Christianity
The Philippines is the only country in Asia in which Christianity is the national religion. This is probably the result of the Spanish Catholic reign in The Philippines for more than 300 years. Religion still plays a central role in the lives of most Filipino Americans. An estimated 88.5% of Filipinos are Christians; the major Christian denominations are as follows:
- Roman Catholic (79.5%),
- Other Christian groups (9%) including Seventh Day Adventist, United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), United Methodists, Episcopal Church in the Philippines, Bible Baptist Church, and other Protestant churches. It also includes Jehovah’s Witnesses and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as the Iglesia ni Cristo, Philippine Independent Church, Members Church of God International, The Kingdom of Jesus Christ, and The Name Above Every Name.
Islam and Other Religions
Approximately 6% of the population is Muslim (although some estimates put this has high as 10-11%) mostly concentrated in the Southern Philippines, especially on Mindanao Island. 1.8% of the population subscribes to other independent religions, while 0.7% does not practice or belong to any religious affiliation (Central Intelligence Agency, 2010; Philippine Census, 2000).
