationwide celebrate festivals called Barrio Fiesta in honor of the Saints protecting their cities, villages and regions. The festival season is celebrated with holy days, parades, beauty contests, dances and various games and contests.

However, the most significant heritage of the Spanish is popular Spanish surnames in Filipino families. This is a unique feature among Asian countries which was a result of a decree under the colonial regime on distribution of surnames and the implementation of the Spanish naming system for the Filipino people.

Influence of China on the Filipino culture can be seen clearly in its food and cuisine. For instance, popularization of noodles called “mami” in local language and other dishes from meat are prominent evidence for Chinese origin. Other impacts include names originated from China.

Influence of American culture on the Philippines started more than one century ago. The most significant heritage is English which is widely used in communication. The most favorite sport is basketball. There are some other American culture trends developed in the Philippines such as fast food. In the Philippines, there are many fast food restaurants. In line with giants like Pizza Hut, Burger King, KFC, domestic fast food restaurants including Jollibee, Greenwich Pizza và Chowking are strongly developed.

Filipino people also fancy American music, dance, movies and American movie stars. However, their local code of ethics on family and elderly respect and friendliness are still preserved.

Economy

The Philippines is one of the biggest economies in South East Asia, which is considered an emerging economy transferring from an agriculture-based economy to service and manufacturing. In 2016, GDP of the Philippines is estimated at 811,726 billion US dollars.

The key export products of the Philippines include semi-conductors, electronic products, transport equipment, garment and textile, copper, petroleum, coconut oil and fruits. Major trading partners of the Philippines are Japan, China, the US, Singapore, Korea, Netherlands, Hong Kong, Germany, Taiwan and Thailand.

Currently, the Philippines is one of the fastest growing economies in the South East Asia. However, major problems remain, mainly having to do with alleviating the wide income and growth disparities between the country's different regions and socioeconomic classes, reducing corruption, and investing in the infrastructure necessary to ensure future growth.

Division of International Cooperation, DOFA