1. Adé Jackson
1.Timeline:618-906 Philippine contact begins with Tang-dynasty, China
-1001- Butuan, a gold mining and trading center, sends its first tribute mission to Sung, China.
-1521-Ferdinand Magellan arrives in the Philippines and claims ALL the land for Spain.
-1863- The Educational Decree mandates the establishment of a public school system.
-1898- The United States declares war on Spain. Emilio Aguinaldo returns to the Philippines and declares independence on
June 12. The United States signs a peace treaty with Spain on December 10, purchasing the Philippines for $20 million. The
Philippine-American War would begin the following year and take at least 1 million lives.
-1946- Granted independence from the United States but still forced to have favorable tariffs for the United States,
protection for US investors, and a fixed dollar exchange rate.
-1960 The International Rice Research Institute is established with funding from the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations,
with a mission to develop new high-yielding varieties of rice.
-June 1991- Eruption of Mount Pinatubo- spewed 8 billion cubic meters of volcanic debris across Central Luzon. Over a
million people displaced. One American military base forced to close.
-October 1, 1995 Typhoon Mameng 1.3 Million people displaced.
These historical events continue to impact Filipino society as they precipitate the major health issues that malign the
country: malnutrition and drug addiction. It is evident that the situations of mass displacement greatly reduce resource
prevalence and availability. Additionally, the psychological damage of these events can lead people into drug use. Even
though education is widespread, the destruction of such schools by storms reduces the dissemination of information
regarding proper eating and living habits. The exchange of cultural traditions and exposure to foreigners led to the adoption
of similar societal norms, which made them susceptible to such ailments. By having a strong political system in place the
country has been able to begin to steadily fight these ailments systematically.
2. Ethnic Groups: The original inhabitants, the Negrito, now number only about 30,000. The majority of
Filipinos are from various Malayo-Polynesian groups, including the Tagalog (28%), Cebuano (13%),
Ilocano (9%), Hiligaynon Ilonggo (7.5%) and others.
+Religious Affiliations: Upwards of 80% of the population is Christian and 90% of Christian Filipinos are Roman
Catholics. The other religious groups include Muslims, around 5%, (concentrated in Southern and Western Mindanao), and
pagans (concentrated in the remote uplands of the larger islands).
+Languages Spoken: The official language is Filipino, which is based on the dialect of Tagalog. There are 8 major dialects

2. spoken in the Philippines, which are supported by seventy or so lesser native linguistic groups. English is the language of
commerce and of the professions, a required language of instruction (plus Pilipino and the local dialect), and the language of
the principal newspapers.
3. No single ethnic or cultural groups control political power because of the multiple political parties present in the country.
Major health institutions are both public and private so access is not controlled by any one group. Political power and many
modern health institutions are highly concentrated at the capital of Manila as it harbors 1/8 of the countries total population.
Over time there has been increased dispersal of resources for medical institutions on many more rural and less-developed
areas and islands.
4. The economic situation of the Philippines varies greatly by region, as some islands are fairly
developed while others languish in poverty and underdevelopment. Primary crops for farmers include
sugarcane, coconuts, and rice, while the manufacturing sector is able to provide a significant number of
jobs in the production of electronics and other machinery.
5. Government System:The Philippines has an American-style democracy, headed by a president who is
both head of state and head of government. The president is only limited to one 6-year term in office. A
bicameral legislature made up of a Senate and House of Representatives makes laws. Senators serve
for six years, representatives for three. The highest court is the Supreme Court, made up of a Chief
Justice and fourteen associates. Note: there were long periods of Spanish colonization followed by
American colonization and later dictatorship. This new system resulted after political uprisings in the
70s.
6. United States of America is the countries largest political, military and economic ally followed by Japan. Member of
European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the United Nations.
7. Political parties: Liberal Party (largest), Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (center right, religious), Nationalist People's
Coalition (Filipino nationalism, progressive), Nacionalista Party (conservative, neoliberal, nationalist), Pwersa ng Masang
Pilipino (populist), Partido Demokratico Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (social conservative, social democracy), Laban ng
Demokratikong Pilipino (liberal conservatism, social conservatism), and Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (national conservatism)
8. Major Uprisings: The Hulk Rebellions (1950s), NPA Rebellion (1970-Present), People Power Uprising (February 1986),
Estrada Protests (2001), Military revolt (June 27, 2003). These insurrections often center around land tenancy and

3. population pressures, but the most powerful centered around political fraud and calls for officials removal from office.
9. There is going to be a massive challenge of studying health problems in the Philippines because there are over 7,000
individual islands that differ in multitudes of ways. The difference between medical resources for urban versus rural areas is
apparent in technological funding. The presence of over 180 ethnolinguistic groups makes cultural variation prevalent.
There are still some local insurrections by warlords of the communist party. The variation and specific needs of particular
regions goes unnanounced when examining the health problems of the entire country.

4. Bibliography:
Abinales, P. N., and Donna J. Amoroso.State and Society in the Philippines. Lanham, MD: Rowman &
Littlefield, 2005. Print.
Pye-Smith, Charlie.The Philippines: In Search of Justice. Oxford, UK: Oxfam, 1997. Print.
Szczepanski, Kallie. "The Philippines | Facts AndÂvHistory."About.com Asian History. N.p., n.d. Web.
26 Jan. 2013.