#MINDANAO

The Ukraine War and the conflict in Israel have had significant effects on our Philippine economy since these two events and their corollary effects influence fuel prices. When these prices rise, this can increase the cost of living and may lead to slower economic growth. Having said that, will ending these wars make life better for us? That’s a good question.
The recent Munich Security Conference reveals the moves of the Trump administration with regard to the Ukraine war and the conflict in Israel, two conflict hotspots. To be honest, I cannot fully dissect nor analyze these, since these are moving really fast, eliciting reactions and responses from European leaders, for example.
This brings me to the point of today’s column.

I believe it will therefore be vital for many of us to take a deep dive into geopolitical realities being impacted by the Trump administration’s actions. We will need to examine this from the Philippine standpoint and on two levels: our national interest and the goals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), where we belong.

The first level is the Philippine national interest, which broadly encompass politico-security, economic, and cultural perspectives. In particular, the questions to ask are How will these moves by the Trump administration create opportunities to strengthen our economy and create more political stability? How can it help bolster our sense of identity as a country and people. This is because our long-term national interest involves reaching middle-income economic status in accordance with the socio-economic vision called Ambisyon Natin 2040, a state where poverty levels are much lower with greater economic inclusion, and stability, among other things (as I wrote about in a column last  September 2024.)

The second level is the broader ASEAN interest.  This is because such moves may have effects on the hope of building an ASEAN Economic Community, the so-called second pillar of ASEAN, based on its 2008 charter. This involves regional economic integration, and the removal of trade barriers such as tariffs, which can spur intercountry economic activity within ASEAN. Having more trade within ASEAN can spur more growth, promote economic inclusion within countries, build internal stability, and strengthen the ASEAN economic position in the larger global economy.

I await the research and opinions from our government think tanks, such as the Foreign Service Institute, the Philippine Council for Foreign Relations, and the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, as well as private groups such as our academic institutions. This allows us to achieve a collective appreciation, drawn from various areas of expertise, given the broader interests that it should examine.

I believe it is time for us, as well as our policymakers and intellectuals to look deeply at the moves of the Trump administration. We cannot be mere spectators of these many fast-moving events, watching as though it  mean little to us. On the contrary, we need to examine how such announcements, policies, and the response of those directly affected by these may,  in turn, affect us.

The Michelin guide and the rise of Pinoy food

The entry of Michelin and with the now popular adobo in online media cooking shows herald a newfound global appreciation for Filipino food. We hope this continues to grow.
As the global renown of Pinoy food increases, the natural curiosity for regional Filipino dishes has increased. Vloggers like Erwann Heussaf of “Featr” and online writers like John Sherwin Felix of Lokalpedia show us new frontiers in Filipino cuisine. Their work is much appreciated in this regard.