The Philippines offers a wide range of business opportunities. These opportunities are highlighted in the Investment Priorities Plan (IPP). The IPP lists the priority economic activities
300,000 sq km (115, 830 sq miles) spread over 7,101 islands
POPULATION
92.23 million (2009 census estimate)
CAPITAL
Metropolitan Manila
LOCAL TIME
GMT + 8 hours
PEOPLE
Filipinos are predominantly of Malay descent, although many have mixed ancestry such as Chinese and Spanish
LANGUAGES
Pilipino (derivative of Tagalog) and English are official languages, including some 150 more native languages, vernaculars, and dialects
PREVAILING RELIGIONS
Roman Catholic (83%), Protestant Denominations (8%), Muslim (4.6%), Iglesia ni Cristo (2.3%)
ESTIMATED AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY
70 years for men and 74 years for women (UN, 2008)
MONETARY UNIT
Philippine peso (with multi-currency acceptance for local transactions)
GOVERNMENT
Presidential (executive) with Bicameral Congress and Independent Judiciary
HEAD OF STATE AND HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
President (also Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces)
MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL GROUPINGS/ ORGANIZATIONS
United Nations (UN), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Trade Organization (WTO), World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Labor Organization (ILO), Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU), with evolving diplomatic and economic engagements
