Benjamin Gilman: “Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have introduced this resolution commemorating 100 years of relations between the people of…”

“Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have introduced this resolution commemorating 100 years of relations between the people of the United States and the people of the Philippines. It is right and fitting that the House of Representatives make note of the special relationship that our Nation and the Philippines have shared for nearly a century. The beginning of our country's relationship with the Philippines in 1898 also marks the beginning of our great interest in the Pacific and the development of strong, robust historical and cultural ties between the Philippines and the United States. Though the United States and Philippines are literally an ocean apart, the large Philippine-American community, numbering over 2 million, has immeasurably enriched the social and cultural fabric of our Nation and serves as a sturdy bridge of friendship between our two countries. Until the end of the Cold War, the United States maintained major military facilities in the Philippines which played a significant role in the maintenance of regional peace and stability.”