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A Short History of the Philippines and its Politics

The very first inhabitants of the Philippines arrived about 300,000 years ago having migrated over a land bridge from the Asian mainland. The Negrito or Aeta arrived 25,000 years ago. But they were driven back by several waves of immigrants from Indonesia, followed by maritime immigrations of Malayan people.

In 1380, the Arab-taught, Makdum arrived in the Sulu archipelago. They began to establish what was to become a powerful Islamic influence over the next one hundred years.

MagellanThen in 1521 Ferdinand Magellan arrived and claimed the archipelago for the Spanish. Magellan was killed by local chiefs. They naturally disapproved of this notion. Ruy Lopez de Villalobos followed in 1543 and named the territory Filipinas after Philip II of Spain who never even made a courtesy visit to the country named for him. Spanish occupation only stated really in 1565. By 1571 the entire country, except for the strictly Islamic Sulu archipelago, was under Spanish control.

A Filipino independence movement grew in the 19th century and Filipinos fought side by side with the Americans in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. When the Spanish were defeated, general Aguinaldo declared the Philippines independent, finally.

Manuel I QuezonAmerica, however, had other plans. The US promptly purchased the islands from the Spanish for US$20 million. Eventually, however America recognized the Filipinos' desire for independence. So Manuel L Quezon was sworn in as President of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1935 as part of a transitional phase pending full independence, or that was the plan.

Japan Invaded PhilippinesBut the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1942 brutally interrupting this process and ruled until America again invaded two years later. Finally the Philippines received full independence in 1946.

Marcos Swearing into officeFerdinand Marcos was elected president in 1965. But the country became in disarray and declared martial law in 1972. He ruled as a dictator until 1986. His regime was attacked by both communist and Muslim guerrillas. In the end he was accused of ballot-rigging and fraud.

Cory AquinoThen, the assassination of prominent opposition figure Benigno Aquino in 1983 sparked massive anti-government rallies and protest. A snap election in 1986 saw the opposition parties rally around Aquino's widow, Cory. She initiated a programmed of non-violent civil unrest. It resulted in Marcos fleeing the country.

Mt Pinatubo eruptionAquino re-established the democratic institutions of the country. But she failed to tackle economic problems or win over the military and the powerful Filipino elite. American strategic influence in the country diminished following the 1991 Mt Pinatubo eruption which destroyed the US Clark Air Base and after this the Philippine Senate refused to ratify the lease on the Subic Bay Naval Station.

Fidel RamosAquino survived seven coups in six years and was succeeded by her Defense Minister Fidel Ramos in 1992. Ramos attempted to revitalize the economy, attract foreign investment, cleanse corruption and expand provision of utilities.

Members of the Moro NationalThe Philippines government and the Moro National Liberation Front signed a peace accord in September 1996 ending, formally at least, the MNLF's 24-year struggle for autonomy in Mindanao. The peace agreement foresaw the MNLF being granted considerable autonomy in many of island's provinces. Peace in the area remains elusive however following the rise of a splinter group, the militant Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which opposes the agreement. The government continues to conduct military operations in MILF-held areas in Basilan and Sulu.

EstradaIn 1998, Ramos was replaced as president by the Philippines' answer to Bruce Willis, Joseph Estrada. Estrada, a former movie star elected more because of the popularity of his on-screen persona than because of any political experience, promised a lot economically and but did not deliver it. He was impeached and brought to trial in late 2000 on charges of taking bribes from gambling syndicates and using the proceeds to line his own coffers. When Estrada and his political allies tried to derail the trial by blocking prosecutors' access to his financial accounts, the people decided they'd had enough and staged mass demonstrations in the streets.

Gloria ArroyoEstrada resigned on 19 January 2001 and the next day his former vice-president, Gloria Arroyo, was sworn in as the new president of the Philippines. Arroyo promised to wipe out poverty and corruption; she refused to grant Estrada an amnesty for his crimes.

Now Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, has been accused of vote rigging as Marcos was in 1986. Now even her former alley Corey Aquino has turned against her. An impeachment was impalement but failed. She has the military behind here but has lost a lot of popular support. A coup is predicted October 15th, but it is doubtful, unless the military leave her. These are turbulent time in the Philippine. But things have been like this since I came here 15 years ago. The more thing change the more they remain the same.

Free Divers Yes, today the country still has its problems but this doesn’t stop tourists and businessmen alike from visiting the archipelago. There are many wonderful discoveries still to be made and the infrastructure in this modern day and age is good. From {sight seeing} to diving to places to stay and shopping. the Philippines today, is a vibrant place indeed.

Travel WarningTravel Warning: Although the danger lies mostly in the southern part of the county like as the renowned ‘tourist’ kidnappings, rate indeed, see [make a link Shelle to safety] travelers should be cautious in Manila and other major centers. Keep an eye on developments before you travel and seek local advice on travel to any parts of Mindanao as well.

If you're a journalist keep your head down while in the Philippines.

The other major issue to be aware of is boat safety. The Philippines archipelago is serviced by a flotilla of ferries, some of them little more than rickety tubs that are often overcrowded and under-serviced. If you feel uncomfortable boarding a ferry that looks leaky or overcrowded, look for an alternative boat or catch a plane. Don't try to travel when there is a fiesta in a place where you want to go, Christmas time is crowed too, Holy Week maybe even more so. And be sure you have a room booked in advance for Valentines Day. Lover take up all the rooms. Valentine's Day is a big day, like Christmas, in the Philippines.