There will always be a Philippines

During my early years in life, I would often hear the adults in the room talk about the political climate in our country. During the 1950s, the conversations would inevitably go into politics and some corruption in government, specifically the famous “golden bed” of president Elpidio Quirino.

I also remember hearing about the “Hukbalahap” (short for Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon or People’s Army Against the Japanese), a guerilla army during World War II that fought the Japanese and subsequently went after Filipinos who were suspected of being “collaborators.” The Huks and their leaders then embraced communist ideology and were engaged in a rebellion against the government, with the armed conflict spreading across Central Luzon.

Then there was the Korean War, with the Philippines sending an army contingent known as the PEFTOK (Philippine Expeditionary Force to Korea) to join the UN Forces. There was also the sad news about the death of president Ramon Magsaysay in a plane crash, a topic that was discussed in rather subdued tones, and I could somehow feel the sense of disquiet among the adults.

And to a young man like me, it seemed like there was so much turbulence in the country and all over the world. So during one family dinner, I asked my father what will happen to the country, and I will never forget what he said: “No matter what, there will always be a Philippines.”

Looking back, it was those words that instilled in me the perspective that there will always be a brighter horizon behind the dark clouds, to look at the glass as half full rather than half empty. I’m quite certain there will likely be less politics and politicking in the next three years of the presidency of Bongbong Marcos because he is forward looking and seriously determined to make the government more responsive to the people’s needs. Where others only see setbacks, he sees upcoming opportunities that would be a boon to the country politically, economically and security-wise.

Next year is the 80th anniversary of US-Philippines diplomatic relations – a historic milestone that underscores the depth and strength of our ties that have remained solid despite the occasional bumps along the way – with the bond between our two nations withstanding the test of time.

As US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby put it during our recent meeting – the alliance is crucial, and he assured us that we have a strong, respectful and committed ally in the United States. There are many indications that point to this fact, among them the visits of US Indopacom Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo in February during the 80th commemoration of the Liberation of Manila; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who visited last March and a bipartisan US congressional delegation that came in April, reaffirming their commitment and support for the alliance with discussions centering on defense cooperation, economic security and economic resilience.

If one will recall, the United States sent its first agricultural technology trade mission to the Philippines towards the latter part of 2023, with several American companies and a US state university showcasing the latest innovations in agriculture technology (such as precision agriculture, digital farming and genetics), farm mechanization, IT-enabled services and others that can help support the resiliency of the Philippine agriculture sector.

We have in fact been talking with some experts on new technologies that could provide solutions to problems and challenges that impact the productivity of farmers (like climate change that could result in droughts or extreme weather events that affect crop yield) and which, hopefully, we could present to the Agriculture secretary at some point.

Next year, the Philippines will be hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit which will be a major platform to further discuss the promotion of a rules-based multilateral trading system in light of recent challenges to global trade that include the new US tariff policy. As the ASEAN chair, the Philippines will have a major opportunity to enhance partnerships with our neighbors who share our commitment to regional peace and security as well as the rule of law.

During the recent ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, President Marcos reaffirmed our commitment to “defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the WPS, in accordance with international law,” and renewed his call to “accelerate the adoption of a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea” to “safeguard maritime rights, promote stability and prevent miscalculations at sea.”

As we have been saying time and again, we will seek peaceful solutions to maritime issues with our neighbors, particularly with China, who we absolutely want to have good relations with. While we respect China’s territorial integrity and their claims that are considered legitimate, we also expect them to do the same with us. This June, the Philippines and China will mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and we continue to be hopeful that we will be able to work with them on many issues that will benefit our two countries. As incoming Foreign Affairs Secretary Tess Lazaro said, challenges remain, but these do not define the entirety of our engagement and our friendship. Diplomacy is about relationships built on mutual respect, trust and dialogue.

Over the years, the Philippines has had its ups and down, its boom-and-bust cycles, facing so many challenges and going through upheavals from the time of the Spaniards to the Japanese and the Americans, up to more recent times in our history. Through it all, our country has survived and continued to stand strong and resilient, because ultimately – there will always be a Philippines.

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