Filipinos of 10 years of age or over who can 563,495 322,359
read English.
Those who can read Spanish. 587,588 292,223
Those who can both read and write English. 540,552 313,993
Those who can both read and write Spanish. 454,052 210,270
As a matter of fact the English language serves at the present time
as a common medium of communication among the inhabitants of the
Philippines who still speak their own dialects. Because of the work
of public schools during the last quarter of a century it is the
language which is most widely spoken in the whole Archipelago.
Business between the central government and the provinces and
municipalities is transacted in English. The proceedings of the
Philippine Legislature although still in Spanish, are translated into
English. In commercial transactions the English language prevails
throughout the islands. It will not be very long before the language
will be the official language even in the courts and the language
which is more generally used in private life. The present leaders of
the people have a working knowledge of the language and many can read
and write it fairly. The younger generation has a thorough knowledge
of English and speaks and writes it in most cases.
The spread of the language as the common language of the inhabitants is
assured, not only because it is the basis of instruction in the public
schools and in the universities, but also because it is essential to
the best interest and political future of the people.
X. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS, FOREST RESOURCES, MINERALS, AND
OTHER INDUSTRIES
The Philippines are eminently an agricultural country. Agriculture
is the principal source of the Islands' wealth, and the bulk of the
exports consists mostly of agricultural products.
[Hectares under cultivation]
An estimate of the number of hectares under cultivation during the
year 1922, shows the following:
Hectares devoted to rice. 1,661,430
Hectares devoted to abaca. 494,990
Hectares devoted to sugar-cane. 240,820
Hectares devoted to coconuts. 422,684
Hectares devoted to corn. 549,960
Hectares devoted to tobacco. 59,870
Hectares devoted to maguey. 27,670
Hectares devoted to cacao. 1,155
Hectares devoted to coffee. 882
---------
Total. 3,459,461
This is only about 10 per cent of the total area of the Islands.
Extensive areas of agricultural lands which remain undeveloped are
the Agusan Valley in eastern Mindanao; the Cotabato Valley in central
Mindanao; sections of the plains of central Luzon and of the Cagayan
Valley; the central plain of Panay and the meadowlands of Palawan,
Samar, and Mindoro. There are also the coastal plains of Zamboanga,
Mindanao, Leyte, and Negros.
The average area of farms in the Islands according to the Census of
1918 is 2.33 hectares, as against 3.47 hectares in 1903.
[Farms owned by Filipinos]
Out of the 1,955,276 farms in the Islands today 1,946,580 or 96 per
cent, are owned by Filipinos, 2,678 by Americans, 949 by Europeans,
1,612 by Asiatics, and 3,457 by other nationalities.
[Exports]
THE PRINCIPAL CROPS.--The principal crops produced by the islands
are rice, abaca (Manila hemp), coconut, sugar, and tobacco. All of
these except rice are articles of export. The following table shows
the respective values of these exports:
-------------------------+---------------------------
| Value
Article +-------------+-------------
| 1921 | 1922
-------------------------+-------------+-------------
| |
Abaca (Manila hemp). | P25,969,385 | P39,081,829
Coconut oil. | 32,103,036 | 31,468,971
Copra. | 26,146,913 | 28,206,146
Sugar. | 51,037,454 | 51,165,110
Tobacco products. | 16,564,434 | 17,340,236
Maguey. | 1,848,794 | 2,973,203
Cordage. | 918,544 | 1,099,375
Fruits and nuts. | 239,060 | 532,632
Rubber, crude. | 25,700 | ----
Ilang-ilang oil. | 57,554 | 60,606
-------------------------+---------------------------
Rice is almost exclusively the staple foodstuff of the people; but
corn in some provinces constitutes an important part of the daily
diet. Although the production of rice has been increasing steadily
since 1910 the Philippines has had to import rice from other countries,
especially Indo-China, for a part of its supply. The government is
now exerting every effort towards solving the problem. Immense sums
are being appropriated for the construction of irrigation systems so
indispensable in the successful growing of rice.
[Fibers]
Abaca (Manila hemp).--The Philippines is the only source in the
world for abaca, commercially known as Manila hemp. There are two
other commercial fibers, however, that grow in the islands. These
are sisal and maguey. Although other kind of fibers grow in other
countries especially in Mexico, the world must always use a certain
amount of the Manila hemp for binder twine and for high grade ropes.