Philippines

1 Chapter Basic knowledge

    • Basic Knowledge about the Philippines

       

       a.   Official Name of the Country

       

      The full name of the Philippines is “Republic of the Philippines” in English (“Republika ng Pilipinas” in Filipino).

      b.    National Flag

       

       

      The National Flag of the Philippines (Filipino: Pambansang Watawat ng Pilipinas) is a horizontal flag bicolor with equal bands of royal blue and scarlet, and with a white, equilateral triangle at the hoist. In the center of the triangle is a golden-yellow sun with eight primary rays, each representing a Philippine province. At each vertex of the triangle is a five-pointed, golden-yellow star, each of which representing one of the country's three main island groups - Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

       
       

       

      A unique feature of this flag is its ability to indicate a state of war if it is displayed with the red side on top


      a.    The Philippine Territory
      The Philippine archipelago which is comprised of 7,107 islands and which is one of the largest island groups in the world, is located off the south-east coast of Asia and sprawls between Asia mainland and Australia between latitude 21°25'N and 4°23'N and longitude 116°E and 127°E. The strategic location of the country, so close to the Asian mainland at around 800 kilometers (500 miles), has allowed it to develop as a cultural crossroad through centuries of correspondence and trade with other nations. The land area of the Philippines is approximately 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 miles). The Philippines is currently considered the 64th-largest country in the world. 4,000 of its islands are named and 1,000 are inhabited. It is divided into three major island groups, with Luzon as the largest at 147,947.63 sq. km., Visayas, 59,873.84 sq. km. and Mindanao, 135,626.85 sq. km.  Owing to its numerous high mountains and/or volcanic landforms and extensive valleys and plateaus interspersed with many rivers and lakes, the country’s terrain is diverse.
      b.   Capital
      Manila is the capital city of the Philippines. It has a population of 1.78 million as of Aug 1, 2015 and an area of 42.88 km2 (16.56 sq mi). It is located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay and is bordered by the cities of Navotas and Caloocan to the north; Quezon City and San Juan to the northeast; Mandaluyong to the east; Makati to the southeast, and Pasay to the south.
      The city is politically divided into six legislative districts and geographically into: Binondo, Ermita, Intramuros, Malate, Paco, Pandacan, Port Area, Quiapo, Sampaloc, San Andres, San Miguel, San Nicolas, Santa Ana, Santa Cruz, Santa Mesa and Tondo.
      The country has 81 provinces, of which 15 are landlocked and 16 are island provinces. The center for trade and commerce, the National Capital Region has a population of 12.88 million.
      c.   Climate
      Due to its geographical location, the Philippines has a Tropical Rainforest Climate all over the country. Rainfall is expected in almost every month. Temperature and humidity are high for the whole year. The country experiences rainy wind coming from the southwest, also known as monsoons and typhoons for the whole year. The two seasons in the country based on the amount of rainfall is the wet season and the dry season; although most areas of the country experience rain all throughout the year. Based on temperature, the seven warmest months of the year are from March to October; the winter monsoon brings cooler air from November to February. May is the warmest month, and January, the coolest.
       
      d.   Time difference

      Philippine Standard Time is maintained by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). The Philippines shares the same time zone with Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, most parts of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Brunei, Central Indonesia, and Western Australia.
       
      g. Population
       
      In a population census by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Population Division, the current population of the Philippines as of January 1, 2016 was estimated to be 101,498,763, with an increase of 1.58% (1,579,720 people) compared to population of 99,919,043 the year before. The population growth rate (average annual %) from 2010-2015 is at 1.7%, with urban population growth rate at 1.3% and rural population growth rate at 2.0% respectively
      . The sex ratio of the total population was 1.006 (1,006 males per 1,000 females) which is lower than global sex ratio.
      In 2015, the natural increase was positive as the number of births exceeded the number of deaths by 1, 724,603. Due to external migration, the population declined by 144,883. The Philippines ranks 12th in terms of projected population by 2016 with the median age of its people at 24 years old. In relation to this, the total dependency ratio of the population in the Philippines is 63.7 %, which means that the working population (labor force) in Philippines must provide goods for itself and cover expenditure on children and aged persons (this population is more than a half of working population), and that the dependent part of population is more than half of the working part.
       
      h.   Language
       
      Since the country is made up of thousands of several islands, diversity is a primary feature of its culture. The Filipino languages have been influenced by many other language groups throughout their history, and also influenced by each other. Each of its 18 administrative divisions or regions use different dialects or regional languages. As of 2015, it has 2 official languages and 19 regional languages namely: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Waray, Kapampangan, Coastal Bikol, Pangasinan, Meranaw, Tausug, Maguindanao, Chavacano, Kinaray-a, Surigaonon, Masbateño, Aklanon, Ibanag, Yakan and Eskayan. The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that for purposes of communication and instruction, the official languages of the Philippines are Filipino and English. The regional languages are the auxiliary official languages in the regions and shall serve as auxiliary media of instruction therein. Spanish and Arabic shall be promoted on a voluntary and optional basis. In line with this setting, the ability to speak a language or dialect is important since more than one dialect/language are used as teaching media in schools and understanding such data serves as input to studies on communication and education of linguistic minorities.  Moreover, the K-12 educational system, which was passed into law in May 2013, requires that the Filipino children’s dialect or mother tongue will be included in the early learning curriculum and will be used as medium of instruction for some subjects (see further discussion on Educational System)
      Although Filipino is one of the official languages of the country, it is Tagalog-based and for this reason, using it to communicate while in regions other than those in Luzon may be problematic. As such, for purposes of business and trade, foreign investors are advised to use English. Also, most of the government forms and processes are in this language.  Other official transactions and documents such as legal forms are also in English.
       
      i.     Educational System
       
      As of 2008, the basic or simple literacy rate in the Philippines is at 95.6% while the functional literacy rate is at 86.40%. Simple/Basic Literacy refers to the ability of a person to read and write with understanding a simple message in language or dialect. Functional Literacy refers to a person who can read, write and compute or one who can read, write, compute and comprehend. According to the UNESCO Statistics Division, 96.29% of adult population (aged 15 years and above) in Philippines are able to read and write. The expenditure of the government on education (% of GDP) from 2007-2013 is 2.7 %.
      The central goal of the Philippine Education for All 2105 National Action Plan (prepared in 2006) is basic competencies for all that will bring about functional literacy for all. Ensuring that every Filipino has the basic competencies is equivalent to enabling all Filipinos to be functionally literate. This means having the complete range of skills and competencies, cognitive, affective and behavioural, which enable individuals to:
      ·         live and work as human persons;
      ·         develop their potentials;
      ·         make critical and informed decisions; and
      ·         function effectively in society within the context of their environment and that of the wider community (local, regional, national and global) in order to improve the quality of their lives and that of society.
      Education in the Philippines is managed and regulated by the Department of Education, commonly referred to as the DepEd. The Department of Education controls the Philippine education system, including the curriculum used in schools and the allocation of funds. It also regulates the construction of schools and other educational facilities and the recruitment of teachers and staff.
      Before Philippine Independence in 1946, the country's education system was patterned on the system of its colonial powers, Spain and the United States. However, after Philippine independence, its educational system changed radically.
      Until 2013, the basic education system was composed of six years of elementary education starting at the age of 6, and four years of high school education starting at the age of 12. Further education was provided by technical or vocational schools, or in higher education institutions such as universities.
      With the passage of Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, the country started to transition from its old 10-year basic educational system to a K–12 educational system, as mandated by the Department of Education. The new 12-year system is now compulsory, along with the adoption of new curriculum for all schools. The transition period will end with the 2017–2018 school year, which is the graduation date for the first group of students who entered the new educational system.
      i. Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013
      Section 4 of the law provides:
      ·         Kindergarten Education
      -1 year
      -Preparatory education for children at least five (5) years old as a prerequisite for Grade 1.
       
      ·         Elementary Education
      -6 years
      -Second stage of compulsory basic education
      -Entrant age to this level is typically six (6) years old.
      ·         Secondary Education
      -6 years of i.) 4 years junior high school
                     ii.) 2 years senior high school education
         -Third stage of compulsory basic education
           -The entrant age to the junior and senior high school levels are typically    
           twelve (12) and sixteen (16) years old, respectively.
       
      Other Highlights of RA 10533
      -Basic education shall be delivered in languages understood by the learners as the language plays a strategic role in shaping the formative years of learners.
      -For kindergarten and the first three (3) years of elementary education, instruction, teaching materials and assessment shall be in the regional or native language of the learners. The Department of Education (DepEd) shall formulate a mother language transition program from Grade 4 to Grade 6 so that Filipino and English shall be gradually introduced as languages of instruction until such time when these two (2) languages can become the primary languages of instruction at the secondary level.
      -Other language or first Language (LI) refers to language or languages first learned by a child, which he/she identifies with, was identified as a native language user of by others, which he/she knows best, or uses most. This includes Filipino sign language used by individuals with pertinent disabilities. The regional or native language refers to the traditional speech variety or variety of Filipino sign language existing in a region, area or place.
      j.     Currency
      The Philippine peso (Filipino: piso; sign: ₱; code: PHP), also referred to as piso, is the official currency of the Philippines. The Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas' Security Plant Complex prints Philippine banknotes and its mint and gold refinery produce currency coins.
       
      k.   Religion
       
      In terms of religion, the Philippines is strikingly different from its neighboring Southeast Asian countries. Most of its people are Roman Catholic (86%) and the rest either belong to nationalized Christian cults (6%) or to over 100 Protestant denominations. On the southern islands of Mindanao, Sulu, and Palawan, 4% are Muslims. In isolated mountainous regions, the remaining 2% follow non-Western, indigenous beliefs and practices. The Chinese community has also been influential in shaping Filipino Catholicism with many of the beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.

       

       
       
       
       

    • Politics and History

       a.   A Brief History of the Philippines

       

       

       
       

      i.             Pre-Hispanic Period to Pre- Martial Law

       

       

       
       

      Archaeological findings throughout the country have proved the existence of pre-historic communities. Among the ornaments of various kinds found during these expeditions, the earliest found were taken from the Manunggul Cave in Palawan and Lallo in Cagayan

      .  One of the most famous discoveries showed evidence of Neolithic society and culture and culminated in the wide-ranging discoveries by Otley Beyer. He found shell middens in Lallo, two adzes and one chisel in Isabela, a trapezoidal adze in Ifugao, Basconian adzes in Bataan, a trapezoidal adze in Pampanga, varieties of neolithic materials in Novaliches dam, Rizal, a bark-cloth beater in Cavite, jars, stone tools, and shells in Sorsogon and Albay, between 100 and 500 BC, a large polished stone adze in Palawan, etc.

      Pre-Hispanic Philippines is composed of independent federal state-like chiefdoms ruled by rajahs and datus. The most well-known of which are the Kingdom of Tondo, Huangdom of Pangasinan, Huangdom of Mai, Kedatuan of Madja-as, Rajahnate of Cebu, Rajahnate of Butuan, Sultanate of Lanai, Sultanate of Sulu and Sultanate of Maguindanao. These chiefdoms have their own rulers and maintain separate trade and commercial relations with each other, as well as with other Asian countries like China and Japan. Some send tributes to Chinese and Japanese kingdoms of that era.

      In 1521, an expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines but it was only after the arrival of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi that the Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines was established. The reign of Spain in the country heralded the galleon trade which lasted for two and a half centuries.  Four hundred years of Spain’s rule in the country has shaped its culture and its people. This is evident not only in the use of Spanish terms in the Filipino language but more obviously in the primary religion of the country which is Roman Catholicism. Filipinos have also adapted Spanish customs and traditions. Emilio Aguinaldo declared Philippine Independence from Spain in Kawit, Cavite on June 12, 1989. However, the Treaty of Paris in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War transferred control of the Philippines to the United States.

      During the American period, the thrust of the United States colonial government is on education. The Americans used this as a tool in spreading their cultural values and in teaching the English language. Partial self-government under U.S. supervision began in 1935, but was interrupted by the Japanese attack and occupation of the islands during World War II. The Philippines was granted full independence in 1946. What followed is a period of peaceful democratic rule for 26 years. This was broken by the declaration of Martial Law in 1972.

       

       

       
       

      ii.            EDSA 1: People Power Revolution of 1986

       

       

       

       
       

      The term "People Power" was born in the actions of hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in February 1986, when citizens overthrew the Marcos dictatorship in an eighteen-day uprising.  Epifanio Delo Santos Avenue (popularly known as EDSA), a major thoroughfare in the country, was filled with protesters from different sections of society. In a military mutiny supported by the Catholic hierarchy, the country saw the ouster of the dictator and the return of democracy.

       

       

       
       

      The People Power Revolution of 1986 can be traced back to a chronology of events that lead to Marcos' fall and exile:

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         January 30, 1970 : Black Friday; 6 people were killed by police attack on protest

      ·         September 21, 1972: President Ferdinand Marcos declares martial law

      ·         August 21, 1983: Benigno Aquino was assassinated

      ·         February 7, 1986: Snap presidential election between Marcos and Corazon Aquino

      ·         February 9, 1986: 30 election tabulators walk out in protest of Marcos' people rigging results

      ·         February 16, 1986: More than 1 million people rally in Rizal Park against Marcos

      ·         February 22, 1986: 4-day People Power Revolution (EDSA 1) begins with mutiny in the military

      ·         February 26, 1986: Marcos goes to exile in the United States

       

       

       
       

      iii.           EDSA 2: People Power Revolution of 2001

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      Following an impeachment trial that started in December 2000 due to allegations of jueteng proceeds he was receiving from all over the country, then President Joseph Estrada was ousted from office following what would be known as EDSA 2. This derived its name from the first People Power demonstration that ended the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. After a four-day political protest from January 17 to 20, 2001, then Vice-President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was sworn in as President hours after Estrada fled Malacanang Palace.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      iv.          9 years of Arroyo Government

       

      Following her ascension to the presidency through EDSA 2, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo became the fourth President of the Fifth Republic and held this position for two terms, from January 20, 2001 to June 30, 2010 after winning in the 2004 Presidential elections. Her administration is a nine-year struggle to achieve political unity and revive the Philippine economy.

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      Despite her promise to create more jobs and to alleviate poverty in the country, only the following items can be considered as accomplished during her term:

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      1. Economic Growth

      -In terms of gross domestic product (GDP), average growth of 5.0% (Economic Indicators Table, National Economic Development Authority)

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      2. Passage of the Expanded Value -Added Tax (EVAT) Law

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      - implemented in November 2005, aiming to complement the country's revenue-raising efforts.

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      3. "All out Peace" policy and peace talks with rebel groups Moro Islamic Liberation Front, etc.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      4. Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA)

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      -a bilateral free trade agreement signed in Helsinki, Finland on September 9, 2006 by Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      v.           The Aquino Government: 6 years of stability

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      Benigno Simeon Aquino III, the only son of Filipino martyr, Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and former President Corazon C. Aquino won the 2010 presidential elections. His administration’s main campaign was dubbed as Daang Matuwid or Straight Path. The following are the programs and accomplishments of the government during his term of office are outlined in the Daang Matuwid: The Achievements of the Aquino Administration 2010-2016

      report on the government’s official website.

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      1. Economy

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      a. Competitiveness Ranking

      ·         2010- 109th out of 179 countries

      ·         2016- 70th out of 178 countries

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      b. Employment

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         1st Quarter 2010- 92.7%

      ·         1st Quarter 2016- 94.2% (1st Quarter)

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      c. Unemployment

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         1st Quarter 2010- 7.3%

      ·         1st Quarter 2016- 5.8%

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      d. Net Foreign Direct Investments

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2005-2010- $11.77 billion

      ·         2011-2015- $20.42 billion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      e. Gross Domestic Product Growth

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2009- 1.1%

      ·         2015- 5.8%

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      f. Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing Industry Revenue

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2010- $8.9 billion

      ·         2015- $22 billion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      g. Information Technology-Business Process Outsourcing Direct Employees

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2009- 444,811 employees

      ·         2015- 1.2 million employees

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      h. Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) Index

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         June 2010- 3,372.71

      ·         April 2015- 8,127.48

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      i. Tax Revenue

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2001-2009- P7.15 trillion

      ·         2010-2016- P8.73 trillion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      2. Social Welfare

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

          a. Basic Education Budget

      ·         2010- P161.4 billion

      ·         2016- P410.4 billion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           b. Beneficiaries of Conditional Cash Transfer(CCT) Program

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         As of June 2010- 786,523 Households

      ·         As of December 2015- 4,377,762 Households

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           c. Classrooms Built

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2005 to June 2010- 17,305

      ·         2010 to March 2016- 89,720 classrooms constructed

                                             - 95,429 classrooms programmed for construction

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           d. Poverty Incidence Rate

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         1st semester of 2009- 28.6%

      ·         1st semester of 2015- 26.3%

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           e. Social Services Budget

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2010- P415.8 billion (28% of National Budget)

      ·         2016- P1.1059 trillion (36.8% of the National Budget)

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           f. Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Program Graduates

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           July 2010-December 2015- 9,536,994

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      3. Good Governance

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

          a. Fight against Graft and Corruption

          July 2010-December 2015- 784 cases filed against tax evaders, smugglers,   

          and erring government officials through the Revenue Integrity protection    

          Services (RIPS), the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE)

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      4. Infrastructure

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

          a. Completed the Laguidingan Airport

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

          b. Started development of 9 new airports

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

          c. As of 2015- Currently rehabilitating 63 airports and 18 tourism ports

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

          d. Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         From Ramos-Arroyo, 1992-2009- 6 awarded projects

      ·         Aquino 2010-2015- 12 awarded projects

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           e. Railways

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      The North-South Railway Project was developed: a new railway line that will connect Malolos, Tutuban and Legazpi

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

            f. Roads and Bridges

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      July 2010-December 2015- 18,547 kilometers of the National Road Network

      107,579 lineal meters of national bridges were constructed, upgraded, improved and rehabilitated

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      5. Peace and Security

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           a. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Budget

      ·         Estrada Administration 1998-2001- P5.53 billion

      ·         Arroyo Administration 2001-2010- P26.22 billion

      ·         Aquino Administration 2010-2016- P59.24 billion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           b. AFP Modernization Projects

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         Estrada to Arroyo Administration 1998-2010- 45 completed projects

      ·         Aquino Administration 2010-2016- 68 completed projects

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           c. Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Budget Allocation

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2010- P10.4 billion

      ·         2016- P29.41 billion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      6. Tourism

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           a. Domestic Tourist Arrivals

      ·         2010- 29.1 million

      ·         2014- 54.6 million

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           b. Domestic Tourism Receipts

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2010- P713.8 billion

      ·         2014- P1.5 trillion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           c. International Tourism Receipts

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2010- P112.55 billion

      ·         2015- P227.62 billion

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

          d. International Tourist Arrivals

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2009- 3,017,099

      ·         2015- 5,360,682

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      7. Disaster Reduction and Adaptation

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           a. Anti-illegal Logging Campaign

      ·         2010- 197 cities/municipalities hotspots

      ·         2015- 23 cities/municipalities hotspots

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           b. Space Program

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      Diwata-1 is the first Filipino microsatellite, launched on March 23, 2016

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      8. Energy

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

           a. Power Projects

           July 2010-February 2016

      ·         70 commissioned power projects, with a capacity of 3,262 MW were added

      ·         60 incoming committed power projects nationwide that will provide an additional capacity of 5,404 MW

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           b. Renewable Energy

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      As of January 2016: 18,695 MW make up the total capacity of fossil fuel and renewable energy

      33.9% of which is renewable energy

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           c. Sitio Electrification

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         As of June 2011- 69% or 71,048 of the 103,489 sitios had electricity, leaving 32,441 sitios nationwide un-energized

      ·         As of April 2016- 100%, an additional 247 previously unidentified sitios were found and provided with power, making for a total of 32,688

      9. Agriculture

            a. Farm-to-Market Roads

      2011-2015- 2,921.90 kilometers of concrete, climate-resilient farm-to-market roads were constructed

      -The projects connected 4,789 barangays to main road networks and markets, benefitting more than 820,000 farmers

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           b. Fisheries Export

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2001-2009- 5.1%

      ·         2010-2013- 20.5%

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           c. Established Fisherfolk Registry

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2010- 50,000 municipal fisherfolk

      ·         As of May 2016- 1.69 million municipal fisherfolks

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

           d. Irrigation

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      ·         2001-2010- 144,016 hectares of new service areas generated in nine years

      ·         2011-2014- 164,230 hectares of new service areas generated in just four years

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      b.   Political System

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      The 1987 Constitution of the Philippines describes the Philippines as a democratic and republican state and provides that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      It is a republic with a presidential form of government wherein power is equally divided among its three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. This system of government is based on the Principle of Separation of Powers wherein the creation, alteration and repeal of laws is done by Congress, execution to the Executive, and settlement of legal issues to the Judiciary.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      The Congress is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Executive Branch is led by the President and the Vice President who are chosen by the people through a national election and serve for six years. The Judiciary is made up of the Supreme Court and lower courts that hold the power to settle controversies involving rights that are legally demandable and enforceable.

       

       

       

      c.   The relation between Japan and the Philippines

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

      The diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan during the Spanish colonial period were conducted through the consulate of Japan in Manila which was established in 1889 and re-opened in 1896. When the Philippine-American War broke out, some Japanese ultranationalist (shishi) fought alongside President Aguinaldo's army.

      After World War II, relations between the two nations formally started again when the Philippine Senate ratified the Reparations Agreement between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines on July 23, 1956.

      President Carlos P. Garcia visited Japan on December 1, 1958 to complement a previous visit by Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and was the first Philippine president to address the joint session of the Japanese National Diet on December 2, 1987. The Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation was approved in 1960. This allowed Japan to send instruments and machinery as reparation to the Philippines.

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      In 2006, the Philippines signed its first bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) in 50 years. The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) is a comprehensive bilateral trade and investment agreement between Japan and the Philippines aimed at increasing trade and investment opportunities between the two economies

      . The agreement was a result of negotiations between the two nations during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s visit to Japan in December 2002. Formal negotiations which started in February 2004 eventually led to the signing of the agreement in Helsinki, Finland by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and President Arroyo.

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      The major elements of JPEPA are the immediate removal of tariffs on certain fruits, vehicles, steel products, electronic appliances, and garments. It was also agreed that the Philippines and Japan would accord national treatment and most-favored nation treatment to investors of each Party. The parties also undertake to provide the same privileges and rights as would be provided by the Party to investors of the foreign country.

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

       

       

       

       

       

       
       

      It covers 5,968 tariff lines of Philippine imports. The tariff on 66% (or 3,947 product lines) of these imported Japanese goods would be removed immediately and 32% would be subject to gradual tariff reduction once JPEPA enters into force. Some of these goods are automotive, iron and steel.