1. The Role Geography Culture
and Economic Activities in the
Filipino Identity
2. The Philippines is composed of over 7000 islands, out of which only approximately 2000
are inhabited, lying in the western Pacific Ocean. The nation is south of Taiwan and east
of Vietnam, bounded in the west by the South China Sea and in the south by the Sulu and
Celebes Seas. Given its complex history, marked by successive waves of human migration
and periods of colonisation, the Philippine archipelago has given rise to multiple
ethnicities and dialects..
3. In the period since independence, achieved in 1946, the nation has faced
successive decades of political instability, internal armed insurgencies and
corruption. Since 2010, however, the nation has witnessed a period of sustained
economic growth and increased efforts to curb corruption under President
Benigno Aquino III. Macroeconomic fundamentals have improved, as has
transparency, and the country’s biodiversity, natural resources and young
demographics have been increasingly recognised as assets.
4. Geography
The Philippine archipelago, which is positioned in the western Pacific Ocean,
is divided into three distinct administrative and geographic regions. The
northern region of Luzon, home to the capital city of Manila, is the economic,
financial and administrative centre of the country and its industrial base.
Visayas comprises the Philippines’ central islands, where much of the
country’s abundant biodiversity and tourism destinations are located, whereas
Mindanao, the country’s second-largest island, makes up the southern-most
region and is a largely rural economy. The country is subdivided into 18
regions, with the Metro Manila area accounting for 17 highly urbanised cities
and one municipality.
5. The nation’s strategic positioning as a gateway between the Pacific and the rest
of Asia, in particular its proximity to the region’s two largest economies, China
and Japan, provides it with several vital sea routes for trade and commerce.
However, China’s expanding footprint in the region and dispute over territory
in the South China Sea is putting bilateral trade between the two nations at risk.
