In 2009, the Philippines had an estimated population of 92 million people, with a growth rate of 2.1%. The economy was largely based on services such as banking and remittances from overseas Filipinos. Other major industries included manufacturing, mining and tourism. Foreign relations were mainly focused on trade agreements with the United States, Japan, China and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region as well as regional organizations such as ASEAN and APEC. In terms of politics, the Philippines was a constitutional democracy with a presidential system of government. In 2009, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the president at that time and her party had a majority in both houses of Congress. See internetsailors for Philippines in the year of 2011.
Yearbook 2009
Philippines. According to countryaah, the peace agreement between the government and Moro’s Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which at mid-2008 appeared to be within reach, appeared at the beginning of the year as increasingly remote. Almost daily, battles occurred on the southern main island of Mindanao. In September, hundreds of people were reported to have been killed and up to 750,000 displaced from their homes because of the new fighting that had sprung up a year earlier. Attempts were made to establish new peace talks, and in September the government and the MILF agreed to allow an international contact group to try to mediate. However, when it was to be formed and conversations resumed was unclear. See ABBREVIATIONFINDER for abbreviation PH which stands for the nation of Philippines.
Fierce fighting also occurred between the army and the minor Islamist guerrilla Abu Sayyaf, mainly on the island of Jolo in the south. Abu Sayyaf kidnapped three Red Cross employees in January. Two of them, a Filipino and a Swiss, were released in April. The third, an Italian, was first released in July.
Peace talks planned with the Communist guerrilla New People’s Army (NPA) in March were not raped, tortured and murdered since a 20-year-old daughter of a regional NPA commander, according to the Army intelligence service. Later, the parties agreed to start talks anyway. The latest round of talks collapsed in 2004 when the NPA jumped off in protest of having a terrorist stamp of the US and the EU.
Human rights organizations reported during the year that the military committed serious violations of human rights in the fight against the various rebel groups. According to a report, over 60 journalists had been killed in the eight years since President Gloria Arroyo took office, despite freedom of the press in the country being considered relatively good. But despite the prevalent political violence, the country was shocked by a bloody massacre in Maguindanao Province in Mindanao in November. The victims were mainly supporters – largely female relatives – of a politician, on the way to registering him as a candidate in the 2010 general election. A total of 57 people were killed, including some 30 journalists. Over 100 people were believed to have been involved in the ambush and the governor’s son was arrested, suspected of organizing it. The governor and several others in his clan, who were loyal supporters of President Arroyo, were excluded from her party. However, they denied all involvement and blamed the MILF guerrilla. The massacre raised concerns about new violence ahead of the upcoming elections. The two parties that became the biggest in the 2007 elections, Lakas-CMD and Kampi, formally joined in May and formed Lakas-Kampi-CMD. Previously, a number of left-wing groups had joined forces in a valiant alliance. The massacre raised concerns about new violence ahead of the upcoming elections. The two parties that became the biggest in the 2007 elections, Lakas-CMD and Kampi, formally joined in May and formed Lakas-Kampi-CMD. Previously, a number of left-wing groups had joined forces in a valiant alliance. The massacre raised concerns about new violence ahead of the upcoming elections. The two parties that became the biggest in the 2007 elections, Lakas-CMD and Kampi, formally joined in May and formed Lakas-Kampi-CMD. Previously, a number of left-wing groups had joined forces in a valiant alliance.
In August, 76-year-old former president Corazon Aquino passed away. Tens of thousands of Filipinos attended the funeral in Manila to honor Aquino who became president in connection with the uprising against dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. A little over a month later, her son Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino announced that he was running for president. Just a week later, the government coalition announced its candidate in the 2010 election: Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro. Thereby, speculation was raised that attempts would be made to change the constitution and allow Arroyo to stand for a new term in office.
A typhoon that swept across the Philippines in September caused the most severe flooding in decades in Manila and surrounding regions. Just a week later came the next powerful typhoon, causing new floods and landslides. A total of at least 650 people were killed and hundreds of thousands destroyed their homes. Authorities valued the damages at least US $ 350 million, and major losses in agriculture and fishing were also expected. The UN appealed for disaster relief from the outside world. Towards the end of the year, nearly 50,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the eastern Philippines near the volcano Mayon, which began to spew out lava and ash.