WHILE the developments in the ongoing campaign of aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran has quite understandably captured most of the attention of the government and the Filipino public, that conflict is, sadly, only one of the current conflagrations that deeply affect the Philippines. In spite of our longstanding national policy of maintaining neutrality in disputes and friendly relations with all countries by default, we are unfortunately embroiled in many conflicts around the world, with our people and overall well-being constantly under threat. Whether our foreign relations are effectively addressing this uncomfortable state of affairs is something that can and certainly should be debated.
The number of serious conflicts happening in the world right now is shocking. Apart from the US-Israeli war against Iran, which has entangled every other country in the Middle East to some degree, the campaign of Israel against the Palestinians that began in October 2023 has continued in spite of a ceasefire and preliminary peace plan agreed to in October 2025. A conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan had expanded into serious fighting along their border along with exchanges of air strikes, but has cooled somewhat in recent weeks; nevertheless, the tensions remain unresolved, and could flare again. Likewise, the long-running Yemen civil war could become caught up in the broader Middle East war, particularly with signals that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are seeking to become more involved in attacks against Israel.
Elsewhere, the Russia-Ukraine war continues to drag on, now into its fifth year with no sign of an end to the conflict in sight. In Africa, the Sudan civil war has created an appalling humanitarian crisis and cost the lives of tens of thousands of civilians, and has spilled over into neighboring South Sudan. Other African countries beset with destructive civil wars or insurgencies include Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Mozambique, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Benin, Togo, Rwanda, Tunisia, Algeria, Angola, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Libya.
In the Americas, the worst trouble spot is Haiti, where the civil government has essentially collapsed and there is widespread fighting among various armed gangs. Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela all have ongoing drug wars, with the most serious being in Mexico. And finally, closer to home, the Myanmar civil war continues, in spite of the junta’s having recently gone through the pretense of having elections.
There are few countries whose people have as big a worldwide reach as the Philippines. There are countries that have bigger populations of migrant workers, but none reach every corner of the globe as we do. If not by land, then by sea, as our people man commercial ships all over the world, as well. Our global presence contributes positively to our good relations with every country, but it is inevitable that almost every conflict that arises anywhere in the world will put our people in harm’s way, which puts the Philippines as a whole in harm’s way. The current Middle East war may be one of the more extreme examples of what can go wrong, and the risk will only increase as our government achieves even closer trade and exchange relationships with other parts of the world.
This is not to suggest that the Philippines should retreat from broader international relations, but rather quite the opposite. The apparently successful negotiation by the Department of Foreign Affairs with Iran for the passage of Philippine-bound or -flagged ships through the restricted Strait of Hormuz should give us a clue of our country’s potential to wield considerable geopolitical influence. We are everywhere, and we get along with everyone, even those who are on opposing sides of bitter disputes. Our millions of countrymen spread across the entire globe bring real value to the rest of the world.
So, why then should we approach foreign affairs as a supplicant to what we perceive are more powerful nations? One can just imagine the chaos the Philippines could cause if our government were to, for example, order all our seafarers to leave their ships and return home. Or our nurses, or teachers, or hospitality workers, or construction engineers, or caregivers. Not that making the threat should be a policy, but the reality of our importance should not be understated. The world desperately needs a peacemaker right now, and there are few other nations that can serve that role as well as this one.
