Philippines (Double Collapse)

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Philippine Republic Republikang Pilipino (Filipino) "República Filipina" (Spanish) Timeline: Double Collapse: The Entire Collapse of Communism OTL equivalent: Philippines
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem:  Lupang Hinirang "Chosen Land"
Capital		Manila (de jure) Metro Manila (de facto)
Largest city		Quezon City
Official languages		English, Filipino, Spanish
Regional languages		Tagalog, Cebuano, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Kapampangan, Waray, Pangasinense, Chavacano
Demonym		Filipino (masculine and neutral) Filipina (feminine)
Government		Unitary parliamentary republic
-	President	Francisco Domagoso
-	Prime Minister	Francis Pangilinan
Legislature		Batasang Pambansa
Population
-	2022 estimate	110,000,000
GDP (PPP)		2021 estimate
-	Total	▲ $1.0 trillion (29th)
Internet TLD		.ph
Calling code		+63

The Philippines which also known officially as the Philippine Republic (Filipino: Republikang Pilipino; Spanish: República Filipina ), 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 the Taiwanese region 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.

Negritos, some of the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, were followed by successive waves of Austronesian peoples. Adoption of animism, Hinduism and Islam established island-kingdoms called Kedatuan, Rajahnates, and Sultanates. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer leading a fleet for Spain, marked the beginning of Spanish colonization. In 1543, Spanish explorer Ruy López de Villalobos named the archipelago Las Islas Filipinas in honor of Philip II of Spain. Spanish settlement through Mexico, beginning in 1565, led to the Philippines becoming ruled by the Spanish Empire for more than 300 years. During this time, Catholicism became the dominant religion, and Manila became the western hub of trans-Pacific trade. In 1896, the Philippine Revolution began, which then became entwined with the 1898 Spanish–American War. Spain ceded the territory to the United States, while Filipino revolutionaries declared the First Philippine Republic. The ensuing Philippine–American War ended with the United States establishing control over the territory, which they maintained until the Japanese invasion of the islands during World War II. Following liberation, the Philippines became independent in 1946. Yet even with its independence, the country faced foreign and local threats. The creation of the New People’s Army, a communist militant group, was a huge threat to the democratic government and ideology of the archipelagic nation. This only worsened during the Marcos dictatorship where the ranks of the NPA rose rapidly until the toppling of the tyrannical regime by a nonviolent revolution on 1986. The collapse of communism in Asia after the Tiananmen Protests was the collapse of the communists within the country as the Philippine government with the support of the United States, the now democratic Federal Republic of China, and the Russian Federation began a large scale military operation in fighting off the New People’s Army who had been severely weakened after losing their communist allies in China and subsequent agrarian reforms to the country.

The Philippines is an emerging market and a newly industrialized country whose economy is transitioning from being agriculture centered to services and manufacturing centered. It is a founding member of the United Nations, WTO, ASEAN, the APEC forum, and the EAS. The location of the Philippines as an island country on the Pacific Ring of Fire that is close to the equator makes it prone to earthquakes and typhoons. The country has a variety of natural resources and is home to a globally significant level of biodiversity.

History

Main Article: History of the Philippines

Pre-History

There is evidence of early hominins living in what is now the Philippines as early as 709,000 years ago. A small number of bones from Callao Cave potentially represent an otherwise unknown species, Homo luzonensis, that lived around 50,000 to 67,000 years ago. The oldest modern human remains found on the islands are from the Tabon Caves of Palawan, U/Th-dated to 47,000 ± 11–10,000 years ago. The Tabon Man is presumably a Negrito, who were among the archipelago's earliest inhabitants, descendants of the first human migrations out of Africa via the coastal route along southern Asia to the now sunken landmasses of Sundaland and Sahul.

The first Austronesians reached the Philippines from Taiwan at around 2200 BC, settling the Batanes Islands and northern Luzon. From there, they rapidly spread southwards to the rest of the islands of the Philippines and Southeast Asia. This population assimilated with the existing Negritos resulting in the modern Filipino ethnic groups which display various ratios of genetic admixture between Austronesian and Negrito groups. Genetic signatures also indicate the possibility of migration of Austroasiatic, Papuan, and South Asian people. Jade artifacts have been found dated to 2000 BC, with the lingling-o jade items crafted in Luzon made using raw materials originating from Taiwan. By 1000 BC, the inhabitants of the archipelago had developed into four kinds of social groups: hunter-gatherer tribes, warrior societies, highland plutocracies, and port principalities.

The earliest known surviving written record found in the Philippines is the Laguna Copperplate Inscription. By the 14th century, several the large coastal settlements had emerged as trading centers and became the focal point of societal changes. Some polities had exchanges with other states across Asia. Trade with China is believed to have begun during the Tang dynasty, and grew more extensive during the Song dynasty, and by the second millennium some polities participated in the tributary system of China. Indian cultural traits, such as linguistic terms and religious practices, began to spread within the Philippines during the 10th century, likely via the Hindu Majapahit empire. By the 15th century, Islam was established in the Sulu Archipelago and spread from there.

Polities founded in the Philippines from the 10th–16th centuries include Maynila, Tondo, Namayan, Pangasinan, Cebu, Butuan, Maguindanao, Lanao, Sulu, and Ma-i. The early polities were typically made up of three-tier social structures: a nobility class, a class of "freemen", and a class of dependent debtor-bondsmen. Among the nobility were leaders called "Datus", responsible for ruling autonomous groups called "barangay" or "dulohan". When these barangays banded together, either to form a larger settlement or a geographically looser alliance, the more esteemed among them would be recognized as a "paramount datu", rajah, or sultan which headed the community state. Warfare developed and escalated during the 14th to 16th centuries, and throughout these periods population density is thought to have been low, which was also caused by the frequency of typhoons and the Philippines' location on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Discovery and Spanish Colonization

In 1521, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the area, claimed the islands for Spain and was then killed by Lapulapu's fighters at the Battle of Mactan.Colonization began when Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi arrived from Mexico in 1565. In 1571, Spanish Manila became the capital of the Spanish East Indies, which encompassed Spanish territories in Asia and the Pacific. The Spanish successfully invaded the different local states by employing the principle of divide and conquer, bringing most of what is now the Philippines into a single unified administration. Disparate barangays were deliberately consolidated into towns, where Catholic missionaries were more easily able to convert the inhabitants to Christianity. From 1565 to 1821, the Philippines was governed as a territory of the Mexico City-based Viceroyalty of New Spain, and later administered from Madrid following the Mexican War of Independence. Manila was the western hub of the trans-Pacific trade. Manila galleons were constructed in Bicol and Cavite.

During its rule, Spain quelled various indigenous revolts, as well as defending against external military challenges.^{[failed verification]} Spanish forces included soldiers from elsewhere in New Spain as well as broader Latin America, many of whom deserted and intermingled with the wider population. Immigration blurred the racial caste system Spain maintained in towns and cities. War against the Dutch from the west, in the 17th century, together with conflict with the Muslims in the south nearly bankrupted the colonial treasury.

Administration of the Philippine islands was considered a drain on the economy of Spain, and there were debates to abandon it or trade it for other territory. However, this was opposed because of economic potential, security, and the desire to continue religious conversion in the islands and the surrounding region. The Philippines survived on an annual subsidy provided by the Spanish Crown, which averaged 250,000 pesos and was usually paid through the provision of 75 tons of silver bullion being sent from the Americas. British forces occupied Manila from 1762 to 1764 during the Seven Years' War, with Spanish rule restored through the 1763 Treaty of Paris. The Spanish considered their war with the Muslims in Southeast Asia an extension of the Reconquista. The Spanish–Moro conflict lasted for several hundred years. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Spain conquered portions of Mindanao and Jolo, and the Moro Muslims in the Sultanate of Sulu formally recognized Spanish sovereignty.

In the 19th century, Philippine ports opened to world trade, and shifts started occurring within Filipino society. The Latin American wars of independence and renewed immigration led to shifts in social identity, with the term Filipino shifting from referring to Spaniards born in the Philippines to a term encompassing all people in the archipelago. This identity shift was driven by wealthy families of mixed ancestry, to which it became a national identity.

Philippine Revolution

Revolutionary sentiments were stoked in 1872 after three activist Catholic priests were executed on weak pretences. This would inspire a propaganda movement in Spain, organized by Marcelo H. del Pilar, José Rizal, Graciano López Jaena, and Mariano Ponce, lobbying for political reforms in the Philippines. Rizal was executed on December 30, 1896, on charges of rebellion. This radicalized many who had previously been loyal to Spain. As attempts at reform met with resistance, Andrés Bonifacio in 1892 established the militant secret society called the Katipunan, who sought independence from Spain through armed revolt.

The Katipunan started the Philippine Revolution in 1896. Internal disputes led to an election in which Bonifacio lost his position and Emilio Aguinaldo was elected as the new leader of the revolution. In 1897, the Pact of Biak-na-Bato brought about the exile of the revolutionary leadership to Hong Kong. In 1898, the Spanish–American War began and reached the Philippines. Aguinaldo returned, resumed the revolution, and declared independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. The First Philippine Republic was established on January 21, 1899.

Philippine-American War

The islands had been ceded by Spain to the United States along with Puerto Rico and Guam as a result of the latter's victory in the Spanish–American War in 1898. As it became increasingly clear the United States would not recognize the First Philippine Republic, the Philippine–American War broke out. The war resulted in the deaths of 250,000 to 1 million civilians, mostly because of famine and disease. After the defeat of the First Philippine Republic in 1902, an American civilian government was established through the Philippine Organic Act. American forces continued to secure and extend their control over the islands, suppressing an attempted extension of the Philippine Republic, securing the Sultanate of Sulu, and establishing control over interior mountainous areas that had resisted Spanish conquest.

The American Colonization

Cultural developments strengthened the continuing development of a national identity, and Tagalog began to take precedence over other local languages. Governmental functions were gradually devolved to Filipinos under the Taft Commission and in 1935 the Philippines was granted Commonwealth status with Manuel Quezon as president and Sergio Osmeña as vice president. Quezon's priorities were defence, social justice, inequality and economic diversification, and national character. Tagalog was designated the national language, women's suffrage was introduced, and land reform mooted.

The Second World War

During World War II, the Japanese Empire invaded, and the Second Philippine Republic, under Jose P. Laurel, was established as a puppet state. From 1942 the Japanese occupation of the Philippines was opposed by large-scale underground guerrilla activity. Atrocities and war crimes were committed during the war, including the Bataan Death March and the Manila massacre. Allied troops defeated the Japanese in 1945. It is estimated that over one million Filipinos had died by the end of the war. On October 11, 1945, the Philippines became one of the founding members of the United Nations. On July 4, 1946, the Philippines was officially recognized by the United States as an independent nation through the Treaty of Manila, during the presidency of Manuel Roxas.

The Cold War

Efforts to end the Hukbalahap Rebellion began during Elpidio Quirino's term, however, it was only during Ramon Magsaysay's presidency that the movement was suppressed. Magsaysay's successor, Carlos P. Garcia, initiated the Filipino First Policy, which was continued by Diosdado Macapagal, with celebration of Independence Day moved from July 4 to June 12, the date of Emilio Aguinaldo's declaration, and pursuit of a claim on the eastern part of North Borneo.

In 1965, Macapagal lost the presidential election to Ferdinand Marcos. Early in his presidency, Marcos initiated numerous infrastructure projects but, together with his wife Imelda, was accused of corruption and embezzling billions of dollars in public funds. Nearing the end of his last constitutionally-allowed term, Marcos declared martial law on September 21, 1972. This period of his rule was characterized by political repression, censorship, and human rights violations.

Numerous monopolies controlled by crony businessmen were established in key industries, including logging, coconuts, bananas, telephones, and broadcasting; a sugar monopoly led to a famine on the island of Negros. Marcos’ heavy borrowing early in his presidency resulted in numerous economic crashes, capped by a massive recession in the early 1980s which culminated in the economy contracting by 7.3% in both 1984 and 1985.

The Assassination of Benigno Aquino Jr. and the EDSA People Power Revolution

On August 21, 1983, Marcos' chief rival, opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr., was assassinated on the tarmac at Manila International Airport. Marcos called a snap presidential election in 1986. Marcos was proclaimed the winner, but the results were widely regarded as fraudulent. The resulting protests led to the People Power Revolution, which forced Marcos and his allies to flee to Hawaii, and Former Senator, Jose W. Diokno, was installed as president and Salvador Laurel become Prime Minister.

Post-EDSA Revolution: Laurel Premiership, Martial Law Tribunal, 1988 Constitution, and approach to end communist insurgency

After the People Power, Martial Law tribunal take place, and charged both Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. of Life Imprisonment and later Hospital arrest while Imelda Marcos was also sentenced of Life Imprisonment (Until 1998 when Imelda Marcos was granted a Pardon from then Prime Minister Miriam Defensor Santiago in exchange to prevent them to return to power), most of the children of Marcoses has been exiled to Ilocos Norte. Most of the Cronies like Roberto Benedicto are also sentenced by Execution and seizing their assets to the Government and the original owners. Also under Laurel Premiership, he managed to end the communist insurgency by imposing reforms to weaken the communists.

In 1988, a new constitution was drafted which retains the Parliamentary government while installing some reforms like transferring the Commander in Chief role to the Prime Minister from President. It was approved by Salvador Laurel and signed by then President, Raul Manglapus.

Despite being unstable, during it's first and early years, The government reforms beginning in 1986 starts to become consistent and stable due to competent handling of communist insurgency, fast response for the affected residents during Mount Pinatubo erruption in 1991, resolved conflicts between Muslim separatist and National Government, the payment of some National Debt which turned the Philippines into the largest growing economy in Asia which survives the 1997 Financial Crisis.

Modern Times

Laurel was succeeded by Miriam Defensor Santiago in 1998. Santiago brought more reforms to the country including agrarian reforms which trickle down most of agricultural sectors and marks the end of communist insurgency. Santiago also imposed the Anti Political Dynasty law which prevent dynastical politics in the country and to avoid another Marcos to power, also in her premiership she authored progressive laws which was approved by the President subsequently which was the Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Equality Bill or SOGIE Bill, Same Sex Civil Union, Divorce and Reproductive Health Bill. During her premiership, the Philippine economy gradually grows and the democracy in the Philippines is starting to improve After the EDSA People Power.

Santiago was succeeded by Ramon Magsaysay Jr. in 2004, the son of President Ramon Magsaysay from 1953 until his death due to aircraft disaster in 1957. Magsaysay's Premiership was known for the improvement of the living conditions of the citizens, introduced government fund transparency, approved the Bangsamoro Law which given the Autonomous level in Muslim region in Mindanao, introduced laws to improve education system in the Philippines and accessible healthcare to the barrios. Magsaysay's Leadership also brought modernisation and industrialisation

Economic growth continued during Jesse Robredo's premiership, which vowes to continue good governance and transparency introduced by both Santiago and Magsaysay. Introduced territorial agreements with China for giving Philippines access to South China Sea and ending the maritime disputes in the Region. Robredo's fast response to the COVID-19 Pandemic was praised by World Health Organization.

Liberal Party led by Francis Pangilinan won the 2022 General elections. Pangilinan's Premiership introduced improved agrarian reforms and Anti Discrimination Bill co-authored by Akbayan MP Risa Hontiveros.

Government and Politics

Philippines is a unitary, parliamentary, representative democratic republic. National Legislative power is vested in the parliament consisting of Batasang Pambansa (National Legislature) which form the legislative body. Batasang Pambansa is elected through direct elections using the first-past-the-post system. The Philippine political system operates under a framework laid out in the 1988 constitution. Amendments generally require a two-thirds majority of Batasang Pambansa; the fundamental principles of the constitution, as expressed in the articles guaranteeing human dignity, the separation of powers, the government structure, and the rule of law, are valid in perpetuity.

The President, is the head of state and invested primarily with representative responsibilities and powers. The President is elected under popular voting system. Despite having ceremonial role, the Duty of the President of the Philippines is limited which was to avoid another dictatorship in power. Most of political powers are moved to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister, is the head of government and exercises executive power through his Cabinet.

Foreign Relations

As a founding and active member of the United Nations, the country has been elected to the Security Council. Carlos P. Romulo was a former president of the United Nations General Assembly. The country is an active participant in peacekeeping missions, particularly in East Timor. Over 10 million Filipinos live and work overseas.

The Philippines is a founding and active member of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). It has hosted several summits and is an active contributor to the direction and policies of the bloc. It is also a member of the East Asia Summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Group of 24, and the Non-Aligned Movement. The country is also seeking to obtain observer status in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

The Philippines has a long relationship with the United States, covering economics, security, and people-to-people relations. A Mutual Defense Treaty between the two countries was signed in 1951 and supplemented with the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement and the 2016 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. The Philippines supported American policies during the Cold War and participated in the Korean and Vietnam wars. In 2003 the Philippines was designated a major non-NATO ally. Under President Duterte, ties with the United States have weakened with military purchases instead coming from China and Russia, while Duterte states that the Philippines will no longer participate in any U.S.-led wars. In 2021, it was revealed the United States would defend the Philippines including the South China Sea.

The Philippines attaches great importance to its relations with China and has established significant cooperation with the country. Japan is the biggest bilateral contributor of official development assistance to the country. Although historical tensions exist because of the events of World War II, much of the animosity has faded. Historical and cultural ties continue to affect relations with Spain. Relations with Middle Eastern countries are shaped by the high number of Filipinos working in these countries, and by issues related to the Muslim minority in the Philippines; concerns have been raised regarding issues such as domestic abuse and war affecting the approximately 2.5 million overseas Filipino workers in the region.

The Philippines has claims in the Spratly Islands which overlap with claims by China, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The largest of its controlled islands in Thitu Island, which contains the Philippines's smallest village. The Scarborough Shoal standoff in 2012, where China took control of the shoal from the Philippines, led to an international arbitration case which the Philippines eventually won but China had rejected, and has made the shoal a prominent symbol in the wider dispute.

Military

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) consist of three branches: the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine Army, and the Philippine Navy. The AFP is a volunteer force. Civilian security is handled by the Philippine National Police under the Department of the Interior and Local Government. As of 2018, $2.843 billion, or 1.1 percent of GDP is spent on military forces. As of 2021, this number has increased to $4.40 billion.

In Bangsamoro, the largest separatist organizations, the Moro National Liberation Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, were engaging the government politically in the 2000s. Other more militant groups like the Abu Sayyaf have kidnapped foreigners for ransom, particularly in the Sulu Archipelago. Their presence decreased through successful security provided by the Philippine government. The Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the New People's Army, have been waging guerrilla warfare against the government since the 1970s, reaching its apex in 1986, when communist guerrillas gained control of a fifth of the country's territory before significantly dwindling militarily and politically after the return of democracy in 1986. The NPA would eventually be defeated in 2008 after most of the leadership was captured or killed during an attack by Filipino forces in the mountains of Mindanao.

Administrative Divisions

The Philippines is governed as a unitary state, with the exception of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), although there have been several steps towards decentralization within the unitary framework. A 1991 law devolved some powers to local governments. The country is divided into 17 regions, 82 provinces, 146 cities, 1,488 municipalities, and 42,036 barangays. Regions other than Bangsamoro serve primarily to organize the provinces of the country for administrative convenience. As of 2015, Calabarzon was the most populated region while the National Capital Region (NCR) was the most densely populated.

Demographics

Ethnicity

The country has substantial ethnic diversity, due to foreign influence and the archipelago's division by water and topography. According to the 2020 census, the Philippines' largest ethnic groups were Tagalog (26.0 percent), Visayans [excluding the Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Waray] (14.3 percent), Ilocano and Cebuano (both eight percent), Hiligaynon (7.9 percent), Bikol (6.5 percent), and Waray (3.8 percent). The country's indigenous peoples consisted of 110 enthnolinguistic groups, with a combined population of 15.56 million, in 2020; they include the Igorot, Lumad, Mangyan, and the indigenous peoples of Palawan.

Negritos are thought to be among the islands' earliest inhabitants. These minority aboriginal settlers are an Australoid group, a remnant of the first human migration from Africa to Australia who were probably displaced by later waves of migration. Some Philippine Negritos have a Denisovan admixture in their genome. Ethnic Filipinos generally belong to several Southeast Asian ethnic groups, classified linguistically as Austronesians speaking Malayo-Polynesian languages. The Austronesian population's origin is uncertain, but relatives of Taiwanese aborigines probably brought their language and mixed with the region's existing population. The Lumad and Sama-Bajau ethnic groups have an ancestral affinity with the Austroasiatic- and Mlabri-speaking Htin peoples of mainland Southeast Asia. Westward expansion from Papua New Guinea to eastern Indonesia and Mindanao has been detected in the Blaan people and the Sangir language.

Immigrants arrived in the Philippines from elsewhere in the Spanish Empire, especially from the Spanish Americas. A 2016 National Geographic project concluded that people living in the Philippine archipelago carried genetic markers in the following percentages: 53 percent Southeast Asia and Oceania, 36 percent Eastern Asia, 5 percent Southern Europe, 3 percent Southern Asia, and 2 percent Native American (from Latin America).

Descendants of mixed-race couples are known as Mestizos or tisoy, which during the Spanish colonial times, were mostly composed of Chinese mestizos (Mestizos de Sangley), Spanish mestizos (Mestizos de Español) and the mix thereof (tornatrás). The modern Chinese Filipinos are well-integrated into Filipino society. Primarily the descendants of immigrants from Fujian, the pure ethnic Chinese Filipinos during the American colonial era (early 1900s) purportedly numbered about 1.35 million; while an estimated 22.8 million (around 20 percent) of Filipinos have half or partial Chinese ancestry from precolonial, colonial, and 20th century Chinese migrants. During the Hispanic era (late 1700s), the tribute-census showed mixed Spanish Filipinos made up a moderate ratio (around 5 percent) of all citizens. Meanwhile, a smaller proportion (2.33 percent) of the population were Mexican Filipinos. Almost 300,000 American citizens live in the country as of 2023, and up to 250,000 Amerasians are scattered across the cities of Angeles, Manila, and Olongapo. Other significant non-indigenous minorities include Indians and Arabs. Japanese Filipinos include escaped Christians (Kirishitan) who fled persecutions by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Language

Filipino, Spanish and English are the country's official languages. Filipino, a standardized version of Tagalog, is spoken primarily in Metro Manila. Filipino and English are used in government, education, print, broadcast media, and business, often with a third local language; code-switching between English and other local languages, notably Tagalog, is common. The Philippine constitution provides Arabic on a voluntary, optional basis. Spanish, a widely used lingua franca during the late nineteenth century, has declined greatly in use until it's revival after it was included to the 1988 Constitution and it's reintroduction in education as major subject alongside English and Filipino. Spanish loanwords are still present in Philippine languages. Arabic is primarily taught in Mindanao Islamic schools. The top languages generally spoken at home as of 2020 are Tagalog, Binisaya, Hiligaynon, Ilocano, Cebuano, and Bikol. Nineteen regional languages are auxiliary official languages as media of instruction:

• Aklanon
• Bikol
• Cebuano
• Chavacano
• Hiligaynon
• Ibanag
• Ilocano
• Ivatan
• Kapampangan
• Kinaray-a
• Maguindanao
• Maranao
• Pangasinan
• Sambal
• Surigaonon
• Tagalog
• Tausug
• Waray
• Yakan

Religion

Although the Philippines is a secular state with freedom of religion, an overwhelming majority of Filipinos consider religion very important and irreligion is very low. Christianity is the dominant religion, followed by about 89 percent of the population. The country had the world's third-largest Roman Catholic population as of 2013, and was Asia's largest Christian nation. Census data from 2020 found that 78.8 percent of the population professed Roman Catholicism; other Christian denominations include Iglesia ni Cristo, the Philippine Independent Church, and Seventh-day Adventistism. Protestants made up about 5% to 7% of the population in 2010. The Philippines sends many Christian missionaries around the world, and is a training center for foreign priests and nuns.

Islam is the country's second-largest religion, with 6.4 percent of the population in the 2020 census. Most Muslims live in Mindanao and nearby islands, and most adhere to the Shafi'i school of Sunni Islam.

About 0.2 percent of the population follow indigenous religions, whose practices and folk beliefs are often syncretized with Christianity and Islam. Buddhism is practiced by about 0.04% of the population, primarily by Filipinos of Chinese descent.