Remarks
of
Undersecretary
Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro
during the
Duterte Legacy Summit
31 May 2022, Philippine International Convention Center
Cabinet Secretaries, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon.
On behalf of Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr., allow me to read the statement of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
A friend to all, enemy to none. This was the encapsulating framework of the Duterte administration, fittingly termed as “an independent foreign policy.” Through this, the Philippine Government strengthened existing ties with traditional partners while enhancing engagement with new and non-traditional partners in support of our national interests.
Early on, the Duterte Administration made a lasting mark in the region, through the Philippine chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017, with the theme “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World” during the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. A key outcome of our chairmanship is the “ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of Migrant Workers,” a landmark document that will establish a framework for cooperation in safeguarding the interests and welfare of thousands of migrant workers in the region.
We have leveraged our relationships with key partner countries, resulting in achievements that were previously not thought possible. Under this Administration, we finally witnessed the return of the Balangiga Bells from the United States; a step forward in righting the wrongs and injustices of the past. In asserting our position as equal partners, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States has been improved, as its implementing guidelines have been updated and clarified, to address current realities and to ensure parity and mutual respect with our only treaty ally, the United States.
We revitalized our relationship with China, demonstrated by the signing of twenty-nine (29) bilateral documents and agreements providing mutual benefits to our two countries. We have instituted channels for candid discussions on security matters, including matters pertaining to the West Philippine Sea, and the mechanisms we established will continue to be essential to maintaining constructive bilateral dialogue.
We actively engaged and deepened relations with other key bilateral partners such as Japan, Korea, India, Australia, the European Union, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, among others, resulting in a wide range of practical areas of cooperation to address the most pressing regional and global challenges as we move towards post-pandemic economic recovery.
Alongside this, we continued to prioritize the promotion and protection of the welfare of Filipinos overseas, as was mentioned earlier by Secretary Bello.
The Duterte administration, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, was instrumental in the adoption of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration, the first intergovernmental negotiated, multilateral, non-binding instrument that addresses the issue of migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner. As a champion for this agreement, the DFA led the Philippine delegation in the first International Migration Review Forum (IMRF) recently held in New York in May 2022.
The DFA, guided by the instructions of President Duterte, actively advocated for the abolition of the Kafala system in the Middle East. We have made our voice heard in international fora and engaged with host governments to abolish this oppressive system. We welcome positive labor reforms in the Middle East resulting from this campaign.
We remain at the forefront of the government’s anti-trafficking and anti-illegal recruitment efforts providing timely assistance to affected Filipinos. We pursued cases to seek justice for victims of these crimes, the most visible of which are the cases pursued against the employers responsible for the deaths of OFWs Joanna Demafelis and Jeanelyn Villavende. The Philippines continues to engage with partner countries to raise the standards of protection of migrant workers.
In the face of an unprecedented global health pandemic, the Department continued to serve the needs of our kababayans, contributing to national efforts in facilitating vaccine procurement, securing humanitarian assistance and bring home displaced overseas Filipinos. Our international presence and ability to expand our services was strengthened with the opening of eight (8) additional Foreign Service Posts in 2019 before the onslaught of the pandemic. Since March 2020, we facilitated the repatriation of almost half a million Filipinos from all over the world. The safety, welfare and wellbeing of our overseas Filipinos is a shining star of the Duterte Legacy.
As we start a new chapter in our nation’s history, we hope to build upon these initiatives in response to an ever-changing and complex international landscape and mindful of the specific thrusts of our incoming Chief Architect of Philippine foreign policy. END