[b]Nation:[/b] The Socialist Republic of the Philippines

[b]Leader:[/b] President Ramon Cristobal (Term is ending and elections are coming)

[b]History:[/b] In some respects, the Philippines is charmed; it is part of one of the most powerful military blocs in the world, has a say in what goes on in the Third International, and has enjoyed a long period of internal peace and tranquility. But in other respects, the Philippines is cursed, particularly economically: The State Ownership of property has harmed the economy, private enterprise is only safegaurded at the small-business level, and Freedom of Speech, though officially protected, is unofficially restricted by subtle means. Not merely that, but there is a Chinese Military Presence in the islands, although even their presence pales before the economic grievances of the Filipinos, especially in the countryside, where redistribution and collective farming has failed.

At the same time, however, the Filipinos enjoy a standard of physical health that people in other countries would envy, thanks to the extension of universal healthcare. Mental Health, on the other hand, is in a murkier situation, due to the presence of misconceptions about conditions such as Autism, ADHD, and other, more severe mental health problems, misconceptions and obsolete data implemented all across the asylums and treatment centers ran by the Government, and amplified by popular superstition. This has led to incidents of malpractice, and even medical experimentation. While this is the case all over the world, in the Philippines, this has led to minor and major grievances. Nevertheless, the welfare system is still popular, although people are arguing for a needs-based system.

Not to mention that President Ramon Cristobal's administration has been implicated in several corruption and sexual scandals, in a wide spread across the party. As the Philippines is under a multi-party system, albeit a multi-party system where the ruling Christian Socialists have been able to keep their monopoly on power since the Chinese Occupation, this has resulted in other groups and interests, whose power had been steadily increasing for the past few decades, finally moving to try and take power. 

One of these groups is the Philippine Social Democratic Party, a group whose platform is based on a combination of privatization of state assets and encouragement of private enterprise, high welfare benefits, a decoupling of the Government from issues of Mental Health, and increased freedoms all across the board. Cultural issues are the restoration of Manila as the 'Pearl of the Orient', a reduction of Chinese artistic and architectrural influence in favor of Western, Latin American, and Indian models, and, as a bargaining chip with the Chinese Mainland, a more militant stance towards Spain, advocating the sending of troops against that country; the irony of looking towards Spain as a cultural model while sending troops to kill Spaniards is not lost on anyone.