With a month and a half left to go, a new administration led by presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will take over. News of prospective Cabinet members and new political movements and alliances will soon fill the news and give us a preview of what a Marcos administration will look like. When the partial and unofficial results exceeded 98 percent, representing almost 55 million votes, the lead of the top contenders in the presidential and vice presidential derbies were so enormous that even before the official canvassing by Congress, leaders from different countries had already sent their congratulatory messages. Traditional allies and new partners such as the United States, China, Russia, Japan, Australia expressed willingness to work with the new administration and noted the peaceful and orderly May 9 national elections. Sending their congratulatory messages, too, were India, Israel, and the European Union. US President Joe Biden called on Marcos, reiterating his desire to further strengthen cooperation between the two nations who are long-time allies. In a White House statement, it said, “President Biden underscored that he looks forward to working with the President-elect to continue strengthening the US-Philippine Alliance, while expanding bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues, including the fight against Covid-19, addressing the climate crisis, promoting broad-based economic growth, and respect for human rights.” Around the same time, Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Huang Xilian personally met with Marcos, relaying the message of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was “delighted upon hearing the election (of Marcos) as the President of the Republic of the Philippines.” “China and the Philippines are neighbors linked by the sea and partners that have stood together through hardships. In recent years, with the joint efforts from both sides, China-Philippines relationship has been strengthened and elevated bringing benefits to the peoples of our two countries and making contributions to regional peace and stability,” the Chinese president said. The letter concluded with a bright prospect — the readiness to build a good working relationship “to preserve our good neighborliness, work for common development, and deepen our relationship of comprehensive strategic cooperation so as to bring benefits to our two countries and two peoples.” Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, also extended his greetings to Marcos, hoping for a “more fruitful cooperation with Manila,” since relations between the two nations have been “traditionally friendly.” “I hope that your efforts as head of state will facilitate further development of the fruitful cooperation between Russia and the Philippines in various areas. This meets in full the interests of our nations and is in line with the endeavors to strengthen security and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.” More communications and letters would emerge from different countries in the succeeding days, all hoping for a fresh start or a positive restart of their relations with the Philippines as a new administration takes the helm at Malacanang. This goodwill from different nations must be nurtured and utilized well by Marcos and the team that he will appoint to lead the foreign affairs department. After all, in this day and age, our country can not exist alone; we have to have the respect, trust, and confidence of other nations so that trade can happen, tourism can thrive, and peace can reign.