The Philippines is rich, the Filipinos are poor

The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia, just above the equatorial line. It is surrounded by oceans: in the east by the Pacific Ocean, in the west by the South China Sea and in the north by the Bashi Strait and in the south by the Sulu and Celebes Seas. The Philippines is made up of 7,100 islands, big and small. It is a country overflowing with natural resources. Foremost of these is land, which is important to an agricultural country such as the Philippines. The Philippines has a total land area of 30 million hectares of which 13 million hectares is agricultural land. 5.1 million hectares is devoted for rice and corn while 3.3 million hectares is planted with coconut and the rest is planted with other crops banana, pineapple, etc. Alluvial soils that make up most of the land are rich in minerals and can grow almost any crop. The Philippines is surrounded by 1,600,000 square kilometers of territorial waters. These are home to some 2,100 fish species. But in spite of its abundance, the majority of the Filipinos are poor.