Phillipines Become US State

Can anyone think of a realistic scenario where the Phillipines could become one or more
states

although perhaps they would have to be several states or else the population would be too
large for one state

JJ18160

His Holiness, Pope Guilty I

Perhaps if there was no Filipino Insurrection. Even then, racism was so casual back then
that I'm kind of skepitical that the Phillipines would be a state before Hawaii; White Man
had a firmer control on those little islands.
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If we didn't annex Cuba, why would we annex The Philippines. This isn't a fair
statement, we annexed Hawaii, but not Cuba.

The war was shown to the public as a war of liberation. We were "Liberating" the
Cubans from Spanish oppression. We were helping their rebels fight against a foreign
power thousands of miles away. This idea appealed to Americans. In order to have this
happen, you need to make the U.S. government and the U.S. people feel like this was the
final step of Manifest Destiny.

How you convince the U.S. government to annex the Philippines instead of just adding it
to the U.S. commonwealth is beyond me.

IchBinDieKaiser

His Holiness, Pope Guilt

On the other hand, the Phillipines were kind of American (controlled/ruled) territory in
1942, where Americans died defending it, and still ours in 1944 when Americans died
liberating it. You know what? America is a kind Imperialists. Europeans would have had
the attitude that if they shed blood for it, then it is theirs.

But, I must ask, what would be the advantage to America to make the Phillies a State?
What would we gain from it?
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Originally Posted by The Kiat

On the other hand, the Phillipines were kind of American (controlled/ruled) territory in
1942, where Americans died defending it, and still ours in 1944 when Americans died
liberating it. You know what? America is a kind Imperialists. Europeans would have
had the attitude that if they shed blood for it, then it is theirs.

But, I must ask, what would be the advantage to America to make the Phillies a State?
What would we gain from it?
A quarter more people? Some natural resources? A strong presence in East Asia?
I don't see the Philippines becoming a state before, like, the 60s at least - perhaps in a
reaction to Vietnam, as we want an even stronger presence in that quadrant to keep the
Commies at bay. Making this happen...I dunno. Most of the Filipinos didn't hate the
Americans more than most colonial peoples, but things weren't exactly buddy-buddy.
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For starters there would have to be a huge pro-statehood movement in the Phillipines.
Very big. The Statehood party would need to gain control of the legislature and there
would need to be a plebiscite where statehood won a landslide victory. How does that
happen? It's an even bigger hurdle to overcome than the racism.

alphaboi867
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#8
January 26th, 2010, 12:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alphaboi867
For starters there would have to be a huge pro-statehood movement in the Phillipines.
Very big. The Statehood party would need to gain control of the legislature and there
would need to be a plebiscite where statehood won a landslide victory. How does that
happen? It's an even bigger hurdle to overcome than the racism.
A local oligarchy that convinces itself that it can milk big money through US statehood?

Perhaps a fear of spreading communism leads to a Marshall II? Giving them a taste for
Uncle Sugar?
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#9
January 26th, 2010, 01:25 PM
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We should take the question of a POD into account.

#1 The POD shouldn't be prior to WW1. For the reasons given in the threat, statehood
seems ASB in the aftermath of the conquest of the Phillipines.

#2 There has to be a POD prior to Phillipine independance in the 1940s. If you reckon
the island are going to reach statehood in the 1950s or 1960's, independance has to be
averted somehow beforehands.

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#10
January 26th, 2010, 03:03 PM
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Statehood would take a while. However, awhile back there was another thread on a
similar subject and it got me thinking. I worked out a very rough proto-timeline that does
not get statehood, but does get the Philippines Commonwealth status, like Puerto Rico
and the Northern Marianas (Though CNMI gets butterflied away.)

Here is a very rough time line:

1930-1941 US and Filipinos begin negotiations on a path to independence, like in our

timeline. However instead of passing in 1935, the legislation gets bogged down over
details and languishes in the Congress. Congress starts to act in the fall of 1941 but the
outbreak of war puts the Philippines situation on hold.

1941-1945 World War II fought on schedule. MacArthur is still involved and the US still
loses the Philippines to Japan. Japan sets up a puppet republic that is not recognized.

1945 -1950 Philippine efforts concentrate on reconstruction, independence is on the back

burner.

1946 Former Japanese territories in the Pacific become the Trust Territory of the Pacific
Islands

1947 US Air Force born. Clark Field becomes Clark Air Force Base.

1950-1953 Korean War breaks out as in OTL. Philippines useful as a forward supply
point for Korea, economy grows as a result of US military spending. Clark Air Force
Base, Subic Bay Naval Station, Cavite Naval Station, Camp O'Donnell all see
considerable growth.

1952 Puerto Rico becomes a Commonwealth.

1955 In a hostile Pacific, with Red China close by and a war in Vietnam former pro-
independence Filipino politicians find themselves looking at Puerto Rico's situation with
envy.

1956 After much lobying, Congress passes a law allowing the Philippines to write their
own constitution. In the fall of 1956 the Constitutional Convention convenes in Manila.

1957 The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Philippines is sent to the voters of
the Philippines and passes overwhelmingly. The Congress approves the constitution and
also give Filipinos US Citizenship.

1958 On January 3rd, 1958, the Governor, Lt. Governor, members of of the General
Assembly (consisting of a House and Senate), and Supreme Court of the Commonwealth
are sworn in. Many are carry overs from the previous territorial legislature.

(I'll have to post an additional update later, real life calls...)

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#11
January 26th, 2010, 04:11 PM
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I suspect that if the US had no plans for Philippines independence by WWII, that the
Filipinos would be much less pro-US and more pro-Japan. I suspect strongly that they
would demand independence at the end of WWII, and as the US was pressing so hard for
the European nations to give up Imperialism, they could hardly deny independence to the
Philippines.

Ya, there was a thread recently, and a few before that IIRC, but I can't get the Search
function to work today. Nor is it in the last 30 pages of this forum...
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January 26th, 2010, 04:12 PM
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#13
January 26th, 2010, 04:30 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dathi THorfinnsson
I suspect that if the US had no plans for Philippines independence by WWII, that the
Filipinos would be much less pro-US and more pro-Japan. I suspect strongly that they
would demand independence at the end of WWII, and as the US was pressing so hard
for the European nations to give up Imperialism, they could hardly deny independence
to the Philippines.

Ya, there was a thread recently, and a few before that IIRC, but I can't get the Search
function to work today. Nor is it in the last 30 pages of this forum...

Considering how the Japanese treated conquered peoples, it's kind of hard imagining
anybody being Pro-Japan and Anti-America.
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#14
January 26th, 2010, 07:38 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Kiat
Considering how the Japanese treated conquered peoples, it's kind of hard imagining
anybody being Pro-Japan and Anti-America.
"much less pro-US" and "more pro-Japan" were, I believe, my words. Perhaps I should
have said, "less anti-Japan" or "more willing to work with Japan" or some such.
Note that if the Navy was in charge, as in Taiwan, the oppression was relatively gentle.
Certainly, if the Army was in charge, as Korea, the oppression was awful. OTOH, lots of
Asian nationalists believed Japanese rhetoric, and sided with them (see Burma,
Thailand), and others believed it long enough for the Japanese to get their foot in the
door, at which point they regretted it (Indonesia?).

How the Japanese would have treated the Philippines if at least some of the Philippine
army had been on their side is an interesting question...
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#15
January 26th, 2010, 09:21 PM
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Statehood for the Phillipines would require a noticeable overhaul of the House seating
chart given the very large population of the islands. I suspect that the Phillipines would
get a set number of House seats regardless of population fluctuations.

Could "Protestant America", especially in the 50's and 60's, tolerate a populous
commonwealth or state that is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic? It's true that Phillipine
statehood would probably not create the religious friction that JFK's candidacy produced.
Still, an admission of the Phillipines to the Union could bring back religious bigotry
and/or nativist fears. Then again, racism would also play a sizeable role in the status of
the Phillipines in a commonwealth/statehood ATL. What would be the combined effects
of nativism, religious bigotry, and racism on Filipinos?

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 #16
January 26th, 2010, 09:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JJ18160
Can anyone think of a realistic scenario where the Phillipines could become one or
more states
This never would have happened. never ever. We took it because we could in a moment
of imperial vision, that we never really took to its maximum extent. in the Early 1900s
when the Phillipines were taken the country was entirely to rascist to make that area into
one state let alone several states. Maybe if they were majority christian than it enters the
realm of what if, but a bunch of muslims as Americans, with the likes of TR, McKinley,
Nelson Miles, Taft, Wilson, possibly in charge during the Phillipines statehood debate?

Maybe if there was open space for a settler colony than that colony would be a state but
there is entirely to many people who are white christians for that place to be considered
for statehood. Also in OTL I believe the Platt Amendment which forbid Cuban
Statehood, might have included a provision for the Phillipines. Sorry to rain on your
parade.

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#17
January 26th, 2010, 10:14 PM
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Commonwealth status seems much more likely. Going with

Greenlanterncorps' TL in 1960 the US population was 179,323,175
while the Philippines were at 27,087,685, or more than 10 million
more than New York, the largest state at the time. Individual
statehood is pretty much out of the question, not wanting any state to
have that much sway, especially such a remote one.

Given today's populations (falsely assuming parallel development and

growth), The Philippines is still nearly three times as large as
California. So if statehood would ever be considered, it would have to
be as multiple states. The most obvious answer is to divide it by the
three traditional regional divisions: Luzon, Visayas and Mindano. This
however would still leave Luzon with a massive population and
perhaps requiring yet another division.

The argument against so many divisions is that with each state carved
out of The Philippines is another two senators which may be opposed
by more conservative elements in the continental United States.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreatScottMarty
This never would have happened. never ever. We took it because we could in a moment
of imperial vision, that we never really took to its maximum extent. in the Early 1900s
when the Phillipines were taken the country was entirely to rascist to make that area
into one state let alone several states. Maybe if they were majority christian than it
enters the realm of what if, but a bunch of muslims as Americans, with the likes of TR,
McKinley, Nelson Miles, Taft, Wilson, possibly in charge during the Phillipines
statehood debate?
Aren't the Philippines majority Catholic?

The 51st state, in American political discourse, is a phrase that refers to areas either
seriously or derisively considered candidates for addition to the 50 states already part of
the Union. Before 1959, when Alaska and Hawaii joined the U.S., the term "the 49th
state" was used. Right now, the possible 51st state in discussion is the territory in
commonwealth status of Puerto Rico.

"51st state", when used in a negative sense, can refer to independent nations which are, or
are perceived to be, under excessive American influence or control. In various countries
around the world, people who believe their local and/or national culture has become too
Americanized sometimes use the term "51st state" in critical reference to their respective
countries.[1] The term 51st stater usually refers to non-U.S. residents who emulate
mannerisms and culture of an American, or a non-American politician who is a supporter
of the United States, especially its foreign policy.

Legal requirements
Under Article IV, Section Three of the United States Constitution, which outlines the
relationship among the states, Congress has the power to admit new states to the union.
The states are required to give "full faith and credit" to the acts of each other's legislatures
and courts, which is generally held to include the recognition of legal contracts,
marriages, and criminal judgments. The states are guaranteed military and civil defense
by the federal government, which is also obligated by Article IV, Section Four, to
"guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government." New states are
admitted into the Union by the precedents and procedures established by the Northwest
Ordinance. Following the precedent established by the Enabling Act of 1802, an Enabling
Act must be passed by Congress as a prerequisite to admission. The act authorizes the
people of a territory to frame a constitution, and lays down the requirements that must be
met prior to consideration for statehood.

[edit] Possible candidates

[edit] District of Columbia

Main article: D.C. statehood movement

The District of Columbia is often mentioned as a likely candidate for statehood. In

Federalist No. 43 of the Federalist Papers, James Madison considered the implications of
the definition of the "seat of government" found in the United States Constitution.
Although he noted potential conflicts of interest, and the need for a "municipal legislature
for local purposes,"[2] Madison did not address the district's role in national voting. At the
time, some believed that giving the district full voting rights would be like giving
Congress its own separate vote, increasing its power at the expense of the citizens.
However, the city's population has grown to almost 600,000 people (larger than
Wyoming's and comparable to those of several other states), and the calls for suffrage
have increased.

Of the potential candidates for statehood, citizens of the District of Columbia tend to be
most supportive[citation needed] of their statehood movement which could be achieved by an
act of Congress or by an amendment to the US Constitution. D.C. residents who support
this movement sometimes use the Revolutionary War protest motto "Taxation without
representation," denoting their lack of Congressional representation; the phrase is now
printed on newly issued D.C. license plates (although a driver may choose to have the
D.C. website address instead). President Bill Clinton's presidential limousine had the
"Taxation without representation" license plate late in his term, while President George
W. Bush had the vehicle's plates changed shortly after beginning his term in office.[3]
This position was carried by the D.C. Statehood Party, a minor party; it has since merged
with the local Green Party affiliate to form the D.C. Statehood Green Party. The nearest
this movement ever came to success was in 1978, when Congress passed the District of
Columbia Voting Rights Amendment. Two years later in 1980, local citizens passed an
initiative calling for a constitutional convention for a new state. In 1982, voters ratified
the constitution of the state, which was to be called New Columbia. The drive for
statehood stalled in 1985, however, when the D.C. Voting Rights Amendment failed
because not enough states ratified the amendment within the seven-year span specified.

Statehood will likely remain a highly contentious political issue due to the political
demographics of the city. D.C. has long voted overwhelmingly Democratic, and the
addition of another state would likely guarantee two Democratic Senators in a closely
divided Senate.

Another proposed option would be to have Maryland, from which the current land was
ceded, retake the District of Columbia, as Virginia has already done for its part, while
leaving the National Mall, the United States Capitol, and the White House in a truncated
District of Columbia, thereby preventing any Congressional favoritism toward any state
(as was the Founders' reason for the District in the first place).[4] This would give D.C.
residents the benefit of statehood while precluding the creation of a 51st state.[edit]
Puerto Rico

See also: Commonwealth (United States insular area), Politics of Puerto Rico , and
Political status of Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico statehood referenda have been consistently, though narrowly, unsuccessful.
In each referendum, statehood supporters are matched almost equally by supporters of
maintaining the status quo (the balance of the votes being cast by supporters of full
independence), although support for statehood has risen in each successive popular
referendum.[5]

The Puerto Rico Democracy Act (H.R. 2499) is a proposed United States federal statute
that would provide for referendums to be held in Puerto Rico to determine the island's
ultimate political status. It has been introduced twice in the United States Congress, first
in 2007 and again in 2009.

On April 29, 2010, the United States House of Representatives voted 223–169 to approve
a measure for a federally sanctioned process for Puerto Rico's self determination. The
measure would allow Puerto Rico to set a referendum on whether to continue its present
form of commonwealth political status or move to a different political status. If Puerto
Ricans vote to maintain its current political status, the Government of Puerto Rico is
authorized to conduct additional plebiscites at intervals of every 8 years from the date
that the results of the prior plebiscite are certified. If Puerto Ricans vote to have a
different political status for the territory, a second referendum would determine whether
it becomes a U.S. state, an independent country, or a sovereign nation associated with the
U.S. that will not be subject to the Territorial Clause of the United States Constitution.[6]
During the House debate, a fourth option to retain its present form of commonwealth
(status quo) political status was added as an option in the second plebiscite.[7][8]

Immediately following U.S. House of the U.S. Congress passage, H.R. 2499 was sent to
the U.S. Senate, where it was given two formal readings and referred to the Senate
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. H.R. 2499 has been scheduled for a
hearing before the aforementioned committee at 9:30 A.M., on Wednesday, May 19,
2010. This hearing will be for gathering testimony on the bill.[9]

If Puerto Rico were a U.S. state, it would rank 27th in population, and have six seats in
the House of Representatives.[10][11][12] Puerto Rico has been under U.S. sovereignty for
over a century and Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens since 1917; but the island’s
ultimate status still has not been determined and its 3.9 million residents still do not have
voting representation in their national government. Puerto Rico currently has limited
representation in Congress in the form of a Resident Commissioner, a nonvoting
delegate, and the current Congress had returned the Commissioner's power to vote in the
Committee of the Whole, but not on matters where the vote would represent a decisive
participation.[13] Puerto Rico has elections on the United States presidential primary or
Caucus of the Democratic Party and the Republican Party to select delegates to the
respective parties national conventions although presidential electors are not granted on
the Electoral College.

Contrary to common misconception, residents of Puerto Rico pay U.S. federal taxes:
import/export taxes, federal commodity taxes, social security taxes, etc. Most residents
do not pay federal income tax but pay federal payroll taxes (Social Security and
Medicare). However, federal employees, or those who do business with the federal
government, Puerto Rico-based corporations that intend to send funds to the U.S. and
others also pay federal income taxes. Puerto Ricans may enlist in the U.S. military.
Puerto Ricans have fully participated in all U.S. wars since 1898. All persons born in
Puerto Rico after 1941 are legally natural born citizens of the United States, one of the
constitutional requirements to be President of the United States.[14][15][16]

President George H.W. Bush raised the statehood before Congress in his first State of the
Union message:

There’s another issue that I’ve decided to mention here tonight. I’ve long believed that
the people of Puerto Rico should have the right to determine their own political future.
Personally, I strongly favor statehood. But I urge the Congress to take the necessary steps
to allow the people to decide in a referendum.[17]

Bush issued a memorandum on November 30, 1992 to heads of executive departments

and agencies establishing the current administrative relationship between the Federal
Government and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. This memorandum directs all
Federal departments, agencies, and officials to treat Puerto Rico administratively as if it
were a State insofar as doing so would not disrupt Federal programs or operations.[18] On
December 23, 2000, President Bill Clinton signed executive Order 13183, which
established the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status and the rules for its
membership. Section 4 of executive Order 13183 (as amended by executive Order 13319)
directs the Task Force to "report on its actions to the President ... on progress made in the
determination of Puerto Rico's ultimate status." President George W. Bush signed an
additional amendment to Executive Order 13183 on December 3, 2003, which
established the current co-chairs and instructed the Task Force to issue reports as needed,
but no less than once every two years.[10][11]

The statehood position is carried by the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico. Both the
Democratic Party and Republican Party, in their respective 2008 party platforms, have
expressed their support of the rights of the United States Citizens in Puerto Rico to
determine the destiny of the Commonwealth to achieve a future permanent non-territorial
political status with government by consent and full enfranchisement.[19][20]

The Republican Party platform of 2008 says:

We support the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted to the
Union as a fully sovereign state after they freely so determine. We recognize that
Congress has the final authority to define the constitutionally valid options for Puerto
Rico to achieve a permanent non-territorial status with government by consent and full
enfranchisement. As long as Puerto Rico is not a state, however, the will of its people
regarding their political status should be ascertained by means of a general right of
referendum or specific referenda sponsored by the U.S. government.[21]

The Democratic Party platform of 2008 says:

We believe that the people of Puerto Rico have the right to the political status of their
choice, obtained through a fair, neutral, and democratic process of self-determination.
The White House and Congress will work with all groups in Puerto Rico to enable the
question of Puerto Rico's status to be resolved during the next four years.[22]

Its population in the 2000 census was 3,927,776. (Kentucky ranked 26th, with 4,206,074,
and Oregon ranked 27th, with 3,700,758.)

A hypothetical merging of several former and current Pacific US territories into a single
state.

[edit] Other U.S. territories or former territories

Other less likely contenders are Guam and the United States Virgin Islands, both of
which are unincorporated organized territories of the United States, although the latter
could merge with Puerto Rico due to their proximity (although they have very different
histories, cultures & languages). Also the Northern Mariana Islands, which is a
commonwealth like Puerto Rico, and American Samoa, an unorganized, unincorporated
territory could attempt to gain statehood. Some proposals call for the Virgin Islands to be
admitted with Puerto Rico as one state (often known as the proposed "Commonwealth of
Prusvi," for Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands), and for the amalgamation of U.S. territories
or former territories in the Pacific Ocean, in the manner of the "Greater Hawaii" concept
of the 1960s. Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands would be admitted as one state,
along with Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands (though
these latter three entities are now separate sovereign nations, which have Compact of
Free Association relationships with the United States). Such a state would have a
population of 441,171 (slightly lower than Wyoming's population) and an area of 911.82
square miles (slightly smaller than Rhode Island). American Samoa could possibly be
part of such a state, increasing the population to 506,040 and the area to 988.65 square
miles. Radio Australia, in late May 2008, issued signs of Guam and the Northern Mariana
Islands becoming one again and becoming the 51st state.[23]

I've been a supporter of this movement since I was in college. Sometimes I'm thinking of
printing leaflets to distribute it to the people to gain widespread support including
politicians. I think this is the best thing to do. European Union is a good example and
why not for Philippines to rejoin United States and become the 51st state.
sheraton hernandez

hey george! are u filipino?

George wrote:
The Philippines is now on the verge of US Statehood. Historically, the archipelagic
nation belongs to the United States. If not for Japan, the Philippines should have been a
"state" of America long befoe Alaska and Hawaii. With recent political turmoils and
falling republic, Filipinos today want to return to the motherland.

fairness

for some of us it already is the 51st state. we come and go as we please provided we dont
get in trouble and infringe our freedom in any way.
True American

fairness wrote:
for some of us it already is the 51st state. we come and go as we please provided we dont
get in trouble and infringe our freedom in any way.
People can't come and go from the philippines to the USA without special circumstances.
We can go from the USA to the philippines with just our passport but the philippines
citizens can't just use their passport to visit the USA :( I wish they could.
lusty Laraza

San Diego, CA
Good Topic I like it!
But some, especially the Military come only be in the Philippines for 21 days. Does that
apply to U.S. Civilians also? Japanese can come to the U.S. with less to no issue at all. I
believe its a type of country to a type of country. Countries now a days are profiled.

True American wrote:

<quoted text>
People can't come and go from the philippines to the USA without special circumstances.
We can go from the USA to the philippines with just our passport but the philippines
citizens can't just use their passport to visit the USA :( I wish they could.
thats what i said. "for some of us"

I remember when I was in Grade 4 [Elementary Education] our English teacher taught us
to sing the United States National Anthem. I really thought during that time that
Philippines is part of United States that's why I feel oblige at that time to memorize the
American Anthem and sing it with respect & loyalty.
I am a pure blooded Filipino but it seems like I have a close heart to the Americans.
Maybe its because historically we are closely connected to the Americans though we
quarrel sometimes during the Philippine-American War and the post World War II era
especially when the military bases wasn't renewed by the Philippine Senate. But to me, I
just consider it as a brother-like quarrel and in the end we usually make up. We Filipinos
consider the Americans as our Big Brother. One proof of our true loyalty to the
Americans is the acceptance of the VFA agreement and our 100% support to the war on
terror. I just hope the American population do consider Filipinos as a part of their family
too.
How I wish the Americans didn't gave us Independence in July 04, 1946 but instead gave
us the Statehood.
I hope America will propose to the Philippine Government
to rejoin United States. I am sure if a referendum will be held, it will get a majority vote
of the Filipino people.

GEORGE
G'day mate and thanks indeed for your interest. To answer your query, I am a Filipino in
'vein' with oozing Filipino blood pumping in my heart sensitive and worried of the bleak
future of the "Filipino" today. I am a proud ‘Australian’ by necessity. I love Australia and
I have called it my home but the Philippines is my special home – the land of my
forebears and the place of my birth. I am Australian. I am Filipino through and
through ..... thus, I do not wish to be a Filipino in vain but in “vein”.

Sheraton,

Welcome to the Fold. Just like you, I have read and witnessed the intense corruption of
the Philippines since the inception of Emilio Aguinaldo in Kawit, Cavite. His
assassination of Andres Bonifacio is a living testament of more contemporary
assassinations in Malacanang Palace today. It is a republican recycle – an endless
republican decay. Manuel L. Quezon Sr. created Filipino Diaspora and we as Filipinos
from our stolen generations are now living in “hell”. We are like rats and cockroaches;
some are dogs; others are flies. Well, I guess ‘real dogs’ in the US, UK and Australia live
a more luxurious life than our fellow human dogs in the Philippines. If MLQ lives in
heaven now then happy he is to see us all living in hell. He would rather see the
Philippines run like hell by the crocodile Filipinos (like him) rather than like Heaven by
the Americans. Yes, he was right, his grandson, MLQ III is running the Philippines like
hell yet he lives a selfish sheltered prosperous heavenly life. People of the Philippines, I
call upon you all to please wake up. Look at Malacanang Palace – it has become a cozy
home of “neonepotismalcolonialists” and oligarchs from the same breed of assassinators
and corruptors.

s hernandez wrote:
I hope America will propose to the Philippine Government to rejoin United States. I am
sure if a referendum will be held, it will get a majority vote of the Filipino people.
Sheraton,

Please do not wait for Washington DC or White House to propose to the corrupt and
money-starved infested Philippine government in order to rejoin the United States. As
I’ve said, historically, the Philippine Islands belong to the US. Let the people of the
Philippines destroy the sick and rotten “REPUBLIC” and revive and debate the dead
Tydings-McDuffie Act and Jones Law. The Filipino masses must be united. We will still
be Filipinos and proud Americans at the same time protected by the Constitution of the
United States of America with sincere ‘Preamble’ and righteous ‘Bill of Rights’. Gloria
Arroyo can still be our representative to Washington as temporary congresswoman or as
interim governor of the 51st state until such time that an honest election shall be ruled by
Washington.

Sheraton, if you wish to join and become part of the Philippine Statehood USA Top
Party, I can send you an email address to link with. Who knows you might even become
the secretary general for the United Kingdom-based Filipinos. What do you think?

FAIRNESS
i dont believe it is in the interest of either countries to make philippines the 51st state. too
many complications politically economically and socially. its hard to go back to your
parents house when youre middle age.

fairness wrote:
i dont believe it is in the interest of either countries to make philippines the 51st state. too
many complications politically economically and socially. its hard to go back to your
parents house when youre middle age.
fairness,

we don't go back to our parents arms when we reach middleage. we take their wisdoms
and teachings. in most ways, we follow their ways good or bad. The US created a
democratic nation. The US educated an ignorant nation. Spain created a fearing illiterate
Filipinos for nearly 400 years. It took only 50 years for America to civilise a nation. The
Philippines learned democracy, freedom and wisdom from the Americans. I would love
to take them with me wherever I go.

fairness wrote:
<quoted text> that would increase the population of the united states to 400,000,000 right
away. united states is on the verge of curving influx of foreign nationals to control
population growth. also itll make the wages lower in the usa and the vocal majority wont
like that. filipinos need to get their act straightened to improve their standard of living.
fairness,

Well and truly said. India has more than 1 Billion people and they are now the Top 3
economic giant of Asia. China has even bigger population with 1.1 Billion and both
countries are the economic tigers of Asia. Japan and Singapore are sinking simply
because Singapore could not swallow to support a bigger multicultural population and
Japan is slowly corrupting. The United States is still the most powerful nation on earth
hence the population must be maintained. Thousands of Americans are dying from
sicknesses and natural causes every year and many more thousands are dying from wars
and military involvement. As a powerful nation, Washington needs to maintain its
military force. There are about 50 million strong young men and women in the
Philippines enough to protect the United States mainland in case of another war in the
Middle East or elsewhere. The Philippines is an archipelago strategically positioned in
the Asia-Pacific region and closed to the Indian Ocean near Middle East. Just like
America's largest installation outside the US, the former Clark airbase, Subic navalbase,
and Sangley Point, we can control again the entire Asia-Pacific region. Hawaii is not
enough because Hawaii is too small and too far to protect the entire US jurisdiction. With
combined Guam, Hawaii and The Philippines “FORCE”, the US will have no problem in
the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the entire Pacific. The Filipinos will not be liabilities
to Washington. We have 85 million highly skilled and prominently educated English-
speaking people. The islands are naturally rich in sugar, coffee, mine, oil, gas, coconuts,
fruits, veggies etc. The US will become self-sufficient in terms of these needs. The
Philippines was the second most powerful country in Asia after Japan five decades ago
just after the commonwealth government. The Philippines and the Filipinos are not
foreigners to the United States. We are part and parcel of her history. We can not rub out
that history. Filipinos will always be American-tagged no matter where we go. Here in
Australia, I am called the 'brown flip yankee doodle' and I am bloody proud of it.

George wrote:
<quoted text>
Sheraton,
Please do not wait for Washington DC or White House to propose to the corrupt and
money-starved infested Philippine government in order to rejoin the United States. As
I’ve said, historically, the Philippine Islands belong to the US. Let the people of the
Philippines destroy the sick and rotten “REPUBLIC” and revive and debate the dead
Tydings-McDuffie Act and Jones Law. The Filipino masses must be united. We will still
be Filipinos and proud Americans at the same time protected by the Constitution of the
United States of America with sincere ‘Preamble’ and righteous ‘Bill of Rights’. Gloria
Arroyo can still be our representative to Washington as temporary congresswoman or as
interim governor of the 51st state until such time that an honest election shall be ruled by
Washington.
Sheraton, if you wish to join and become part of the Philippine Statehood USA Top
Party, I can send you an email address to link with. Who knows you might even become
the secretary general for the United Kingdom-based Filipinos. What do you think?

FAIRNESS
lotsa goats in america. mmmmmm! and variety of dogs too. yuuuummy!filipinos move in
to mainland usa and some if us move in to philippines for more room and less pollution.
that works. whatll happen to the prez? become a governor?

CHIQUITO
WITH THE IMMENENT ECONOMIC RECESSION FACING THE US GOD FORBID
THE PHILIPPINES WILL MAKE ANOTHER US STATE.

SPACE 1
It's not going to happen. Too much Pride in the philippines, that is why the philippines is
still as what it is.

‘Let us all become one’

By BENIGNO SIMEON C. AQUINO III President of the Philippines
July 26, 2010, 5:16pm

(English translation of the State-of-the-Nation Address of President Benigno S. Aquino

III before the Joint Session of the Congress of the Philippines at the Batasang Pambansa,
Quezon City, July 26, 2010.)

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Vice President Jejomar
Binay, Chief Justice Renato Corona, Former Presidents Fidel Valdez Ramos and Joseph
Ejercito Estrada; Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate; distinguished
members of the diplomatic corps;

My beloved countrymen:

Our administration is facing a forked road. On one direction, decisions are made to
protect the welfare of our people; to look after the interest of the majority; to have a firm
grip on principles; and to be faithful to the public servant’s sworn oath to serve the
country honestly.

This is the straight path.

On the other side, personal interest is the priority, and where one becomes a slave to
political considerations to the detriment of our nation.
This is the crooked path.

For a long time, our country lost its way in the crooked path. As days go by (since I
became President), the massive scope of the problems we have inherited becomes much
clearer. I could almost feel the weight of my responsibilities.

In the first three weeks of our administration, we discovered many things, and I will
report to you some of the problems we have uncovered, and the steps we are taking to
solve them.

This report is merely a glimpse of our situation. It is not the entire picture of the crises we
are facing. The reality was hidden from our people, who seem to have been deliberately
obfuscated on the real state of our nation.

In the first six years of this year, government expenditure exceeded our revenues. Our
deficit further increased to P196.7 billion.

Our collection targets, which lack P23.8 billion, were not fully met, while we went
beyond our spending by P45.1 billion.

Our budget for 2010 is P1.54 trillion. Of this, only P100 billion – or 6.5% of the total
budget – can be used for the remaining six months of the current year. Roughly 1% of the
total budget is left for each of the remaining month.

Where did the funds go?

A calamity fund worth P2 billion was reserved in preparation for anticipated calamities.
Of this already miniscule amount, at a time when the rainy season has yet to set in, P1.4
billion or 70% was already spent.

The entire province of Pampanga received P108 million. Of this, P105 million went to
only one district. On the other hand, the province of Pangasinan, which was severely
affected by Typhoon Pepeng, received a mere P5 million, which had to be used to fix
damages inflicted not even by Pepeng, but by a previous typhoon, Cosme.

The funds were released on election month, which was seven months after the typhoon.
What will happen if a typhoon arrives tomorrow? The fund has been used up to repair
damage from typhoons that hit us last year. Our future will pay for the greed of yesterday.

This is also what happened to the funds of the MWSS. Just recently, people lined up for
water while the leadership of the MWSS rewarded itself even though the pensions of
retired employees remain unpaid.

The entire payroll of the MWSS amounts to 51.4 million pesos annually. But this isn’t
the full extent of what they receive: they receive additional allowances and benefits
amounting to 81.1 million pesos. In short, they receive 211.5 million pesos annually.
Twenty four percent of this is for normal salaries, and sixty six percent is added on.

The average worker receives up to 13th month pay plus a cash gift. In the MWSS, they
receive the equivalent of over thirty months pay if you include all their additional
bonuses and allowances.

What we discovered in the case of the salaries of their board of trustees is even more
shocking. Let’s take a look at the allowances they receive:

Attending board of trustees and board committee meetings, and you get fourteen
thousands pesos. This totals ninety eight thousand pesos a month. They also get an annual
grocery incentive of eighty thousand pesos.

And that’s not all. They get a mid-year bonus, productivity bonus, anniversary bonus,
year-end bonus, and financial assistance.

They not only get a Christmas bonus, but an additional Christmas package as well. Each
of these amounts to eighty thousand pesos. All in all, each member of the board receives
two and a half million pesos a year exclusive of car service, technical assistance, and
loans. Let me repeat. They award themselves all of these while being in arrears for the
pensions of their retired employees.

Even the La Mesa watershed wasn’t spared. In order to ensure an adequate supply of
water, we need to protect our watersheds. In watersheds, trees are needed. Where there
should be trees, they built homes for the top officials of the MWSS.

We cannot remove them from their positions quickly because they are among the
midnight appointees of former president Arroyo.

We are investigating all of these things. But if they have any shame left, they should
voluntarily relinquish their positions.

Now let’s discuss funds for infrastructure. The DPWH identified two hundred forty six
priority safety projects to be funded by the motor vehicle user’s charge. This needs a
budget of P425 million. What they ended up funding were only 28 projects. They
disregarded 218 projects and replaced these with seventy projects that weren’t in the
plans. The P425 million originally asked for became P480 million, increasing because of
projects allocated for a favored few.

These projects make no sense: unstudied and unprepared for, sprouting like mushrooms.

The era of such projects is at an end. Under our administration, there will be no quotas,
there will be no overpricing, the funds of the people will be spent for the people.
There’s more. Five days before the term of the previous administration ended, they
ordered P3.5 billion to be released for the rehabilitation of those affected by typhoons
Ondoy and Pepeng. This was supposed to fund eighty-nine projects. But nineteen of these
projects amounting to P981 million didn’t go through public bidding. Special Allotment
Release Orders hadn’t even been released and yet the contracts were already signed. It’s a
good thing Secretary Rogelio Singson spotted and stopped them.

Instead, they will all go through the proper bidding, and the funds will be used to provide
relief to those who lost their homes due to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

Let’s discuss what happened in Napocor. From 2001 to 2004, the government forced
Napocor to sell electricity at a loss to prevent increases in electricity rates. The real
motivation for this is that they were preparing for the election.

As a result, in 2004, NAPOCOR slumped deeply in debt. The government was obligated
to shoulder the P200 billion it owed.

What the public thought they saved from electricity, we are now paying for using public
coffers. Not only are we paying for the cost of electricity; we are also paying for the
interest arising from the debt.

If the money we borrowed was used properly, then there would be added assurance that
constant supply of electricity is available.

However, this decision was based on bad politics, not on the true needs of the people.
The people, after having to sacrifice, suffered even more.

This is also what happened to the MRT. The government tried again to buy the people’s
love. The operator was forced to keep the rates low.

In effect, the guarantee given to the operator that he will still be able to recoup his
investment was not fulfilled. Because of this, Landbank and the Development Bank of
the Philippines were ordered to purchase the MRT.

The money of the people was used in exchange for an operation that was losing money.

Let us now move on to the funds of the National Food Authority (NFA).

In 2004: 117,000 metric tons (of rice) was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines.
What they (the government) bought were 900,000 metric tons. Even if you multiply for
more than seven times the amount of shortage, they still bought more than what was
needed.

In 2007: 589,000 metric tons was the shortage in the supply of the Philippines. What they
bought were 1.827 million metric tons.
Even if you multiply for more than three times the amount of shortage, they again bought
more than what was needed.

What hurts is, because they keep purchasing more than what they need year after year,
the excess rice that had to be stored in warehouses ended up rotting, just like what
happened in 2008.

Is this not a crime, letting rice rot, despite the fact that there are 4 million Filipinos who
do not eat three times a day?

The result is NFA’s current debt of P177 billion.

This money that was wasted could have funded the following:

• The budget of the entire judiciary, which is at P12.7 billion this year.
• The Conditional Cash Transfers for the following year, which cost P29.6 billion.
• All the classrooms that our country needs, which cost P130 billion

This way of doing things is revolting. Money was there only to be wasted.

You have heard how the public coffers were squandered. This is what is clear to me now:
change can only come from our determination to stamp out this extravagance and
profligacy.

That is why starting now: we will stop the wasteful use of government funds. We will
eradicate projects that are wrong.

This is the point of what we call the zero-based approach in our budget. What used to be
the norm was every year, the budget merely gets re-enacted without plugging the holes.

Next month we will be submitting a budget that accurately identifies the problem and
gives much attention on the right solution.

Those that I have mentioned were only some of the problems we have discovered. Here
now are examples of the steps we are undertaking to solve them.

There is a case of one pawnshop owner. He purchased a vehicle at an estimated cost of 26

million pesos.

If he can afford to buy a Lamborghini, why can’t he pay his taxes?

A case has already been filed against him. Through the leadership of Finance Secretary
Cesar Purisima, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez,
and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, every week we have new cases filed against
smugglers and against those who do not pay the right taxes.
We have also already identified the suspects of the cases of Francisco Baldomero, Jose
Daguio and Miguel Belen, 3 of the 6 incidents of extralegal killings since we assumed the
Presidency.

Fifty percent (50%) of these incidents of extralegal killings are now on their way to being
resolved.

We will not stop the pursuit of the remaining half of these killings until justice has been
achieved.

We will hold murderers accountable. We will also hold those who are corrupt that work
in government accountable for their actions.

We have begun forming our Truth Commission, through the leadership of former Chief
Justice Hilario Davide. We will search for the truth on the alleged wrongdoing committed
in the last nine years.

This week, I will sign the first ever Executive Order on the formation of this Truth
Commission.

If the answer to justice is accountability, the answer to the dearth in funds is a new and
creative approach to our long-standing problems.

We have so many needs: from education, infrastructure, health, military, police and more.
Our funds will not be enough to meet them.

No matter how massive the deficit is that may keep us from paying for this list of needs, I
am heartened because many have already expressed renewed interest and confidence in
the Philippines.

Our solution: public-private partnerships. Although no contract has been signed yet, I can
say that ongoing talks with interested investors will yield fruitful outcomes.

There are some who have already shown interest and want to build an expressway from
Manila that will pass through Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, until the end of
Cagayan Valley, without the government having to spend a single peso.

On national defense: We have 36,000 nautical miles of shoreline, but we only have 32
boats. These boats are as old as the time of (US General Douglas) MacArthur.

Some had this proposition: they will rent the Navy headquarters on Roxas Boulevard and
the Naval Station in Fort Bonifacio.

They will take care of the funding necessary to transfer the Navy Headquarters to Camp
Aguinaldo. Immediately, we will be given $100 million. Furthermore, they will give us a
portion of their profits from their businesses that would occupy the land they will rent.
In short, we will meet our needs without spending, and we will also earn.

There have already been many proposals from local to foreign investors to provide for
our various needs.

From these public-private partnerships, our economy will grow and every Filipino will be
the beneficiary. There are so many sectors that could benefit from this.

We will be able to construct the needed infrastructure in order to help tourism grow.

In agriculture, we will be able to have access to grains terminals, refrigeration facilities,

orderly road networks and post-harvest facilities.

If we can fix out food supply chain with the help of the private sector, instead of
importing, we will hopefully be able to supply for the needs of the global market.

The prices of commodities will go down if we are able to make this efficient railway
system a reality. It will be cheaper and faster, and it will be easier for travelers to avoid
crooked cops and rebels.

A reminder to all: creating jobs is foremost on our agenda, and the creation of jobs will
come from the growth of our industries.

Growth will only be possible if we streamline processes to make them predictable,

reliable and efficient for those who want to invest.

We make sure that the Build-Operate-and-Transfer projects will undergo quick and
efficient processes. With the help of all government agencies concerned and the people, a
process that used to take as short as a year and as long as a decade will now only take six
months.

The Department of Trade and Industry has already taken steps to effect this change,
under the leadership of Secretary Gregory Domingo:

The never-ending horror story of registering business names, which used to take a
minimum of four to eight hours depending on the day, will be cut down drastically to
fifteen minutes.

What used to be a check list of thirty-six documents will be shortened to a list of six, and
the old eight-page application form will be whittled down to one page.

I call on our local government units to review its own procedures. While we look for
more ways to streamline our processes to make business start-ups easier, I hope the
LGUs can also find ways to implement reforms that will be consistent with the ones we
have already started.
All will certainly benefit from this streamlining -- be it businessmen, soldiers, rebels and
ordinary Filipinos. As long as the interests of Filipinos will not be jeopardized, we will
explore all available avenues to make this a reality. We must start now, and we should all
help achieve this and not stand in each other’s way.

The time when we will no longer be made to choose between our people’s security and
the future of our children is upon us now.

Once we implement these public-private partnerships, we will be able to fund public

service in accordance with our platform.

This will enable us to fund our plans for education.

We will be able to expand our basic education cycle from seven years to the global
standard of twelve years.

We can build more classrooms, and we will fund service contracting under the
Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Program
(GASTPE).

Conditional cash transfers that aim to lessen the burden of education on parents will also
be funded if this partnership becomes a reality.

Our plans for improving PhilHealth can now be within reach.

First, we will identify the correct number of Filipinos who sorely need PhilHealth
coverage, as current data is conflicting on this matter. On one hand, PhilHealth says that
eighty-seven percent (87%) of Filipinos are covered, then lowers the number to only
fifty-three percent (53%). On the other hand, the National Statistics Office says that only
thirty-eight percent (38%) of Filipinos are covered by Philhealth.

Even as we speak, Secretary Dinky Soliman and the Department of Social Welfare and
Development are moving to implement the National Household Targeting System that
will identify the families that most urgently need assistance. An estimated 9 billion pesos
is needed in order to provide coverage for five million poor Filipinos.

Our country is beginning to see better days ahead. The private sector, the League of
Provinces headed by Governor Alfonso Umali, together with Governors L-Ray
Villafuerte and Icot Petilla, are now ready to do their share when it comes to shouldering
the financial burden. I know that the League of Cities under the leadership of Mayor
Oscar Rodriguez will not be far behind.

If the local governments share in our goals, I know that I can surely count on Congress,
the institution where I began public service, to push for our agenda for change.
Our Cabinet has already showed its skill by identifying not just problems but also
proposing solutions in a matter of three weeks.

In the aftermath of Typhoon Basyang, we were told by those in the power sector that we
would be without electricity for four days. The quick action of Secretary Rene Almendras
and the Department of Energy resulted in the restoration of power to almost all those
affected within twenty-four hours.

The so-called water shortage in Metro Manila was quickly attended to by Secretary
Rogelio Singson and the Department of Public Works and Highways. Secretary Singson
did it without prodding, which alleviated the suffering of those affected.

We also witnessed the competence and initiative of those we appointed to be part of our
Cabinet. It is but just that they not be forced to go through the eye of a needle to be
confirmed by the Commission on Appointments. Should this happen, competent Filipinos
will be encouraged to help our country through service to the public.

In the soonest possible time, we will convene the Legislative Executive Development
Advisory Council (LEDAC) to discuss the important bills that needs to be addressed.
Rest assured that I will keep an open mind in order for our relationship to be true to our
people.

We will push for the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, where we cannot push for bills that will
need funding, rather only those that have already identified its sources of funding. We
need 104.1 billion pesos to fund those laws already passed but whose implementation
remains pending because of lack of funds.

We will re-evaluate fiscal incentives given in the past. Now that we are tightening our
purse strings, we need to identify those incentives that will remain and those that need to
be done away with.

We will not allow another NBN-ZTE scandal to happen again. Whether from local or
foreign sources, all proposed contracts must undergo the scrutiny of correct procedures. I
now ask for your help with amending our Procurement Law.

According to our Constitution, it is the government’s duty to ensure that the market is fair
for all. No monopolies, no cartels that kill competition. We need an Anti-Trust Law that
will give life to these principles, to afford Small- and Medium-Scale Enterprises the
opportunity to participate in the growth of our economy.

Let us pass into law the National Land Use Bill.

It was in 1935, during the Commonwealth, that the National Defense Act was passed.
There is a need to amend this law in order to make it more responsive to the current needs
of national security.
I appeal to our legislators to pass the Whistleblower’s Bill to eradicate the prevalent
culture of fear and silence that has hounded our system.

We will strengthen the Witness Protection Program. We must remember that from 2009
to 2010 alone, cases which involved the participation of witnesses under the program
resulted in a ninety-five percent conviction.

There is a need to review our laws. I call on our lawmakers to begin a re-codification of
our laws to ensure harmony and eliminate contradictions.

These laws serve as the basis of order in our land, but the foundation of all rests on the
principle that we cannot grow without peace and order.

We face two obstacles on our road to peace: the situation in Mindanao and the continued
revolt of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Our view has not changed when it comes to the situation in Mindanao. We will only
achieve lasting peace if all stakeholders engage in an honest dialogue: may they be Moro,
Lumad, or Christian. We have asked Dean Marvic Leonen to head our efforts to talk to
the MILF.

We will learn from the mistakes of the past administration, which sprung upon the people
an agreement reached without consultation from all concerned. We are not blind to the
fact that it was done with political motivation, and that the interest behind it was not that
of the people.

We recognize the efforts of the MILF to discipline those within its ranks. We are hopeful
that the negotiations will begin during the first one hundred days of my administration as
your president.

To the CPP-NPA-NDF: are you prepared to put forth concrete solutions rather than pure
criticism and finger-pointing?

If it is peace you truly desire, then we are ready to call for an immediate cease-fire. Let us
go back to the table and begin talking again.

It is difficult to begin discussions in earnest if the scent of gun power still hangs in the
air. I call on everyone concerned not to waste a good opportunity to rally behind one goal
for peace.

Our foundation for growth is peace. We will continue to be shackled by poverty if the
crossfire persists.

We must understand that now is a time for sacrifice. It is this sacrifice that will pave the
way for a better future. With our freedom comes our responsibility to good unto our
fellows and to our country.
To our friends in media, especially those in radio and print, to the block-timers and those
in our community newspapers, I trust that you will take the cudgels in policing your own.

May you give new meaning to the principles of your vocation: to provide clarity to
pressing issues; to be fair and truthful in your reporting, and to raise the level of discourse
with the public.

It is every Filipino’s duty to closely watch the leaders that you have elected. I encourage
everyone to take a step towards participation rather than meddling. The former takes part
in finding a solution; from the latter, never-ending complaints.

We have always known that the key to growth is putting the interest of others beyond
one’s own. One thing is clear: how do we move forward if we keep putting others down?

How will those without education secure quality jobs? How will the unemployed become
consumers? How will they save money for their future needs?

If we change all this, if we prioritize enabling others, we will open a world of

opportunities not just for ourselves but for those who direly need it.

We have already begun the process of change, and we are now able to dream of better
things for our country. Let us not forget that there are those who wish us to fail, so that
they will once again reclaim power to do as they please at the expense of our people.

I believe that God and the people have brought us to where we are now. While we focus
on uplifting the lives of our fellow men, we are assured of blessings and guidance from
God Almighty. If we truly believe that we have God on our side, is there anything that we
cannot endure?

The mandate we received last May 10 is testament to the fact that the Filipino continues
to hope for true change. The situation is not what it was before; we can all dream again.
Let us all become one in achieving a fulfilment of our hopes and aspirations for our
country.

Thank you very much.

See also the speech in the original Filipino: ‘Tumungo sa katuparan ng ating mga
pangarap’
 The Philippines Should Become The 51st State

By Alan Srout
Jan. 31, 2005

The Republic of the Philippines is an archipeligo of over 7,100 islands located north of
Malaysia, Australia and Indonesia in the Pacific Ocean and south of Taiwan. The
Philippine Islands became a Spanish colony during the 16th century; they were ceded to
the US in 1898 following the Spanish- American War. In 1935 the Philippines became a
self-governing commonwealth. Manuel QUEZON was elected President and was tasked
with preparing the country for independence after a 10-year transition. In 1942 the islands
fell under Japanese occupation during WWII, and US forces and Filipinos fought
together during 1944-45 to regain control. On 4 July 1946 the Philippines attained their
independence. The 21-year rule of Ferdinand MARCOS ended in 1986, when a
widespread popular rebellion forced him into exile and installed Corazon AQUINO as
president. Her presidency was hampered by several coup attempts, which prevented a
return to full political stability and economic development. Fidel RAMOS was elected
president in 1992 and his administration was marked by greater stability and progress on
economic reforms. In 1992, the US closed its last military bases on the islands. Joseph
ESTRADA was elected president in 1998, but was succeeded by his vice-president,
Gloria MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, in January 2001 after Estrada's stormy impeachment
trial on corruption charges broke down and widespread demonstrations led to his ouster.
MACAPAGAL-ARROYO was elected to a six- year term in May 2004. The Philippine
Government faces threats from both Muslim separatist groups and communist insurgents.
In area it is slightly larger than Arizona. Population 86,241,697 (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.8% (male 15,758,255; female 15,152,291)
15-64 years: 60.2% (male 25,847,345; female 26,096,211)
65 years and over: 3.9% (male 1,473,873; female 1,913,722) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 22.1 years
male: 21.6 years
female: 22.6 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.88% (2004 est.)

Stats from CIA Factbook 2004.

There are many reasons for my proposal to make the Republic of the Philippines the 51st
(and possibly 52nd and 53rd states, see North and South Carolina, the Dakotas, West
Virginia, etc..) of the United States of America. I will list them in order and expand on
them as I go along. Firstly, we have longstanding ties with the Philippine people. The
Philippines was an American territory and commonwealth until they achieved their
independence after WWII. English has been spoken in the Philippines since 1762, and the
Philippines is the third largest English- speaking nation in the world, after the USA and
United Kingdom.

Secondly, the people of the Philippines, known as Filipinos, for the most part admire,
respect and emulate the United States, especially for its rule of law, fair elections, civil
rights, industriousness, sense of fair play, and economic vitality. Many in the Philippines
feel that becoming a U.S. state would be preferable to the rampant cronyism, corruption,
bribe-taking and favoritism displayed by many of their current leadership and poverty
that pervades many of the islands. Thirdly, becoming a state(or states) of the U.S. would
enable Filipinos to travel freely within the U.S., opening up new vistas of opportunity for
many(such as the hundreds of thousands of well-trained Filipino nurses, doctors and
other medical technicians, of which there is a shortage in the U.S.), and would encourage
both foreign and U.S. investment in the new state(s), as stabilization would occur. One
great benefit for current citizens of the United States would be 80 million new taxpayers
and contributors into the Social Security system. The Philippines has a great number of
underemployed and unemployed, yet highly intelligent and educated young adults, who,
with adequate investment, could turn the Philippines into the "Silicon Valley" of Asia,
enriching the whole United States all the more. Small business loans, which are almost
impossible to get now in the Philippines, or come with "loan shark" type interest rates,
would be much easier to find, causing a boom in these small businesses, and hence
employment, in the islands.

I believe the Philippines should be admitted as three separate states, based on culture and
geography, so as not to overwhelm the U.S. Congress with a sudden influx of 140
representatives in the House of Representatives from one state. Each state, would of
course, also have two senators.

The United States will also greatly benefit in having the Philippines a state of the U.S.
because of the rich natural resources which could potentially be developed with modern
technologies. Also, the U.S. would again have bases close to communist China and other
trouble spots, from which to contain any potential enemies, and some of the people of the
new state(s) would gain employment at these military installations and in catering to the
personnel assigned there. On that note, Filipinos would be able to join the U.S. military
directly, with no hassle, and gain the benefits and training that accrue to those who serve.
The Philippines already has the only U.S. Veterans Affairs medical facility outside the
U.S., and that could be expanded upon. There are many other benefits that make this an
ideal proposal, and I welcome your comments and suggestions, especially those from
people in the Philippines or of Philippine descent.