A new phase in the Philippines

After a long and elaborate struggle the Moro people are finally getting closer to reaching an agreement with the government. This agreement concerns, among other things, a framework for autonomy for the provinces in the Southern Philippines, whose inhabitants are predominantly Moslem.

Constitutionally the Philippines must be regarded a secular state. Nevertheless, its political history and culture, particularly those aspects inherited from the Spanish colonial period, lend a distinctive character to the Philippines' political culture. The majority of Filipinos are Catholics. The norms that govern social and economic life are very much affected by this reality.

For all these reasons the success that has been scored by the Moros in achieving autonomy for those provinces which have a predominantly Moslem population will in the long run prove to be of major importance, ensuring harmony in the social, political, economic and cultural life of the Philippines.

-- Republika, Jakarta