The Republic of the Philippines was long a best kept secret in South East Asia. Not anymore, as in recent years tourism has exploded and it has become one of the prime tropical island destinations in the world.  The Philippines are composed of over 7500 islands and have a population of 100 million people.

For more information on the Philippines and its history and culture, please see these links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines

http://www.experiencephilippines.org/tourism/about-the-philippines-department-of-tourism/