The Philippines is the largest English-speaking nation in Asia with English spoken by the majority of its citizens. The country thrives primarily because of its wealth of highly-skilled workforce who are proficient in English.

History

The early Philippines consisted of different islands with small polities independent of each other. It was colonized by Spain for 300 years from 1521 to 1898, which accounts for the Filipinos staunch belief in the Catholic faith. By 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States of America. The Americans then, made English as the country’s official language and made it the medium for education. To date, Philippines still uses English as the primary language of commerce and law.

Geography

The Philippines is an archipelago consists of 7, 641 islands of three major groups, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Its islands are mostly mountainous with the highest point at Mt. Apo in Davao City. The islands are volcanic in nature with 23 active volcanoes, and are surrounded with water overflowing with marine life.

Economy

The Philippines Economy is centered on manufacturing industry and on its service sector. Slowly rising from an agricultural-based economy to an industrialized-based economy. It is expected to perform better than China this year with the new economic reforms and policies set to take effect this year. As it is going through a goldilocks state, it is the best time for the Philippines right now.

Tourism

Tourism in the Philippines has significantly increased since 2015. It has accounted for more than 10% of the economic growth of the country. Undeniably, however, the use of English as a second language has contributed to the consistent increase of tourism. On top of the popular destination islands of Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, and Boracay, the real interest lies on the fact that Philippines is an English-speaking country making it easier for tourist interaction. That is to say, the influx of tourists with the purpose of both sightseeing and studying English is in harmony with the rate of increase of tourism.