DAYS before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. left for Brunei and Singapore, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) had trumpeted what it termed as a “historic keynote address” that the President would deliver before an audience of state leaders, defense ministers and defense contractors.
The event was called the 21st International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31.
When we finally heard the speech and poured over its transcript, it became clear that the PCO’s claim for historicity was solely based on the fact that this was the first time a Philippine president delivered the keynote address at the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue.
The meat of what Bongbong Marcos said about the “seven realities” or challenges that are blurring the way for a united community of nations has already been discussed at length in many political science classes in the universities.
As a saving grace, the President’s idea of the “three guiding constants for nations in dealing with future challenges” may be called truly his own.
‘If at all, Marcos just proved he can confidently face an international audience with an academic-sounding lecture on world affairs.’
“In the midst of these significant shifts, I see seven realities in the Indo-Pacific,” President Marcos told the delegates of Asia’s top defense forum.
The first reality, according to President Marcos, is that the future of the region will be determined by many nations. He said each of them has its own unique experiences and aspirations.
The President identified the second reality as the strategic competition between China and the United States that is permeating the evolving regional landscape. Their rivalry is constraining the strategic choices of regional states. Their contest is exacerbating flash points and has created new security dilemmas.
Third, the region looks to ASEAN as the institution that should hold the center amidst these evolving dynamics, although problems threaten the unity and centrality. Fourth, as geopolitics continue to permeate the global governance architecture, the role of bridge-builders has become increasingly important in forging decisive multilateral solutions.
Fifth, the global commons will continue to be crucial to the security of all states in the region. Access of developing countries to the high seas and outer space, and to the peaceful uses of science and technologies, is crucial to international development.
Next, he mentioned that climate change remains a deadly challenge for the region and for the world. It is the first truly global threat. “For the first time, we face a crisis that affects every single human being on earth and requires action from every single human being as well,” he said.
Finally, Marcos recognized that the development of advanced technologies is rapidly transforming human life and experience. These technologies will solve many of our old problems, but they are so powerful that they also have the potential to disrupt our political and our social orders.
“These seven realities muddle the waters that we have to navigate in our collective journey as a community of nations. We cannot reverse course. We must persevere. We must push through,” President Marcos said.
The President also named three guiding constants for nations in dealing with future challenges. First, the sovereign equality of states must remain sacrosanct. Second, ASEAN and ASEAN-led processes must remain central. And third, the rule of law and the integrity of multilateralism must prevail.
“We need to begin by resoundingly rejecting misguided interpretations that paint our region as a mere theater of geopolitical rivalries,” the President declared.
If at all, Marcos just proved he can confidently face an international audience with an academic-sounding lecture on world affairs. There is also nothing new on his pronouncements about the Philippines-China dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
