Ken Smith

Blackbourne U3A News
A University of the Third Age in Suffolk

Ken Smith was headmaster of Blackbourne Middle School. He was helping to set up a computer system for the school when he encountered a particular problem which was solved via the Internet by a young man called Eric who lived in the Philippines. Since then they have met and stayed in each other’s homes. With the aid of some wonderful computer graphics Ken tells of the history of this country and what it is like to live there today.  The Philippines was named after Crown Prince Felipe. The people call themselves Pinoyas and their languages are Pilipino, Tagelog and English. The population is around
84 million of whom 8 million (mainly women) work overseas. Some 35 million are below the age of 19. The majority are Christians of whom about 80% are Roman Catholic. The climate is hot, up to 40°C, with two seasons – wet or dry. The time zone is GMT + 8 hours with a flight time of 16-17 hours from London.Ferdinand Magellan of Spain was the first European to arrive in 1521, followed by the Portuguese. Britain attempted colonization in 1762, then in 1764 Spain regained control. In 1898 the Philippines was sold to the US for $20 million and in 1935 partial independence was granted. The Japanese invaded in 1942, then in 1946, after the liberation, the Philippines became a republic. Since then there have been a number of presidents of whom the most notorious were the Marcos (1965-86). They were followed by Corazon Aquino (1986-92). There are many places of interest. In Manila there is Malacanang Palace, Rizal Park and the walled city. Elsewhere Cebu City, Palawan Island, the chocolate hills of Bohal and beautiful beaches are well worth the long journey. Sadly there is also poverty. Ken tells of  the Amos Trust, run by the church, which provides food, medical aid and education to street children.