Not so Sweet in The Philippines
This resource was designed for LCA students and teachers and accompanies the
documentary ‘Not so Sweet’ from the KMF Productions ‘What in the World?’ series.
Geography
NEGROS
Fast Facts
Capital
Currency
Area
Population (2008)
Official Languages
Manila
Peso
300,000 sq km
96,061,000
Filipino and English
History
First the Spanish...
The Spanish named the islands that make up modern
day the Philippines after Prince (later King) Philip 11
in 1542. The islands were first visited by Europeans
in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan arrived but these
islands had been occupied as far back as 25,000 B.C.
Before the arrival of the Europeans, people had settled
here from Indonesia around 3,000 B.C. and from
China around 200 B.C.
And then the United States…
On 25 April 1898, the United States declared war
on Spain. On 1 May 1898, the U.S. navy destroyed
the Spanish fleet. Over three centuries of Spanish
rule in the Philippines came to an end. For the next
forty-four years the United States replaced Spain as
the colonising power.
Sweet Facts
Sugar is the only taste humans are
born craving.
A can of Cola has between 39
and 41 grams of sugar. That
is about seven teaspoons or
13 lumps of sugar per can!
The trick to curing hiccups is
to get the nerves that regulate
king a
breathing synchronized by taking
teaspoon of granulated sugar.
The Philippines is a south-east Asian country
made up of 7,100 islands. It is almost four
times bigger than Ireland. The country is
located in what is known as the ‘Pacific ring
of fire’, where seventy-five per cent of the
world’s active and dormant volcanoes are
located. Volcanic activity is high. Earthquakes
are frequent. The climate is tropical. Together
with deforestation and extensive mining
activities, monsoon rains and typhoons can
trigger landslides. In February 2006 a landslide
destroyed the mountain village of Guinsaugon.
The village disappeared in a few seconds. Even
rooftops were buried under mud and boulders.
Independence
After the Second World War and two years of Japanese
rule, the Philippines gained its independence in 1946.
But political freedom did not result in economic
independence. Since 1946, the Philippines has
remained very much under the political and economic
influence of the United States of America.
Sugar cane worker harvesting the crop
in Negros
Sugar cane in the Philippines
Long associated with exploitation
and slave-labour type conditions,
sugar cane is the Philippines’ main
ag
agricultural
export. It is mainly
located
in Negros island. Sugar
lo
cane is a giant grass that
grows in a tropical climate
and stores sugar in its stalk.
Wh it is crushed in the mill,
When
it produces the cane juice and
bagasse, the woody part. The
ba
bagasse
is a valuable source of
energy and is burnt to run the mill.
THE PHILIPPINES - THE PAST
The Marcos Era
The Marcos era from 1965 to 1986 is associated with
widespread corruption, human rights violations and
impoverishment of the people. During all of this time,
the United States government backed the Marcos
dictatorship. The Philippines was an important
Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
military base for the United States at the height of
visit
the Vietnam War and the Cold War. In return the U.S.
U.S. President Johnson (1966)
government chose to ignore the ongoing oppression
within the Philippines.
From 1972 to 1981, Ferdinand Marcos imposed
martial law. This was a bleak and harsh time for the
From the time of his election in 1965 until his forced people of the Philippines. In 1986 Marcos was again
removal in 1986, Ferdinand Marcos, his wife Imelda elected President, but this election, as with others,
and their cronies plundered the country. Imelda was rigged. A popular uprising, involving citizens,
Marcos was renowned for her collection of handbags, non-governmental organisations and religious, forced
gowns and shoes. At one stage she was thought to Marcos from office on 25 February 1986. That evening
have owned 2,000 pairs of shoes.
the United States flew Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
and key supporters into safety and exile in the United
In securing his grip on power, Ferdinand Marcos States.
placed loyal supporters in high-ranking positions in
the army. Meanwhile, with her husband’s support, Ferdinand Marcos died on 28 September 1989 in
Imelda Marcos built her own power base. She became Honolulu, and Imelda Marcos has re-invented herself
governor of Metropolitan Manila and Minister of as a self-styled global celebrity and fashion icon. She
Human Settlements.
continues to deny her oppressive past.
THE PHILIPPINES - THE FUTURE?
I am a lawyer and executive director of PDG, a nongovernmental organisation. I work with people whose
human rights have been violated. In particular, I work
with landless farmers and assist them in getting back
their land titles. Essentially I work with the poor. And
here in the Philippines many people are very poor.
We encourage sustainable organic agriculture. It is
healthy, cheap, and helps farmers retain control over
their own farms. We offer legal and other supports to
small farmers to ensure that their former landlords do
not regain control of their land.
Ben Ramos
We also assist communities that suffer from the
government’s mining policies. The government fasttracks mining applications of international companies
to the disadvantage of our own farmers. As a result,
many of these farmers face eviction.
Our job is difficult. We are not popular with the
government. We get a lot of international support,
but more importantly we have the support of many
of the Filipino people in our attempts to secure their
land and other rights. Working at grass-roots level is
one way of building a viable and sustainable future
for the country.
Ben Ramos
Star Rating Excellent * * * * * Good * * * * Fair * * * Poor * * Appalling *
THE PHILIPPINES
Politics*
Corruption affects all levels from the president down.
Even town mayors enrich themselves through misuse of
public funds and bribery.
Sexual Minorities***
Consensual homosexual activity is allowed in Filipino
law. However, the Philippines remains a macho society
that makes ‘coming out’ a difficult process, especially for
male homosexuals.
Inequality and Poverty*
According to census figures, the richest ten percent of
the population was estimated to have a 36% share of the
country’s total income in 2006. The contrast between the
sumptuous lifestyles of Negros hacienda (large estates)
owners and the poverty of their workers highlights the
vast social and economic gulf separating the elite in the
Philippines from the great mass of the population.
Childhood*
There are numerous violations of children’s rights in the
Philippines. Children are not sent to school because they
are needed to help in the fields or because families cannot
afford the costs of ‘free’ education.
Human Rights*
Freedom of expression is highly restricted. The
Philippines is a high-risk place for journalists and human
rights workers.
Health**
Compared with other countries, the Philippine
government spends relatively little (1.4% of GNP) on its
health care system (Ireland, 5.8% and Germany, 8.7%).
Only seventeen other countries spend less. Despite that,
life expectancy (71 years) is relatively high (Ireland 78).
Only thirty-five countries have a longer life expectancy.
A significant number of men (40.5%) and only a small
minority (7.6%) of women smoke. The Philippines ranks
52nd in the world for the number of males who smoke.
Yemen where 77% of the men smoke tops the league.
However compared to Ireland (13.7 litres of pure alcohol
per person per year), the Philippines drink (3.5) relatively
little.
Land ownership*
The land problem remains widely unsolved. Estimates
indicate that 80% of the land is still in the hands of a few
landlords.
Position of women***
Although the country has elected the second woman
president since 1986, women continue to play a
subservient role in Filipino society.
Crisis in sugar production.
Up until 1974, the Philippines enjoyed access to a
protected and subsidized United States sugar market.
With falling prices and the end of the United States
quota, the sugar industry went into crisis. In an island
economy such as that of Negros, one of the biggest
islands in the country, where sugar has accounted
directly for twenty-five per cent of employment, this
loss of employment was disastrous for the people.
Life Expectancy****
Total population: 71 years. (Ireland 78).
Men - 68 years.
Women - 74 years
Emigration. The Philippines is a major labour
exporting country. The exodus is caused by poverty.
In 2006, more than one million registered contract
workers left the country, enough to fill seven jumbo
jets daily. Asia and the Middle East are the main
destination areas. Filipinos make up twenty per cent
of the world’s maritime workforce. Ten to twelve
million Filipinos are living abroad. Currently,
Filipinos are the second largest immigrant group to
the United States.
Remittances. In 2006, overseas Filipino workers sent
US$12.76 billion back to their country. These large
remittances account for approximately ten per cent of
the GDP. However, with the downturn in the global
economy, the amount of money being sent home by
emigrants is expected to reduce, putting even more
pressure on the poor of the country.
Teacher Material
“What in the World? Not so sweet in the Philippines”
is an ideal resource for Leaving Certificate Applied.
It can be used in the My Community, Contemporary
Issues and Contemporary Issues Task section of the
programme. It explores themes like civil rights, land
ownership, indigenous communities, equality, fair trade,
etc which could be the subject of a task.
LCA Module 1 My Community
If you show this documentary during the first module in 5th
year you could explore the following community issues:
1. How is their struggle for land and rights similar to
the Irish experience?
2. Show how the rice/sugar crops in Negros are like
the potato in our history.
3. Compare their community to your own under
the following headings: structure, gender roles,
advantages, disadvantages, opportunities, possible
future problems.
4. If you were a community leader in either Ireland
or among the people of Negros, what would you
do to try to get equality and social justice for your
people?
Actions
1. Organise a ONE WORLD WEEK to tell the story
of indigenous people in posters and displays.
2. Write to the government in the Philippines and
ask them to implement land reform.
3. Look up and highlight Amnesty case studies of
people fighting for land reform.
4. Try and promote the fair trade movement.
5. Join programmes like Trócaire’s Pomoja project
and learn about a different native culture every
year.
6. Make out a class on the people of Negros and their
struggle for land rights and deliver it to a CSPE
to help them with their wider world module.
7. Contact returned missionaries who have worked
in the Philippines to get an up-to-date view of
what is happening there.
Possible
Poss
Po
ssib
ible
ib
le T
Tas
Task
ask
k To
Topi
Topics
pics
pi
cs
• Losing Land and a way of • Importance of Media and
Life...compare to Ireland Documentaries like this
or the Native Americans. to tell peoples’ story.
and
Property,
• People against powerful • Land
Poverty,
Homelessness,
interests.
• Rights of Indigenous Emigration, Denial of
Basic Rights, Fair Trade.
Peoples.
Edited by:
Compiled by Denis Leonard of St Peter’s College Dunboyne
and the LCA support team
“Not so Sweet in the Philippines”
(Questions on Documentary)
1.
How important was the sugar cane crop to the people of
Negros Island?
2. What kind of reforms did the people expect after Marcos?
3. What is CARP? Did it work if 80% of the land is owned
by 1% of the population?
4. What have Imelda Dela Vega and others been trying to
achieve? Why do you think her brother opted to move?
5. The flight from the land is a defining feature of life in
Negros. Discuss.
6. Who is Cojuanco and what has he done since returning to
the Philippines?
7. Why have many of the young people fled to the cities?
What is life like for them there?
8. Why is farming the mango a much poorer option for the
people?
9. What is corruption? How is it evident here? How do the
landlords use military force to impose injustice? Why do
you think the government will not get involved?
10. “I am not a communist just an activist.” What type of
peaceful direct action is being used by the people of the
Philippines? Are they succeeding better in the courts than
they were with the government?
Modules 2 and 3
Contemporary Issues
Discuss or research the following parts of the film for
debates, key assignments or a task:
The landlords are descended from the Spanish colonialists.
Oppressive systems often perpetuate themselves. Can you
think of any more examples?
Those who applied for their land were fired by the landlords,
had no work for three years, and their children could not go
to school. What basic rights are being denied the people of
Negros?
Governments should be doing more to protect their own
people.
Young people are leaving home and the land, having their
parents mind their children just to go the cities to make a
living. Compare this to some of Ireland’s history.
“Peasant farmers in the Philippines are often tortured and
killed.”
“Many workers work for as little as a euro a day.”
“The government brought in a department of land reform;
the landlords did not recognise it, nothing happened.”
“We are not terrorists, we just want our land…we will never
leave our land.” Discuss the value of land to people.
Peadar King, KMF Productions
Designed by:
Mick Molloy, KMF Productions
www.kmfproductions.net
RESOURCES
www.trocaire.org
www.ahrchk.net
www.globalpolicy.igc.org
www.amnesty.org
www.nationalgeographic.
com
www.newint.org
www.oneworld.net
www.wri.org
www.greenpeace.org
www.developmenteducation.ie