I have lived in Turkey, Portugal (Azores Islands), Thailand, Philippines, besides several U.S. states. Spent two years of high school at Clark AFB, Angeles City (Wagner H.S.) and was fortunate to travel around Philippines on vacation (space available flights) to see several other parts of 7000+ island chain. Over the years have been back several times to RP and have now been to Luzon, Mindanao, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Panay, plus few other very small islands in Visayas. While I loved my time in Philippines I was always taken back by its deep corruption, abject poverty, and history of serial domination. First domination by nearly 400 years of Spanish colonial rule. Immediately after that long history, domination by U.S. for half century (including Japanese occupation during WWII) to what today is political/economic control by 300 families of so-called Chinese-Filipino oligarch. The current President of RP is another part of that traditional Chinese family domination. Fundamentally Filipino society is three tiered caste system with this pecking order. Chinese, Mestizo (mixed Spanish blood line) and everyone else. While I've been to many countries with endemic corruption, RP is by far the worst. It's held back development of overall infrastructure for many decades, although I do sense some decent progress in last few years despite all the horrendous problems with corruption, bad politics, etc. Over the years I've been to East Asia a lot, only to see Philippines fall further and further behind many of its South East Asia "economic Tiger" neighbors like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, even Viet Nam. No wonder Philippines number one export is its people who in the tens of millions are living, working abroad. I probably will always make some trips back to the paradise islands because it's true that for most part Filipino people are very warm hearted, staunch US allies, and could really use any breaks from tourists or anyone else in the world to help them develop. Tourist dollars and getting it into hands of Filipino people at bottom of food chain is I suppose my little ongoing contribution.
BTW, I've been watching bit of CNN and Anderson Cooper's reports from Tacloban and Manila. He's doing great job telling the truth, while fundamentally failing its people once again RP gov't is not. Now trying to manipulate media to make it seem they are doing wonderful job assisting disaster relief in Leyte, Samar, Cebu, etc.
Interesting little report from todays Bee on The Philippines and this natural disaster effect on its economy.
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/11/14/5913453/typhoon-to-drag-philippine-growth.html