Philippines

presidential republic

name: Manila geographic coordinates: 14 36 N, 120 58 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: derives from the Tagalog word may , meaning "there is," and nila , the local name for a shrub in the indigo family

chief of state: President Ferdinand "BongBong" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022) head of government: President Ferdinand "BongBong" MARCOS, Jr. (since 30 June 2022) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president with the consent of the Commission of Appointments, an independent body of 25 Congressional members that includes the Senate president (ex officio chairman) and is appointed by the president election/appointment process: president and vice president directly elected on separate ballots by simple-majority popular vote for a single 6-year term most recent election date: 9 May 2022 election results: 2022: Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. elected president; percent of vote - Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. (PFP) 58.7%, Leni ROBREDO (independent) 27.9%, Manny PACQUIAO (PROMDI) 6.8%, other 6.6%; Sara DUTERTE-Carpio elected vice president; percent of vote Sara DUTERTE-Carpio (Lakas-CMD) 61.5%, Francis PANGILINAN (LP) 17.8%, Tito SOTTO 15.8%, other 4.9% 2016: Rodrigo DUTERTE elected president; percent of vote - Rodrigo DUTERTE (PDP-Laban) 39%, Manuel "Mar" ROXAS (LP) 23.5%, Grace POE (independent) 21.4%, Jejomar BINAY (UNA) 12.7%, Miriam Defensor SANTIAGO (PRP) 3.4%; Leni ROBREDO elected vice president; percent of vote Leni ROBREDO (LP) 35.1%, Ferdinand MARCOS, Jr. (independent) 34.5%, Alan CAYETANO 14.4%, Francis ESCUDERO (independent) 12%, other 4% expected date of next election: 9 May 2028 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: Congress (Kongreso) legislative structure: bicameral

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 14 associate justices) judge selection and term of office: justices are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Judicial and Bar Council, a constitutionally created, 6-member body that recommends Supreme Court nominees; justices serve until age 70 subordinate courts: Court of Appeals; Sandiganbayan (special court for corruption cases of government officials); Court of Tax Appeals; regional, metropolitan, and municipal trial courts; sharia courts

history: several previous; latest ratified 2 February 1987, effective 11 February 1987 amendment process: proposed by Congress if supported by three fourths of the membership, by a constitutional convention called by Congress, or by public petition; passage by either of the three proposal methods requires a majority vote in a national referendum

ADB, APEC, ARF, ASEAN, BIS, CD, CICA (observer), CP, EAS, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS (observer), OPCW, PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

1.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 1.5% of GDP (2023 est.) 1.4% of GDP (2022 est.) 1.2% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP): Army, Navy (includes Marine Corps), Air Force Department of Transportation: Philippine Coast Guard (PCG); Department of the Interior: Philippine National Police Force (PNP) (2025) note 1: the PCG is an armed and uniformed service that would be attached to the AFP during a conflict note 2: the Philippine Government also arms and supports civilian militias; the AFP controls the Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units, while the Civilian Volunteer Organizations fall under PNP command

some variations in age based on the branch of service, but generally 18-27 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription (2025) note: as of 2023, women made up about 8% of the active military; women have attended the Philippine Military Academy and trained as combat soldiers since 1993

the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are responsible for territorial defense and assisting with internal security; much of the AFP's operational focus is on internal security alongside the Philippines National Police, particularly in the south, where several separatist insurgent, terrorist, and criminal groups operate and a considerable portion of the AFP is typically deployed; additional combat operations are conducted against the Communist People s Party/New People s Army, which is active mostly on Luzon, as well as the Visayas and areas of Mindanao; prior to a peace deal in 2014, the AFP fought a decades-long conflict against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a separatist organization based mostly on the island of Mindanao, which had up to 40,000 fighters under arms maritime security is also a priority; the AFP's naval forces conduct naval interdiction missions in support of security operations on the southern islands, including joint maritime patrols with Indonesia and Malaysia; rising tensions with China over disputed waters and land features in the South China Sea since 2012 have spurred the AFP to place more emphasis on blue-water naval capabilities, including acquiring larger warships such as guided missile frigates, corvettes, offshore patrol vessels, and landing platform dock (LPD) amphibious assault ships the Philippine military was formally organized during the American colonial period as the Philippine Army; they were established by the National Defense Act of 1935 and comprised of both Filipinos and Americans; the US and Philippines agreed to a mutual defense treaty in 1951; based on agreements signed in 2014 and 2023, the Philippine Government allows the rotational presence of US military forces, aircraft, and ships at up to nine bases in the Philippines; also in 2023, the US agreed to assist in modernizing Philippine defense capabilities, deepen interoperability, enhance bilateral planning and information-sharing, and combat transnational and nonconventional threats (2025)

$1.202 trillion (2024 est.) $1.137 trillion (2023 est.) $1.078 trillion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$10,400 (2024 est.) $9,900 (2023 est.) $9,500 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

5.7% (2024 est.) 5.5% (2023 est.) 7.6% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

3.2% (2024 est.) 6% (2023 est.) 5.8% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

39.9% of GDP (2017 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$106.99 billion (2024 est.) $103.588 billion (2023 est.) $98.832 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$161.154 billion (2024 est.) $151.441 billion (2023 est.) $152.638 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

2.2% (2024 est.) 2.3% (2023 est.) 2.6% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $65.069 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $93.871 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues and expenditures (excluding grants and social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

semiconductors and electronics assembly, business process outsourcing, food and beverage manufacturing, construction, electric/gas/water supply, chemical products, radio/television/communications equipment and apparatus, petroleum and fuel, textile and garments, non-metallic minerals, basic metal industries, transport equipment

sugarcane, rice, coconuts, maize, bananas, vegetables, tropical fruits, plantains, pineapples, cassava (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 118,277,063 (2024 est.) male: 59,227,092 female: 59,049,971

0.74% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 30.2% (male 18,234,279/female 17,462,803) 15-64 years: 64.3% (male 38,381,583/female 37,613,294) 65 years and over: 5.6% (2024 est.) (male 2,611,230/female 3,973,874)

16.02 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

5.8 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-2.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 70.8 years (2024 est.) male: 67.3 years female: 74.5 years

urban population: 48.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 2.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Tagalog 26%, Bisaya/Binisaya 14.3%, Ilocano 8%, Cebuano 8%, Illonggo 7.9%, Bikol/Bicol 6.5%, Waray 3.8%, Kapampangan 3%, Maguindanao 1.9%, Pangasinan 1.9%, other local ethnicities 18.5%, foreign ethnicities 0.2% (2020 est.)

Tagalog 39.9%, Bisaya/Binisaya 16%, Hiligaynon/Ilonggo 7.3%, Ilocano 7.1%, Cebuano 6.5%, Bikol/Bicol 3.9%, Waray 2.6%, Kapampangan 2.4%, Maguindanao 1.4%, Pangasinan/Panggalato 1.3%, other languages/dialects 11.2%, unspecified 0.4% (2020 est.) major-language sample(s): Ang World Factbook, ang mapagkukunan ng kailangang impormasyon. (Tagalog) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. note: data represent percentage of households; unspecified Filipino (based on Tagalog) and English are official languagesTaga; eight major dialects - Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinan

Roman Catholic 78.8%, Muslim 6.4%, Iglesia ni Cristo 2.6%, other Christian 3.9%, other 8.2%, none/unspecified 0.1 (2020 est.)

total population: 98.5% (2020 est.) male: 98.4% (2020 est.) female: 97% (2022 est.)

timber, petroleum, nickel, cobalt, silver, gold, salt, copper

Abu Sayyaf Group; Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army (CPP/NPA); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham East Asia (ISIS-EA) in the Philippines note 1: ISIS-EA factions include Daulah Islamiya-Lanao (aka Maute Group), Daulah Islamiya-Maguindanao, Daulah Islamiya-Socsargen, ISIS-aligned elements of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), ISIS-aligned elements of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) note 2: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

refugees: 2,342 (2024 est.) IDPs: 1,158,643 (2024 est.) stateless persons: 30 (2024 est.)

256 (2025)

total: 77 km (2017) standard gauge: 49 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 28 km (2017) 1.067-m gauge

total: 2,203 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 52, container ship 43, general cargo 955, oil tanker 207, other 946

total subscriptions: 135 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 144 (2022 est.)

percent of population: 84% (2023 est.)