About the Philippines
The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia in the Western Pacific Ocean. Its tropical climate makes it endowed with natural resources and made it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world. The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 sq kms including inland bodies of water. Its 36,289 kms of coastline makes it the country with the 5th longest coastline in the world. It is categorized into three main geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Time zone for the whole country is 120° East Meridian Time and eight hours in advance of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Various ethnicities and cultures are found throughout the islands with a combination of eastern and western cultures and influences. However, Filipino and English remain to be the official languages of the country, which are both widely used in government, education, print, broadcast media, and businesses. The Philippines is one of the two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia. More than 90% of the population are Christians with about 80% belong to the Roman Catholic Church while 10% of which belongs to other religious groups. Between 5% and 10% of the population are Muslim, most of whom live in parts of Mindanao, Palawan, and the Sulu Archipelago.
Literacy and Education
In schools, English is the main language of instruction, although Filipino and local dialects are also being used. In business, English is also mainly utilized. The National Statistics Office reports a simple literacy rate of 93.4% and a functional literacy rate of 84.1% for 2003. According to the Department of Education (DepEd), there were 42,152 elementary schools and 8,455 high schools registered for the school year 2006-2007 while the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) lists 2,060 higher education institutions, 537 of which are public and 1,523 private.
The country produces 380,000 college graduates every year where around 70,000 came from the information and communications technology field and around 105,000 from IT-enabled accounting and finance field. The educational institutions in the country are striving to remain updated with the latest technologies in order to produce competent workforce.
Jobs and Employment
According to Facts and Figures released by the Congressional Planning and Budget Department, employment level grew by 1.7% year-on-year, increasing from 33.6 million in January 2008 to 34.3 million in January 2009. The services sector (commerce, finance, transportation, and a host of private and public services) remained the primary source of employment, accounting for 51.2% of total employment and growing by 3.8% from January 2008 to January 2009.
BPO Industry in the Country
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is an emerging industry in the Philippines and was regarded as one of the fastest growing industries in the world. It involves the contracting of a task to a third party provider. With more and more businesses realizing the potential of Filipino workforce, the Philippine’s BPO industry surged from 2,400 in 2000 to 446,000 in 2009 with the Philippines becoming a global powerhouse in the BPO industry not limited to customer services but other business sectors as well such as medical transcription, software development, game development, animation, and shared services such as human resources, accounting, and payroll outsourcing.
The Philippines became the top destination among a growing number of major US companies for BPO services. The city of Manila was named as the second top BPO destination in the Asia-Pacific region by the International Data Corporation (IDC), just three months after the Philippines was named as the ‘Offshoring Destination of the Year’ by the UK’s National Outsourcing Association last October 2007. The government’s Board of Investments expects more than 920,000 Filipinos working in BPO centers this year as businesses expand and new investors come in. Software development is among the subsectors, which had the highest revenue share of 20% or Php 21.9 billion. Generally, Philippine BPO is forecasted to earn USD 13 billion for the year 2010.
Many companies realize the advantage of the Filipinos. The low cost, high availability of skilled experts, and excellent communication skills are only some of the qualities that Filipino workers posses. The Philippines is one of the largest English-speaking countries in the world. In addition, the country has an excellent labor quality and high availability of knowledge-based workers. This is the reason behind the country’s unique competitive advantage in the realm of IT. Aside from holding the right skills and competencies, the country has also the sophisticated infrastructure that can adapt to clients preference. Thus naming the country as the “E-Services Hub of Asia.”
How to Get In and Transportation
International gateways in the Philippines are Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark, Subic, and Laoag. The leading gateway is the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila. It is attended by more than 30 airlines which fly to different cities around the world. Philippine Airlines, the country's flag carrier, has 32 international and 20 domestic points.
Aside from these, there are also major cruise liners that connect Manila to major ports, as well as ferry services that connect to the smaller islands. Jeepneys and buses are inexpensive ways of getting around most places. There are several bus terminals that connect Manila to other major destinations such as Bicol, Samar, Leyte, and Davao. Metered and fixed rate taxis are also widely available nationwide. In Metro Manila, the fastest way of commuting is via the railway system.
Tourist Destinations
Its unique location has made the Philippines the commercial, cultural, and intellectual hub of Asia from the dawn of history. Communications and getting around the country is easy as most Filipinos understand and speak English. Mobile phones are used throughout the archipelago. Foreigners can buy "pre-paid" SIM cards for their cell phones for temporary use in the country to avoid costly roaming charges. Also, foreign currency can easily be converted into Philippine Peso and all major credit cards are accepted at big department stores, restaurants, bars and major establishments.
Filipinos are a fun-loving and friendly people. Throughout the islands, there are festivals celebrated everyday and foreign guests are always welcome in their homes. Among the most frequently visited tourist spots in the Philippines are the capital city of Manila, Boracay Beach; Baguio - the summer capital of the Philippines, Bohol Island; Corregidor Island, Cebu City; Davao City, the Islands of Palawan, the Hundred Islands of Pangasinan, Puerto Galera Beach, the old Spanish colonial city and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, and the breathtaking Banaue Rice Terraces.
Tour packages, from day trips to five-day programs, are special ways of discovering the Philippines and its wealth of culture. Special interest activities include golfing, game-fishing, diving, white-water rafting and other aqua sports, trekking, spelunking, and safari trips.
You may check out http://www.tourism.gov.ph for more destination tips.
Information on tour itineraries may be also be obtained from the Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa), tel. (632) 893-0284, or from the Tourist Information Center located at the ground floor of the DOT Bldg. on T.M. Kalaw Street, Manila, tel. (632) 524-2384 / (632)524-1703.
