Why Philippines Should Matter to India

When India looks east, the Philippines hardly figures on its radar for there is little awareness in Delhi of Manila's growing strategic significance for Asia. Long viewed as the "sick man of Asia", the Philippines is now roaring like a tiger and set to influence the region's strategic evolution. Thanks to a series of purposeful reforms over the last few years, the Philippines is now the fastest growing economy in Asia after China. Goldman Sachs, which invented the concept of BRICS, has identified the Philippines as one of the 11 emerging economies to watch out for. With a population of nearly 100 million, a hard-working labour force and a diaspora of 12 million, Manila is likely to become the world's 15th largest economy by the middle of this century.