The Philippines is not a typically poor country- some parts of it are very wealthy.

The Philippines has a large population (around 91 million) for the amount of land available, meaning some areas, such as Luzon Island and Manila, are very densely populated. This increases the risk of disaster, as more people are likely to be affected.

Although the Philippines is not really an LEDC, some settlements are very poor, with many people living below the official poverty line.

Similarly, many people live in unstable locations e.g. the Aeta tribe were living on the slopes of Pinatubo before it erupted in 1991.