Globalization provided us with several advantages that are still extremely valuable to us now—

all nation-states desire to be independent of other countries. The first stage for these countries
is to build a robust economy and a national government that is relatively independent of external
pressures. While it may seem counterintuitive to achieve self-sufficiency, each nation must
establish links with other nations. Despite being classified as a developing or third-world
country, the Philippines has contributed and become one of Southeast Asia's fastest-growing
economies (Mercado, 2020). By importing and exporting goods, both domestic and international
enterprises contribute to the growth of our economy. The Philippine government enacted some
legislation to facilitate commercial interactions with our neighbors and reduce limitations.
According to Martin (2017), the Philippines will be one of the 32 most powerful economies by
2050. However, several factors influence the integration process, some of which are detrimental
to the Philippines. Economic integration refers to the entangled link between nations regarding
their economies and trade. It is the removal of trade obstacles such as tariffs due to monetary
and fiscal policy. On the other hand, political integration is an agreement in which countries
agree to obey standard rules and establish institutions that will function as a determining
authority. Political and economic integration has both benefits and drawbacks. However, I
consider that global economic and political integration causes more harm than good to our
country and Filipinos.

Trade restrictions between integrating and non-integrating member states may result from
economic integration. Specific economic community policies may limit a bloc's trading
possibilities. Non-member nations that want to integrate with a member state, such as the
Philippines, may find their trading choices limited due to the economic community's established
customs. Higher tariffs, international rules, and import quotas — foreign trade obstacles that
economic organizations frequently waive – are the most visible impediments to non-member
governments efficiently integrating with other countries. Indeed, the conditions for entering
economic communities are so severe that emerging economies are excluded, preventing them
from reaping the benefits of economic integration.

Economic integration increases an economic community's internal market. Because the

Philippines is a member of the ASEAN Free Trading Area, there are more minor limitations
on cross-border commodity trade. It also allows for a broader range of services and related
items to be transported between ASEAN states, increasing all parties' job prospects. For the
Philippines, the trade balance between ASEAN member nations in export and import was
typically favorable overall. It shows that its exports have significantly expanded compared to
the other ASEAN member nations. In addition, economic integration reduces trade costs,
increases the availability of resources among participating countries, and increases the
likelihood of obtaining investments. With the Philippines' engagement in global and regional
economic integration, the nation will acquire a more significant proportion of Foreign Direct
Investment (FDIs). Over the last decade, Philippine FDI has increased steadily. In 2017, FDI
inflows totaled $8.7 billion, the largest in preceding decades.

Global economic integration may enable international firms to engage in unfair business
practices and take down domestic businesses. Countries with significantly weaker economies
are more likely to endure most of these sacrifices for extended periods. Smaller enterprises in
the private industry seem to be the most impacted by the compromise. The integration process
essentially provides only larger organizations with established backgrounds a better opportunity
to benefit from international trade. In the Philippines, one instance is when foreign firms are
interested in our agricultural land, which is a very vital land supply for our economy. They are
prepared to pay a high price to swap agricultural land, resulting in the loss of land and the loss
of employment or Filipinos who serve there.

On the other hand, global economic integration enables local and foreign enterprises to work
together to help the Philippine economy flourish. In this instance, unfair competition is
discouraged, and both parties are free to trade. It enables both companies (both domestic and
international) and buyers to profit from the collaboration of these firms. According to the
Philippine Competition Commission (n.d.), competition benefits consumers, helps the poor, and
is essential for a country's economic success. It implies that competition benefits both domestic
and international enterprises. Furthermore, legislators may enact legislation to lower barriers
and reach a consensus on specific issues. Employment opportunities are established in
domestic and international enterprises, allowing people to participate in the ongoing interchange
of goods and services.

On the other side, global political integration with other nations will impact Filipinos since
variables might easily convince Filipinos to disturb the country's political condition. Vote-buying
and voter fraud are frequent in the Philippine electoral process (Montiel, 2012). Most politicians
may utilize social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to supplement their
campaigns. It allows the populace to convey their feelings about a particular candidate and
persuade their family or friends to vote for that candidate. Foreign nationals may support a
particular candidate for various reasons, including popularity and job appropriateness. Foreign
nationals can impact the outcome of elections because they can influence population decisions.
In the Filipino context, it would have been unlawful for another nation to affect the presidential
election outcome, and it would have also cost money to recount ballots.

Several aspects inspire Filipinos to vote for candidates that would intellectually and wisely
represent the country. Hicken et al. (2021) proposed that if the public pledged to outlaw vote-
buying and vote-selling, they would be less likely to be swayed by politicians who provide
monetary incentives to those who vote for them. Consequently, they demonstrated that the
theory is correct, resulting in a 10.9 percent reduction in vote-selling rates. Hicken et al. (2021)
also added insights that have been beneficial in understanding how Filipinos behave when
confronted with scenarios like vote-buying and voter fraud during the election period.
Furthermore, Sampaco-Baddiri et al. (2013) proposed that modest interventions such as asking
voters to commit not to sell their vote can assist minimize vote-selling in minor stakes situations
when compensation for votes is low.

Coordination between nation-states in political integration may be challenging, especially when

the nations' goals disagree or when there are significant inequalities in "power." The history of
Philippine politics has been chaotic. Each president has his or her unique method of running the
country, and they have all managed to build and deepen economic connections with other
governments. On the other hand, politics was stable, although there were instances of political
corruption. When another country, particularly a powerful one, rejects the policy and refuses to
comply, it becomes evident that implementing policies such as a tribunal judgment becomes
difficult. Furthermore, a foreign corporation can manipulate things just to favor their side using
money. They are accountable for manufacturing a rumor, and they must compensate for
commercial losses by paying fees to impacted individuals and the government.

In most cases, global integration may assist Philippine politics in prospering and sustaining
political integrity. Only China and Russia have sought to influence Philippine politics under the
abovementioned circumstances. As indicated in the preceding paragraph, President Duterte
expects Russia to be a great political partner (Culbertson, 2016). Since the Philippines and
China agree, this may have favorable implications for the two nations' political integration.
Furthermore, President Duterte wishes to "make the globe more peaceful" by potentially
collaborating with Russia to transfer weapons to the Philippine military (Barnes, 2016). With this,
politicians may get a minor profit from this. Nonetheless, it has the potential to help the general
public. Deals made by the president with other nations might lead them to assume that they are
doing all possible to safeguard political integrity and avoid corruption and greed.
To summarize, Globalization has constantly affected the lives of Filipinos by giving employment
and sharing technology and culture, but it comes at the expense. While the Philippine economy
is developing, the Philippine government and Filipino politicians are attempting to make life
difficult for Filipinos and the Philippines. While the Philippines stands to gain a lot in terms of
economic and political friends, political and economic unification causes more harm than good
in the long run. Integration is only beneficial for nation-states that have acquired economic
independence. On the other side, some counterarguments help the Philippine economy and
politics. Certain variables allow Filipinos to vote for their preferred candidate without the
participation of foreign players, and the government's agreements with other nations may allow
international actors to enhance the Philippines' economic condition and provide political support.
Political and economic integration each have their own set of benefits and drawbacks. When the
integration process is flawlessly carried out, the overall outcome is beneficial, and all parties
involved profit. Countries such as the Philippines, which are still developing an autonomous
economy and have limited influence in the global political arena, experience few of the benefits
of integration. Because it continues to have good impacts, if the national government chooses to
embark on integration, it must ensure that partnerships with other nation-states are made
reasonable and in its best interests. If this occurs, Filipinos may assist the administration in
stimulating the economy by purchasing and consuming locally produced goods and services.