From July 10 to 12, 2000, the Sixth International Conference on the Study of the Philippines was held in Manila.: "The Beginning of the Century: The Philippines in 1900-2000". Held every five years, the conference was organized by the Association for the Study of the Philippines, the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Philippine National Commission of UNESCO, the Philippine Council for the Study of Social Sciences, the University of the Philippines, Ateneo University, and many other educational and research centers in the country. The International Committee for the Study of the Philippines (which brings together well-known Filipinists from various countries of the world) and the Osaka University of International Relations took an active part in organizing the conference. Center for Philippine Studies at the University of Hawaii's College of Hawaiian, Asian and Pacific Studies in Manoa. A collection of abstracts was published for the opening of the conference.

The conference was attended by more than 70 foreign scientists from all continents and about 40 Filipinos. President of the Association for the Study of the Philippines Isagani R. Cruz (Un de la Salle) addressed the conference participants with an introductory speech.

Then the plenary session was continued by the President of the Ateneo de Manila University Bienvenido F. Neb presented "From Politics to Technology: Shifting the Global Context in relation to the Philippines and the Study of the Philippines". Noting that the current world situation is characterized by constant changes, he said that for the Philippines, this is a time of crisis and the search for national identity. Currently, information and high technologies are rapidly developing in the Philippines. Having a sufficiently high intellectual potential, the Philippines will soon be able to reach the forefront in this area.

The conference was held in 43 sections. Their main topics were: 1) the Philippine-American War and Philippine resistance at the beginning of the American colonial period; 2) a century of Philippine social, economic, and political institutions;

3) development of Philippine culture; 4) public administration; 5) international relations; 6) economic development; 7) Philippine Diaspora; 8) women's studies;

9) Development prospects: education, health care, living conditions, population growth, environmental protection; 10) search for national identity: The Philippines and Filipinos in the New Millennium.

On the first day of the conference, a round table was organized, which was chaired by Belinda Aquino (University of Hawaii), and where the state of Philippine studies in different countries was discussed. Messages were delivered by: Kiichi Fujiwara (University of Tokyo), M. Pinches (University of Western Australia), S. Sonsri (University of Tamassat, Thailand), C. McDonald (University of Provence), F. Rodao (Complutense University, Madrid), R. Rutten (University of Amsterdam), Adelvisa Agas Weller (University of Michigan), E. Mack (University of Hawaii).

In the section "War for Freedom" by M. Kulinan (University of Wisconsin-Madison) the report " Protection of Yutang Natawhan ("Native Land")was read: Cebuans as Filipinos in the War against the Americans: 1899-1902." It puts forward the thesis that the Philippine-American war was a decisive factor for many Cebuans in recognizing themselves as part of the Philippine nation. Very few Cebuans participated in the Ilustrados-led reform movement of the late nineteenth century. Many of them either remained loyal to Spain or did not join the revolutionary forces. The Philippine-American war became a watershed for Cebuans: those who took up arms against the Americans linked their fate with the revolutionary army and the government, while collaborators came to understand their positions based on the nationalist context and associated them with groups and leaders operating in Manila. After the war ended, the Cebuans became part of a society that had changed in many ways as a result of their struggle to defend their "Native Land", which now included the entire nation.

Several sections covered various aspects of Philippine culture. For example, in the section "Politics of Culture" A. Guillermo (University of the Philippines-Diliman) in the report "Art of protest during the Marcos regime" highlighted the history of the group "Kaisahan" ("Unity"), founded by

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in 1976. Its members, mostly graduates of art institutes, rejected the slogan "art for art's sake" and preached socialist realism. G. Bankoff (University of Auckland, New Zealand) in his report "Expo Pilipino and the recolonization of the past" analyzed the role of the exhibition, which represented the history of the country and was held as part of the celebration of the centenary of the declaration of independence of the Philippines.

An interesting topic was raised in the report of G. Atiens (University of the Philippines-Diliman) "Actors and Politics", which examined the status and role of actors in Philippine society.

Several sections dealt with environmental issues: environmental policy - water pollution in Manila during the Spanish rule in the 19th century (Xavier Huet do Lemps, University of Nice); flood threats to the poorest segments of the population in Manila ( Dorasi B. Soleta-Nantes, University of the Philippines-Diliman); environmental degradation and human survival strategy : deforestation, mountain development, causes of labor migration.

The presentations of the section "The role of tourism in environmental conservation and employment" focused, inter alia, on how local tourism development will contribute to the prosperity of communities (M. Mena, University of the Philippines-Diliman) and help to promote their interests in the field of environment and social development.

Separate sections discussed issues of indigenous peoples of the Philippines, their adaptation to the challenges of modern society. Thus, R. Pertiera (Ateneo de Manila University), in his report "Global conditions in local communities", presented in the section "Modern society in Ilocos and the Cordillera", developed the idea of creative adaptation of traditional Ilocos society to the new conditions caused by globalization. One of the sections "Historical and modern perspectives of the Cordillera" was devoted to the problems of self-government of the Cordillera region and unsuccessful attempts to create an autonomous region there.

In the section" Ethnicity and self-awareness", Charles McDonald, in his report "Contrast between mountain and Lowland peoples in the next century", based on studies conducted in the Philippines and Vietnam, examined the relationship between mountain and lowland communities (upland/lowland). According to the speaker, despite their interpenetration and a significant reduction in contrasts, it is impossible to talk about their identity and leveling.

Seven sections examined the role of women in the history of the Philippines, the struggle for freedom, and their literary images. For example, in the report "Women and the Popular Movement: the Gabriela Experience", Sister Mary John Mananzan (St. Scolastica's College) spoke about a coalition of women's organizations named after the national heroine of the Philippines, Gabriela Silang. The mission of this organization is the emancipation of women in the context of social transformation. Milagros Guerrero (University of the Philippines-Diliman) 'Religious Subjugation of Women in the Late 17th Century: Adaptation and Resistance' examines the role of women religious leaders (ba-baylan) who resisted the Spanish in the 17th and 18th centuries. As leaders of uprisings in parts of Hawaii and Luzon, they argued that the arrival of the Spanish would lead to the loss of the people's freedom. After their resistance was broken by superior enemy forces, they either went underground or collaborated with the monks, directing their efforts to convert the indigenous population to Christianity.

In the report "Women and the Revolution: Women in the Huk ranks" by W. Lanzon (University of Wisconsin-Madison), it was noted that for the first time in the revolutionary history of the Philippines, such a large number of women were mobilized into the Huk ranks (through family, community, and organizational ties). These women became revolutionaries, performing at the same time their usual household duties and typical female functions in the huk detachments (medicine, communications, secretarial work). Although most of them were subordinated to men, some of them posed a threat to the social foundations of society, becoming politburo leaders and commanders. Despite their egalitarian ideology, the Hook movement, where men played the main role, was undermined by their own patriarchal ideas about the role of women.

B. Midina (University of the Philippines-Diliman) in the section "Family and Education" in the report "Family: parallels and contrasts between the past and the future" noted the trend of recent years-Philippine families have become numerically smaller due to a decrease in the birth rate and an increase in the age of marriage. The family now in most cases includes only parents with children, where the man continues to be the head. However, the number of single parents increases as a result of divorce (although not official), as well as adoption and illegitimate children. Despite all the changes and challenges the Filipino family remains

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a stable "social unit" in which close ties are maintained, where they respect and care for their elders, and help their relatives.

Three sections were devoted to discussing issues of State self-government and civil society development. Thus, P. Hutchcroft (University of Wisconsin-Madison), in his report "Colonial Masters, National Politics, and Provincial Lords, 1900-1913", read at the section "State Creation, local Government, and political clans", examined the unique system of public administration that developed during these years, when administrative and political structures of the state were formed. They were largely decentralized, and those who had local power in their hands had great influence at all levels of government in Manila - from local to central. He put forward the thesis that the conditions under which the state was created during the "Tafa period" are the main ones for understanding the weaknesses of the central government in the Philippines.

The report of Pia Bennagen (University of the Philippines-Diliman) "Poverty relief and civil society", presented in the section "Civil Society and Governance", concerned the" Social Reform Agenda " created by the Administration of President Ramos, which was developed with the participation of non-governmental organizations. The program identified various tasks of social development. At the same time, the Government's financial support for its implementation was very limited, and the legislative support was inadequate. As a result, some non-governmental organizations lost faith in the program, while others adhered to the line of "critical participation". By the end of President Ramos ' administration, the program's goal of improving the lives of Filipinos had not been met. However, this experience is very important from the point of view of involving civil society in the process of formulating and implementing social policies, especially at a time when the current administration of the country is taking a similar initiative, creating the "Council against Poverty".

D. Werfel (University of Toronto) presented the report "Institutes of Agrarian reform: then and now" in the section "Unfinished Revolution". He analyzed six periods of creation and change of bureaucratic institutions and laws that were supposed to promote agrarian reform: the late Spanish, American, 1930s-1940s, 1950s-1960s, the state of emergency and the period after its abolition. Although the changes in the agricultural sector were significant, they did not bring the expected results, as market forces and the demographic situation often ran counter to politics.

A. McCoy (University of Wisconsin-Madison) At the section "Remembering Marcos and the state of Emergency", he presented the report "The Philippine National Police-the legacy of the state of emergency". He noted that the centralization of the police forces as a result of the state of emergency has reached a significant degree. Before that, for more than a century, the Philippine Constabulary was divided into a municipal police force controlled by the local elite and a centralized paramilitary force. Marcos ended the balance of local and central political control: the local police came under the control of the Constabulary, which was responsible for repression and torture. During the presidency of President Ramos (1992-1998), the Constabulary was abolished and merged with the local police, forming the new Philippine National Police, a potential tool of the executive branch.

Two sections discussed the problems of the Philippine diaspora, in particular issues of assimilation, national identity, and preservation of cultural identity. So, in the section" Diaspora today "D. Alegado (University of Hawaii) in the report" Studying the diaspora " noted that now more than 5 million Filipinos work in 140 countries, and this number does not include 2.5 million Filipinos permanently residing in the United States, Canada and Australia. Can we call them a diaspora community? The speaker gave a positive answer to this question, as the Philippine diaspora is a community formed as a result of the movement of people, capital, goods and information from the Philippines and back. This movement occurs as a result of sending home packages ("balikbayan"), visiting relatives, transferring money, transatlantic negotiations, and using the Internet.

The section "Transnational Communities" examined the fate of Indian, Russian, and Chinese immigrants to the Philippines. P. E. Ilieva (University of California, Berkeley) spoke about the refugee camp on Tubabao Island (Bisayi) in 1949-1953, among which the majority were Russians. Shortly before the capture of Shanghai by Mao Zedong's revolutionary forces, the Russian Emigrant Association appealed to the world community for help, as its members

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They were afraid of being forcibly repatriated to the Soviet Union. In January 1949, more than 5,500 refugees were evacuated to the Philippines, the only country willing to accept them. Despite all the difficulties and hardships, the refugees built churches, formed a scout team, and opened schools. The report analyzed the relationship of refugees with the Philippine authorities and local residents.

In the "Ethnic Chinese" section, a discussion was held on the participation of ethnic Chinese in business and politics, as well as on cross-cultural relations between Filipinos and Chinese. E. Palanca (Ateneo de Manila University) made a presentation on " Ethnic Chinese. The Philippine Elite in Business: A Historical Analysis". She noted that previously the Chinese were engaged in trade and small-scale production, and the Philippine elite, who owned land , was engaged in production and export trade. After independence, the Philippine Government implemented an import-substituting industrialization model. Nationalization of retail and other industries has limited Chinese economic activity. The political power of the Philippine elite has significantly weakened during the state of emergency. The Chinese took advantage of the liberalization of the naturalization procedure. In many areas, especially in the food industry, the banking system, and construction, the Philippine Huaqiao compete with representatives of the national elite. However, in recent years, both groups have experienced competition related to globalization and the Government's economic liberalization program, resulting in mergers of large Philippine and Chinese firms. Such business alliances and the increasing social integration of ethnic Chinese should lead to a blurring of ethnic distinctions in big business between indigenous people and Filipinos of Chinese descent.

Considerable interest was aroused by the section "Famous Couples: Philippine-American cooperation", dedicated to studying its nature and consequences. Thus, the report of R. Paredes (University of Wisconsin-Madison) gave a number of examples of relations between Filipino nationalist leaders and the heads of the American colonial administration. B. Aquino (University of Hawaii) devoted her report to the analysis of the relationship between Ramon Magsaysay and Edward Landsdale (an American general) in the context of the Cold War and their common task of fighting communism in the Philippines. It was the Americans who contributed to Magsaysay's election to the presidency by presenting him as a "man of the people" and a long-awaited alternative to the corrupt Kirino. V. V. Sumsky (Russia) in his report "The Dictatorship of the USA-Marcos: Notes on What the Cliche reflects and what it doesn't capture" focused on some features of Philippine - American relations during the reign of Philipp Franco. Marcos. Without refuting the current perception of this leader as a dictator, whose regime would have been impossible without the military, political and financial support of the United States, the speaker stressed that the Philippine president skillfully manipulated his senior partner. Taking advantage of his rich personal connections in the official and business circles of America, playing on the contradictions between the legislative and executive branches, he gained a degree of autonomy that is not characteristic of a puppet in the literal sense of the word, and pursued a more flexible and diversified foreign policy than his predecessors. Noting that the two most important events in Marcos ' political career - the introduction of the state of emergency in 1972 and the early presidential elections in 1986 - were accompanied by particularly active maneuvers in the "American direction", the speaker explained this by saying that in the first case these efforts were crowned with success, and in the second - turned out to be a complete failure.

Two sections were devoted to the problems of international relations and foreign policy of the Philippines. Relations with China, the United States and Japan, as well as the state of Philippine diplomacy, are considered. M. Magadana (University of the Philippines-Diliman) analyzed the Treaty of Paris of December 10, 1898 on the transfer of the Philippine Archipelago to the United States.

The section "Issues of peace" dealt with the problems of peaceful settlement in the south of the country. Thus, in the report "The Law of the Indigenous Land in the postmodern era", Marie Constanci Barrameda (University of the Philippines-Diliman) put forward the thesis that new approaches should be used in the process of nation-building, providing a basis for authentic representation, definition and construction of the nation, i.e. the Philippine indigenous Law should be used .).

At the closing plenary session, the Palme d'Or short film "Anino" by young Filipino filmmaker Raymond Red was screened.

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among the short films at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000, the film addresses such pressing issues as poverty, humiliation and the hopelessness of the "little man". Then the state of Philippine cinema was discussed and the conference results were summed up.

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