| The 7000-odd islands that comprise the Philippines are the forgotten
islands of southeast Asia. Off the main overland route and with a recent
history of martial law and endemic corruption, the country has struggled to
attract tourists in the numbers many of its southeast Asian neighbors have.
However, most of the Philippines is laidback, stable and relatively safe.
The locals are, by and large, an exceptionally friendly and helpful bunch.
On top of this, transport is cheap, the food is good, accommodation is
plentiful and English is widely spoken.
The Philippines has been dogged by trouble. In 2000 a Brussels-based
research centre declared the Philippines the most disaster-prone country on
earth. It named typhoons, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, garbage
landslides and military action against Muslim insurgents as just some of the
problems both locals and tourists have had to deal with.
Pearl of the Orient
The Philippines were ceded by Spain to the US in 1898 following the
Spanish-American War. They attained their independence in 1946 after being
occupied by the Japanese in World War II. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand
MARCOS ended in 1986 when a widespread popular rebellion forced him into
exile. In 1992, the US closed down its last military bases on the islands.
The Philippines has had two electoral presidential transitions since Marcos'
removal by "people power." In January 2001, the Supreme Court declared
Joseph ESTRADA unable to rule in view of mass resignations from his
government and administered the oath of office to Vice President Gloria
MACAPAGAL-ARROYO as his constitutional successor. The government continues
to struggle with ongoing Muslim insurgencies in the south.
THE PHILIPPINES stands at the crossroads of the developed western world
and the Orient. It lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, stretching more than
1,840 kilometers. Composed of 7,107 islands, the Philippines is readily
accessible to the different capitals of the world. Its three main islands
are Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The South China Sea washes its western
shores. Taiwan, China and Hong Kong are northern neighbors and further north
is Japan. To the west lie Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore,
Malaysia and Thailand. An arm of the archipelago reaches out towards Borneo
and at its feet stands the chain of Indonesian islands. To the east and
south, the waters of the Pacific Ocean sweep its headlands, looking out
towards Micronesia and Polynesia. Its unique location has made the
Philippines the commercial, cultural and intellectual hub of Asia from the
dawn of history.
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