Directory_and_Chronicle_1939 — Page 1692

D8

THE PHILIPPINES

TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

The bulk of overseas shipments are made from the port of Manila, although considerable business is handled, direct, through Cebu, Iloilo, Zamboanga, and Davao, which, with Jolo and Legaspi, are the other ports of entry.

While all of the open

ports have good harbours, only Manila, Cebu, Legaspi, Davao and Iloilo have wharfage for deep-draft vessels. Zamboanga can accommodate vessels drawing up to 28 feet; and Jolo has a small wharf affording the same depth. Nearly a thousand vessels are now operated in the coast wise tra le.

Manila, the capital and chief port of the Philippines is on the largest bay in the Orient. The harbour at the entrance of this bay is landlocked. The anchorage space for steamers is protected by a semi circular break water within which is a basin large enough to accommodate all vessels of the size of the "Empress" liners. Regular steamship lines are maintained between Manila and Hongkong, China and Japan Ports, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, New York, Australian and European ports.

There are at present 1,306 kilometres of railroad car-lines in the Philippines. They are owned by two companies-the Manila Railroad Company, which is owned by the Government; and the Philippine Railway Company. În Manila and in the province of Rizal, electric car service is maintained by the Manila Electric Company, the total extent of its lines being 83 kilometres.

Next in importance to railways in the domestic transportation of the country are motor vehicles. During the year 1937, there were registered 48,654 motor vehicles of all classes. Many private individuals and companies authorized by the Public Service Commission are engaged in land transportation both for passengers and freight

Funds for highway construction and maintenance are provided for from the following sources: a sinall percentage of the land tax, gasoline tax, motor vehicle tax and annual insular appropriations by the National Assembly. The first systematic programme of road construction and maintenance in different parts of the Philippines' was inaugurated in 1908 by ex-Governor-General Forbes, who was then Secretary of Commerce and Police. There are today 9,882 kilometers of hard surfaced roads 5,654 kilometers of lightly surfaced roads and 2,176 kilometers of earth roads. making a total of 17,712 kilometers of roads.

The construction of good roads open to all kinds of traffic in different parts of the Islands has been properly attended to by the Philippine Government during the past 20 years.

There are at present one cable line and two radio communication services in operation between the Philippines and foreign countries. Zumboanga is in radio communication with stations in North Borneo. The increased need for better and more extensive facilities for internal communication has been met by the rapid extension of telegraph and telephone lines, submarine cables, radio system and mail service.

In 1936, there were in operation 537 telegraph offices, including 100 radio stations with 199 combined telegraph-telephone offices.

The chief mail distributing centre is Manila. From this point, mails are sent to provincial post offices in Luzon by electric cars, trains and auto-busses and to the main ports in Visayas and Mindoro by steamers and air-planes. The other islands. where nail train service is in operation are Cebu and Panay.

Experiments have been made recently with aviation as a factor in the mail and passenger service, both domestic and foreign. Airplanes are at present operated under regular schedules between Manila and Baguio, between Manila and Cebu via Iloilo between Iloilo, and the towns of Bacolod and La Carlota in Occidental Negros, between Manila and Paracale, and between Manila and Davao.

BANKING AND COINAGE

Among the principal banking institutions doing business in the Philippines are the National City Bank of New York, the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation the Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China, the Yokohama Specie ank, the Philippine National Bank, the Peoples Bank and Trust Co., the China Banking Corporation, the Bank of the Philippine Islands, the Philippine Trust Co., the Philippine Bank of Commerce, the Savings Bank of Commonwealth the Monte de Piedad and Savings Bank, and the Netherlands India Commercial Bank.

Ar

C