The Philippines: In Search of Justice

Overview

The Philippines is rich in natural resources, which are being rapidly and unsustainably exploited, and the widespread poverty in the country is a consequence of the unequal distribution of these resources. The book describes the strategies of the many fishing communities of the islands, who are struggling to survive as fish-stocks fall as a result of over fishing and marine pollution. A programme of rapid industrialisation is underway, and the Philippines seems poised to follow the example of the neighbouring South Asian tiger economies. But any increased prosperity that might result is unlikely to benefit the indigenous inhabitants of the region, whose life-style is dependent on the rapidly disappearing forests.