Philippines 2000

"Philippines 2000" was the socio-economic program of former Philippine president Fidel V. Ramos. The plan envisioned the Philippines achieving Newly-industrialized country status by the year 2000.

Platform

The "Philippines 2000" platform largely hinged on five major areas:

*Peace and Stability
*Economic Growth and Sustainable Development
*Energy and Power Generation
*Environmental Protection
*Streamlined Bureaucracy

The "Philippines 2000" program formed the core of the Ramos campaign platform in the 1992 elections which largely centered on economic reforms and improved national security and unity.

Effects and legacy

The "Philippines 2000" platform was widely successful, making it one of the greatest legacies of the Ramos administration to the Philippines. Ramos was successfully able to open the then-closed Philippine economy and break Marcos-era formed monopolies, especially with regard to Philippine Airlines and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, which were privitized and de-monopolized during his tenure. He was also able to resolve the power crisis in the Philippines through privitization of power plants and the construction of new ones. The reforms spurred additional investment into the Philippines.

Other economic reforms achieved during the Ramos administration was the re-adjustment of the value added tax from four percent to an International Monetary Fund and World Bank-mandated ten percent. The success of the reforms paved the way for the Philippines to be called "Asia's New Tiger". [cite |author= Gregorio F. Zaide, Sonia M. Zaide|title=Philippine History and Government, Sixth Edition|publisher=All-Nations Publishing Co. (Quezon City)|date= 2004| p. 180]

Economic reforms instituted during the Ramos era enabled the Philippines to experience growth rates of up to nine percent annually, and enjoy annual budget surpluses well into his tenure. The economic reforms instituted in the "Philippines 2000" platform would have an effect on how the Philippines would be affected in the 1997 East Asian financial crisis.

Perhaps one of the greatest legacies of "Philippines 2000" regarding peace and stability was the 1996 peace treaty signed between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front, ending over thirty years of conflict on the island of Mindanao.

uccessors

The "Philippines 2000" program would be succeeded by two other socio-economic programs: "Angat Pinoy 2004", instituted by Joseph Estrada, and the ten-point "Strong Republic" agenda instituted by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

References

ee also

*Economy of the Philippines
*Fidel V. Ramos