PFVR Foreign Policies

The Ramos Administration, from June 1992 to

June 1998, defined the four (4) core priorities
of Philippine foreign policy; namely:
1. The enhancement of national security,
2. The promotion of economic diplomacy,
3. The protection of overseas Filipino
workers and Filipino nationals abroad, and
4. The projection of a good image of the
country abroad.
Ramos boosted foreign trade, investments
and official development assistance to the
Philippines through his state visits and
summit meetings.

In 1996, the Philippines successfully hosted

the APEC Leaders' Summit, which resulted
in the Manila Action Plan for APEC 1996
(MAPA '96).
Among the other significant events in
foreign affairs during the Ramos years
were:

• The adoption by ASEAN in 1992, upon

Philippine initiative, of the Declaration on
the Conduct of Parties in the South China
Sea aimed at confidence-building and
avoidance of conflict among claimant
states;
• the establishment of the Brunei
Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–
Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area in
1994;

• the establishment of the ASEAN Regional

Forum (ARF) in 1994 as the only multilateral
security dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region
conducted at the government level;

• and the signing between the Philippine

Government and the Moro National
Liberation Front on September 2, 1996, of
the 1996 Final Peace Agreement.
In early 1995, the Philippines
discovered a primitive Chinese
military structure on Mischief Reef in
the Spratly Islands, one hundred
and thirty nautical miles off the coast
of Palawan.

The Philippine government issued a

formal protest over China's
occupation of the reef and the
Philippine Navy arrested sixty-two
Chinese fishermen at Half Moon
Shoal, eighty (80) kilometers from
Palawan.
A week later, following confirmation
from surveillance pictures that the
structures were of military design,
Ramos had the military forces in the
region strengthened.
He ordered the Philippine Air Force to
dispatch five F-5 fighters backed by
four jet trainers and two helicopters,
while the navy sent two additional
ships.
The People's Republic of China had
claimed that the structures were
shelters for fishermen but these small
incidents could have triggered a war
in the South China Sea.
Migrant workers protection
 One of the downturns of Ramos' administration
was his experience in handling migrant workers
protection.
Migrant workers
protection On the eve of his 67th birthday on March 17,
1995, Ramos was on a foreign trip when
overseas Filipino worker Flor Contemplación
was hanged in Singapore. His last minute effort
to negotiate with Singapore President Ong Teng
Cheong and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
failed and he was greeted with protests after
his return to Manila.
 The protests also caused the resignation of
Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo and
Labor Secretary Nieves Confesor from the
Migrant workers cabinet.
protection
Ramos immediately recalled Philippine
ambassador to Singapore Alicia Ramos and
suspended diplomatic relations with Singapore.

He created a special commission to look into

the case and to try to rescue his sagging
popularity. The commission was led by retired
justice Emilio Gancayco.
 justice Emilio Gancayco.

The Commission recommended the resignation

of then Overseas Workers Welfare
Administration (OWWA) head David Corpin and
Migrant workers 13 other government officials, including two
protection labor attachés.

As also recommended by the Gancayco

Commission, Ramos facilitated the enactment
of Republic Act 8042, better known as the
Magna Carta for Overseas Workers or the
Migrant Workers Act, which was signed into law
on June 7, 1995.

Learning from the lessons of the Contemplación

 on June 7, 1995.

Learning from the lessons of the Contemplación

case, Ramos immediately ordered Ambassador
to the UAE Roy Señeres to facilitate
negotiations after learning the death penalty
Migrant workers
protection verdict of Sarah Balabagan in September 1995;
Balabagan's sentence was lowered and she was
released August 1996.

After tensions cooled off, Ramos restored

diplomatic relations with Singapore after
meeting Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong during
the sidelines of the 50th anniversary of the
United Nations in New York City.
Under Ramos' presidency, the Philippines
became a member of the World Trade
Organization (WTO), an organization that
intends to supervise and liberalize international
trade.

The organization officially commenced on

January 1, 1995, under the Marrakech
Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which commenced in
1948.
1948.

The organization deals with

• regulation of trade between participating

countries

• provides a framework for negotiating and

formalizing trade agreements

• dispute resolution process aimed at enforcing

participants' adherence to WTO agreements
which are signed by representatives of
member governments and ratified by their
parliaments.
Asian Financial Crisis
The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, which started in
Thailand, was a major blow to the Ramos
administration.
The economy was hit by currency devaluation,
with the Philippine peso falling to ₱42 per U.S.
Dollar in July 1998 from ₱26.3 in June 1997.[15]
Growth fell to about -0.5% in 1998 from 5.2% in
1997, but recovered to 3.1% by 1999.
It also resulted to the shutdown of some
businesses, a decline in importation, a rise in
unemployment rate and an unstable financial
sector.
 PFVR
CONTROVERSIES
Clark Centennial Expo
Scandal
 Charges of alleged massive corruption or
misuse of funds blemished Ramos'
supposed pet project, the Centennial Expo
and Amphitheater at the former Clark Air
Base in Angeles City, Pampanga.
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The commemorative projects, particularly those
undertaken at the former Clark Air Base, were
hounded by illegal electioneering and corruption
controversies even years after the Centennial
celebrations.

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A special report by the Philippine Center for
Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) showed how the
projects relating to the Expo site not only
revealed the extravagance and inefficiency of the
Ramos administration, but also served as
convenient vehicle to effect election fund-raising
for the LAKAS political party of Ramos at the
expense of the tax-paying Filipinos and in
violation of the Election Code.

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The Centennial Expo Pilipino project, intended to
be the centerpiece for the celebrations for the
100th anniversary of the country's
independence from Spain, also earned extensive
criticisms for being an expensive white elephant
project that disadvantaged the government at
the cost of ₱9 billion, or 1.7 percent of the
country's 1998 national budget.
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Six ranking Ramos c a d o r L a u re l
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(former Vice-Presid t h e O m bu d sm a n
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any wrongdoing.
PEA-
Amari
Scandal
Ramos was accused of corruption in the
PEA-Amari deal. The controversial deal
involved the acquisition of 158 hectares
(390 acres) of reclaimed land on Manila
Bay that was to be converted into
"Freedom Islands". The deal was forged in
April 1995 as part of the Ramos
administration's Manila Bay Master
Development Plan (MBMDP).
The PEA-Amari deal–in addition to other
projects in Manila Bay—displaced over
3,000 fishing and coastal families in Manila
Bay to give way to what fisherfolk activists
from Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang
Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya)
described as "an immoral, illegal and
grossly unconstitutional state venture".
Ramos denied accusations that the PEA-
Amari deal was clinched to benefit
members of the ruling Lakas-NUCD as
alleged by opposition groups.

However, ex-solicitor general Francisco

Chavez filed a petition to nullify the PEA-
Amari deal because the government stood
to lose billions of pesos in the sale of
reclaimed lands to Amari.
On April 25, 1995, PEA entered into a joint
venture with Amari to develop Freedom
Islands and on June 8 of the same year,
Ramos approved the deal. On November
29, 1996, then-Senate President Ernesto
Maceda delivered a privilege speech
assailing the deal as the "grandmother of
all scams"
EDSA 2 CONTROVERSY
A longstanding criticism of Ramos was whether his role in the
ouster of President Joseph Estrada was motivated by his fear
of being prosecuted in connection with the Centennial Expo
and other scams.
When President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo granted Estrada
executive clemency after having been found guilty of plunder
by the special Sandiganbayan court in September 2007,
Ramos heavily criticized Arroyo's decision.
Estrada's son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, retaliated by asking
Ramos to first "come clean" on the alleged multi-billion-peso
anomalies involved in the PEA-AMARI, IPP and other deals
negotiated during his term
Economic
Policies
Controversy
Leftist groups have criticized Ramos' economic
reforms such as privatization, deregulation and
trade liberalization, claiming that the economic
growth posted during his presidency was
"artificial."

They blamed him for the slowdown of the

Philippine economy during the 1997 East Asian
financial crisis. The sale of Petron to Aramco is
specifically criticized as resulting to the loss of
the government's effective leverage on
domestic oil prices.

Along with the deregulation of the entire oil

financial crisis. The sale of Petron to Aramco is
specifically criticized as resulting to the loss of
the government's effective leverage on
domestic oil prices.

Along with the deregulation of the entire oil

industry, Petron's privatization is blamed for the
continuing surge in oil prices that has
particularly proved to be deleterious to the
masses amidst the obtaining high petroleum
costs in the global market.

In 1998, Ramos hesitantly admitted that,

contrary to what his government earlier
claimed, the economic fundamentals of the
country may actually be unsound. His admission
masses amidst the obtaining high petroleum
costs in the global market.

In 1998, Ramos hesitantly admitted that,

contrary to what his government earlier
claimed, the economic fundamentals of the
country may actually be unsound. His admission
came following the discovery of a secret
memorandum issued by the National Economic
Development Authority director-general during
the president to tell the Filipinos the truth
about the state of the economy and that they
ought to prepare for worse.

According to former University of the

Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo,
Ramos "has done nothing to reverse or slow
Development Authority director-general during
the president to tell the Filipinos the truth
about the state of the economy and that they
ought to prepare for worse.

According to former University of the

Philippines president Francisco Nemenzo,
Ramos "has done nothing to reverse or slow
down the implementation" of the harmful IMF-
imposed structural reforms
Leaked
Diplomatic
Cables
Controversy
 Leaked diplomatic cables

On August 30, 2011, leaked diplomatic cables

sent by the United States Embassy in Manila
revealed that the Libyan government under
Muammar Gaddafi allegedly contributed about
US$200,000 to the presidential campaign of
Ramos in 1992. The report said it was former
House Speaker Jose de Venecia who brought
Ramos to Gaddafi
END OF RAMOS
PRESIDENCY
END OF PRESIDENCY

Ramos was the first president under the 1987

constitution to be barred of seeking another
term. His predecessor, Corazon Aquino, was still
eligible to run for president since she took office
under the 1973 Constitution. As his term was
winding down, he pushed for constitutional
amendments; however, he did not succeed.

Ramos supported his friend, then-Speaker Jose

amendments; however, he did not succeed.

Ramos supported his friend, then-Speaker Jose

de Venecia, Jr., for the 1998 presidential
election; however de Venecia lost to Ramos'
vice president, Joseph Estrada.

On June 30, 1998, Ramos accompanied his

successor to the Barasoain Church in Malolos,
Bulacan for the oath-taking rights and later at
the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta for the
inaugural address
Presented by:
Nerr Winston A. Nuguid
DHVSU MPA 1D/1E Group 3

Presented to:
Prof. JT Leonardo Santos
THANK YOU