Monday, July 5, 2010

JULY 5 ACTIVITY

1.What is the mandate of the Department of Foreign Affairs in terms of being the principal arm to implement foreign policy? What other institutions help or assist the DFA in releasing foreign policies?
-The department of foreign affairs advises and assists the President in planning, organizing, directing, coordinating, integrating and evaluating the total national effort in the field of foreign relations in pursuit of its constitutional mandates. (http://www.dbm.gov.ph/OPIF_2007/dfa.pdf)
Also to implement the 3 pillars of the Philippine foreign policy : 1.Preservation and enhancement of national security, 2. Promotion and attainment of economic security, 3. Protection of the rights and promotion of the welfare and interest of Filipinos overseas. institutions like DTI, POEA, DOLE, and etc. help or assist the DFA in releasing foreign policies.

2. Enumerate the eight foreign policy realities of former pres. Arroyo. for each reality find 2-3 related news articles and then make an analysis as to what extent did the Arroyo administration work to implement the said realities?
These eight foreign policy realities are:

· China, Japan and the United States and their relationship will be a determining influence in the security situation and economic evolution of East Asia;

-Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Mindanao Peace Process in the Philippines (Mandate of the International Monitoring Team to Expire)

- This was a peace process that was taken into action during the Arroyo administration and was suspended for a moment. seeing what the program was supposed to do, I honestly think that it was not able to do what it was made for. The program was left behind by Arroyo administration and is now expected to be continued by newly elected P-Noy.

-Japan-Philippines Joint Statement "Fostering a Strategic Partnership for the Future between Close Neighbors"

-this is also known as JPEPA that was created to overcome the present economic crisis and further strengthen the bilateral relations of Japan and Philippines. This agreement took long in the senate before it was ratified for it gave some disadvantages but was eventually ratified.

· Philippine foreign policy decisions have to be made in the context of ASEAN;


Arroyo to leave for Asean summit in Thailand Friday

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Cha-am Hua Hin Declaration on the Roadmap for the ASEAN Community (2009-2015)

· The international Islamic community will continue to be important for the Philippines;

National Peace Plan

-this plan of arroyo planned to attain peace in the county especially in Mindanao part. this plan was said to be achieved in the year 2010 and as what we see now is that nothing has happened to it.

· The coming years will see the growing importance of multilateral and inter-regional organizations to promote common interests;

· As an archipelagic state, the defense of the nation's sovereignty and the protection of its environment and natural resources can be carried out only to the extent that it asserts its rights over the maritime territory and gets others to respect those rights;

· The country's economic policy will continue to be friendly to both domestic and foreign direct investments;

· The Philippines can benefit most quickly from international tourism

· Overseas Filipinos will continue to be recognized for their critical role in the country's economic and social stability.

I have not honestly known any other news articles that were related to former pres Arroyo's 8 realities. But i know that one way or another she tried to accomplish all of these realities. Only that it was not enough to improve the economy.

3. With the assistance of different bureaus, institutions as well as interest groups, it is the president that drafts state policies. What do you think will be included in pres. Noynoy aquino's foreign policy list now that he has assumed the presidency? Identify five issues and find news clippings(at least one for each issue) to support your answer.

President Benigno Aquino has sent out word that foreign policy will be an important pillar of his government and that he wants the foreign service to play a stronger role in advancing Filipino interests around the globe. To promote and protect Filipino interests overseas by strengthening national security, promoting economic stability and protecting the rights of more than eight million overseas Filipino workers. This is included in the foreign policy list of president Aquino. (http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/20553-foreign-policy-under-aquino)

BUDGET DEFICIT

The Philippines, Asia's largest sovereign issuer of offshore debt, is on course to post its second successive record budget deficit in nominal terms this year, largely due to its failure to substantially lift state revenues despite a major sales tax reform in 2005.

The outgoing administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ended 2009 with a budget deficit of 3.9 percent of GDP, or 298.5 billion pesos ($6.4 billion), a record in peso terms, and it expected a shortfall of 3.6 percent of GDP or around 300 billion pesos this year.

That forecast will be reviewed by Aquino's team, as the deficit for the first five months of 2010 was 162.1 billion pesos, more than the first-half target of 145.2 billion pesos.

CORRUPTION

Aquino has vowed to run after smugglers and tax evaders but that campaign is unlikely to raise state revenues immediately. He also promised a clean and honest government, punishment for corrupt officials and a better investment environment.

He is setting up a "Truth Commission" to investigate allegations of corruption, poll fraud and rights abuses of the Arroyo administration.

Arroyo, in office for 9-½ years, was hounded by a string of controversies, including that her family and political allies benefitted from government deals. She denies any wrongdoing.

SECURITY

Aquino will need to address peace and security issues across the archipelago of 7,100 islands. He plans to double defence spending to 2 percent of GDP, but that may not be enough to quell the country's twin insurgencies.

Security issues, particularly in the south, are a major impediment to foreign investment and development of resource-rich Mindanao island.

Negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest Muslim rebel group, are bogged down by issues such as territory, wealth and power-sharing, although a shaky ceasefire was re-established in mid-2009.

(http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-49767120100630)

4. How significant is the association of south east asian nations(ASEAN) in the phil. foreign policy?

- the ASEAN is very significant in the Philippine foreign policy because, not only that we are one of its founding members, but also because the countries that build up ASEAN are our neighboring countries. the countries belonging to ASEAN are countries that we have agreements with. If not for the establishment of ASEAN, philippines would have not made diplomatic relationships with other countries and this means lesser economic development because of no exports and imports. ASEAN is as significant as the countries we have relationships with.

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