So my research has turned up some interesting tidbits on the Philippines:
Philippine economy is primarily agriculture and light industry. No mention of anything water related! Interesting for an island nation!
Largest source of foreign exchange – remittance of wages from the 7+ million overseas workers!
“Family” is the center of everything – “the ultimate curse is ‘to be alone’”
This last one is very interesting to me who is a self-described loner and lived for years in Sweden where children learn from a very young age that “ensam ar stark” – to be alone is to be strong. Will be interesting to see if I am permited any “alone-time” 
