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| More than 73,000 sponsored children |
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In the Philippines, you can swim with the largest fish in the world – the peaceful whale shark – climb one of the nation’s 37 volcanoes, take in the sights of beautiful, 300-year-old Spanish architecture, or just be a beach bum on one of the 7,100 islands that constitute this breathtaking country.
Located southeast of China, this island nation is home to an amazing array of geographical diversity. It is also home to 90 million diverse people. One thing nearly all visitors say Filipinos have in common is their warmhearted, enthusiastic nature.
On the whole, Filipinos manage to maintain their optimism in the face of many serious challenges. Despite a high literacy rate and the cultural importance placed on education, unemployment and underemployment rates remain high. The latest nationwide estimates, for example, place the underemployment rate at a shocking 26 percent.
Things have been looking up recently, however, as unemployment fell some three percentage points from 2005 to 2006, the latest available data. |
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The best time to visit the Philippines is from mid-December through mid-May, as this is the off-season for the typhoons that frequently strike Southeast Asia. The climate in the Philippines, like the people, is typically warm. Temperatures range from a low of about 70° F to a high of 90° F. |
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