Significance of US to RP

The following is the supporting data taken from research in support for my contention in yesterday’s editorial issue entitled : Filipinos and the Obama presidency. After reading I am quite sure that you will see the importance of social, economic and political issues our country and the rest of the world having to do with the relationship with the US. Filipinos in the US : Roughly 32 percent of Filipinos living abroad are in the United States. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimates that there are 2.8 million Filipinos in the United States in 2007. Of this figure, about 2.5 million are immigrants or legal permanent residents whose stay do not depend on work contracts.Based on CFO data on registered Filipino emigrants in the US from 1981-2007, the 10 states/US territories with the most number of Filipinos are California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Guam, Washington, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. US President Barack Obama spent a significant part of his life in two of these states — Hawaii, his birthplace — and Illinois, where he became a senator. The US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey in 2006 noted that Filipino-Americans comprise the second-largest Asian group in the US, next to Chinese-Americans. The same survey said that more than 1 million people five years old and older in the US speak Tagalog at home. US is RP’s top trading partner:The United States is the country’s top trading partner. It accounted for $7.971 billion or 14.5 percent of the country’s total trade from January to June 2008. Majority of Philippine exports to the US are electronic products, articles of apparel and clothing accessories. Electronic products are also a major Philippine import from the US, along with cereals and cereal preparations. While it remains as the Philippines’ top trading partner, the country’s trade with the United States has been on a slight decline in recent years. From 18.6% in 2005, the percentage share of US trade to total trade with other countries went down to 15.5% in 2007. USAID assistance to the Philippines :The US Agency for International Development allocated $95.06 million in assistance funds for Philippine programs last year (2008). USAID programs in the country are focused on poverty reduction through various strategies: peace initiatives in Mindanao, good governance, increased economic opportunities, environmental protection, health services and basic education.USAID also poured in $73.61 million in 2006 and $69.56 million in 2007 for various assistance programs in the country.