PHILIPPINES
Republic of the Philippines
Republica de Filipinas
Republika ng Pilipinas
GENERAL
- Area:
- 299,404 km2.
- Population:
- 65,775,000 (1993).
- Capital:
- Manila.
- Ethnic composition:
- Primarily Malay, together with Chinese, Spanish, mixed
ancestry, and minorities.
- Major languages:
- Filipino and English (both official).
- Major religions:
- Roman Catholic (83%), Islam (5%).
- History:
- The Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan in the
service of Spain arrived in the Philippines in 1521, and
Spain began ruling the islands in 1571. Filipinos led by
Emilio Aguinaldo staged a revolt and declared
independence in 1898. Spain ceded the Philippines to the
United States in 1899 following the Spanish-American War
of 1898, and American forces proceeded to suppress the
rebels. The Commonwealth of the Philippines was
established in 1935 in preparation for independence, but
Japan took over the country in World War II and set up
the José Laurel administration under the Japanese
military. The country gained full independence on July 4,
1946, and established the Republic of the Philippines,
with Manual A. Roxas y Acuña serving as its first
president.
GOVERNMENT
- Type:
- Constitutional republic.
- Head of state:
- President:
- Fidel V. Ramos. He assumed office in June 1992 and is
serving a six-year term.
- Legislature:
- The bicameral Congress of the Philippines encompasses a
Senate and a House of Representatives.
- Executive:
- The vice-president is Joseph E. Estrada, and the foreign
affairs secretary is Domingo L. Siazon, Jr.
- Domestic politics:
- A democratic political system was reestablished under the
administration of President Corazon C. Aquino, who took
over in 1986, and presidential, legislative, and local
elections were held in May 1992. Fidel Ramos, the former
national defense secretary and designated successor to
Aquino, was elected president. Following the inauguration
of President Ramos on June 30, 1992, his administration
has been striving to unify the country, pacify rebel
forces, and rejuvenate the economy.
- Foreign policy:
- Like the Aquino administration before it, the Ramos
administration is seeking to maintain good relations with
Japan, the United States, its ASEAN partners, and the
European Union, and it places special emphasis on
economic diplomacy with these and other free-world
countries. Although all U.S. military forces were
withdrawn from the Philippines by November 1992, the
country has and should continue to have friendly
relations with the United States.
- Military:
- Defense budget, 33.0 billion pesos (1993). Regular armed
forces (volunteer) consist of 68,000 members of the army,
23,000 members of the navy, and 15,500 members of the air
force (The Military Balance 1994-95).
ECONOMY
- Major industries:
- Agriculture, forestry, fisheries.
- GNP:
- $66.3 billion (1994).
- Per capita GNP:
- $961 (1994).
- Real growth rate:
- 5.1% (1994).
- Inflation:
- 9.0% (1994).
- Unemployment:
- 9.5% (1994).
- Trade:
- Exports:$13,480 million; imports:$21,330 million (1994).
- Principal items traded:
- Exports:apparel, semiconductors and related products,
coconut oil, wood furniture; imports:oil and related
products, semiconductors, machinery, textiles.
- Principal trading partners:
- Exports:United States (38%), Japan (16%), Germany (5%),
Hong Kong (5%), Britain (5%); imports:Japan (23%), United
States (20%), Chinese Taipei (6%), Singapore (6%),
Republic of Korea (5%) (1992).
- Currency:
- Peso. US$1=26.20 pesos (July 31, 1994).
- Economic conditions:
- The Ramos administration has been continuing the
structural reforms initiated by the Aquino
administration. The main objectives are trade and
investment liberalization, privatization of public
corporations, deregulation, and tax reform.
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
- Japan's aid:
- Loans: 1,125.0 billion yen; grants: 145.7 billion yen;
technical cooperation: 83.8 billion yen (cumulative ODA
total through fiscal 1992). During fiscal 1992 grants
amounting to 14.7 billion yen and technical cooperation to
6.4 billion yen were extended.
- Principal donors:
- Japan (54%), United States (26%), Germany (6%), Australia
(4%) (1991).
BILATERAL RELATIONS
- Political:
- Japan and the Philippines are developing a friendly and
cooperative relationship through trade, investment,
economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and reciprocal
visits by leaders.
- Trade:
- Exports to Japan: $2,020 million, featuring electronic
products, bananas, nonferrous metal ore, fish and
shellfish; imports from Japan: $5,175 million, featuring
automobiles, electronic products, steel, motors (1994,
customs-clearance basis).
- Investment:
- Japanese direct investment in the Philippines amounted to
2.7 billion pesos in fiscal 1994 according to Philippine
data.
- Cultural:
- In fiscal 1992 the Japan Foundation spent 164 million yen
on projects in the Philippines, and the Japanese
government financed the acceptance of 100 Philippine
students. As of May 1, 1993, there were 528 Filipinos
studying in Japan. Ever since 1976 Japan has been
extending cultural grants to the Philippines, and their
cumulative value through fiscal 1993 came to 1,183
million yen.
- Japanese residing in the Philippines:
- 3,694 (Oct. 1994).
- Filipinos residing in Japan:
- 77,871 (June. 1994; based on alien registration
statistics).
- Visits by eminent persons:
- Japan to the Philippines:former Prime Minister Zenko
Suzuki (1990), Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu (1991),
Foreign Minister Taro Nakayama (1991), former Prime
Minister Toshiki Kaifu (1992), former Prime Minister
Yasuhiro Nakasone (1994), Prime Minister Tomiichi
Murayama (1994);
Philippines to Japan: President Corazon C. Aquino (1990), Vice-President Salvador H. Laurel (1991), Foreign Affairs Secretary Raul S. Manglapus (1990, 1991, 1992, twice), Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo (1993), President Fidel V. Ramos (1993), Foreign Affairs Secretary Domingo L. Siazon, Jr. (1994). - Treaties and agreements:
- Reparations Agreement Between Japan and the Republic of
the Philippines (1956), Exchange of Notes Between the
Government of Japan and the Government of the Republic of
the Philippines Constituting a Provisional Agreement
Concerning the Simplification of the Entry and Sojourn
Procedures (1958), Agreement for the Exchange of
International Money Orders Between Japan and the Republic
of the Philippines (1969), Air Services Agreement Between
the Government of Japan and the Government of the
Republic of the Philippines (1970), Treaty of Amity,
Commerce, and Navigation Between Japan and the Republic
of the Philippines (1980), Convention Between Japan and
the Republic of the Philippines for the Avoidance of
Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with
Respect to Taxes on Income (1980), Parcel Post Agreement
Between Japan and the Republic of the Philippines (1980).
(August 1995)
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