January 25th, 2025
Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda
25 January 2025
Among all Asian countries, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the Philippine government first. So, US-PH ties remain strong and strategic. The US would be unwise not to see our supreme strategic importance in their Asia policy and interests.
As for aid, the US has not been a major source of aid for the Philippines for a while now, far behind Japan, the World Bank, and ADB, and AIIB. US has been on the low single digits as far as aid goes, even behind Korea. On that matter, we’ll be fine. Their aid is their decision to make. Nothing needs to be done on our end.
We are not asking for aid. We are asking for a fair access to US markets — which remain our biggest export destination. If our exports are imposed punitive rates, we should understand that as not the act of a friend, and orient our trade and foreign policy accordingly.
Our most important foreign relationships are, in this order, our relationship with Japan, our ASEAN community, and our strategic multilateralism. If the US neglects its relationship with the Philippines, we will have no choice but to balance that out with China.
I am not sentimentally attached to China. I even led a boycott of its goods in 2011. But when the Chinese economy is good, the Philippine economy is also good. And when the Chinese economy is in bad shape, the Philippine economy is also in bad shape. We have sentimental ties with the US. We want them to succeed as they look after America first. We have territorial issues with China, but between the US and China, only the US actually invaded our main islands. So, we are not blind to the fact that they will look after their interest first. We just want them to be fair, and I think they will be. Because the farther the US goes from us, the closer they force us to their adversaries.