PHILIPPINES

Your article on Mt. Pinatubo, (“Under the Volcano,” by Bob Drogin, Aug. 11) vividly captured the sad result of that natural calamity.

What has the United States done for its old friend and ally the Philippines? Plenty! The United States first pulled out its troops and dependents from Clark Air Base in record time. It canceled its potential lease on Clark Air Base. This move left 69,000 Filipinos (not the 40,000 that was reported) jobless. And the United States had “nickel and dimed” the Philippines into submission in lease negotiations before the volcano erupted. It is only now that Filipino-Americans are learning how the American political system works. As the largest ethnic group among Asian-Americans, believe me, we are going to exercise this newly acquired know-how.

ARTEMIO G. PAGDAN

Pomona