Luxury Boat Industry in the Philippines
For centuries, the Philippines occupied the Western powers. The name of the country itself was derived from the name of King Philip II of Spain, who occupied the country in the 16th century. The Spanish occupation of the Philippines, fortunately, was not a very bloody affair, mainly because the natives were peaceful people and did not resist. The Spaniards ruled the Philippines for more than 300 years. After this, Great Britain declared war on Spain, and they used their army to invade the Philippines in 1772. The Spaniards fought, defeated the British forces and re-occupied the Philippines in 1764. In 1898, the US-Spanish war broke out in the Philippines. The American army defeated the Spanish. The Americans decided to stay in the Philippines in fear that Germany might try to occupy the country. American politicians also claimed that the locals could not control themselves and needed "civilization." In 1899, a war broke out between Americans and native Filipinos who wanted their freedom. More than 200,000 people were killed by war, disease and hunger. During World War II, the Japanese captured the Philippines. After much violence and countless deaths, the Americans defeated the Japanese and granted independence to the country in July 1946.
In the years after independence, the Philippines faced problems such as poverty and corruption. Inequality caused by government corruption has led to urgency and dissent in the country. In the 1970s, the Philippines suffered under martial law and the statutory dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, who continued to oppress people and contributed to inequality. In 1986, the new President Corazon Aquino was elected democratically after the public took to the streets and overthrew the government. Unfortunately, over the next few years there were many natural disasters and political struggles that did not benefit the country.
In 1992, the new president was elected Fidel Ramos. Ramos focused on improving the country's infrastructure. The improvement of energy supply and the privatization of industry were the beginning of a significant economic growth in the country. Unfortunately, the Philippines and its people are still victims of corruption and political struggle, leading to widespread poverty.
The Philippines stock market, which opened in 1925, has been growing steadily since the 1990s, with the exception of the major economic crises of 1997 and, most recently, 2008. The globalization of the Philippine economy is still at an early stage, but the country is experiencing rapid growth in its business sector and urban development. This is one of the countries of Asia, which is just beginning to reach its full potential.
The Philippines has a higher literacy rate than its neighbors Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. A large number of people in the Philippines also speak English, and this makes communication and international business in the country much easier than in many other Asian countries. The Philippines is one of the world leaders in outsourcing and surpassed India in 2008 in the sector of call centers. This has greatly increased the employment and size of the young middle class in the Philippines. People in the Philippines are well educated, and most of the city dwellers speak good English. This made it easy for the Philippines to become one of the largest outsourcing business centers in the world.
Boating is a must in the Philippines. There are more than 7,000 islands in the country, allowing people to travel by boat. In the Philippines, there are many local boatmen who build small sailing and motor boats. Many people build their own wooden boats for traveling and transporting goods. With so many islands and many deep-sea ports, the Philippines is the perfect place for shipbuilding and repair. The Philippines is the fourth largest shipbuilding company in the world. It’s easy to find skilled labor in the boat rides sector in the Philippines, and many Filipinos work in the boat world around the world.
Leisure in boats in the Philippines is not very developed, despite the excellent geographical position of the country. The first yacht club, Manila Yacht Club, was opened in 1947. This club has about 200 mooring lines for boats. Another big yacht club is the Subic Bay yacht club with 150 moorings, which is located about 100 km from Manila. There are at least 10 more small yacht clubs and moorings that provide moorings in the country. Some of them are small with no more than 30 berths, but offer reasonable services, while others are called yacht clubs and berths that do not quite provide any services. Sailing races are very common in Philippine yacht clubs, and people throughout Asia participate in regular events that take place there.
As in many other countries, the high level of taxation on leisure yachts in the Philippines represents a significant barrier to growth in the country's boating industry. The tax rate for private yachts is about 42%. Although some clubs offer to register their clients. boats without tax. But this is due to many restrictions and only within the limited cruising zone. This is also a gray area in the legislation, and these gloomy rules do not really help the development of the industry.
As in other Asian countries, the Philippine government also needs to pay more attention to the boat industry and understand how important it is for their economy. First, the Philippines needs to change outdated laws and legislation that do not comply with modern, accepted economic methods. Lower taxes stimulate growth in this industry and increase revenues to the state treasury, as well as create a new employment sector. For the boating industry, special skilled work is required that is highly paid compared to standard labor. Having such jobs helps keep educated and skilled people leaving the country to earn more money elsewhere. The growth of the boating industry will also provide the Philippines with the opportunity to expand its tourism industry through the yachting sector.
In the Philippines, collaboration between the government and the private sector is also needed to work together on the development of boat infrastructure. If the private sector works in isolation, it will most likely develop hotels and elite marina clubs with high membership fees. Such private clubs can ignore the general public and make them inaccessible to boat lovers. The government needs to work together with the private sector to develop plans and take on some of the burden of developing boat infrastructure. They also need assistance in servicing maintenance enterprises to ensure that cheaper items, such as berths and repairs, are provided to the middle class.
There is also the issue of the safety of boats in the Philippines due to pirates who are active in the area and cases of boat robberies. Unfortunately, the Philippines is also notorious for corruption and long paperwork. The bureaucratic system simply gives bureaucrats and middle people the opportunity to illegally earn money from boats, which require various documents and permits.
It is also a very serious deterrent to the growth of the shipping industry and the growth of sea tourism in the Philippines.
Since many of the problems that need to be addressed, the Philippines has one big advantage over other regions for its boat industry. With so many lush beautiful islands, the Philippines is truly a great place in Asia to take a cruise or take a boat. It is great for diving, snorkeling, exciting water sports or just traveling on its beautiful islands and beaches. You can go to an urban chic area or a rural village fishing village, and both will be amazing. The Philippines is also a popular tourist destination in Asia, but again, if the authorities and local businesses take a little more effort, it can attract more visitors internationally and locally to witness its natural beauty. For the owner of the boat, it will be one of the best events if there is sufficient infrastructure and facilities for boats to refuel, swamp, and control their boats.
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