My last column for this year will be on the 26th of this month, and so it is appropriate to come out on that date with the traditional year-ender: an assessment of how the Philippines fared in 2017.
Different publications and media groups, as well as government agencies, may already be coming out with their respective year-end reports, which I expect will include accomplishments and failures of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s administration.
President Duterte has done a lot during his first 18 months in office, but I want to talk about what I consider as his greatest achievement. I am referring to his initiative on foreign relations, and I can summarize his foremost accomplishment in this area in one word: Respect.
When President Duterte announced during his early months in office that he was adopting an independent foreign policy, skeptics and critics promptly raised a howl, some even pointing out the former city mayor’s lack of experience in diplomacy.
It seemed the primary concern of those who opposed his policy move was fear that the Philippines would lose its decades-long ally, the United States, and throw the emerging economy at the mercy of America’s rivals in global politics.
Now we know the fear was unfounded. We did not lose a friend and, instead, we gained more. Let me tell you why.
Contrary to criticism, our country’s foreign policy did not drive a wedge between the Philippines and the US.
In line with their long partnership in the security area, the US military provided intelligence and other forms of support to the Armed Forces of the Philippines during the retaking of Marawi City from the hands of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-linked Maute terrorist group.
President Donald J. Trump arrived in the Philippines on November 12 to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and met with regional leaders. He left on November 14, after a bilateral meeting with Duterte.
It may be trivial to some people, but I think it is significant to note that Trump’s visit was the longest a US president stayed in the Philippines in recent history.
President Duterte went on a state visit to Moscow in May, but had to cut the visit short because of the Marawi siege. It would have meant the cancellation of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but the leader of the US’s top rival in global military dominance broke protocol to accommodate the Philippine president. Russia also sent 5,000 pieces of the world-famous Kalashnikov assault rifles and 20 military trucks to support the Philippine forces battling the Maute Group.
As part of his independent foreign policy thrust, President Duterte made several trips to China and met with leaders, led by President Xi Jinping. On the first day of the visit to Beijing in October, the Chinese government lifted the ban on travel to the Philippines.
The move opened the world’s largest market to the Philippine tourism industry, and improved its chances of reaching the elusive 10-million tourist arrivals target.
China also eased restrictions on Philippine agricultural exports, particularly fruits and vegetables, and it also provided weapons to Filipino soldiers fighting in Marawi.
In a meeting with visiting Chinese Premier Li Kequiang last month, Duterte said Maute leader Isnilon Hapilon, the Islamic State’s emir in Asia, was killed by one of the weapons donated by China.
To this day, we continue to reap the benefits of our renewed relations with China in the form of investments and grants. For example, China is financing, through a grant, the construction of two bridges that would help ease traffic congestion across the Pasig River.
Japan has also shown keen interest in strengthening ties with the Philippines. The President and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had met several times, both in Japan and in the Philippines.
Here’s another historical milestone. During his visit in January this year, Abe, leader of the world’s second-largest economy, went to President Duterte’s private home in Davao City, where he received a tour of the house and joined his host for a breakfast of local delicacies.
The statements and actions by the leaders of the world’s most powerful and richest nations are not simple gestures based on a “big brother-little brother” relationship, like the one we were used to under our isolationist foreign policy.
These leaders speak to us as their equal in the community of nations, according us respect and giving recognition to our sovereignty. We have always been viewed as a subservient ally, but Duterte has established a clear independent policy.
To me, the investments that are coming in as a result of the new foreign policy are just gravy. What is important is the respect that we receive from even the most powerful nations, something that we never had before.
So, congratulations, Mr. President.
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