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In a statement issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and posted on X last Thursday, he unequivocally affirmed the sentiment of Filipinos that “…we will not be cowed into silence, submission or subservience” in the face of relentless bullying and harassment by Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and maritime militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
The official visit of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Canberra underscores the ever-important alliance between the Philippines and Australia – the only other country aside from the United States with whom we have a Visiting Forces Agreement.
As I have repeatedly said on several occasions, the unprecedented interest in the Philippines has grown exponentially, particularly from the Western world, ever since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. became president. The President’s interactions with leaders through state and official visits have put the Philippines on the radar screen, consequently giving revitalized interest in the country as a smart investment destination. We also cannot deny the fact that the President’s courageous pushback on Chinese aggression in our territorial waters has given him high international leadership status.
In what is seen by many as an unprecedented move, the foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) issued a stand-alone statement expressing concern about the developments in the South China Sea and reaffirming “the shared commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region” where tension has been growing over conflicting claims in the South China Sea.
Since moving to Washington, DC, it has become a tradition for me to give a report to our Fil-Am community and potential US investors in the United States on what our embassy has done over the past year, specifically on developments in the state of our relationship with the United States.
It’s the season to be jolly once again but unfortunately, Covid is still very much around us, especially during the Christmas season. The World Health Organization has declared a Covid-19 subvariant dubbed as JN.1 as a “variant of interest” as it appears to be more contagious than others and is driving new cases.
By now, everyone knows how determined the President is in protecting our maritime territory and sovereign rights as clearly articulated in his latest statement – posted on his social media accounts for the whole world to see – that “No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea.”
After 23 years, the beloved giant pandas known as Mei Xiang and Tian Tian – along with their three-year-old cub named Xiao Qi Ji – have left the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, DC and returned to China.