VIEWS ON THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY THROUGH THE NATIONALIST LENS: 1945 - 1992

Abstract

This paper looks into the economic history of the Philippines through the nationalist lens. The nationalists attempted to reveal that the Philippines is not free ever since the Americans granted us independence in 1946 because of the continuous intervention in our politics and economy. The Americans were successful in controlling the head-of-state and the economic policies implemented in the Philippines to their own advantage by making the latter a source of raw materials and labor for their industries. The economic history of the Philippines is a struggle for becoming a true independent and industrialized country which could only be possible through de-colonization of the country, industrialization, and democratization of the economy.