In 1992 the Philippines asked the U.S. to terminate its large military bases there, which it had every right to do. The U.S. closed down the Navy base at Subic Bay and the Air Force facility at Clark Field and moved the facilities to Okinawa and/or Guam.
Unfortunately, successive governments in Manila didn't understand they needed to develop the ability to defend their islands as the U.S. would no longer do it for them. Had they understood, it is relatively clear the poor country didn't have the funds to develop a military equipped with sufficient numbers of up-to-date aircraft and warships.
Now the region's "playground bully" - China - is pushing the Philippines around and Filipinos begin to understand the implications of the choices they made 20 years ago when they sent the U.S. packing. See this Reuters article for details.
