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THE PHILIPPINES
There
to be of opinion that though Gold and other minerals are to be found in the islands they will not pay the expense of working on a large scale. Coal may possibly be an exception. Since the arrival of the Americans petroleum has been discovered, and good success is reported to have attended the work of some prospectors. are many hot springs of iron and sulphur waters, all of excellent medicinal pro- perties. The famous "Holy Waters" of Tuii and Sibu are visiter every year in large numbers by the islanders seeking relief from their sufferings. The endemic complaints of the country are swamp fever, diarrhea, beri-beri, and a few others. Incurable leprosy is very limited among the natives. The mortality is low, consider- ing the number of inhabitants.
Dr. Augustin de la Cavada, a Spanish historian, says of the natives that they are of a mild, submissive, and respectful disposition, predisposed to religious observances, extremely superstitious, and very hospitable. Those of Batangas, Cagayan, and Southern Ilocos are better workers and more industrious than those of the other Provinces. During their youth they work with energy and a certain intellectual vigour, but on reaching a more advanced age they lose a large part of their disposition for work and lapse into an indolence that is one of their greatest defects. The women are averse to idleness and have a spirit of enterprise, and they often engage in various trades with success. They are economical and sacrifice themselves with delight for the sake of those for whom they feel any affection.
The rivers and streams of the Philippines are countless and traverse the islands in all directions, the natural result of mountain peaks and ranges that extend over a large area.
The most noteworthy volcanoes are Buheyan in Mindanao, Taal in Batangas, and Bulusan and Mayon in Albay. The last is in continual eruption and at times creates terror in the surrounding country, on account of the quantity of boiling water, ashes, and lava it throws out. In 1872 an eruption of this volcano destroyed entirely the villages of Malinao, Camalig, Guinobatan, Ligao, Polangui, and Albay.
The Civil Commission appointed in 1900, voted the same year $1,000,000 gold for the improvement of Manila Harbour, and a somewhat comprehensive school measure is under the consideration of this Commission. It has been decided that the English language shall form the basis of the instruction given, and a system of district super- intendence is to be established. It is hoped that in the municipal civil governments some provision will be made for local boards to supervise the work of the schools. Over 500 skilled teachers from the United States arrived in 1901. A compulsory school attendance clause is expected to be incorporated in the bill. It is desired to have money appropriated not only for the building of more and necessary school buildings but for the institution of normal schools for the training of native teachers,
A plan is under consideration for the construction of harbour works, including docks at the mouth of the river on the south side, and also for the increasing of wharf and warehouse accommodation, by the demolition of part of the old city walls along the river front. These works will enormously benefit the trade of Manila.
British interests in the Philippines are much larger than currently supposed. There are about twenty British firms in Manila, many of them of long standing in the islands. Their importance will, perhaps, be best gauged by the fact that two out of the three banking establishments in the city are branches of well-known British corporations. They include the largest import and export firms, but engineering works, ship repairing, stevedoring, and many other in- dustries are also represented. The larger firms have branches in most of the provincial ports as well as rice and sugar mills up country. The only railway in the Philippines, that from Manila to Dagupan, the port of the rice-producing district of the island, is the property of a British company, and many undertakings with foreign names are carried on mainly by British energy and capital. Taking into account the numerous insurance, shipping, and other firms for which local firms are agents, it will be evident that British interests in the Philippines run into millions.
The naval authorities are undertaking a very necessary work, namely that of surveying the local waters, and preparing new charts, the existing charts being very inaccurate.
The principal articles of export from the Philippines are sugar, hemp, tobacco, and cigars. In 1900, Manila, Iloilo, and Cebu exported 53,303 tons of dry sugar (against 86,697 tons in 1899), 8,998 tons of unclayed sugars (against 5,002 tons in 1899), 688,392 bales of hemp (against 600,738 bales), 156,136 mil. of cigars (against 138,493), 150 piculs of coffee (against 813 piculs) and 1,023,727 piculs of copra (against 278,227 piculs). The receipts of hemp (as distinguished from the shipments) are given as 1,880,152 piculs.
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