The Philippines today is how it was about 100 years ago. It is being rediscovered by tourists and business people from around the world who see the potential of a booming economy due to its strategic location and industrious population.
One must read the country's rich history before making a judgment based on the obvious visuals in and around the city/country. A new generation of enlightened Filipinos are reviving and restoring its glorious past hoping to regain the lost luster of the Pearl of the Orient - that is Manila.