introduction and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) was prepared in accordance with the general guidelines adopted by the former Commission on Human Rights, now the square kilometers; Visayas, with an area of 56,606 square kilometers and Mindanao, with an area of 101,999 square kilometers. Of the total land area, 92.3 per cent is found within the 11 largest islands. it has a land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers, It is divided into 15 administrative regions with 76 provinces, 60 cities, 1,543 municipalities and Human 41,911 1. This initial report on the implementation of ‘the International Covenant on Economic, Social Rights Council, regarding the submission of jnitial implementation reports. In observance of the previous three-phase reporting cycle instituted by the Economic and Social Council according to which States Parties were required to report, at three-year barangays (villages). 6. The Filipino is of Malay racial stock, The indigenous culture is a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish and American influence. intervals, on different clusters of rights, the Philippines has submitted the following ICESCR reports: implementation 7. There are 110 ethno-linguistic groups in the country, which speak at least 70 recorded languages. There are eight major languages, with Filipino as the (a) HRI/CORE/1/Add.37 (2 Feb. 1994); (b) Initial (arts. 6-9); E/1978/8/Add.4 (28 Dec. 1977); (c) 2nd (arts. 6-9); E/1984/7/Add.4 (1 Feb. 1984); (d) Initial (arts. 13-15): E/1988/5/Add.2 (21 June 1988); national language and Filipino and English as the official working languages. 8. Eighty-five per cent of Filipinos are Christians, the majority of whom are Roman Catholics. A little over 10 per cent of the populations are followers of Islam and the rest belong to other denominations or sects. (e) Additional (arts, 13-15); E/1989/5/Add.7 (28 Feb. 1992); (f) Initial (arts. 10-12); E/1986/3/Add.17 (15 Sept. 1994). 9. As of 2005, the population of the Philippines was estimated at 88.5 million. Growing annually at 2.11 per cent, the population is projected to reach 102.8 million by 2015. 2. This report consists of two parts. The first part provides information on the current situation in the Philippines. The second part provides specific information relating to the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant. 10, Population density is 246 persons per square kilometer and about half of the population is concentrated in urban centers all over the country. This is a result of the rapid urbanization caused mainly by the rural to urban migration. 3, This report gives background information on laws, policies, programmes and recent developments pertinent to the rights enumerated in the Covenant, the difficulties and problems arising from their implementation, and the prospects for the future. 8B. General political structure 11. The and Republic of the Philippines republican State with is a democratic a presidential form of government. 4, The report was prepared by the Coordinating Committee on Human Rights (CCHR), which was established through Administrative Order No. 370 dated 10 December 1997. The CCHR is chaired by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and has 15 government departments and agencies as members. 1. GENERAL 12. Executive power is exercised by the President of the Philippines with the assistance of his Cabinet. The President is both the head of State and of the Government. The Vice-President assists the President in the performance of his duties and responsibilities and may also be appointed as the head of one of the executive departments. INFORMATION 13. Legislative power is vested in the Congress of the A. The land and the people 5. The Philippines is an archipelago located 966 kilometers off the south-eastern coast of mainland Asia, It is composed of 7,107 islands with three Major island groups: Luzon, with an area of 141,395 Philippines, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Senate is composed of 24 senators elected at large for a term of six years. The House of Representatives is composed of members elected from legislative districts and through a partylist system. PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT'S 2NO TO 4TH PERIODIC REPORT 63