Philippines

The Philippines is an archipelago of around 7,000 islands in the South China Sea, subject to frequent typhoons that often cause substantial damage to the homes and livelihoods of the poorest. Following the colonial rule of Spain and the USA, the Philippines gained independence in 1946.

 

By regional standards the Philippines has one of the best-performing economies, however the country is burdened with a huge national debt, and is heavily dependent on the millions of Filipinos living abroad and sending money home.

 

Despite the government’s attempts to stabilise the economy, many Filipino families are pushed into poverty by very low wages and very high living costs and taxes; nearly half of the population lives on less than $2 a day.

 

The Philippines has the highest birth rate in Asia; this is partly due to the strong influence of the Catholic Church throughout the country and its opposition to artificial methods of contraception. It is feared the population could double within the next three decades putting a severe strain on resources.

 

Increasing trends of family separation, urban poverty and dangerous drugs impact negatively on children’s life chances. Security is an additional concern for many Filipinos. A separatist conflict on Mindanao in southern Philippines has claimed 120,000 lives in 30 years. Other separatist groups also remain active and many people live with the constant threat of violence.