RP's policy in the 50's and 60's was the envy of SEA

What was the policies of the Philippine government during the 1950's and the 1960's that made it's economy second only to Japan and was the envy of South East Asian nations? During the 1950's and the 1960's RP was pursuing a pro-American agenda. English was the medium of instruction in most public schools from elementary grade to college. And during those decades, the Philippines was known as the third largest English speaking country. Then things began to change. After Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972, he started changing Philippine government policy and implemented the "bilingual" education . Bilingual education mean that the medium of instruction in Philippine public schools would be in the "Filipino and English" languages. At first the implementation of the "bilingual" education seems not to matter because teachers were so used in English that they stick to teaching in English. As the years pass , the old teachers were replaced by younger teachers who were raised in the "bilingual" education, slowly the medium of instruction in most public schools is being replaced and today it is strictly the "Filipino" language.

Today there is a need to retrain most public school teachers so they can become proficient in the English language again. So why does RP government see the need to retrain public school teachers and teach their subject in the English language? It is very obvious in this day and age of fast technological innovation, if the Philippines wants to catch up with the rest of Asia Filipinos must learn to speak, read and write in the English language. Since the implementation of the bilingual education, Filipinos proficiency in the English language as well as the economy has been on a downward trend. Most US and European technology companies who wish to invest in the Philippines are so dismayed by the level of English speaking and writing skills of Filipinos. They thought Filipinos are still proficient in the English language. The reality is, most Filipinos today do not speak, read and write in the English language as proficiently as before. But the situation can still be reversed and with the help of Filipinos from the USA soon the English language will again reign in Philippine public schools.