7000 islands that comprise the Philippines are the forgotten islands of South-East Asia.
The country likes to promote itself as the place where 'Asia wears a smile' and the locals are, by and large, an exceptionally friendly and helpful bunch. On top of this, transport is cheap, the food is good, accommodation is plentiful and English is widely spoken.

Full country name: Republic of the Philippines
Area: 299,000 sq km (116,610 sq mi)
Population: 78.4 million
Capital city: Manila (pop: 10 million)
People: Predominantly descendants of Malays, Chinese and Muslim minorities and a number of mestizos (Filipino-Spanish or Filipino-Americans)
Language: Pilipino (Tagalog) and English plus numerous widely spoken indigenous languages, some Spanish
Religion: 82% Roman Catholic, 9% Protestant, 5% Muslim, 3% Buddhist
Government: Republic
Major products/industries: Electronic and electrical products, clothing
Major trading partners: USA, Japan, Taiwan.

Facts for the Traveler

Visas: For most foreign visitors visas are not needed for stays of less than 21 days. Three-month visas can be obtained in advance and cost around US$35. Multiple-entry visas (lasting six and 12 months) are also available but are expensive and only allow for stays of 59 days at a time. Visa extensions are possible and generally faster to obtain in regional areas.
Health risks: cholera, hepatitis, malaria, rabies
Time: UTC plus eight hours
Electricity: 220V, 60 Hz
Weights & measures: Metric
Tourism: 1.2 million visitors per year.

When to Go
Generally, the best time to travel is from the middle of December to the middle of May - off-season for typhoons. In the Christmas and Easter breaks, however, everyone is travelling and you'll have trouble getting a seat on any form of transport.
January and May have the most colourful festivals, the rice terraces of Luzon look best in March and April, and this is also the best time for island-hopping.

Events
New Year's Day is celebrated with great vigour and plenty of fireworks. On 9 January, the Black Nazarene Procession, the largest procession in the country, carries a life-size, blackwood statue of Jesus through the streets of Quiapo. The Filipino version of Mardi Gras is the three-day Ati-Atihan, celebrated in Kalibo on Panay in the third week in January. On Good Friday, there are many scourges throughout the country, which have become popular attractions, especially those at San Fernando and Antipolo, near Manila. There are more processions on Flores de Mayo in May, this time in honour of the Virgin Mary. Independence Day is celebrated on 12 June with military parades. There are local festivals taking place just about every week of the year somewhere in the Philippines.