What's On & Expat - Philippines

FIDEL V. RAMOS
Former Philippine
President
Filipino

First, education. Second, participatory representative government. I will not call it democracy because what we have in the Philippines is now different from the original version that was brought here. However, it is still representative and preparatory. It’s the thing that we must live with. However we must continue improving our democracy.

JOHN LESACA
Violinist
Filipino

All the basic qualities—the things that we learn from kindergarten. Americans are very courteous, polite. Their systems are in place. I think it’s worth emulating.

ALBERTO
ROMULO
Foreign Affairs
Secretary
Filipino

Many. Over the years the US and the Philippines are together in many people-to-people cultural exchange. I think that has helped a lot of our people including those who have been educated in the U.S. Also, we have our commercial ties. Of course, we got a lot of political relations with the U.S. It has been maturing and relations between the two countries going deep. We were the first democracy in Asia. This is our 61st anniversary of our diplomatic relations with the U.S. Also, most Filipinos outside the Philippines are in the U.S. Most of them are professionals. They are part of the nation building in the U.S.

DAVID JUDE
STA. ANA
Director, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.
Filipino

Democracy.

KRISTIE KENNEY
U.S. Ambassador
to the Philippines
American

I actually think it’s education. I think when and through the Thomasites were here and set up a system of education. I think that has given a great foundation the Philippines has made it uniquely their own. But I think it’s our lasting contribution.

EDWARD TAN
Filipino
Senior Manager, Banco de Oro Financial Services Inc.

Democracy is one of the best contributions of the US to the Philippines. This facilitated the modernization and development of the Philippines after the Spanish colonization.