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Pearls in the Pacific The First Asian Republic
Unfortunately, the first republic did not last long. The United States, then an enemy of Spain, annexed the Philippines under the Treaty of Paris in 1898. They had bought the islands from the Spanish for $20 million dollars. Filipino freedom fighters resisted this new colonial power, but the Americans launched a brutal war of pacification which claimed over a million Filipino lives.
America Takes Over
The Philippines adopted the American system of government, with its executive, legislative, and judicial branches, a president as head of state, and a bicameral Congress composed of the Senate and a House of Representatives. The country's two-party system was also similar to America's. The new colonists influenced every aspect of Filipino life. There was a new system of public education, with English as the working language. Western-style systems of commerce and business were introduced and Western culture was reinforced through literature, films, journalism, theatre, music, fashion and food. As America's colony, the Philippines was involved in World War II. Filipino soldiers fought alongside American forces against the Japanese Imperial Army. The country became one of the bloodiest battlefields of the war in the Pacific. On July 4th 1946, the United States finally recognised the Philippines' right to independence, and the country became a republic for the second time in its history. The post-war years saw much social and political instability. Filipino society was still feudal and run by an economic and political elite. Nationalists claimed that America still influenced, if not controlled, the country's economy, internal politics, and foreign policy. There were many economic and social problems. As a result, there was a series of Marxist uprisings in the 1960s and 1970s which led to the declaration of martial law on September 21st 1972, by President Ferdinand Marcos. He ruled as a dictator until he was overthrown in 1986, when millions of Filipinos revolted against the Marcos regime. It became known as the People Power Revolution. The first republic of Asia was finally back on the road to democracy.
A Tiger Cub
The 20-year rule of President Marcos set the Philippines economy so far back that the international press called it "the sick man of Asia." In recent years, the country appears to have bounced back. Before the 1997 currency crisis and economic downturn, which affected most of the Asian tiger economies, the Philippines was set to become a newly industrialising country, or NIC by the year 2000. The attainment of economic tiger status has been the main plan of the Ramos administration since it took office in 1992. President Fidel V. Ramos has tried to modernise the country. His main objectives have been "global competitiveness" and "people empowerment". In recent years, exports have increased as has the gross national product. There has also been an increase in the per capita income. Poverty, at the same time has decreased. The President says that the Philippines has reached a certain level of development without sacrificing democratic institutions. Critics reply that development has been achieved at a high price to the country's natural environment. Others feel that agricultural reform should have the same importance as attracting foreign investment and tourism.
English and Filipino
There are two official languages in the Philippines: Filipino and English. Filipino has always been the national language, but English is widely used in schools and colleges, in business and government and even in literature. English came into use after the Philippines became a colony of the United States: American soldiers introduced English to the local people and later American schoolteachers came to teach their language. Since the 1960s the idea of speaking Filipino as a way of creating a national identity has become important to people in government and in education. Before then, Filipino was taught only in elementary and secondary schools, but now at some colleges, like the State University of the Philippines, the students take some of their classes in the national language. English remains highly valued and is widely used, making the Philippines an important English-speaking nation.
“In the English-speaking World” |
