The Philippines

The Philippines is bordered by the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

It has three major island groups which are the Luzon, the largest island and where the capital is located; Visayan, and Mindanao. Eleven islands make up 94 percent of the Philippine landmass, and two of these--Luzon and Mindanao--measure 105,000 and 95,000 square kilometers, respectively. They, together with the cluster of the Visayan Islands that separate them, represent the three principal regions of the archipelago (many scattered islands in a large body of water) that are identified by the three stars on the Philippine flag.

The climate is dry and hot from March to May and wet during typhoon season from June to October. The national language of the Philippines is Filipino although there are several other dialects. As with many formerly colonized nations English is the language used for most business and legal transactions. Cantonese, and Mandarin are spoken by older members of the Filipino-Chinese community. Most Filipinos belong to the Roman Catholic faith. Filipinos also practice Islam and Buddhism. Of the 70 million people residing in these islands, 70% are farmers making agriculture the most important economic activity.

Many of the farmers do not own their own land and have to rent. A great portion of individual harvest are used to pay landlords. Typhoons, monsoons and volcanoes are among the natural disasters which greatly affect farmers in this region. There are 37 volcanoes in the Philippines 28 of which are active. Three of the most known volcanoes are found in the northern island of Luzon, Mount Pintaubo, Mount Mayon, and the Taal volcano. In 1992, although its citizens had many reasons to hope for a brighter future, the Philippines was a nation plagued with many economic and political problems. These problems had been aggravated by a series of natural disasters. In July of 1990 in northern Luzon a massive earthquake struck. Later that year there was a devastating typhoon in the central Visyas. Subsequently, the Mount Pinatubo volcano in Central Luzon erupted in early June of 1991. The eruption covered the surrounding countryside with molten ash and caused serious damage in the region.

Building construction is undertaken with natural disasters in mind. Most rural housing has consis...

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...ck. Chemical free rice farming appears to be a more cost-effective solution for individual farmers.

The tropics are effect by many weather conditions which makes the jobs of farmers difficult. Overall subsistence and the GNP are effected by changes in weather, which for the most part is not always predictable. In a world that is divided up into the haves and the have nots, government influence is crucial in regulating practices and the overall distribution of wealth Despite this fact, programs implemented did not always succeed in benefitting the Filipinos. One major attribute of the Philippines is the wide variety of crops produced in this region. Crops which many not be able to grow during the rainy season may grow during in the period of December - May when there is little rainfall (and vice versa).

References

1- Making a Difference: Organic farming in the Philippines http://www.cafod.org.uk/about_cafod/people/partners_in_asia/organic_farming_in_the_philippines

2- SRI Experience in the Philippines Robert Gasparillo, Broad Initiatives for Negro Development

3- Http://www.negros-occ.gov.ph/tables/tbl_landclass.htm

4- http://www.philippines.hv.nl