Philippines
Sponsors have helped Filipino children since 1972, when Compassion teamed up with churches in the Philippines to fight poverty.
Where in the World?
southeastern Asia
Favorite ...
sports: basketball, badminton, boxing, Arnis (a martial art)
foods: pork, seafood, rice, halo-halo (a sweet drink)
celebrations: MassKara (a festival with parades, dancing and masks), Sinulog (a Catholic festival celebrating Jesus), Christmas
Claim to Fame
invented the jeepney - a colorfully decorated vehicle popular for public transportation
Wild Residents
Philippine eagles, saltwater crocodiles, Visayan warty pigs
Poverty Pitfalls
| Many people don't have electricity at home. | Kids who don't have light at home can do homework at their Compassion centers instead. |
| There aren't enough clean bathrooms or clean water. | The centers have safe, clean places for kids to go to the bathroom and wash their hands. |
| Typhoons and earthquakes ruin people's homes. | Churches help families find new homes after natural disasters. |
Fun Facts
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Stat Snapshot
Stats |
Philippines |
United States  |
Population |
104,256,076 | 339,665,118 |
People Living in Poverty |
21.6% | 15.1% |
Languages |
Filipino, English, Tagalog, eight regional languages like Cebuano and Ilocano | English, Spanish, Chinese, other |
Religions |
Catholic 82.9%, Muslim 5%, other Christian 4.5%, Evangelical 2.8%, Iglesia ni Kristo 2.3%, other/unspecified 2.4%, none 0.1% | Protestant 46.5%, none/other 26.1%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Mormon 1.6%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah’s Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7% |
Typical Family Income |
$8,200 per year | $63,700 per year |
MAIN SOURCE: World Factbook, 2018
