A word on Philippine oriental policy
Media
Part of Panorama
- Title
- A word on Philippine oriental policy
- Language
- English
- Source
- Volume XIX (6) June 1967
- Year
- 1967
- Subject
- Philippines -- Foreign relations
- Diplomatic relations
- Philippines
- Rights
-
- Abstract
- [To be known as a Filipino nation, independent, friendly, and cooperative, the Philippines needs policy makers who are resolved to follow their own definite norms of conduct.]
- Fulltext
- ■ To be known as a Filipino nation, independent, friendly, and cooperative, the Philippines needs policy makers who are resolved to follow their own definite norms of conduct. A WORD ON PHILIPPINE ORIENTAL POLICY The foreign policy of a country should be predicated on its national interests and actual needs. These should serve as general but concrete terms of reference in the for mulation of any agreement and understanding with any particular foreign state in any part of the world. In our relations and deal ings with what is generally known as Asia, we need to remember that this huge con tinent cannot be treated as one .singly group of political and cultural communities bound together by ideas and beliefs founded on basically similar historical and spirit ual sources as is the Western state system. The Oriental or Asiatic world rests to a great extent on a wide va riety of economic and social conditions at different stages of development, arising from different historical traditions and different conceptions of cultural and moral values. After the last War, however, Western influences have began to enter their life in a gradual way insinuating themselves, as it were, through a newly woven fab ric of suspicious nationalism. Moreover, the problems arising from the conditions prevalent in Oriental coun tries are in such a state of flux and uncertainty that it is not always easy to foresee and anticipate possible solu tions. Th resulting insta bility that prevails should warn policy-makers against arrangement of a permanent character or against assump tions from rigid frames of reference on particular pro blems and relationships. These observations are back ed up by what have been ex plained by competent writers on the subject. As one of them said: "Policy makers do not have the benefit of a June 1967 43 crystal ball.” Sukarno, the so-called adored champion of Indonesia’s independence and so chosen as his nation’s President for life, did not remain long as ruler and po licy-maker. He and his po licies and methods met an inglorious end in a few brief years from the viewpoint of history. The collapse was almost unexpected. At this moment Nasser of Egypt, which is in fact an AfroOriental country, is reported to have fallen down and with him his "crush-Israel” policy is going to pieces in spite of the much vaunted Arab unity. A definite long-term policy can easily be nullified by the uncertainties of unstable conditiqns. The wise thing for the Philippine Republic to do would be to draw up and observe certain general pos tulates based on careful ob servations derived from events currently happening in our environment and from the experience of persons known by their ability to grasp the meaning of inter national decisions and trends with objectivity and keen perceptiveness. Postulates so produced may serve as guide lines for the formulation of specific policies when parti cular problems between this country and a particular Asian nation should call for discussion, counsel, and con sensus. In other words, such general postulates should stand as relatively basic re ferents for and at those mo ments or occasions which call for special arrangements with any particular Asian govern ment. Living in the Orient as we are, we should keep ourselves intelligently and fully inform ed about Oriental affairs. More than that: we need to assess the importance of their actual and possible impact on our country’s problems today and tomorrow. To be ever aware of these condi tions and influences is the only way that would enable us to adopt a specific policy at the proper occasion that could best promote our na tional interests. These words may sound like platitudes to maturer ob servers and students of in ternational relations and pro blems; but in view of our limited experience in the 44 Panorama conduct of international re lations they are worth re peating as constant remind ers of the need for alertness in our association with other governments and of the va lue of being well-informed of the atmosphere and envi ronment in which our coun try is being enveloped in many ways. A general Asian policy of this country that takes into account the foregoing consi derations may be properly formulated and may be ex pected to be seriously res pected when it is based upon a positive proposition (1) that would convince our fellow Orientals that we are.in fact and in theory an indepen dent and sovereign nation; (2) 'that would show our fel low Orientals that we have the will and the potential strength to make ourselves a fully developed nation with readiness and decision to stand on our own feet; (3) that would assure every country in Asia by word and deed that we are one of them — Oriental or Asian, not Occidental or American, or European, nor African; (4) that would express our readiness to cooperate with them in ways that will pro mote a more peaceful, pro gressive, and prosperous exis tence not only with our fel low Orientals but with the whole world that is getting smaller, more and more in terdependent, but also more and more exposed to incre dible but nonetheless exist ing dangers to nations and to humanity itself; and (5) that would respect each and every country’s cultural, social, economic, and politi cal patterns and problems and would avoid interfering with them or with any de cisions involving them unless assistance and support are mutually sought and agreed upon. To one who closely ob serves the attitude of foreign delegates in international conferences toward the Phil ippines in certain matters, it seems quite obvious that these basic propositions cry for an open and sincere re cognition in all the Orient, if not in the entire world. For whether we like it or not, many Asians and Eu ropeans still entertain doubts about the Philippines being June 1967 45 an independent country and not an American appendage; and many still think that this country does not belong to Southeast Asia inasmuch as its interests have not been distinctly associated with those of Southeast Asian countries in any marked de gree. In fact British and European books as of now seldom if ever refer to the Philippines as belonging to the Southeast Asian commu nity. It is not advisable to take for granted the postulates suggested above. In the early years of the government of the United States of Am erica, the stand taken by its policy-makers was based on similar principles in their dealings .with European states. While conditions here and now are not exactly identical with those then and there obtaining, the basic aim and purpose of these foreign policy principles are not dissimilar, namely, that we make our own indepen dent policy decisions, that they be predicated on what we believe to be for the best interests of our nation, and that in such grave questions as non-involvement or in volvement in international affairs we should make our own firm decision based on our free choice and within the framework of our Consti tution. As a general summation for what might be safely de clared to be a broad foreign policy of the Philippines, it should be sincerely affirmed that the Philippines is proud of her place in the Orient and of her own particular national identity and that, without in any way inter fering with the internal af fairs and institutions of other Oriental nations, it is her avowed policy to live with them in harmony as a good neighbor who is ready to do her part in promoting the common interests of all peo ples in order to establish per manently a peaceful, progres sive, and prosperous world community. Needless to add that the broad postulates of foreign policy discussed here are just as proper and applicable in the political relations of the Philippine Republic with Western countries as with the Oriental states. To pro46 Panorama lect and advance peacefully tional identity are basic conthe national interest of the siderations in both our doFilipino nation and to pro- mestic and foreign policy. — mote and maintain its na- V. G. 5. LORD ACTON'S MAXIMS The Reign of Sin is more universal, the in fluence of unconscious error is less, than historians tell us. Good and evil lie close together. Seek no artistic unity in character. * * * The final judgment depends on the worst action. * * * Character is tested by true sentiments more than by conduct. A man is seldom better than his word. * * * fjistory is better written from letters than from histories; let a man criminate himself. * * * No public character has ever stood the reve lation of private utterance and correspondence. * * . * Be prepared to find that the best refute gives way under closer scrutiny. — By Lord Acton in Essays on Freedom and Power. June 1967 47
- pages
- 43-47