Philippines (Scenario: A Normal Future)

Philippines is a federal republic located in maritime Southeast Asia, and is primarily divided into three island groups- Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It's capital is the city of Manila, and the largest city is Quezon City. It is a newly industrialized country, which has an economy transitioning from being based on agriculture to one based more on services and manufacturing. The predominant religion, Christianity, gains so much influence over the country.

History
This primarily covers modern history from 2020 and beyond.

On March of 2020, the conscription law was passed, implementing mandatory military service for men and women, both for one year at the age of 18. Registration began on the last week of May. On June 2, at 10:15 am local time, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Luzon, which was centered right in the dense metropolitan area of Metro Manila. It was the deadliest earthquake in years, with over 1,550 deaths. A report stated that 56% of structures in the National Capital Region was collapsed or damaged beyond repair. Many of the districts were completely demolished due to outrageous damage. The metropolitan area was rebuilt, and was described as looking like a generic Mainland Chinese city, with modern malls, rows of towering residential highrises, small rows of private homes, and security cameras that have facial recognition and smart technology, supplied by Chinese companies.

In 2021, the Philippine Social Credit System was turned mainstream. The Duterte administration continues under Sara Duterte being elected in 2022.

Economy
Philippines is the 4th largest economy in Southeast Asia, with it's main industries being agriculture, business process outsourcing, mining, fishing and semiconductors. It also has a growing technology, media and biotech market, with major offices of Monsanto, Facebook, Disney, ZTE, and Qualcomm located in the country. It's unemployment rate stands at 8.5%, with poverty being at 20%. Tourism is also a major contributor to the economy, however it has declined in the late 2010s due to issues and changes, and neighboring countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan had spent more budget on tourism. The Philippines is also a major hotspot for international retail and restaurant chains.

Infrastructure
The country's infrastructure is relatively underdeveloped, due to it's geographical terrain which adds to disadvantages, but also due to most government budgets going to the National Defense and Agriculture. The Filipino Interprovince Highway System passes through most provinces by ferry connections or by bridge. Rail transport meanwhile mostly has small coverage. The Manila Metro System spans 5 lines and 40 stations in total, and the PNR system connects Tutuban to Laguna. A high speed rail line from Manila to Clark was opened in 2024.