, 7 9 5 . ▁Filip ino ▁death s , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁has ▁no ▁official ▁count ▁but ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁million , ▁an ▁ast ounding ▁percentage ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁population ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁The ▁Philipp ine ▁population ▁decre ased ▁continu ously ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁ 5 ▁years ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁spread ▁of ▁dise ases ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁basic ▁needs , ▁far ▁from ▁Filip ino ▁l ifest yle ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁war ▁where ▁the ▁country ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁second ▁rich est ▁in ▁Asia , ▁iron ically , ▁next ▁only ▁to ▁Japan . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁relations ▁ ▁The ▁Philippines ▁was ▁granted ▁independence ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁sign atory ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Peace ▁Tre aty ▁with ▁Japan . ▁Diplom atic ▁relations ▁were ▁normal ized ▁and ▁re - est ab lished ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁when ▁a ▁war ▁re par ations ▁agreement ▁was ▁concluded . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁Japanese ▁companies ▁and ▁individual ▁invest ors ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁Philippines . ▁ ▁Japan ▁and ▁the ▁Philippines ▁signed ▁a ▁Tre aty ▁of ▁Am ity , ▁Com merce ▁and ▁Navigation ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁but ▁the ▁treat y ▁did ▁not ▁go ▁into ▁effect ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁ ▁Rel ations ▁during ▁the ▁Mar cos ▁dict ator ship ▁ ▁H iro h ito