Forgotten world (29): The Philippines

The Philippine Islands – there are more than 7,000 of them – were a Spanish colony for more than 350 years and an American colony for almost 50 years. As a result, the Philippines today is one of the two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in Asia and is among the most Westernised.
The Philippines is the world’s twelfth most populous country with a population of over 85 million – growing fast. Roughly two-thirds reside on the island of Luzon. Manila, the capital, is the eleventh most populous metropolitan area in the world.
Since the country is so Catholic and there is significant influence from American Christian organisations, birth control and abortion are largely prohibited, especially in Manila which is declared a ‘pro life city’. The result is an exploding population, extreme poverty, and backstreet abortions.