The Philippines: Former Sick Man of Asia Suffers Relapse

Just when you might have thought the Philippines was on the mend, morbid symptoms of untreated problems re-emerge. It really shouldn’t be this way.
The Philippines: Former Sick Man of Asia Suffers Relapse
Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte is interviewed by reporters at a hotel in Davao City, on the southern island of Mindanao, Philippines, on May 9, 2016. Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images
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Just when you might have thought the Philippines was on the mend, morbid symptoms of untreated problems re-emerge. It really shouldn’t be this way.

It may seem hard to believe in retrospect, but in the aftermath of the World War II, many commentators—especially in the United States—thought the Philippines would be Asia’s star economic and political performer. How wrong can you be?

The pundits can be forgiven for their optimism. The Philippines had the distinction of being the U.S.’s only formal imperial possession, and—unlike some of its competitors in the region—it was eventually bequeathed a democratic system of sorts. When combined with a population with high levels of English competence compared to its neighbors, the omens looked positive.

A woman stands among photos taken of human rights victims during martial law, displayed at an experiential museum inside a military camp in Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 24, 2016, ahead of the 30th anniversary of people power that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. (Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images)
A woman stands among photos taken of human rights victims during martial law, displayed at an experiential museum inside a military camp in Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 24, 2016, ahead of the 30th anniversary of people power that toppled dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. Ted Aljibe/AFP/Getty Images
Mark Beeson
Mark Beeson
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