While serving as President Benigno S. Aquino III’s Communications Secretary, I got to know a career diplomat, J. Eduardo Malaya, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson who was subsequently appointed as Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia from 2011 to 2017. During his latter stint, there was increased attention on Filipinos’ presence in Sabah, and vigorous efforts were exerted by both countries to ensure that the amicable state of affairs between them was maintained.

While currently serving as Philippine Ambassador to the Netherlands, he has been at the frontlines in ensuring that our compatriots adhere closely to local laws while expressing their sentiments regarding the presence there of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Recall that in March 2025, the former President was brought to The Hague following the service of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant by then Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre.

Ambassador Malaya took a break from his regular duties to attend the launching of two publications, namely: first, Philippine Foreign Relations Law — State Practices, Policy Advocacies and Perspectives; and second, Philippine Treaties in Force 2025, a comprehensive primer on treaties and agreements entered into by the Republic as initiated by the DFA. He was assisted by two authors, namely, Crystal Gale P, Dampil-Mandigma, who is Third Secretary and Vice-Consul of the Philippine Embassy in The Hague, Netherlands and another co-worker, Kieren Roevi A. Batiles who is Attaché at the same office.

With his latest published works, Ambassador Malaya has authored close to a dozen books. His prolific output bears the imprint of his father’s influence. He recalls: “Growing up in a small city in the Bicol region, my three siblings and I often saw our father Angel at his study desk , hunched over a trusty Olivetti typewriter, drafting resolutions as the then city prosecutor of Iriga and thereafter Regional Trial Court judge in Naga. He was meticulous in his choice of words and devoted to his work. We all took his passion for books and reading, and my brother Jonathan and I later dabbled into research and writing.”

The second book on the compilation and agreements is uniquely relevant and helpful as it reflects the continuing cooperation among the DFA, the Supreme Court, and the UP Law Center. Through this new volume, scholars and researchers are provided an up-to-date source book with an accessible format that includes hyperlinks to the full, authoritative text of agreements and treaties. It is truly commendable that these institutions have taken the initiative to establish electronic links that facilitate access to vital reference materials. Ambassador Malaya expressed gratitude to Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and UP Law Dean Gwen Grecia-de Vera for their leadership in enabling the quantum leap into the digital era.

Indeed, the DFA deserves commendation for producing an elite cadré of officials who serve with distinction at foreign posts across all the continents. My sense is that their competence has been honed by dint of continuous exposure to and interaction with eminent senior career diplomats.

Thanks to former Undersecretary Federico ‘Poch’ Macaranas, my former colleague at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) faculty, I was privileged to have been invited to lecture at the DFA’s Foreign Service Academy. This enabled me to interact with and get to know the young men and women who are now performing exemplarily well at the nation’s foreign posts. I met them subsequently at their posts when then President Aquino went abroad on regional and global summits, as well as in international conferences.

Particularly memorable was the Philippines’ prominent role in the Conference of Parties (COP 21) held in Paris in November -December 2015 where 195 nations adopted the historic Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty to limit global warming to well below two degrees Centigrade and pursue efforts to cap it at 1.5 degrees Centigrade. COP 21 also brought about the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

It is well that Philippine history is marked by treaties and agreements that have shaped our country’s rightful place in the family of nations — from the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States to the ASEAN Charter and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Each reflects a continuing endeavor to protect national interests while engaging constructively with the world.

But treaties should not become substitutes for an independent foreign policy. The Philippines must continue to establish partnerships based on national interest, mutual respect, international law, and shared aspirations for peace and development.

A progressive and independent foreign policy is neither isolationist nor beholden to any power. It enables the Philippines to engage all friendly nations, build strategic partnerships, defend sovereign rights, and contribute meaningfully to global solutions.

Our stature among nations ultimately depends not on the alliances we inherit, but on the principles we uphold and the confidence with which we advance the national interest.

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