The RP-Italy Business Council has been promoting trade and investment flow between the two countries. Agreements on investments, labor, and maritime affairs have been concluded, setting in motion intensified bilateral cooperation. Italy's great history, which spans the ancient Roman civilization down through its development into the center of Roman Catholicism, makes it one of the countries which have exerted tremendous influence on the culture and way of thinking of peoples around the world. Filipinos easily identify with Italy not only because of their religion but also because of their familiarity with the monumental achievements of that country in the arts, philosophy, literature, and music. Italy is the world's fifth economic power.
Textiles are the oldest Italian industry.
The country has an abundance of minerals and various types of building stone, particularly marble. Its coastal waters yield vast amounts of anchovy, sardines, and tunny. We congratulate the government and people of Italy on the occasion of the anniversary of their republic.