PREFACE

        A former «Baby Tiger », the archipelago is now damaged by the consequences of the Asian crisis of 1997 and by underlying corruption. Inflation remains the most striking indicator of the economical quagmire the country has been experiencing since then.

Locally, nationally and internationally financed NGO’s (Non-Governmental Institutions) are a precious help for the Filipino government. In Manilla (Luzon), Cebu (Visayas) or Davao (Mindanao), these organizations are attempting to address the population’s most pressing needs.

Nevertheless, the Philippines are endowed with abundant human and natural resources. In order to understand this paradox, we offer you a presentation of the Philippines (source: Encyclopédie Encarta), of Cebu and more specifically of the harbour zone.