The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It is situated in the western Pacific Ocean and consists of around 7,641 islands that are broadly categorized under three main geographical divisions from north to south: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The Philippines is bounded by the South China Sea to the west, the Philippine Sea to the east, and the Celebes Sea to the southwest. It shares maritime borders with Taiwan to the north, Japan to the northeast, Palau to the east and southeast, Indonesia to the south, Malaysia to the southwest, Vietnam to the west, and China to the northwest. The Philippines covers an area of 300,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi) and, as of 2021, it had a population of around 109 million people, making it the world's thirteenth-most-populous country. The Philippines has diverse ethnicities and cultures throughout its islands. Manila is the country's capital, while the largest city is Quezon City; both lie within the urban area of Metro Manila.
The economy of the Philippines is the world's 40th largest economy by nominal GDP and the 17th largest economy in Asia according to the estimates conducted by International Monetary Fund in 2022. The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing emerging markets, and the 4th highest economy in Southeast Asia by nominal GDP in 2021.
Legazpi, officially the City of Legazpi, is a 1st class component city and capital of the province of Albay, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 209,533. Legazpi is the regional center and largest city of the Bicol Region, in terms of population. It is the region's center of tourism, education, health services, commerce and transportation in the Bicol Region.
The Spanish influence on Filipino culture has been profound, having originated from the Spanish East Indies, which was ruled from Mexico City and Madrid. A variety of aspects of the customs and traditions in the Philippines today can be traced back to Spanish and Novohispanic (Mexican) influence.
BDO Unibank, Inc., commonly known as Banco de Oro (BDO), is a Philippine banking company based in Mandaluyong. In terms of total assets, the firm is the largest bank in the Philippines and 15th largest in Southeast Asia as of March 31, 2016. BDO Unibank is also a member of SM Group. It is also the largest bank in the country by market capitalization.
Equitable PCI Bank, Inc. was one of the largest banks in the Philippines, being the third-largest bank in terms of assets. It was the largest bank before it was overtaken by Metrobank in 1995. It is the result of the merger of Equitable Banking Corporation and Philippine Commercial International Bank or PCIBank. It was known for a wide range of services from savings to insurance and, through its wholly owned subsidiary Equitable Card Network, was the largest Philippine credit card issuer. The bank merged with Banco de Oro Universal Bank in early 2007, and is now branded as BDO as its new identity as part of the new Banco de Oro Unibank, Inc.
Tourism is an important sector for Philippine economy. The travel and tourism industry contributed 5.2%% to the country's GDP in 2021; this was lower than the 12.7% recorded in 2019 prior to the COVID-19 lockdowns. The country is known for having its rich biodiversity as its main tourist attraction. Popular destinations among tourists include Boracay, Palawan, and Siargao. Despite potential, the Philippines has lagged in tourism industry behind some of its Southeast Asian neighbors due to political and social problems.
Jaime Augusto Miranda Zóbel de Ayala II, also known as Jaime Augusto Zóbel, is a Filipino businessman from the prominent Zóbel de Ayala family. He currently serves as the chairman of Ayala Corporation. He succeeded his father, Jaime Zóbel de Ayala, as the company's president and CEO in 1994. He was the company's chairman and CEO from 2006 to 2020.
The Department of Trade and Industry is the executive department of the Philippine government tasked as the main economic catalyst that enables innovative, competitive, job generating, inclusive business, and empowers consumers. It acts as a catalyst for intensified private sector activity in order to accelerate and sustain economic growth through comprehensive industrial growth strategy, progressive and socially responsible trade liberalization and deregulation programs and policymaking designed for the expansion and diversification of Philippine trade – both domestic and foreign.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is the civil aviation authority of the Philippines and is responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air travel. The agency also investigates aviation accidents via its Aircraft Accident Investigation and Inquiry Board. Formerly the Air Transportation Office, it is an independent regulatory body attached to the Department of Transportation for the purpose of policy coordination.
Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr. is a management practitioner in the Philippines. He is the Chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the official chamber of commerce of the Philippines. He is the honorary chairman and president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).
Miguel B. Varela was a Filipino businessman, corporate lawyer, and management practitioner. He was the president and chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the largest business organization in the Philippines. He was also the president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), the largest association of employers in the country.
The relationship between the United States and the Philippines has historically been strong and has been described as a "special relationship". The former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, however, was supportive of a foreign policy that is less dependent on the United States, favoring one that prioritizes closer relations with China and Russia, although the Philippines and the U.S. have a mutual defense treaty dating from 1951 and as of 2019 are actively working on implementation of an enhanced defense cooperation agreement concluded in 2014. The Philippines is one of the oldest Asian partners of the United States and a strategically major non-NATO ally. The United States was consistently ranked as one of the Philippines' favorite nations in the world, with 90% of Filipinos viewing the U.S. and 91% viewing Americans favorably in 2002, 90% of Filipinos viewing U.S. influence positively in 2011, 85% of Filipinos viewing the U.S. and Americans favorably in 2013, and 92% of Filipinos viewing the U.S. favorably in 2015, and 94% having confidence in then-United States president Barack Obama, making the Philippines one of the most pro-American countries in the world.
Anna Marie Periquet is a Filipino-born entrepreneur advocate, businesswoman, socio civic leader, talk show host, 5-dance Latin dancesport athlete and champion, public servant, and a former member of the House of Representatives.
Alberto Victor Pil Fenix, Jr. is a Filipino business entrepreneur, starting, acquiring and growing enterprises where he is a stockholder, director and executive. His experience has been in several and varied fields. Currently, he is chairman and president of Fenix Management and Capital, Inc., his family investment holding and management company, president of Ivoclar Vivadent, Inc., a subsidiary of the worldwide and leading company in dental products Ivoclar Vivadent AG; and executive director of SPC Power Corporation which is a publicly-listed electric power and distribution company. He also sits in the boards of subsidiaries and affiliates of these companies, and as an independent director of another publicly-listed company, DM Wenceslao and Associates, Inc., a real estate development and construction company.
Laguna Northwestern College(LNC) is a non-sectarian, private college in Laguna, Philippines, founded on May 28, 1978 by the Entila family of San Pedro, Laguna. The Main Campus are in San Antonio, San Pedro City, Laguna.
Mongolia–Philippines relations refers to the diplomatic and cultural relations between Mongolia and the Philippines.
Plaza Cervantes is a public square in Binondo, Manila, bounded by Quintin Paredes Street to the east and Juan Luna Street to the west, near the Estero de Binondo. Dedicated to Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, it is one of three main plazas in Binondo, located between Plaza Moraga to the south and Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz to the north.
