Big shoes to fill

The country is continuing to change in so many ways. Honestly, if we took a time machine back even just one year and told ourselves what the world would be like today we probably wouldn’t believe it. I know I wouldn’t. Things in the Philippines, and around the world, have changed so drastically in such a short amount of time. It really feels like a swiftly tilting planet and who knows when things are going to begin to feel “normal” again.

With our leaders moving in and out and getting fired and leaving and coming back it has become quite difficult to predict who will be in a position of power next. The House is certainly being shaken up recently and sometimes all it takes is a quick stroke of bad luck for some to find themselves out in the cold. It really is difficult to predict and I found myself thinking about this as I contemplated what was going to come next as the country waits to see who President Duterte decides to put at the helm of the Central Bank of the Philippines.

He has not made up his mind yet despite some endorsements being made by other politicians and I’m quite curious to see how he decides to fill this extremely important and vital position. Of course I am saddened that the current head Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. will be stepping down in July, but I know he did not come to that decision lightly.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Governor “Say” Tetangco for several years and have always thought he was excellent in the BSP. The President was even willing to make a change to allow him to stay on for another term but Governor Tetangco had to decline for health reasons and in that aspect I respect his decision. After all, health is wealth and we all have to make the right decisions for our wellbeing.

Which, again, leaves behind a gaping vacancy. At this point it could be any of the candidates being put up for consideration. Whoever it is will have big shoes to fill and I hope they continue to do a great job in handling our money and international image in the banking community. We could all use some good news in the country right now.

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In the wake of international relations breaking down pretty drastically around the world I try to remain optimistic about the Philippines’ relationship with the United States but I also try to remain pragmatic too. It was good to hear State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner say that the US would continue to work on good terms with the Philippines, but it’s also quite difficult to believe looking at how the US has been recently. After all, the United States is “closing ranks” so to speak and while I do believe we need to continue to work together I’m not sure that if push comes to shove they would be in our corner.

But still, that statement must have surely calmed a lot of Filipinos. It’s very understandable to see why so many worry when it comes to our fragile relationship with the United States in the wake of President Duterte’s comments and human rights violations and with President’s Trump’s new policies. After all, the BPO sector here, along with many other businesses, all rely heavily on support and good working relations with the U.S.A.

It was good to hear last year that the sector would continue to grow and thrive despite the current political backlash of both of our presidents and their tendency to speak before thinking. After all, so many Filipinos both in Manila and in the countryside are relying on the IT-BPM sector for jobs and opportunities and our yearly revenue has come to rely on the contribution this industry makes. At the same time it is a mutually beneficial relationship as the United States also gains by placing their outsourcing business here, relatively less expensive and a very talented and robust workforce. Hopefully this continues moving forward.

But again, the way things are now we really can’t predict what will happen in the world. Spokesman Turner also went on to reassure Filipinos that the Philippines is not included in the travel ban signed by Trump so there should be no problems when it comes to Filipinos visiting the United States. That’s good news as well. I know of many people who were worried about upcoming trips and were scared they were not going to be able to see their families in the U.S.

In fact, there have been a lot of Filipinos who have reported that it has become that much harder to get a U.S. visa or to fix their paperwork abroad. At this point there’s no sure way to verify that but it’s not farfetched. After all, several minorities in the States have reported that things aren’t all good and that there are already quite a few racist crimes and incidents that have occurred since President Trump took office. The resounding cry of those extremist Trump “super fans” is to tell other nationalities that they should “Go back to where they came from.” Honestly, it’s quite ironic considering white people aren’t originally from American themselves. If they truly believe what they are saying then they should also “go back to where they came from” and leave America to the Native Americans.

In either case, when it comes to our relationship with the U.S., I guess at this point we are at another wait and see crossroads. Those who work around President Trump and President Duterte are better equipped at being diplomatic about their words but in the end the leaders of our two countries are still the ones making the call and we know that these two can turn on a knife and change their minds. We all hope for the best for all of us and we want things to be okay but we won’t really know what will happen until it happens. The United States says they will continue to work with the Philippines and honor the defense deals we’ve made and have committed to even strengthening ties. I guess we’ll see if they make good on their word.

As for President Duterte – he has invited President Trump to the ASEAN Summit to be held in the country in November. I don’t think President Trump will go, but who knows, he may surprise me. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.