Location: The Philippines is located at the heart of Southeast Asia. It is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean on the east, the Celebes (sulawesi) Sea on the south, and the South China Sea on the west and north.
Geography: Three main island groups: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Capital: Manila
Political Subdivisions: 17 regions, 79 provinces
Political Systems: The 1987 constitution provides for a presidential system of government with a bicameral parliament and three (3) equal branches: executive, legislative and judiciary.
Population: 79.5 million (2002)
Population Density: 255 persons/sq. km. (as of May 2000)
Literacy Rate: 93.9%
Labor Force: 33.7 million (January 2003)
Employment Rate: 89.4% (January 2003)
Ethnic Stock: Christian Malay - 91.5%, Muslim Malay - 4%, Chinese - 1.5%, Others - 3%
Languages Spoken: Filipino, English, Spanish, Chinese, eight (8) major local dialects
Major Religions: 85% are Roman Catholics the rest are Protestants and Muslims.
Climate: Tropical with temperatures ranging from 23 to 32 degrees Celsius. Two distinct seasons: Wet (June to Oct) and Dry (Nov to May)
Currency Unit: Philippine Peso (US$1=Php52 as of March, 2006)
Business Hours: 0800 - 1700 (Private/Gov't Offices); 0900-1500 (Banks); 1000-2100 (Malls/Stores)
Time Zone: GMT +8 hours
Average Flying Hours: Bangkok 3:00, Brunei 2:30, Brussels 14:16, Frankfurt 13:00, Hong Kong 1:20, Jakarta 4:25, Kuala Lumpur 4:30, London 14:00, New York 17:30, Paris 16:40, San Francisco 12:00, Seoul 4:00, Shanghai 2:20, Singapore 3:00, Sydney 7:50, Taipei 1:20, Tokyo 3:35, Vietnam 2:30
GNP growth rate: 5.2% (2002)
Readl GDP growth rate: 4.6% (2002)
Inflation: 3.1%(2002)
Export Value: US$35.1 billion (2002)
Export Growth Rate: 9% (2002)
Major Industries: Electronics and electrical machinery, Food and beverages, Chemicals, Footware, Garments, Petrochemicals
Major Exports: Electronic Components - 52.4%, Apparel and Clothing Accessories - 8.6%, Coconut Oil 1.5%, Petroleum Products 1.38%, Other products manufactured from imported products 1.36% (% of total exports as of December 2002)
Major Imports: Electronic Components - 24.4%, Office and EDP Machines -10.3%, Mineral Fuels - 9.0%, Telecommunication Equipment - 7.6%, Transport Equipment - 5.2% (% of total imports as of December 2002)
Top 10 Export Markets Markets: United States - 23.56%, Japan - 15.79%, Hong Kong - 8.20%, Netherlands - 7.54%, Singapore - 6.88%, Taiwan - 6.50%, Malaysia - 4.87%, China - 4.02%, South Korea 3.84%, Germany 3.57% (% share as of December 2002)