The 1990s Philippine leader was Fidel Ramos, who served as the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. He was a career military officer and served in the Philippine Army before becoming a politician. He was also the first Protestant president of the predominantly Catholic nation. During his presidency, Ramos implemented economic reforms that helped the country achieve its highest growth rate in decades. He also worked to improve relations with China and the United States, and was instrumental in the passage of the Visiting Forces Agreement.