Random facts about Philippines

1. Population as of August 2007 (according to the NSO) is 88.57M and a projected population of 90.4M for 2008.

So that would be an increase of 1.8M in just 1 year! With a yearly increase like that, 10 years from now the population would reach to 100M! Now where would we place those millions of people in these tiny islands of ours? No wonder we are having a shortage in rice(?). Why can’t we just admit it that we have a problem in population? The average daily family income is just enough to feed 2 or 3 persons, yet the average number of members of a Filipino family is around 5. So that would be twice the daily income can afford. I definitely suggest that we should start thinking about population control to alleviate social as well as environmental problems.

2.The number of registered vehicles as of 2007 is 5,530,052, with an average increase every year of about 4.5%.

And you’re telling me we have a problem called poverty?! With this gradual increase in prices of oil, people continue to buy motor vehicles. Some are looking for other alternatives for oil though. Why not use salt water as alternative for oil? Hehe It’s the most abundant resource today. Plain salt water... hehehheh

3.Students spend more money for their education than they will earn afterwards.

Well isn’t this ironic? The average tuition fee of private schools, like Silliman University, is about Php25,000-30,000 per semester (that’s about 3.5 months). Add all the other fees (college fees, fees for not being able to attend a convocation or what, etc.), projects, board and lodging, allowance, fieldtrips, school materials (notebooks, etc.), books required for classroom use, all the other expenses used while “trying” to get a “good” education, it will all add up to around Php50,000 (in just three and a half months?!). That’s more than twice an average Filipino worker earns for that duration. Heck! That is more than I was earning! Gawd! To make matters worse, one aspires of becoming a doctor who saves lives or an engineer who build dreams, only to enroll in a caregiver program so he/she could be employed abroad. It’s practicality, I know. What happened to those dreams of becoming a “someone”?

4.The highest number of persons arrested due to drug related incidents (as of 2005) is 33,150, and this was in 2003.

Does this mean that there are lesser drug users today? Or they are just becoming more cautious? :)

5. A total of 2,843,335 tourists from all over the world visit the Philippines.

Thought there are a lot of beautiful tourist spots here in the Philippines, most Filipinos do not (or cannot?) visit these places. Travelling takes a lot of time, not to mention money, and most Filipinos don’t have both.

*more random facts to be posted later.. :)