MANILA, 25 August 2004 — Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo yesterday marked his assumption as the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) with a promise to pursue an “independent foreign policy” not necessarily linked to that of the United States.
At simple turnover rites presided over by his predecessor Delia Albert yesterday morning, Romulo said he recognized US influence in the security and economic situation of East Asia.
But he added that the country’s foreign policy under his watch would be shaped by “realities” faced by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s administration.
“First is that China, Japan, and the United States have a determining influence in the security situation and economic evolution of East Asia,” he said in his speech before foreign service officers.
The others realities, he said, are:
• the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN);
• the International Islamic Community;
• multilateral and interregional organizations;
• defense of the nation’s sovereignty;
• environment and natural resources;
• direct foreign investments and international tourism; and
• Overseas Filipino Workers.
Romulo, however, said: “we must also underscore that our strategic alliance with the United States in the war against global terrorism remains vital to our national security.”
At the turnover, Albert expressed confidence that Romulo would ably lead the DFA at this “a crucial time in our foreign policy,” having worked with the DFA on many critical issues. “Secretary Romulo’s distinguished career and high positions in the executive and legislative branches of government have prepared him for the many challenges facing our country in this increasingly more complex world,” Albert said.
Romulo, a former senator and presidential executive secretary, is the third in his family to assume the helm oat the DFA.
Albert said that Romulo is “confidently poised to pursue Arroyo’s eight diplomatic realities, to bolster the three pillars of Philippine diplomacy; and to meet the multi-faceted challenges of international relations wisely, prudently, firmly committed to the national interests of our people.”
Albert said she was turning over to Romulo the DFA’s contribution in keeping the current peace process on track by pursuing continued talks with the MILF and the NPA with the assistance of our bilateral partners.
“The war against terror continues to be a major agenda of our foreign policy. The Philippines is actively engaged in counter-terrorism initiatives and measures to ensure maritime security,” Albert said.
OFWs
At the same time, she reminded Romulo to continue to promote the safety and welfare of the 1.5 million Filipinos in the Middle Eastern, the principal destination of all OFWs.
Romulo earlier said he would study the current ban on the deployment of OFWs to Iraq. In a radio interview, he said he planned to initiate talks on redeploying OFWs to Iraq and would consult elders in the government particularly members of the diplomatic team on whether to lift the ban on sending workers there. He said he would not yet decide on the matter because the government needed time to discuss the move and its impact on national interest. However, Romulo stressed that peace and order and security will have to be considered in arriving at the decision.
Despite security threats in Iraq, many unemployed and even employed Filipinos opted to apply for jobs in the war-torn country for lack of better opportunities here.
President Arroyo banned the deployment of Filipinos to Iraq on July 8 after truck driver Angelo de la Cruz was kidnapped by Iraqi militants.
But workers who have secured employment contracts in Iraq are pressing government to reconsider the ban noting the worsening economic situation in the country.
Statistics from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) place the number of OFWs deployed to Iraq at 2,765 for January to June 2004. The figure rose steeply from only 8 for the same period in 2003, 50 in 2002, 86 in 2001, 42 in 2000, 23 in 1999 and 10 in 1998.
Remittances from overseas Filipinos totaled $7.639 billion in 2003 and $3.274 billion from January to May this year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said. Remittances totaled $7.189 billion in 2002, $6.031 in 2001 and $6.050 in 2000.
Based on this, the BSP predicted that remittances from overseas Filipinos will increase 6 percent yearly so that financial experts have pointed to the dollar remittances of overseas Filipinos as among the “saving graces” of the economy.
