Ethnic Groups
The majority of Philippine nationals are descended from the various Austronesian (Malayo Polynesian) who settled in over a thousand years ago from southern Taiwan, genetically most closely related to the Ami tribe.[39] The Malayo Polynesian-speaking peoples, a branch of the Austronesian-speaking peoples, migrated to the Philippines and brought their knowledge of agriculture and ocean-sailing technology. Filipinos to this day are composed of various Malayo Polynesian ethnic groups, including the Visayans, the Tagalog, the Ilocano, the Moro, the Kapampangan, the Bicolano, the Pangasinense, the Igorot, the Lumad, the Mangyan, the Ibanag, the Badjao, the Ivatan, and the Palawan tribes. The Negritos, including the Aetas and the Ati, are considered as the aboriginal inhabitants of the Philippines though they are estimated to be fewer than 30,000 people (0.03%).
Filipinos of Chinese descent currently form the largest non-Austronesian ethnic group, claiming about 1.5% of the population followed by Filipinos of Spanish descent. Other significant minorities include British Filipinos, Americans, Europeans, Japanese, Asian Indians, Koreans, Arabs, and Indonesians.
Throughout the country`s history, various ethnic groups as well as immigrants and colonizers have intermarried with the native population, producing Filipino mestizos. These mestizos, apart from being of mixed indigenous Austronesian and European ancestry, can be descended from any ethnic foreign forebears. The official percentage of Filipinos with foreign ancestry is unknown since there are no credible sources for the percentage of Philippine mestizos residing in the Philippines. The number of Filipino mestizos that reside outside the Philippines is also unknown. However, due to major historical factors, such as the Spanish colonization, the American occupation, and Chinese immigration after World War II; most Filipino mestizos that reside in the Philippines are now of Spanish, American, European, Chinese, and other foreign descent. According to recent studies by Stanford University in the United States; indicates all types of mestizos make up an estimated figure of 3.6% of the country`s total population.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines