SEAL: Social Standards Exchange of Experience in Southeast Asia and Practical Learning
Participating countries - Philippines
Country Profile: Philippines
- Full country name: Republic of the Philippines
- Area: 299,000 sq km
- Population: 81.5 million (2003)
- Capital: Manila (Population: 10 million)
- People: Over 95% ethnically Malays; Chinese and Muslim minorities and mestizos
- Major language: Tagalog (Filipino), English
- Major religion: Christianity
- System of Government: Presidential system based on the Constitution of 1987
- Head of State and Government: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (from 20 January 2001)
- Life expectancy: 68 years (men), 72 years (women)
- GDP: 85.2 billion Euro (2003)
- GDP per capita: 1051 Euro (2003)
- Annual Growth: 4.5% (2003)
- Inflation: 6.0% (2004)
- Major Industries: Electronic and electrical products, textiles
- Major Trading Partners: USA, Japan, Taiwan
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Economy
Due to the rigorous deregulation and liberalisation of the economy and the privatisation of national monopolies over the nineties the Philippines were less affected by the Asian economic crisis than other countries of the region. The economic policy of the country aims at stability and growth. Considering that in the first quarter of 2004 the gross domestic product grew by 6,4% (2002: 4.6%, 2001: 3.2%), which has been the highest growth rate since the Asian crisis, this strategy seems to be quite successful.
On the other hand unemployment (10.2% in January 2003) and under-employment (about 25%) remain problems. Another matter of concern is the public budget deficit, which reached 5.6% of GDP in 2002 (4% in 2001). After a serious decline in export revenues in 2001, the Philippines accomplished a reversal of trend in 2002 with an export growth rate of 9.5%.
Electronic and electrical products as well as textiles are the most important export items, the US (34%), Europe (15%), Japan (17%) and the ASEAN states (19%) the largest target markets. The volume of trade between the Philippines and Germany reached about US$ 2.4 billion in 2001.
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Development cooperation
Just like Vietnam the Philippines are also a focal country of German development cooperation in Asia. So far Germany made available about EUR 800 million, a further EUR 91 million has been committed but not yet called in. New commitments for 2003/2004 amount to EUR 68 million.
In his regional concept for Asia the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) names poverty reduction, protection of the environment and natural resources as well as democratisation and crisis prevention as the major problems German development cooperation should concentrate on.
To define a distinct role for German Development Cooperation in relation to other donor countries, the BMZ has agreed with the Philippine’s National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on a four priority strategy. These sectoral focal areas are:
- Health, Family, Population and HIV/AIDS
- Economic Reform and Development of the Market System
- Environmental Policy, Protection and Sustainable Use of Natural Resource Drinking water, Water Management, Sanitation / Waste Management
