The Philippines are a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 7107 islands that are categorized broadly under three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. With a population of about 100 million people, the Philippines is the seventh-most populated country in Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world.
Socio-Cultural Situation
The Philippines are confronted by many socio-cultural challenges, such as rapid population growth, poverty, ethnic and religious conflicts, and other social problems.
The country is characterized by high biodiversity. It is diverse in terms of ecosystems, genetic resources, species of flora and fauna, and culture.
Population
There are more than 70 ethnic groups that are spread throughout the islands.
18 % of the population consist of the so-called ethnic minorities who are mainly found in Mindanao and in parts of Luzon and the Visayas. Since 1997, these ethnic minorities have been legally referred to as “indigenous peoples” by virtue of the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA).
Adding to the ethnic complexity is the presence of several migrant populations, such as the Chinese, Indian, Spanish, American, and recently, Korean communities.
Religion
There are several religious traditions in the country. The majority of Filipinos (approximately 83 percent) consider themselves as Roman Catholics while the rest are Protestants (9 percent), Muslims (5 percent), and others, including animists (3 percent).The dominance of Roman Catholicism is attributed to the three centuries of Spanish colonial rule in the archipelago.
Economic Situation
The Philippines continue to experience economic difficulties as the high incidence of poverty, the unequal distribution of wealth, the diminishing buying power of the Philippine peso, high cost of commodities, lack of basic services, and the presence of slum communities in urban centers. Many of these problems could be traced from the elite-dominated power structure of the country compounded by the lack of economic planning and political foresight.
Another aspect is, that the delivery of services, such as health and education, could not catch up with the rapid growth of the population.
To escape the lack of economic opportunities in the country, many Filipinos have moved to different parts of the world to work as overseas contract workers (3.6 million in 2004).
In March/April 2015 I spent 3 weeks in the Philippines. During the vacation I had the chance to visit 3 social organizations in different cities. This project was a self-organized study trip for my Social Work studies.
Source: Castro, Nestor (2011): The Socio-Cultural Situation in the Philippines. In: https://www.academia.edu/1304707/The_Socio-Cultural_Situation_in_the_Philippines
