Population: More than 70 million.
Ethnic Groups: Spanish-Filipino, Chinese-Filipino, Malay-Filipino(Filipino-Filipino).
Religion: Religion is very important. Over 85% Catholic. Prayers at school, sometimes before every class.
Language: English is the official language. Tagalog spoken in major cities. Outer islands have dialects ( Over 100 dialects in total )
History: Almost 500 years under Spanish rule (rich and educated people speak Spanish). Then, America (English as the official language comes from this era), then Japan, then America again, then England for a short time, and finally independence in 1945 (48???).
Ms Osti's hometown; Calamba, Laguna is the birthplace of national hero and martyre for independence Dr. Jose Rizal.
Politics: After independence there were several presidents leading up to the age of Fernando Marcos. Marcos declared martial law and ruled the Philippines for over 20 years He stole the wealth of the Philippnes and kept it for his family. He was ousted by President Ms Corazon Aquino, the wife of a politician murdered by the Marcos administration. Although Corazon Aquino was relatively clean, the Philippines has a history of problems with corruption.
  In the election this year (2003) an actor who knows nothing about politics, Fernado Poe, may be elected. This is another example of how the rich can do anything in the Philippines, even become president.

Note: Ms Osti wade is the founder of the NGO 'JFC' (Japanese-Philippino Children). It is a group that helps children in the Philippines who have Japanese fathers. The group helps the children learn about Japan, and in some cases assists the mother in contacting the father if his whereabouts are unknown.