Social: Belesia

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Belesian society is a blend of island diversity with religious homogeneity. As a nation, it has struggled to overcome the cultural differences of the various scattered ethnic groups in the multi-island nation. However, centuries of colonial rule, and the rejection of that rule, served as a catalyst of the unifying spiritual presence of Islam – a unique institution in this region. This process has been anything but smooth, as the country has suffered a series of political shifts between popular yet inefficient and often corrupt traditionalists and more Western-leaning but brutal military juntas.

Population Movement (Migration/IDPs/Refugees)

Nearly 40 years ago, the Belesian government created regulations that were an inducement to recruit Belesian to work overseas. Since then, it has supplied all kinds of skilled and low-skilled workers to the world's more developed regions. Nearly 10% of the population works or resides outside of Belesia in close to 200 countries and territories. Although Belesia is one of the most important labor exporting countries in Asia, it still faces major problems in receiving actual socioeconomic benefit from globalization and a deregulated global labor market. Since the majority of Belesian workers deployed overseas are uneducated and unskilled, the country has issues with controlling irregular labor migrants and protecting its migrant workers.

Belesia has a smaller number of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDP). The IDP population generally fled the military actions between the military and the more extreme Islamic factions in areas of Mindanao into the northern and central islands with higher Christian populations. Generally, however, those fleeing Mindanao tend to leave Belesia altogether, driven by economic factors. The country also has periodic temporary IDP surges as the result of natural disasters. The country’s refugee population stem from those seeking to flee persecution, torture, or cruel and unusual punishment, as Belesia has a broad immigration policy.

Population Distribution

The population density in parts of Belesia is high, but the distribution of the population is uneven. For example, the density on the island of Cebu is 40 times that of Palawan or Sabah. The country’s birth rate remains significantly higher than the world average, as well as the average for the region. A comprehensive family planning program in place since the mid-20th century has had limited success, in part because reductions in the birth rate have been offset to some degree by reductions in the death rate. Yet, the population growth rate has fallen by half over the past 3 decades.

Since World War II, the population has tended to move from rural areas to towns and cities. At the beginning of the 20th century more than four-fifths of the population was rural, but by the early 21st century, that proportion had dropped to roughly two-fifths. The plains lying amid the mountains have long had the greatest density of population in the islands, except on Cebu, where the people have lived mostly on the coastal plain because of the island’s high and rugged interior. Many tribes in the isolated mountainous interior have little contact with one another, let alone with the outside world, and live within a non-monetarized economy dependent on subsistence agriculture.

Belesia’s population problems center mostly on this issue of population density. Millions of inhabitants populate the islands around Cebu inclusive but these islands account for just over 7% of the land area. By contrast, the Sabah represents 22% of the total land mass, yet has only 1% of the population. While overall, the majority of the people have access to water and sanitation, the dense population trends towards a high risk of infectious disease.

Demographic Mix

The majority Muslim ethnic Suluese are dominant politically and socially. However, a large Olvanese minority holds economic power, while Christians dominate the military as a holdover from Colonial days. The communities coexist in relative harmony, generally speaking, although racial and religious divides persist. This is especially true on the island of Mindanao, home of the most extreme Islamic factions.

Social Volatility

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Education Level

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Ethnic Diversity

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Religious Diversity

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Common Languages

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Criminal Activity

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Human Rights

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Centers of Social Power

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Tribal System

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Honor and Shame

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Basic Cultural Norms and Values

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Meeting & Greeting	To be published
Visiting/ Hospitality	To be published
Manners	To be published
Customs and Practices Cultural Dos & Don’ts	To be published
Gifts	To be published
Taboos	To be published
Personal Space	To be published
Displays of Affection	To be published
Marriage Rituals	To be published
Work Week/ Work Hours	To be published
Concept Of Time	To be published
Dispute Resolution	To be published
Birth Rituals	To be published
Death Rituals	To be published

Summary

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