Foreign and diplomatic policies that matter most

While being amazed at the splendor and grace of the World Heritage site, the Stonehenge, and after having coffee nearby with a retired Ilocano diplomat married to an Irish lady, here I am contemplating on Philippine foreign policies a few days prior to the first SONA of our 17th President. I wonder what his policy is about our relations with the UK, the US and its allies, with NATO, with China, Russia, and the BRICS. I could only speculate what he would say about the West Philippine Sea, and what would his government do about the International Arbitral Ruling in favor of our country, which China rejects from the very start.

The President is, of course, the architect of Philippine foreign policies. He decides whether we should be as pro-US as the West Point graduate Fidel V Ramos or as anti-US as Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte the San Beda alumnus Davaoeño who never visited the USA in all his six-year tenure. He could be as rabid nationalist as Carlos P. Garcia  who strictly adhered to his "Filipino First" policy or as liberal as the founder of the Liberal Party, Manuel A. Roxas who allowed the Americans to exploit our natural resources and Americans to use our lands for US Bases for free. The President could style himself as dyed-in-the wool nationalist like Manuel L. Quezon who dared to say: "I prefer a government run like hell by Filipinos rather than a government run like heaven by the Americans. Or, he could be like Jose P. Laurel who cooperated ( his enemies said "collaborated")  with the Japanese.

Any student of foreign relations know that the framework of Philippine foreign policies is anchored on a tripod with the pillars: firs, is national security and territorial integrity; second is economic trade and commerce, and third (which contemporary circumstances drive our government to make as the number one) is protection of Filipino nationals abroad, whether OFWs or permanent residents in other countries. In every country with whom we have diplomatic relations, the Philippine Mission's thrust is to focus on these three pillars. Thus the embassy personnel are normally divided into: Pillar number one on political and military functions; pillar number two on economic and trade affairs; and pillar number three which focuses on consular services, as well as the works of the labor attache, labor welfare officers and related functions, including nurturing sound relations with the Filipino communities.

In the Philippines, there are 58 foreign embassies and 64 consulates sent in by our diplomatic partners. In turn, the Philippines has 68 embassies and 125 consulates all over the world. We have embassies in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, here in Canada where I am now, in Chile, China, Cuba, Czech Republic, East Timor, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands., New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK USA, Venezuela and Vietnam.

We don't have an embassy in Ukraine, but only a consulate. Our ambassador to Poland covers Ukraine. Also Sri Lanka, only a consulate. It is covered by our ambassador to India. We have only consulates in Angola, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Seychelles, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Togo, Ukraine, Uruguay and Vanuatu. We don't have a consulate but only an honorary consul ( a local that we accredit to do consular services for us) in Cayman Islands, Malta. We have 7 consulates in Australia, 4 in Austria, 1 in Belgium, 3 in Brazil, 6 in Canada, 5 in China, 4 in France, 6 in Germany, 33in Greece, 3 in India, 3 in Indonesia, 1 in Israel, 2 in Italy, 3 in Japan, 3 in Mexico, 2 each in Netherlands and New Zealand, and one each in Poland, Portugal and Russia.

We have one consulate each in Saudi Arabia, South Africa and South Korea. We have 10 in Spain, 2 in Switzerland and Turkey. We have 1 each in UK and UAE. We have 11 in the USA.  Well, all these can change subject to the decision of the new president.  He is attending the UN General Assembly this year and all the consuls led by the reappointed ambassador Babes Romualdez, shall be on hand to cater to his needs, and a coterie of our diplomats there to welcome and attend to the travel plans of the president's family members and friends. I was doing diplomatic work for 9 years before. I know the works.