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.

Age variation in Belesia is typical for an emerging nation. Approximately one third of Belesians are children, while only 5% are over the age of 65, with a median age of about 27.

Social Volatility

The two main sources of internal strife in Belesia are poverty and religion. Over the last two decades, Belesian politics have been split between supporters and detractors of the popular yet frequently corrupt ruling party. Over the past century, the military has seized power in often-violent coups no less than 12 times. These coups are followed by interludes of a democratically elected government.

Either the government or the military control nearly all the national television networks and operate most of the radio networks. While the media are free to criticize government policies, and cover instances of corruption and human rights abuses, a strict law prohibits media in Belesia from reporting anything that could be deemed critical of the Prime Minister and journalists tend to exercise self-censorship regarding the military, the judiciary and other sensitive issues.

Emerging social problems have shown that the characteristics of poverty are becoming more complex, with differing forms of disparity and inequality. Unemployment is persistently at the 25-30% rate, with higher levels in youth and rural demographics. Government efforts to expand employment in the manufacturing and tourism sectors are offset by fears that development could harm the environment, particularly the rain forests that are under pressure from palm oil plantations and illegal logging.

Education Level

The Department of Education ensures that all school-age children and youths receive a basic high-quality education that will allow them to function as productive, socially responsible citizens. Elementary education in Belesia is compulsory; it starts at age five and lasts for seven years (one year of kindergarten and six years of primary education). Secondary education begins at age 12 and lasts for an additional six years; undergraduate college instruction typically is four years. Vocational schools offer specialized training for one to three years.

Ethnic Diversity

Many small groups of indigenous peoples historically account for Belesia’s population. However, these can generally be divided into either Mindanoan or Cebuan Suluese. Together, these groups make up nearly 70% of the overall population. Descendants of and current immigrants from Olvana and Torbia account for the other 30%. However, centuries of contact with first the Torbians, then the Olvanese, and later colonial powers has resulted in only a tiny percentage of the total population in a fixed indigenous tribe. Often these tribes are isolated in mountainous regions. Essentially, the population can be divided into four segments, whom, at any given time may be in either open conflict or tenuous peace with each other, while the bonds within the groups remain strong, with one exception. The groups are the unmixed indigenous tribes, who may or may not ally with other indigenous groups based on millennia of tribal affiliation; the Suluese of mixed tribal ancestry; the Olvanese and Olvanese descendants of mixed ancestry; and the Suluese with colonial or Torbian ancestry.

Religious Diversity

The government of Belesia formally recognizes six religions and has official national holidays. About 87% of the population is Muslim, roughly 10% is Christian, either Protestant or Roman Catholic, while the remaining 3% is Buddhist, Hindu, or Confucian. While the country is predominantly Muslim, the government is secular and not based on a single religion. Islam was brought to southern Belesia in the 15th century from the west and the religion was already well established in the Sulu Archipelago and Mindanao by the time of European contact. The small numbers of Belesians practicing Buddhism or Hinduism are primarily associated with communities of Olvanese or Torbian descent. Some of the more rural indigenous peoples maintain local religions.

Common Languages

Estimates of the total number of native languages and dialects spoken in Belesia differ, but studies suggest that there are around 150. Most of the country’s languages are closely related, and are collectively referred to as Belesian, with the major dialects of the country generally corresponding to the largest ethnic groups. Non-Belesian indigenous languages are found on Palawan, Sabah, and Catanduanes. In homes where Belesian is not the primary spoken language, Belesian is still understood, especially in younger generations. Belesian is not a difficult language to learn and most expatriates quickly learn the language sufficiently to succeed in meeting every day needs. English may be spoken in international and high-level business contexts and in larger cities. However, in rural locations it will be difficult to find an English speaker unless at a widely visited tourist location.

Criminal Activity

Belesia’s crime rate is considered high. Incidences of theft, armed robbery, and assault are quite prevalent in the nation. The frequent disruptions in government and traditionally weak policing has allowed organized crime gangs to relocate from other areas of Asia in recent years, thus helping to increase the overall crime rate in the region.

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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