Under President Aquino, country on right path, but …

The Aquino administration has been in power for a year now, and although there have been groups quick to point out its shortcomings, I believe that it is on the right track toward eradicating graft and corruption in government.

However, in this age of rapid globalization, with the world growing smaller because of the Internet and social media, the Aquino administration will have to ensure that our country has a clear foreign policy and agenda, especially when it deals with economic and political heavyweights such as the United States and China. A well-thought out foreign policy will help us to deal with these nations, as well as our Asean neighbors, on a more level playing field. Simply put, if we know what we want and where we want to go on the global stage, negotiations with other countries and building international relations will become much easier for us. I am sure that many countries will want to establish a good working relationship with us, considering that we are a nation that is strategically located at the heart of the Asia-Pacific region. But unless we have a clear plan on how to position ourselves internationally, this may come at the expense of our sovereignty and even the welfare of the Filipino people.

The Aquino administration has been beset by three major headaches of foreign origin: the spat with Hong Kong authorities over the August hostage crisis which led to the killing of eight of its nationals; the Spratly Islands dispute with China; and now the “Saudization” policy which is expected to dislocate thousands of OFWs in Saudi Arabia. I hope that the Department of Foreign Affairs, together with Malacañang, will be able to address these issues, and President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) this July will include them as priority concerns, given that almost 15 percent or close to 10 million Filipinos are now living and working overseas.

—Harvey S. Keh
Lead Convenor, Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership
Email: harveykeh@gmail.com