|
The Philippine Islands are made up of
over 7,000 islands in the northernmost group of the Malay Archipelago. The Philippines are the
summits of submerged volcanoes, about 20 of which are active. Earthquakes are
fairly common. Mountain peaks dominate the smaller islands. On larger islands such as Luzon and Mindanao,
valleys and open plains with large rivers run between mountain ranges. Of all
the islands 2,000 are inhabited. The Philippines have a tropical climate with
plentiful rain. During the rainy season, from May to November, typhoons
occasionally cause great damage. Rich mineral deposits include gold, copper,
and iron. About one-third of the land is covered by forests containing
banyan, palm, and rubber trees. Bamboo, cinnamon, clove, and pepper plants
grow wild. Manila hemp plants, also called abaca, yield fiber for textiles
and cord. Population The population of the Philippines is
now over 74,000,000. Filipinos are divided according to language and
religion. Larger groups include the Visayans, the Tagalogs, and the Ilocanos.
The official language is Filipino, but English is commonly used. 87 languages
and dialects are spoken. Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion.
Education is free and compulsory. Economy Although soil quality is poor,
agriculture employs more than two-fifths of workers. Subsistence crops are
rice, corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes. Copra, sugarcane, and tobacco are
the principal commercial crops. Lumbering, marine fishing, and mining are
important industries; manufacturing has expanded. The unit of currency is the
peso (24.29
pesos equal U.S.$1; 1992). Government Under the 1987 constitution, the chief
executive is a president elected to a single six-year term. The elected
legislature consists of a senate of 24 members, serving six-year terms, and a
house of representatives with a maximum of 250 members, serving three-year
terms. History The first people in the Philippines are
thought to have come from China and the Malay Archipelago Large groups from China and Vietnam
arrived, then people arrived from the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian
islands. By the 5th century AD, a new Filipino civilization had emerged from the mixture of
cultures. In the 13th century, Islam became established in the southern
islands. The first Europeans arrived in 1521.
Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan landed during his attempted
circumnavigation of the earth in the service of Spain and was killed by
Chieftan Lapulapu on Maktan, near modern Cebu City. A Spanish expedition in 1542
named the islands in honor of the future King Philip II, and during the late
1560s Spain gained control. Roman Catholic religious orders came to the
islands. Conversions were rapid; the church secured land, wealth and power.
THe people were kept in ignorance and poverty. No Bibles were available. The Philippines remained relatively
quiet until the late 19th century, when societies were organized to resist
Spanish authority. In 1896 an armed revolt began, but it was halted in 1897
after the Spanish agreed to reforms. Independence was decalred on June 12,
1898. As a result of the Spanish-American War in 1898, however, Spain ceded
the Philippines to the United States. The rebels then fought America in the
Philippine-American War and lost. This war lasted from 1899 until 1902,
when U.S. civil government replaced military rule. Agitation for independence
continued, led by Filipino government figures such as Manuel Luis Quezon,
Sergio Osmeņa, and Manuel Roxas. In 1934 the U. S. promised complete
Philippine independence by 1946, with a commonwealth government until then.
Quezon was elected president in 1935 and 1941. During World War II (1939-1945),
Japanese forces occupied the Philippines. In 1944 U.S. troops recaptured the
islands. Independence was achieved on July 4, 1946, when the Republic of the
Philippines was proclaimed. Cooperation with the United States
became the keynote of postwar policy. In 1947 the United States was awarded
long-term leases on military bases. Resistance to U.S. influence did occur:
Communist guerrillas action began soon after China was taken over by
communism. A series of presidents served over the years till in 1965
Ferdinand Marcos won the presidency. Rapid economic development brought
prosperity during Marcos's first term. His second term, however, was troubled
by civil unrest, including revolts by Communist rebels and Islamic
separatists. Marcos declared martial law in 1972 and thereafter ruled by
decree. President Marcos ended martial law in
1981 and won a new term as president. Opposition to his rule continued to
grow, however. In 1983 opposition leader Benigno Aquino was murdered. In the
1986 presidential elections, Marcos defeated Aquino's widow, Corazon, but
reports of election fraud stirred such opposition that Marcos fled the
country. Corazon
Aquino became president in 1987, but military unrest and economic discontent
threatened her government despite U.S. backing. In 1992
the Philippine
government rejected a treaty that would have allowed the United States
military to remain at bases in the Philippines, so all U.S. military left the
country. The 1992
presidential election was won by Fidel Valdez Ramos, who pursued an ambitious
economic reform program with wide popular support. Ramos was the first
non-catholic elected president and served the country well with great
accomplishments in peace and order as well as economic recovery. In 1998
Joseph Estrada, former movie actor, was elected president with strong Roman
Catholic church support. Since that time economic conditions have moveded up
and down, but generally have stayed positive despite the uncertainty in other
southeast Asian nations. All in all, Bible Christianity has grown in leaps
and bounds in the country. |