Map of South East Asia The Philippines Course: South East Asia Lecturer: Professor Soong Student: Daleen Baker (U19697014) Map of the Philippines The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands Luzon and Mindanao account for two-thirds thirds of the land area. Population 84,765,000 Capital Manila; 10,677,000 Area 300,000 square kilometers (115,831 square miles) Language Filipino (based on Tagalog), English, and 8 major dialects Religion Roman Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Buddhist Currency Philippine peso Life Expectancy 70 GDP per Capita U.S. $4,600 Literacy Percent 96 Quick Facts 1
Colonial Period: Spanish to American Rule First Asian nation to expel Western colonial power 1565 Spanish naval forces reach Philippines from New Spain (South America) Islands conceived as a base for the eventual Christianization of Asian peoples capital city Manila (1571( 1571) ) became the western terminus of annual galleon convoys operating from Acapulco in New Spain Western voyages carried mainly military and missionary passengers plus a substantial cargo of Mexican silver The return trip carried valuable Chinese freight, which was brought to Manila in Chinese junks Islander resistance to Spanish control was minimal : no central government existed; much of the task of pacifying the population was accomplished by participating regular missionary orders. Economic development, apart from the Manila trade, slow during the first two centuries of Spanish control Considerable achievement realized educationally as part of the Christianizing program Manila was attacked by Dutch forces in the 1660s and was occupied temporarily by British- Indian troops by Europe s s Seven Year s s War a century later 1760s Mexican silver tapered off Collapse of Spain s s rule in continental America after 1815 raised difficult problems for the Philippines Major changes in economic policy manifested in the last quarter of the 18th century cultivation of cash crops like tobacco, indigo, hemp and sugar was actively encouraged, Manila was opened to foreign shipping 2
Result of these changes was:- the rise of a new, prosperous, Filipino, export- oriented, agricultural elite that would have important consequences for the emergence of the nationalist leadership in the second half of the 19th century 1835 introduction of free trade policies : Greater contact between seamen and traders from Europe and the United States and new entrepreneurial class in the Philippines 1869 opening of the Suez Canal gave the Filipino trade with Europe a stimulus as never before Revolts Against Spanish Rule Revolts marked by opposition to : colonial injustice, racial discrimination in appointments to clerical positions and, agrarian exploitation by the friars Bohol Revolt in 1744 and in Pangasinan Ilokos Revolt in the 1760s Revolts served as an inspiration for the nationalist movements of the late 19th century Filipino protests eventually found expression in the novels of Jose Rizal of the 1880s Spanish authorities executed Rizal for treason in 1896 March 1897,, an assembly of the revolutionaries proclaimed the Philippines a republic and elected Emilio Aguinaldo its president Aguinaldo forces reached stalemate with Spanish authorities Peace pact made to break stalemate: Aguinaldo to go into exile in Hong Kong and be paid a sum of money Spanish agreed to reforms such as free press and Filipino representation in bureaucracy BOTH parties broke pact dd 3
Waning Spanish Empire Cuba-centred Spanish- American War of 1898 strategic for U.S. to prevent Spanish Pacific fleet from joining Caribbean fleet Commodore George Dewey approached Aguinaldo in Hong Kong 1899 United States annexed the Philippines and restored order to the islands Reasons for U.S. Intervention U.S. historian, Richard Hofstadter, observed: The taking of the Philippine Islands from Spain in 1899 marked a major historical departure for the American people (American expansionism) Basic ideas of Darwin, Fiske and Mahan were in circulation at the beginning of the 1890s. They all contributed to the intellectual climate of the United States and influenced political leaders Economic reasons: depression of 1893; restrictive tariff policies of European countries held for the U.S. businesses the fear and prospect of shrinking markets Henry Cabot Lodge best represented the views of fellow expansionists : Duty and interest alike, duty of the highest kind and interest of the highest and best kind, impose upon us the retention of the Philippines, the development of the islands and the expansion of our Eastern commerce In the early 1930s,, the Democratic Party advocacy of Filipino self-rule found unexpected support during the Great Depression from American producers of sugar, dairy products, cordage fiber and cotton seed. These groups opposed duty-free Philippines imports to the American market Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934,, under which Filipinos were authorized to prepare their own constitution 4
Japan and the Philippines President Quezon after 1936 was fated to be pushed aside by the Japanese invasion of 1942. progressive noninvolvement of U.S. in the internal affairs of the Philippines in the late 1930s,, gave Japan opportunity to augment influence World War II, Japanese interest in Philippine lumber, hemp and copra was substantial. Japan had 35% interest in Philippine minerals (iron, manganese, copper) Manuel Quezon either ignored or underestimated the nature of Japanese expansionism Within a few days of the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941 Japan attacked the Philippines March 17 1942, MacArthur fled to Australia President Quezon also fled, set up a government in exile in Washington October 1944,, the liberation of the Philippines began with MacArthur s forces retaking Leyte Full independence was granted to the Philippines on July 4, 1946 Independent Philippines: Postwar Developments to Present Philippines functioned as a working democracy for 25 years after independence Two major parties, the Liberals and the Nationalists, dominated the political scene 5
The New Constitution Inspiration for the Philippine constitution was American Power was centralized in the office of the President, elected every 4 years Separation of powers among the executive, legislative and judiciary branches The legislature has two houses: a Senate with 24 members, one-third elected every two years for a period of six years, and House of Representatives, the lower chamber with a maximum of 120 members, elected every four years System of courts headed by the Supreme Court reasserted its four-decade decade-old tradition of independence and integrity Bill of Rights Country s s government held sovereignty and jurisdiction over all the islands except the military and naval bases granted to the United States Manuel Roxas and Elpidio Quirino Manuel Roxas became president of the Philippines in April 1946 His anti-communist credentials endeared him to the Filipino landlord class, the church, the civil service and the U.S. army brass, business interests and the State Department Roxas government received considerable moral and material support from the U.S. including more than half a billion for war damage claims Instead of rehabilitating the war-affected, affected, officials rehabilitated their pockets Roxas died in 1948 Elpidio Quirino (1949 1953), introduced land reform and new plans for the country s industrialization in order to improve the common people s s economic conditions. Quirino government received a loan of a quarter billion dollars from U.S., but no benefits accrued to the average person 6
The Magsaysay Revolution Early 1950s, Ramon Magsaysay appointed as country s s new defense minister. Magsaysay promised social welfare legislation, expeditions and better justice and education and general services at the village level. Magsaysay s policy destroyed the Huk movement by 1951 Magsaysay s frequent forays into the rural areas, running an efficient government and success in bringing peace made him very popular Magsaysay died in a plane crash in Cebu in 1957 The Marcos Regime Under both Carlos Garcia (1957( 1960) ) and Diosdado Macapagal (1961 1965), politics assumed primacy and the programs for the peasants and poor initiated by the government went unimplemented Ferdinand Marcos defeated Macapagal to become president in 1965 President of the Liberal Senate under Macapagal Defected to the Nationalist Party to be elected president 7
The Marcos Regime (contd.) Campaigned on a platform of land reform and economic development First administration was marked by some improvement in the economy helped by the use of miracle rice (IR-8) Country suddenly became an exporter of rice, though on a modest scale New strain of rice required equipment and heavy economic inputs leaving this new field of prosperity to the larger landowners. Prices soared by more than 50% amid reports of widespread corruption and rumors of vast accumulation of wealth by the Marcos family 1971 the Senate elections were marred by violence and deaths Marcos opponents won six of the eight seats in Senate and his vice-president deserted him for the opposition Liberal Party Benigno Aquino 1972 the report of the constitutional convention proposed a shift to a parliamentary system of government Marcos, however perceived a major threat to his power by the popular, dynamic, brilliant and young Senator Aquino. On September 23, 1972,, Marcos proclaimed martial law Aquino was the son of a former senator, and was thus well-acquainted with politics became senator at the age of 35 most likely to succeed Marcos popular feelings were running high for Aquino 8
Martial Law Thousands of Marcos political opponents were imprisoned, including Benigno Aquino Marcos shut down newspapers and established government control over radio and television All individual freedoms were suppressed and strikes banned Significantly Marcos consulted the armed forces in all his acts, thus giving the military a political role for the first time in Filipino history Benigno Aquino Assassination August 21, 1983 the world was shocked to hear that Aquino has been shot to death at Manila Airport Government identified Ronaldo Galman y Dawang,, a Communist, as the assassin. Eyewitness reports witnessed soldiers firing at Aquino s head The People s s Power Historic presidential elections of February 1986 were fought between Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon Aquino (Benigno s widow) Marcos claimed victory in an election widely criticized for deception, fraud on a large scale and chicanery The People s s Power (cont.) Aquino met with ambassadors from 14 European nations and Japan and urged their governments not to recognize the Marcos regime International response of almost unanimously in favor of Aquino 9
Corazon Aquino (1986 1992) Turning point came on February 22,, when Defense Minister Juan Enrile and acting Chief of Staff Fidel Ramos quit their posts to protest the rigged election Declared support to Aquino Supported by Roman Catholic Cardinal Jaime Sin on a private radio station, calling people to pour into the streets. Within 24 hours, over a million Filipinos on the streets Within 48 hours, the Marcos regime fell, with Marcos unceremoniously leaving the country with his family and cronies for the U.S. The Ramos, Estrada, and Macapagal-Arroyo Administrations Fidel Ramos, elected president 1992,, continued Aquino policies; country saw new levels of stability and economic improvement Joseph Estrada, elected president 1998 Within 2 years, people demonstrated against the corruption of his regime November 13, 2000 he was impeached Forced to step down on January 20 2001 Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Succeeded Estrada Daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal Trained as economist in U.S. Went to Washington in September 2001 to show support for Bush Administration 10
Several groups, including Communists, Muslims, angered by her wooing U.S. Her contribution to security and stability of her country is laudable. 11