Beer in the Philippines alcoholic beverage in the Philippines and amounts to a 70% share of the domestic alcoholic drinks market in terms of volume during 2005. Between 2003 and 2004, the Philippines showed the fastest growth rate in the world of 15.6%. With a consumption rise from 1.22 to 1.41 million liters, it was the 22nd largest beer market in the world in 2004. A Filipino will drink an average of nearly 20 litres of beer a year. Under a royal grant from Spain, Don Enrique María Barretto de Ycaza y Esteban opened "La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel", Southeast Asia's first
Germans in the Philippines Manila—leaving the Philippines ripe for German picking. Following the American victory in the war, the Philippines and the Far East were brought to the attention of the world and Germany recognized the great potentialities of the islands as a major commercial market. On 12 June, the day the Philippines declared its independence from Spain, Vice-Admiral Otto von Diederichs arrived in Manila Bay. The number of German war vessels in Philippine waters increased to three. Earlier, on 6 and 9 May, respectively, the German ships "Irene" and the "Cormoran" arrived in the bay with a separate instruction from the German government,