BETTER DAYS
Recently, President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. and his delegation left for Brussels, Belgium to attend the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit. The said summit marks the first time that ASEAN and EU leaders met collectively in a single meeting.
The President reportedly held several bilateral talks at the sidelines of the summit, with 10 of his counterparts from Belgium, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Finland, the Netherlands, as well as the leadership of the European Union.
Initial reports indicate that the President’s participation was well-received, and will hopefully redound to even greater benefits to the country. Among the reported gains include up to ₱6.2 billion in investment deals, and expressions of commitment for continued collaboration with the Philippines from such leaders as European Council President Charles Michel and the King of Belgium Philippe Leopold Louis Marie.
President Marcos made it clear that under his administration, foreign policy will follow the maxim that the Philippines strives to be “friend to all, enemy to none.” This is why the several trips abroad the President has already taken should be viewed as part of a broad initiative for the Philippines to renew its close ties with other nations, not least of which includes the European Union (EU).
The Philippines and the EU have had formal diplomatic relations for roughly six decades. But ties between Filipinos and Europeans have spanned for a time much longer than that. By way of the Spanish Crown, the Philippines was introduced to the rest of Europe, and vice versa after Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition made its landing at Homonhon Island in 1521. And through our pivotal role in the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade between 1565 and 1815, we gained access not only to new products, but also to new ideas, new concepts, new technologies, and new philosophies — many coming from European lands.
Economic, cultural, and social exchanges between the Philippines and European nations have persisted since then. And have blossomed to such robust degree that even though we are literally oceans away from each other, our ties endure because of our shared values and shared beliefs — such as in democracy, human rights, rule of law, and freedom.
These relations haven’t always been smooth however. Naturally, there will be instances where we don’t see eye to eye. But such disagreements and misunderstandings are part and parcel of international relations. They are no reason for the Philippines and the European Union to divorce, as my late father once said during his brief stint as Special Envoy to the EU.
And this is why a Congressional delegation, co-headed by myself and Deputy Speaker Ralph Recto travelled to Brussels in late October. Joining us were Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mark Villar, Senators Win Gatchalian and Imee Marcos, as well as Representatives Maria Rachel J. Arenas, Mario Vittorio “Marvey” A. Mariño Marlyn “Len” B. Alonte. Throughout the visit, no less than our Senate President Migz Zubiri joined the delegation, as well as Senate President Pro Tempore Loren B. Legarda, and Senators JV Ejercito, Grace Poe, and Nancy Binay.
We traveled to Brussels upon the invitation of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with Southeast Asia and ASEAN or DASE, chaired by MEP Daniel Caspary. Our visit was largely seen to be mutually beneficial and largely auspicious for closer Philippine-EU Relations. For one, it was explained to us that the European Parliament had identified the Philippines as among the priority countries for inter-parliamentary dialogue — considering that the European Union, in general, aims to enhance its engagement in the Indo-Pacific region.
On the part of the Philippines, the visit was seen as a fresh opportunity to engage with one of the core institutions that play an influential role in Philippines-EU relations. This is critical, considering that in the recent past disagreements have led to diplomatic snags between the Philippines and the EU.
The hope was that by ramping up face-to-face interparliamentary engagements, we would reaffirm that the Philippines continues to be an important partner and ally of the EU, and ensure more favorable outcomes for all sides.
We’re happy to note that as a direct result of our trip to Brussels, MEP Tomasz Piotr Poreba, one of the vice-chairpersons of the DASE, will be visiting the Philippines in the coming days to continue the dialogue on common interests such as the renewal of the Philippines’ membership in the GSP+ and the realization of the proposed FTA with the EU.
The future is bright if we continue engaging each other, and if we remain united in our pursuit of mutual prosperity. This is why under the new administration of President Marcos, the Senate shall continue pushing for even closer ties with our established partners like the European Union.
Email: [email protected]| Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @sonnyangara
Senator Sonny Angara has been in public service for 18 years — nine years as Representative of the lone district of Aurora, and nine as Senator. He has authored, co-authored, and sponsored more than 330 laws. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.