PHILIPPINES
GATT Ratified Amid Protests: The Senate ratified the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, handing another victory to President Fidel Ramos in his quest to open up the economy. Ending months of acrimonious debate, the 23-member body approved the accord as about 2,000 people staged protests outside the Senate building in Manila. Opponents warned that farmers and industries are not yet ready to meet the heightened competition coming from a flood of imports. More than two-thirds of Philippine exports go to the United States and Japan.
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