Churchill II D.

Deocampo, Reflection paper in Political Science 116: Philippine Foreign Relations A32-3

The future of the Philippines relies upon the hands of the Filipinos. Hence, the Filipino

people must be wise in picking the right person to sit on the highest seat of the land. The

president's foreign policy decisions are crucial not just to the sovereignty and future of the state

but also to the well-being and future of all the Filipinos all over the world. Hence, it requires

mastery of foreign relations and foreign policy. The second voters' education webinar conducted

on April 9, 2022, presented a comprehensive guide on assessing a candidate and choosing which

candidate deserves fit to lead the highest seat of the land. Along with the second presidential

debate, we can now apply the lessons we have learned from the webinar and apply foreign policy

theories. We can now assess which candidate deserves to be the president of the Philippines.

The second presidential debates give us voters a glimpse of the plans of each presidential

candidate and their views on different societal problems and their plans of action to resolve such

problems. One problem that stood out among others is the concern about the undocumented

Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the ASEAN region. All presidential aspirants have

different views and solutions to such problems. Both senators Ping Lacson and Pacquiao opted to

strengthen further the current measures to safeguard the welfare of OFWs. On the other hand,

Leni Robredo cited the primary problem: undocumented OFWs are not protected under the

conventions and treaties. She explained that aside from existing measures, the government

should give incentives to undocumented OFWs and safeguard them. There is a stark difference

between the three of these presidential candidates. Both Lacson and Pacquiao employ a

descriptive study in analyzing the problem and coming up with a foreign policy. Robredo, on the

other, utilizes a prediction-oriented study. Between the three of them, Robredo offered a

comprehensive and detailed plan in addressing both the problem and the internal and external

factors that play a pivotal role in foreign policymaking. One of the guides on assessing your
 Churchill II D. Deocampo, Reflection paper in Political Science 116: Philippine Foreign Relations A32-3

candidates mentioned in the second voters' education webinar is vison. What does your candidate

envision? Is his or her visions plausible? Does he or she offer a permanent and long-term

solution, not just band-aid solutions? Among other presidential candidates, Vice-president Leni

Robredo envisioned a plausible and long-term solution to the predicaments of undocumented

OFWs.

The seat of the president is the highest seat of the land. Putting someone inept and gullible

will put our nation in great peril. Hence, we must be wise and set the bar high when choosing our

president. The future president of the Philippines must be an expert on foreign policies and has a

background in policymaking and foreign relations. And most importantly, the president's foreign

policies shall not be just a band-aid solution, but these policies must be long-term.