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BY JED JALECO DEL ROSARIO
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Sunday, January 29, 2017
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THE BIGGEST takeaway from US President Donald Trump’s inauguration speech last week was his so-called “America First” policy.
For those who don’t know the significance of this phrase, it is basically a call for American nationalism, and at the same time, opposition to America’s role in globalization.
When Trump talks about putting America first, what he’s actually saying is that he will not involve the United States in any issue, deal or alliance which has nothing (or at least perceived to have nothing) to do with American interests. The United States’ recent exit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership is proof of this, as are many of his comments about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other multilateral organizations.
Now, what does any of this mean for the Philippines? Well, it primarily means four things.
First, it means that US-Philippine ties may radically change in the next four or maybe even eight years. This can potentially lead to weaker ties in certain areas, like our military ties with the United States for example, while at the same time, strengthening other areas, such as with the economy and foreign investment.
The second implication behind Trump’s America First policy is that it can potentially mean less Filipino immigration into the US. Remember that Trump ran on an anti-illegal immigrant platform, but large segments of his supporters want to take it further and would prefer that immigration be halted entirely. Should the tense political climate in the US escalate then it’s very likely that fewer Filipinos will be able to enter the US during Trump’s terms of office, and some Fil-Ams may even choose to return here.
Third, Trump’s America First policy can potentially mean more pressure on China. However, this pressure may not necessarily come in the form of intervention on the West Philippine Sea. It can also come in the form of new trade barriers against China, the elimination of outsourcing to Asia, stronger Russian-US ties or even the re-militarized Japan.
Trump and a few of his advisers have already made a few statements that have angered or alarmed the People’s Republic of China, so I don’t consider it farfetched for US-Chinese rivalries to escalate in the future. When this happens, the Philippines will face many new dangers and opportunities, and the Duterte administration will require a balanced foreign policy that will allow the country to take advantage of the situation.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that America First is American nationalism (as opposed to American internationalism / neoconservatism), which means that the United States will be less likely to meddle in Philippine politics (assuming Trump fulfills his America First policies consistently of course), and for Filipino who want to be consistent nationalists, this is a good thing./PN
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