The Philippines is a confederation of city-states disguised as a nation.

The Philippines has as many as 7,641 islands, making it the second-largest archipelago country in the world after Indonesia. It covers an area of 299,700 square kilometers and has a population of over 100 million, with a GDP of more than 430 billion US dollars. There are 11 major islands, among which Luzon and Mindanao are the two largest islands located at the northern and southern ends of the Philippines, serving as the main economic and population centers of the country.

Archipelago countries all have a common problem, which is the low national cohesion, and local forces are prone to become too powerful.

This problem is especially serious in the Philippines, because the two largest islands not only are the farthest apart but also have similar sizes, resulting in weak primacy and radiation capacity. The political center Manila is located on the northernmost island of Luzon, and it is difficult to exert influence over the southernmost island of Mindanao.

The history of the Philippines as a nation is very short. Although some states were established in history, such as Luzon and Sulu, they were all local regimes and never truly unified the entire Philippines. It was the arrival of Spain that integrated the Philippines into a complete colony, creating the geographical concept of "Philippines." The tribes and people of various islands have a very low sense of national identity; they may never leave their own islands in their lifetime, and the central government's management of them is extremely loose.

Filipino family clan political forces are widespread. Although the Philippines is known as a democratic election country, its political ecology is not mature. Because the Philippines has never undergone land reform, it has retained a large number of feudal landlord classes who have controlled local power for generations. For example, Davao City on Mindanao is under the control of the Duterte family. The head of state, the president, is merely a spokesperson elected by the various families.

Original text: www.toutiao.com/article/1840333889196041/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.