The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is a Southeast Asian country composed of 7,641 islands located in the western Pacific Ocean. The abbreviation for the Philippines is PH or RP. The “P” in PH stands for Pilipinas, which is the Filipino word for “Philippines,” and the “H” stands for Haring Bayang, which means “Kingdom of the People.” The RP stands for Republica ng Pilipinas, which translates to “Republic of the Philippines.” The country was formerly known as Las Islas Filipinas or Philippine Islands before it gained independence from Spain in 1898. The Philippines has a rich history dating back to pre-colonial times when various indigenous peoples inhabited its islands. It was colonized by Spain in 1521 and remained under their control until 1898 when it declared its independence. After gaining independence from Spain, it was occupied by Japan during World War II before being granted full independence by the United States in 1946. Today, the Philippines is a vibrant democracy with a population of over 100 million people. Its economy is one of Asia’s fastest growing and has experienced rapid growth over recent years due to increased foreign investment and exports. It is also home to some of Asia’s most stunning natural landscapes such as Boracay Island and Palawan Island as well as bustling cities like Manila and Cebu City. The country is also home to a diverse culture with influences from both East and West including Spanish colonialism, American occupation and traditional Asian beliefs and customs. See agooddir for Philippines Modern History. The Philippines is a country with a rich and vibrant media landscape, boasting some of the most influential newspapers in Asia. The major newspapers in the Philippines include: The Philippine Star, Manila Times, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Business Mirror and Manila Bulletin. The Philippine Star is the largest daily English-language newspaper in the country and has been in circulation since July 1, 1988. It covers topics such as politics, business, entertainment, sports and lifestyle. It also features international news from Reuters and Agence France-Presse. The newspaper has a wide circulation throughout the country and is read by over one million people every day. The Manila Times is one of the oldest newspapers in the Philippines and has been published since 1898. It covers national news as well as international news from sources such as Reuters and Associated Press. It also features articles on business, entertainment, lifestyle and sports. The Manila Times has a wide circulation throughout the country and is read by hundreds of thousands of people every day. The Philippine Daily Inquirer was founded in 1985 by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte and Isagani Yambot. It is often referred to as “the nation’s paper” due to its comprehensive coverage of national news as well as international news from sources such as Reuters and Associated Press. The newspaper also features articles on business, entertainment, lifestyle and sports which are written by an experienced team of reporters located all over the world. Business Mirror is a daily business newspaper that was founded in 2005 by former Philippine Stock Exchange president Francisco Ed Limcaoco III. Its main focus is on providing readers with up-to-date information about business trends both locally and internationally through its various columns such as “Top 10 Companies” or “Stock Market Update” which are written by experienced financial analysts located all over the world. Manila Bulletin was founded in 1900 making it one of the oldest newspapers still being published today in the Philippines. It covers a variety of topics including politics, business, entertainment, lifestyle and sports with an emphasis on providing readers with quality journalism that focuses on accuracy rather than sensationalism or biasness towards certain topics or opinions. This newspaper has a wide circulation throughout the country making it one of the most read publications in all of Asia. Check simplyyellowpages for other media in the country of Philippines.