Destinations › Asia · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
Philippines.
Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. 300,000 sq km and 116,786,962 people, 36,289 km of coastline, tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October).
Region · AsiaPopulation · ~116,786,962Languages · Tagalog and Filipino, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon, Bikol, Waray. English is co-officialEco Index · 62/100 · Passable
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of the Philippines.
The Philippines holds diverse living heritage across indigenous, Islamic and lowland communities. Folk dances such as tinikling, the bamboo dance, and the Maranao singkil are widely performed, alongside kulintang gong music and rondalla string ensembles.
Where the name comes from
Las Islas Filipinas, named by Spain for Philip II. The islands' peoples had their own names for their own places. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
The land itself: mountainous across the islands, with coastal lowlands from narrow to extensive. Its high point is Mount Apo, 2,954 m. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
Where it starts
A human species of its own
Butchered rhinoceros bones and stone tools at Kalinga in Luzon push human presence in these islands back over 700,000 years. A foot bone from Callao Cave belongs to Homo luzonensis, a human species found nowhere else on earth, dated to around 67,000 years ago. Human remains from Tabon Cave on Palawan are among the oldest modern human fossils in the islands. Austronesian seafarers spread through the archipelago and out into the Pacific.
How it got here
Copperplate to independence
The Laguna copperplate, dated around 900, is the earliest written document found in the Philippines, in a script and legal language showing links right across maritime Asia. Coastal polities traded with China, Borneo and the Malay world, and Islam reached the south. Spain ruled from Manila for over three centuries from 1565. The islands passed to the United States after 1898, with a war of resistance, and became independent in 1946.
The timeline
c. 709,000 years ago
Kalinga.
Butchered rhinoceros bones and stone tools in Luzon push human presence in the islands back over 700,000 years. ↗
c. 67,000 years ago
Callao Cave.
A foot bone from Callao Cave belongs to Homo luzonensis, a human species found nowhere else. ↗
c. 22,000 years ago
Tabon Cave.
Human remains from Palawan, among the oldest modern human fossils in the islands. ↗
c. 2000 BC onward
Austronesian settlement.
Seafaring communities spread through the islands and out into the Pacific. ↗
c. 900
The Laguna copperplate.
The earliest written document found in the Philippines, in a script and legal language showing links across maritime Asia. ↗
c. 1000 to 1500
Barangays and trade.
Coastal polities trade with China, Borneo and the Malay world, and Islam reaches the south. ↗
1565 to 1898
Spanish rule.
Spain rules the islands from Manila for over three centuries. ↗
1898 to 1946
United States rule.
The islands pass to the United States after the Spanish American war, with a war of resistance. ↗
1946
Independence.
The Treaty of General Relations, signed at Manila on 4 July 1946, provides for "the recognition of the independence of the Republic of the Philippines as of July 4, 1946 and the relinquishment of American sovereignty over the Philippine Islands". ↗
National Museum of the Philippines · Nature, Homo luzonensis, a new species of Homo from Luzon · Nature, Earliest known hominin activity in the Philippines by 709 thousand years ago
Nature and Biodiversity in the Philippines.
Terrestrial protected areas cover about 15.9 percent of the land (World Bank, 2021), and although formal marine protection was low at about 1.7 percent, the country runs thousands of small community marine sanctuaries plus flagship sites such as the UNESCO listed Tubbataha Reefs and Apo Island. Enforcement is uneven, with illegal fishing and logging persisting, but the best run marine protected areas are genuinely effective.
Is wild Philippines protected? 16% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Philippines?
Forest cover24.3%
Terrestrial protected area15.87%
Marine protected area1.74%
1179 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
Recorded in Philippines and named in the open record. Endemic status is stated per species, not implied by this list.
Philippine eagle
Ph
Philippine tarsier
Ph
Palawan
Pa
Visayan endemics
Vi
The watchlist
ThreatenedSus cebifronsCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedChinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedHawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (turtle).
ThreatenedGiant clam (Tridacna gigas)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedAsplenium tenerumCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (species).
ThreatenedSpoonbill Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedSteere's Coucal (Centropus steerii)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedPhilippine Cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia)Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in Philippines in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Philippines. GBIF holds 14 verified occurrence records.
Chinese Crested Tern (Thalasseus bernsteini)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Philippines. GBIF holds 65 verified occurrence records.
Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Philippines. GBIF holds 152 verified occurrence records.
Giant clam (Tridacna gigas)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in Philippines. GBIF holds 22 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Philippines filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Nature reserve in Siquijor, mapped and named in the open record for Philippines. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in the Philippines.
High rainfall and many rivers give the Philippines ample raw freshwater, but delivery and quality lag: WHO/UNICEF JMP and World Bank data put safely managed drinking water at about 47.5 percent of the population in 2020, and Metro Manila and other cities face seasonal supply stress and contamination. Typhoons disrupt supply, and tap water is not reliably safe for visitors. Abundant rain, uneven safe delivery.
Does the Philippines have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
48.5% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Coverage is well short of universal, so a visitor should not assume the tap is safe.
Cleanest water: Tubbataha Reefs, El Nido and Coron's Kayangan Lake in Palawan; Apo Island
How much fresh water does the Philippines have, per person?
4,203 m³
Philippines
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Philippines withdraws about 91,037 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 27.8% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as medium water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 75%, homes and towns 10%, industry 15%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Philippines beaches?
✕Tap water: Not drinkable.
✕Plastic rules: No comprehensive national ban; 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility Act and many local bag bans.
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 1.74% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Balogo Beach, Baranayan Beach, Buko Beach, Cabrera Beach, Cainget Beach, Cambonga Beach, Capati Beach, Casay Beach Park. That is 14 named beaches in the public record for Philippines, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
62.2%
of people have safely managed sanitation
62.2% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around Philippines doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Typhoon season Jun–Nov; the dry season Dec–May is the window.
Nearshore
Protected water
1.74% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Tubbataha Reefs, El Nido and Coron's Kayangan Lake in Palawan; Apo Island.
The record
Measured
High rainfall and many rivers give the Philippines ample raw freshwater, but delivery and quality lag: WHO/UNICEF JMP and World Bank data put safely managed drinking water at about 47.5 percent of the population in 2020, and Metro Manila and other cities face seasonal supply stress and contamination. Typhoons disrupt supply, and tap water is not reliably safe for visitors.
Sea protected
1.74%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
1179 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Cleanest water
here
Tubbataha Reefs, El Nido and Coron's Kayangan Lake in Palawan; Apo Island.
Is the tap water safe in Philippines?
48.5% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 4,203 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 2 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 19.0% of what the Philippines renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Philippines? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
How much fresh water does Philippines actually have?
Nature renews about 4,203 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks the Philippines 129 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the wetter half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
The Philippines is a major farming and fishing nation, the world's top exporter of coconut products and a big producer of banana, sugarcane, rice and tropical fruit, yet it is also the world's largest rice importer and buys in significant food. Domestic agriculture is large but staple self sufficiency is only moderate.
Where does the food in Philippines come from?
15.0% imported
about US$21,193m a year
On the plate: Rice, coconut, root crops, tropical fruit and vegetables
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Rice60%
Coconut51%
Root crops42%
Tropical fruit33%
Vegetables24%
2 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$21,193m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
About 15% of everything the Philippines buys in from abroad is food, roughly 2 in every 10 imported items on the dock (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 8.6% of the economy and 42.7% of the land is agricultural, of which 18.7% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in the Philippines? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined68.5%
Diabetes7.5%
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 35%.
Can the Philippines feed itself?
18.8%
Arable land
42.7%
Agricultural land
10,695,525
Farmers
13,813,170
Arable acres
8.6%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Two rice harvests (main October to December, second March to May); mango season March to June
Feeding itself
The Philippines is a major farming and fishing nation, the world's top exporter of coconut products and a big producer of banana, sugarcane, rice and tropical fruit, yet it is also the world's largest rice importer and buys in significant food. Domestic agriculture is large but staple self sufficiency is only moderate.
Certification
FiBL records about 1.5 percent of agricultural land as certified organic in 2020, roughly 192,000 hectares, supported by the Organic Agriculture Act and a growing organic rice, muscovado and coconut sector.
Water for crops
High rainfall and many rivers give the Philippines ample raw freshwater, but delivery and quality lag: WHO/UNICEF JMP and World Bank data put safely managed drinking water at about 47.5 percent of the population in 2020, and Metro Manila and other cities face seasonal supply stress and contamination. Typhoons disrupt supply, and tap water is not reliably safe for visitors.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for the Philippines, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. What the official land record does show: 42.7% of the country is agricultural land and 18.7% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Philippines are rice, sugarcane, coconuts, maize and bananas (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: Abucay Market, Bendita Public Market, Bonifacio Market, Bugallon Public Market, Cartimar Market, Citra Mina Seafood Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
The Philippine grid remains dominated by coal, which supplied about 62% of electricity in 2024, while renewables, mainly geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind, provided roughly 22%. Fossil carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 1.51 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting widespread energy poverty rather than a clean system. The government placed a moratorium on new coal plants in 2020 and targets 35% renewable electricity by 2030 and 50% by 2040 under the Renewable Energy Act. The very low per person emissions are balanced against a heavily coal reliant grid.
What powers the Philippines?
Renewable 23.3%Fossil 76.7%
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
1.5 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
1.5 tonnes
The grid
The Philippine grid remains dominated by coal, which supplied about 62% of electricity in 2024, while renewables, mainly geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind, provided roughly 22%. Fossil carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 1.51 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting widespread energy poverty rather than a clean system.
Pollution
The Philippines is repeatedly ranked among the world's largest contributors of plastic to the ocean, driven by a sachet economy and gaps in waste collection (Jambeck and later studies). The 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility Act and many local bag bans are steps forward, but there is no comprehensive national single use ban and marine plastic remains severe.
Water stress
High rainfall and many rivers give the Philippines ample raw freshwater, but delivery and quality lag: WHO/UNICEF JMP and World Bank data put safely managed drinking water at about 47.5 percent of the population in 2020, and Metro Manila and other cities face seasonal supply stress and contamination. Typhoons disrupt supply, and tap water is not reliably safe for visitors.
What pollutes most here
1The gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.76%
2IndustryLarge scale nickel mining, for example on Sibuyan and in Palawan, and destructive fishing.named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.18.1
4On the recordThe Philippines is repeatedly ranked among the world's largest contributors of plastic to the ocean, driven by a sachet economy and gaps in waste collection (Jambeck and later studies).
What has the Philippines promised on climate?
Electricity renewable today22.6% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target16% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target1.6% by 2025
Measured on delivery, 22.6% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 77.4% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year1.5 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
New York return, economy2.47 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy2.12 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.98 t CO2e
London return, economy1.94 t CO2e
Paris return, economy1.93 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to the Philippines emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in the Philippines.
Data centres
24
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
23.3 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in the Philippines?
Almost everything a machine here consumes is burned fossil fuel.
Renewable 23.3%Fossil 76.7%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 22.6% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Philippines has 24 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Makati (5), Quezon City (3), Davao (3), alongside 15 internet exchanges (BAYANTEL, GIX, PhOpenIX-Manila, GetaFIX Manila). Named sites include VITRO Makati 1 - Yuchengco Tower, VITRO Makati 2, VITRO Pasig, Equinix MN1 - Manila.
Where the cables land. 71 landing points · Allen, Baclayon, Bacolod, Bacong
93% residents to 7% visitors across a year. 8,261,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 116,786,962 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Philippines
1,483k
Visitors a year
0.0
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is the Philippines?· for every $100 the Philippines earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · the 1993 peak
$ 74The worst year on the IMF record. The Philippines owed $74 for every $100 it earned.
IMF World Economic Outlook, 1993signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 60What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 55The IMF's own forecast has this falling to $55 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 the Philippines earns in a year, it owes $60 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in the Philippines?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 8,261,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 116,786,962 residents, one visitor a year for every 14 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play
2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in the Philippines is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published
3
The plate
Food is 15% of everything the Philippines imports (2024, World Bank), so a large part of every restaurant bill is paid to a supplier abroad. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, rice, coconuts, maize, bananas, vegetables, tropical fruits, plantains, pineapples, cassava, keeps that money with the grower.
sails in
4
The power
77.4% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away
5
What actually stays
Of the two parts of a visitor's bill that can be measured here, the plate and the power mostly leave the Philippines. Choosing locally grown food is the part of that a visitor can actually control.
less than you think
6
Pay the bank first
The Philippines owes $60 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$60 per $100
7
Community chest
Tourism earns 3.5% of everything the Philippines makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
3.5% of exports
8
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From New York a return economy seat is 2.47 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.47 t CO2
9
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$512 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$512bn
GDPUS$487.1bn
Agriculture, share of GDP8.6%
Visitors a year1,483,000
Visitors per resident0
Residents~116,786,962
Agriculture
Farming is 8.6% of the economy. The Philippines is a major farming and fishing nation, the world's top exporter of coconut products and a big producer of banana, sugarcane, rice and tropical fruit, yet it is also the world's largest rice importer and buys in significant food.
Natural materials
The archipelago is a global source of native plant fibres: abaca (Manila hemp), pina woven from pineapple leaves for the barong tagalog, banana fibre, and the sacred abaca ikat t'nalak woven by T'boli communities, alongside pandan and buri weaving. These fibres are cultivated, woven and worn today.
Energy
The Philippine grid remains dominated by coal, which supplied about 62% of electricity in 2024, while renewables, mainly geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind, provided roughly 22%. Fossil carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 1.51 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting widespread energy poverty rather than a clean system.
Who owns the biggest hotels in the Philippines?
By rooms · company records and press.
Dianao Beach Club · ~10 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20155,361k
20165,967k
20176,621k
20187,168k
20198,261k
20201,483k
International tourism receipts run at about US$2.77 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 3.5% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking what the land here grows, sugarcane, rice, coconuts, maize, bananas, vegetables, tropical fruits, plantains, pineapples and cassava, over an imported menu. The checked list →
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays. Eco tours →
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays →
4. Use the transport residents use Domestic flights for island hopping; jeepneys and tricycles in towns; ferries and outrigger bangka boats between islands
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
swipe →
First time here
The Philippines is a 7,000 island biodiversity hotspot with exceptional endemism and living fibre and terrace farming traditions, but also serious plastic pollution and low safe water coverage.
Best time: Dry season for island hopping, before the typhoon months
Getting around
Domestic flights for island hopping; jeepneys and tricycles in towns; ferries and outrigger bangka boats between islands
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate that actually grows here is sugarcane, rice, coconuts, maize, bananas, vegetables, tropical fruits, plantains, pineapples and cassava. Ordering those keeps the money with the grower and cuts the imported share of the meal.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cash widely used; PHP. English is spoken widely.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Dianao Beach Club
.
Who owns the place to stay
Dianao Beach ClubIndependent · 10 rooms
The one property listed here does not publish who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in the Philippines.
How well is the Philippines actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, the Philippines scores 47 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
How well is Philippines run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 36 of 100
Control of corruption scores 36.2 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is below the halfway mark of governments measured.
36
Freedom and rights, scored 51 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 50.6 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens have some room to question their government.
51
Government effectiveness, scored 54 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 54.2 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated above average.
54
Income equality, scored 39 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 39.3 (2023, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Below 40 is the level usually treated as manageable, and the Philippines sits inside it.
39
LGBTQ+ status: MixedSolo female travel: Take care98.5% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: Large scale nickel mining, for example on Sibuyan and in Palawan, and destructive fishing
What is daily life in Philippines really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Domestic flights for island hopping; jeepneys and tricycles in towns; ferries and outrigger bangka boats between islands
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 18.1. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest Batanes and the Cordillera highlands around Sagada
·Tap water Not drinkable
✓What to drink Bottled water; typhoon season changes drinking logistics on islands.
✓Plastic rules No comprehensive national ban; 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility Act and many local bag bans
✓Sockets and voltage Type A/B/C, 220V (varies)
98.5%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 4.0% of GDP and 15.2% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 85.3% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2024 to 2025).
Made in the Philippines.
The archipelago is a global source of native plant fibres: abaca (Manila hemp), pina woven from pineapple leaves for the barong tagalog, banana fibre, and the sacred abaca ikat t'nalak woven by T'boli communities, alongside pandan and buri weaving. These fibres are cultivated, woven and worn today. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
Made now · natural materials
Archipelago is a global source of native plant fibres: abaca (Manila hemp)
Worked in Philippines from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Pina woven from pineapple leaves for the barong tagalog
Worked in Philippines from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Banana fibre
Worked in Philippines from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
T'nalak abaca ikat, woven by T'boli communities
Worked in Philippines from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Alongside pandan
Worked in Philippines from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Buri weaving. These fibres are cultivated
Worked in Philippines from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Could make · grown here already
Rice
Grown in Philippines and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Coconut
Grown in Philippines and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Root crops
Grown in Philippines and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. the Philippines produces about US$487 billion a year, which is roughly US$4,171 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 8.6% of that, while food is 15% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 18.7% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
A living tradition of Philippines, still practised rather than archived.
Singkil
A living tradition of Philippines, still practised rather than archived.
Pandanggo
A living tradition of Philippines, still practised rather than archived.
Itik-itik
A living tradition of Philippines, still practised rather than archived.
Kulintang gong musicA living tradition of Philippines, still practised rather than archived.
RondallaA living tradition of Philippines, still practised rather than archived.
Does Philippines protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. The Philippines holds diverse living heritage across indigenous, Islamic and lowland communities. Folk dances such as tinikling, the bamboo dance, and the Maranao singkil are widely performed, alongside kulintang gong music and rondalla string ensembles. In the Cordillera the Ifugao still chant the Hudhud, and the Maranao keep the Darangen epic, both inscribed by UNESCO, while babaylan and anito ancestral traditions persist among many indigenous groups.
Who it belongs to. Living indigenous communities remain strong, above all the Ifugao who still farm the 2,000 year old UNESCO listed rice terraces, plus Cordillera, Lumad, Mangyan, T'boli and Palawan groups with intact crafts and traditions. Genuine community and homestay tourism exists in these areas, but much mainstream tourism is beach and resort based and more extractive, as the 2018 Boracay closure for overtourism showed.
Only here. The endemic Philippine eagle, one of the world's largest eagles, found only in the Philippines.
Three futures for the Philippines, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: National Museum of Fine Arts (Manila), National Museum of the Philippines, Rizal (Binangonan), Ayala Museum (Makati), Metropolitan Museum of Manila (Manila), The Mind Museum (Taguig). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: 5 Cents Up Fashion & Craft, 7J Handicrafts, Art Whale, Beadworks, Brownline Arts & Design, Butingting atbp..
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
-3%
Forest cover
1995: 25.3 % → 2023: 24.5 %
-39%
Renewable electricity
1995: 36.9 % → 2021: 22.6 %
+62%
CO2 per person
1995: 0.93 t → 2024: 1.5 t
-16%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 1760 k → 2020: 1483 k
+47%
Protected land
2013: 10.9 % → 2025: 16 %
-52%
Farm workforce
1995: 42.8 % → 2025: 20.5 %
+60%
Protected sea
2013: 1 % → 2025: 1.6 %
+16%
Agricultural land
1995: 36.9 % → 2023: 42.7 %
+49%
Urban population
1995: 37.4 % → 2025: 55.8 %
-38%
Air pollution
1995: 35.7 µg/m³ → 2023: 22.2 µg/m³
-38%
Fresh water per person
1995: 6789.9 m³ → 2022: 4203.1 m³
+107%
Adult overweight
1995: 16.9 % → 2022: 35 %
+37%
Electricity access
1995: 69.1 % → 2024: 94.8 %
+248%
GDP per person
1995: 1200 → 2025: 4171
+66%
Population
1995: 70546 k → 2025: 116787 k
-26%
Renewable energy use
1995: 37.8 % → 2021: 28 %
+26%
Energy per person
1995: 459.5 kg → 2023: 580.1 kg
+50%
Protected area, total
2013: 2.4 % → 2025: 3.6 %
+5%
Life expectancy
1995: 66.3 yrs → 2024: 70 yrs
+70%
Cereal yield
1995: 2273 ha → 2023: 3869 ha
+76%
Fertiliser use
1995: 113.2 ha → 2023: 199.5 ha
-29%
Rural population
1995: 62.6 % → 2025: 44.2 %
+87%
Water productivity
2006: 2.39 $/m3 → 2022: 4.48 $/m3
+67%
Health spending
2000: 3.06 % → 2023: 5.1 %
-3%
Forest area
1995: 75440 km2 → 2023: 72933 km2
+134%
Electric power use
1995: 394.3 kWh → 2023: 924.6 kWh
+39%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 47.2 e → 2023: 65.9 e
+52%
Emissions: Building
1990: 10.2 e → 2023: 15.5 e
+761%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 10.8 e → 2023: 93.1 e
+254%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 45.4 e → 2023: 160.7 e
+428%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 3.2 e → 2023: 16.8 e
+34%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 9.4 e → 2023: 12.6 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 25.3% to 24.5% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 36.9% to 22.6% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 0.9 t to 1.5 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 1760k to 1483k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 10.9% to 16.0% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 42.8% to 20.5% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 1.0% to 1.6% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 36.9% to 42.7% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 37.4% to 55.8% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 35.7 µg/m³ to 22.2 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 6789.9 m³ to 4203.1 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 16.9% to 35.0% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 69.1% to 94.8% across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 1200 to 4171 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 70546k to 116787k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 37.8% to 28% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 459.52 kg to 580.14 kg across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 2.4% to 3.6% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 66.31 yrs to 69.95 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 2273 kg/ha to 3869 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 113.23 kg/ha to 199.45 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 62.6% to 44.23% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 2.39 $/m3 to 4.48 $/m3 across 16 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 3.06% to 5.1% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 75440 km2 to 72933 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 394.34 kWh to 924.62 kWh across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 47.22 to 65.85 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 10.2 to 15.53 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 10.81 to 93.06 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 45.39 to 160.73 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 3.17 to 16.75 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 9.43 to 12.63 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, pollution at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. Philippines already shows it can do this: heritage scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
What the best case actually asks for
Lift pollution
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Philippines's record. The Philippines is repeatedly ranked among the world's largest contributors of plastic to the ocean, driven by a sachet economy and gaps in waste collection (Jambeck and later studies). The 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility Act and many local bag bans are steps forward, but there is no comprehensive national single use ban and marine plastic remains severe. Ambient PM2.5 averages about 18.1 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), moderate. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift recycling
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Philippines's record. The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) mandates segregation and material recovery, and a large informal junk shop sector recovers materials, but formal municipal recycling rates are low and compliance is uneven across local governments. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift water
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Philippines's record. High rainfall and many rivers give the Philippines ample raw freshwater, but delivery and quality lag: WHO/UNICEF JMP and World Bank data put safely managed drinking water at about 47.5 percent of the population in 2020, and Metro Manila and other cities face seasonal supply stress and contamination. Typhoons disrupt supply, and tap water is not reliably safe for visitors. Abundant rain, uneven safe delivery. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in the Philippines.
Who is in charge of Philippines now · office-holders and institutions as published by the state itself; scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024
Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos
President
Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos is the head of government of Philippines, in office since 30 June 2022. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government: 50.6 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 36.2 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 52.7 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 47.1 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 56.1 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Ferdinand "BongBong" MarcosPresident
Congress (Kongreso)Legislature, bicameral
Next election9 May 2028
Last election9 May 2022
Constitutioncurrent text dates from 1987
Government typepresidential republic
Philippines national goals: what has been pledged, and how far it has got · each pledge measured against this country's own recorded delivery
2030
30% of land protected
! behind
Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted by more than 190 parties in December 2022. Philippines currently protects 15.9% of its land, which is 53% of the way to the pledge. ↗
2030
30% of sea protected
✕ far behind
The marine half of the same 30x30 pledge. Philippines currently protects 1.74% of its territorial waters, which is 6% of the way there. ↗
2030
Paris Agreement pledge
on record
Philippines has a Nationally Determined Contribution lodged with the UNFCCC. The registry holds the current text, its target year and the sectors it covers. ↗
Plastic policy
no national ban
No comprehensive national ban; 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility Act and many local bag bans.
Grid, as it stands
24% renewable
Recorded renewable share of electricity output, the number every energy pledge is measured against. ↗
Plain Answers About the Philippines.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
Is Philippines sustainable?
Philippines scores 62 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. The Philippines is a 7,000 island biodiversity hotspot with exceptional endemism and living fibre and terrace farming traditions, but also serious plastic pollution and low safe water coverage.
Is the water in Philippines safe and plentiful?
High rainfall and many rivers give the Philippines ample raw freshwater, but delivery and quality lag: WHO/UNICEF JMP and World Bank data put safely managed drinking water at about 47.5 percent of the population in 2020, and Metro Manila and other cities face seasonal supply stress and contamination. Typhoons disrupt supply, and tap water is not reliably safe for visitors. Abundant rain, uneven safe delivery.
Can Philippines feed itself?
The Philippines is a major farming and fishing nation, the world's top exporter of coconut products and a big producer of banana, sugarcane, rice and tropical fruit, yet it is also the world's largest rice importer and buys in significant food. Domestic agriculture is large but staple self sufficiency is only moderate.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Philippines?
Rice, root crops, coconut, tropical fruit and vegetables are everywhere and cheap, so plant food is easy to source, but everyday Filipino cuisine is strongly meat and fish centred, built on pork, chicken and fish. Whole food plant eating is available but not a dominant culture.
How much of Philippines is actually protected?
Terrestrial protected areas cover about 15.9 percent of the land (World Bank, 2021), and although formal marine protection was low at about 1.7 percent, the country runs thousands of small community marine sanctuaries plus flagship sites such as the UNESCO listed Tubbataha Reefs and Apo Island. Enforcement is uneven, with illegal fishing and logging persisting, but the best run marine protected areas are genuinely effective.
What wildlife is left in Philippines?
The Philippines is a top tier biodiversity hotspot with some of the highest endemism per unit area on Earth: the critically endangered Philippine eagle, the Philippine tarsier, Palawan and Visayan endemics, and rich but heavily threatened marine life at the apex of the Coral Triangle. Many species are found nowhere else, and many are at risk. The World Bank and IUCN list about 42 threatened mammal and 91 threatened bird species (2022).
Is Philippines on clean energy?
The Philippine grid remains dominated by coal, which supplied about 62% of electricity in 2024, while renewables, mainly geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind, provided roughly 22%. Fossil carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 1.51 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting widespread energy poverty rather than a clean system. The government placed a moratorium on new coal plants in 2020 and targets 35% renewable electricity by 2030 and 50% by 2040 under the Renewable Energy Act.
How polluted is Philippines?
The Philippines is repeatedly ranked among the world's largest contributors of plastic to the ocean, driven by a sachet economy and gaps in waste collection (Jambeck and later studies). The 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility Act and many local bag bans are steps forward, but there is no comprehensive national single use ban and marine plastic remains severe. Ambient PM2.5 averages about 18.1 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), moderate.
Does recycling work in Philippines?
The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) mandates segregation and material recovery, and a large informal junk shop sector recovers materials, but formal municipal recycling rates are low and compliance is uneven across local governments.
Is the farming in Philippines organic?
FiBL records about 1.5 percent of agricultural land as certified organic in 2020, roughly 192,000 hectares, supported by the Organic Agriculture Act and a growing organic rice, muscovado and coconut sector.
Are there natural materials and craft in Philippines?
The archipelago is a global source of native plant fibres: abaca (Manila hemp), pina woven from pineapple leaves for the barong tagalog, banana fibre, and the sacred abaca ikat t'nalak woven by T'boli communities, alongside pandan and buri weaving. These fibres are cultivated, woven and worn today.
Is there living culture in Philippines?
Living indigenous communities remain strong, above all the Ifugao who still farm the 2,000 year old UNESCO listed rice terraces, plus Cordillera, Lumad, Mangyan, T'boli and Palawan groups with intact crafts and traditions. Genuine community and homestay tourism exists in these areas, but much mainstream tourism is beach and resort based and more extractive, as the 2018 Boracay closure for overtourism showed.
What heritage does Philippines keep alive?
The Philippines holds diverse living heritage across indigenous, Islamic and lowland communities. Folk dances such as tinikling, the bamboo dance, and the Maranao singkil are widely performed, alongside kulintang gong music and rondalla string ensembles. In the Cordillera the Ifugao still chant the Hudhud, and the Maranao keep the Darangen epic, both inscribed by UNESCO, while babaylan and anito ancestral traditions persist among many indigenous groups.
So is the Philippines actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: sea protected at 1.6% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 22.6% against a 100% mark.
Philippines sits 62 of 77 at 62/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking →
What is Philippines particularly good at?
✓Heritage, scored 5/5. The Philippines holds diverse living heritage across indigenous, Islamic and lowland communities. Folk dances such as tinikling, the bamboo dance, and the Maranao singkil are widely performed, alongside kulintang gong music and rondalla string ensembles. In the Cordillera the Ifugao still chant the Hudhud, and the Maranao keep the Darangen epic, both inscribed by UNESCO, while babaylan and anito ancestral traditions persist among many indigenous groups. Weaving, tattooing and community rituals continue to carry ancestral meaning.
✓Culture, scored 4/5. Living indigenous communities remain strong, above all the Ifugao who still farm the 2,000 year old UNESCO listed rice terraces, plus Cordillera, Lumad, Mangyan, T'boli and Palawan groups with intact crafts and traditions. Genuine community and homestay tourism exists in these areas, but much mainstream tourism is beach and resort based and more extractive, as the 2018 Boracay closure for overtourism showed.
✓Natural fibres, scored 4/5. The archipelago is a global source of native plant fibres: abaca (Manila hemp), pina woven from pineapple leaves for the barong tagalog, banana fibre, and the sacred abaca ikat t'nalak woven by T'boli communities, alongside pandan and buri weaving. These fibres are cultivated, woven and worn today.
Where does Philippines score worst?
✕Pollution, scored 2/5. The Philippines is repeatedly ranked among the world's largest contributors of plastic to the ocean, driven by a sachet economy and gaps in waste collection (Jambeck and later studies). The 2022 Extended Producer Responsibility Act and many local bag bans are steps forward, but there is no comprehensive national single use ban and marine plastic remains severe. Ambient PM2.5 averages about 18.1 micrograms per cubic metre (World Bank, 2017), moderate.
✕Recycling, scored 2/5. The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003) mandates segregation and material recovery, and a large informal junk shop sector recovers materials, but formal municipal recycling rates are low and compliance is uneven across local governments.
✕Water, scored 2/5. High rainfall and many rivers give the Philippines ample raw freshwater, but delivery and quality lag: WHO/UNICEF JMP and World Bank data put safely managed drinking water at about 47.5 percent of the population in 2020, and Metro Manila and other cities face seasonal supply stress and contamination. Typhoons disrupt supply, and tap water is not reliably safe for visitors. Abundant rain, uneven safe delivery.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
Sri LankaScored on the same twelve pillars as Philippines.75
IndiaScored on the same twelve pillars as Philippines.72
ThailandScored on the same twelve pillars as Philippines.68
MongoliaScored on the same twelve pillars as Philippines.60
JordanScored on the same twelve pillars as Philippines.50
MaldivesScored on the same twelve pillars as Philippines.42
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 3/5
The Philippine grid remains dominated by coal, which supplied about 62% of electricity in 2024, while renewables, mainly geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind, provided roughly 22%. Fossil carbon dioxide emissions are very low at around 1.51 tonnes per person in 2024, reflecting widespread energy poverty rather than a clean system.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Philippines's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Food and farming, 3/5
The Philippines is a major farming and fishing nation, the world's top exporter of coconut products and a big producer of banana, sugarcane, rice and tropical fruit, yet it is also the world's largest rice importer and buys in significant food. Domestic agriculture is large but staple self sufficiency is only moderate.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Philippines's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Heritage, 5/5
The Philippines holds diverse living heritage across indigenous, Islamic and lowland communities. Folk dances such as tinikling, the bamboo dance, and the Maranao singkil are widely performed, alongside kulintang gong music and rondalla string ensembles.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Philippines's record, so it is where the score moves first.
The Philippines Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Philippines, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
54.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
47.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
52.7 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
50.6 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
32.1 / 100 · 169 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 169 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
33.9 / 100 · 164 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 164 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
24.6 / 100 · 160 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 160 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
39.7 / 100 · 156 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 156 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
51.4 / 100 · 95 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 95 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
53.1 / 100 · 90 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 90 of 131 countries assessed.
How the Philippines Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
One index, every destination. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
