Statue of Liberty and about two percent of the exterior plates needed to be replaced. Although problems with the armature had been recognized as early as 1936, when cast iron replacements for some of the bars had been installed, much of the corrosion had been hidden by layers of paint applied over the years. In May 1982, President Ronald Reagan announced the formation of the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Centennial Commission, led by Chrysler Corporation chair Lee Iacocca, to raise the funds needed to complete the work. Through its fundraising arm, the Statue of Liberty–Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., the group raised more than
Replicas of the Statue of Liberty and Puerto Rico. The Boy Scouts of the Philippines, on the other hand, received its own replica in the early part of 1950. The statues were donated by the Boy Scouts of America as “an expression of scout brotherhood and goodwill.” Not surprisingly, their 40th anniversary theme was “Strengthen the Arm of Liberty.” Miniature versions of the statue were also given as gifts. In fact, the Philippines became the first independent nation to receive one of the 4,000 eight-inch statues from the Boy Scouts of America. In April 1950, the said statue was officially given by Chief Scout Executive Arthur