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Philippines FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Philippine foreign policy in the early 1990s was broadly
prodemocratic and pro-Western in orientation. Philippine
international prestige was at an all-time high when Marcos was
overthrown. During the Aquino administration, the Philippines
pursued active, nationalist policies aimed at promoting "genuine
independence" and economic development. As a charter member of
the United Nations, the Philippines participated in all its
functional groups, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization;
the World Health Organization; the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization; and the Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific. In addition, the Philippines
has been a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), the
International Monetary Fund (see Glossary),
the
World Bank (see Glossary),
and the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade. The Philippines was a founding member of the Asian
Development Bank, which is headquartered in Manila.
Article 2 of the Constitution states that "the State shall
pursue an independent foreign policy." For historical, economic,
cultural, and strategic reasons, the Philippines has been tied
most closely to the United States. Economic necessity dictated
maintaining a smooth working relationship with Japan. Filipinos
wanted a foreign policy oriented more toward their Southeast
Asian neighbors, but for most purposes implementing such a policy
was not high on their agenda. The proximity and large population
of China, plus the presence of Chinese in the Philippines,
required amicable relations with Beijing. Because of the Muslim
separatist movement, and also for economic reasons, relations
with Middle Eastern countries became more important in the 1970s
and 1980s.
Data as of June 1991
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