 Introduction to the Study of Globalization

 The Contemporary World

The word contemporary has varied and confusing meaning with different people, even experts. It
may mean present, occurring at the same time, modern, new or current.
The two words, the world and the earth, are not the same. The earth refers to the physical earth and
everything in it, while the world refers to the people and the world system whether the system is
compatible or not with the natural and divine law.
Many people today find their value on what the social media and the world system accept and dictate
to them. Should we always follow the trend or what others are doing just because they promote that it
makes them happier? Few examples are the promotion of body piercing, same sex marriage, divorce,
smoking, alcoholism, offline/online games and gambling, and other vices that secretly or even openly
trend and have become commodities.
These false trends offer temporary happiness and long-term effects upon an individual if left
unchecked and unregulated. All of them have health risk. They also distort values of the future
generation and family orientation. They put an individual to a marred and questionable reputation.
They leave deep cuts and scars that would take some time, even years, to be healed and forgotten, and
other social problems.
Tattoo and body piercing, for example, exposes an individual to 750 airborne diseases…the deadliest
of which is Hepatitis C. Sad to say, tattoo artists are not interested with your health, they are only
interested with your money. AIDS/HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases endanger those who
engage in sexual deviations including same sex marriage. Divorce can lead to depression and other
psychological problems. Smoking can lead to lungs problem. Alcoholism to kidney and liver problems.
Brain retardation and other psychological disorders is the end result of illegal drug addiction.
Offline/online games and gambling have broken many lives and likewise created social problems and
psychological disorders.

Following good or bad trends is certainly has negative and positive effects on the seven pillars of the
society with specific roles in man’s wellbeing, namely: the family, church, schools, community,
government, economy, science and technology…including the international community. These
institutions are all responsible in shaping the physical, intellectual, emotional, financial, moral, and
spiritual wellbeing of their members. But if one loves himself and his family, he/she should stop doing
what he/she should suppose not to be doing. Seek counseling and help from experts, especially God-
loving and God-fearing people.
But due to the stubbornness of human hearts, even the few good men in the government are
sometimes compelled to give in to the pressures of not really the majority, but the noisy minority - thus
compromising what is righteous and just. As a result, wrong decisions create disasters and more
problems in the society and in the world. The blame is then again put upon the government who should
be doing something for the practices that they have allowed in the first place. Round and round we go on
circling, trying to free people from suffering… Even the CoViD19 pandemic was not able to stop these
people.

 Definition of Globalization in the Contemporary World

Globalization in the contemporary world is a challenge for every nation because the world today is
just a product of the past. This so-called contemporary world did not happen overnight, because the
past, the present and the future are intertwined and interconnected with each other. They are
inseparable. This is the reason why we study history, its turning points at least, to help us understand the
present, learn from the past, and correct the mistakes of the past today in preparation for the future
generation.

Globalization by definition is the universal process of agreeing on common interest and solving
common challenges – politically, economically, and culturally to attain sustainable global development
and world peace and order.

Defining globalization is a challenging concept for many because of the concepts and ideas associated
with it. It requires wisdom from those who engage with it because it follows the strongest flow that it can
be the cause of the shrinking as well as the increased consciousness of the modern world as a whole.

Further, following the strongest flow can be dangerous and can drown anyone who does not know
how to swim against the dangerous strong current and does not have the stamina and strength to endure.

 Concepts and Ideas Associated with Globalization

Concepts and ideas associated with globalization include the political, economic, cultural/social
dimensions with their underlying philosophies and ideologies in globalization.

The political dimension of globalization has to deal with the issues of terrorism, international
organizations, state’s sovereignty, and justice. One example is China’s unfounded and illegal historical
claim in the Philippines within 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone territorial water as provided
under the international law United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Seas or UNCLOS. Even the
international community has condemned such claim and diplomatic protests are called for to awaken
China’s leadership.

The cultural/social dimension of globalization includes the mass media, the social media, and social
networking. The naïve would easily accept what the majority has embraced. While we still do have
dignified and honest men and women in the industry, we cannot deny the fact that the social media
today has become a breeding ground or nest for gossipers and slanderers because of some irresponsible
journalism and the like.ta An accused, for example, is already publicly condemned even before he/she
was tried in the proper courtroom. Even authorities, no matter how noble the intentions may be, are no
longer respected. Some journalists, in order to catch public attentions or make news, sometimes
sensationalize one innocent word from a government official out of context. The sad news is, people
embrace/believe it to their own harm…and they create a culture of undisciplined and disrespectful
people.

The economic dimension of globalization opens up to us the concepts of free trade/market,

technology and internet, transnational migration, and capitalism. The free trade or free market economic
system for one is believed to be an economic system for the capitalist that kills the small and medium
scales businesses of the country. Business managers believe that a businessman must have large capital
for the first three years of his business to recover for the possible loss. All business people strive for
dominion in the market. It is therefore imperative that they know how to produce, to reproduce, and to
distribute their goods and services with the right people in order to dominate the market. This principle,
in the original language, is divine in origin as God gave it to the first man and woman, even before the
Fall of Man. Genesis 1:26-28. Microsoft and Apple Companies, as examples, have borrowed this principle
that has brought them to where they are right now in the international market.

The three dimensions mentioned above have underlying philosophies and ideologies in globalization
because they are composed of human organizations. Every society, family and community have ethical
standards, religious beliefs, values, and moral philosophies that is passed on to the next generation
through education.

 The Concept Map of Globalization

We can see from the concept map of globalization that – Globalization is a local attempt to get into the
condition and processes of a social group with a global context in mind, that is likewise trying to be or
being controlled and influenced by certain ideologies or philosophies with dominion in mind.

 The Parable of Six Blind Men DEBUNKED – Dr. Frank Turek

The Parable of the Six Blind Men is very popular today in the study of the Contemporary World.
It was popularized by a pluralist who does not believe in the existence of God and His role in the
affairs of the nations. This pluralistic view, as a philosophy, does not believe in the Divine and
absolute truth…It sees and treats religions as the same and thus it has a strong tendency and
inclination to yield to relativism and atheism.

However, this was debunked by Dr. Frank Turek to warn us about the danger of this view.
Watch his video on the Contemporary World FB page, like, and leave your comments as part of your
recitation.

 Competing Conceptions of Globalization

 Globalization as an economic, political, and social process has three competing conceptions
namely, the rejectionist, skeptic, and modifier concepts. This process is not widely or universally
accepted without opposition for the term itself is abstract, and many find it difficult to define. Every
aspect of this globalization has underlying philosophy or ideology that motivate or drive a society or
any human organization.

The rejectionists say that it is just “power word” like “nationalism” and “development” invented
by the westerners. The skeptics say that it is insignificant because most trades remain national in
scope and the foreign policy of the states is still for national survival. The modifier, on the other
hand, say that this is simply one of the many similar phases in history, and history only repeats itself.

Thus, globalization is many things to different people in the world. Some people, even leaders,
debate as an acid truth to let the truth come out and debate is globalization. As human society
develops positively or negatively, globalization also changes. It is multifaceted, complex, and can be
influenced by the people who define it that its nature can be shifted.

Since the very nature of globalization is global or homogeneity, other states reject this idea, and
prefer to shift in regionalization. Regionalization is global heterogeneity but regional homogeneity
or sustainable development within the region, politically and economically.

 Four Main Dimensions of Globalization

The concept of globalization has four dimensions, namely:
I. The Political Dimension of Globalization
II. The Cultural/Social Dimension of Globalization
III. The Economic Dimension of Globalization
IV. The Philosophical Dimension of Globalization

 The Political Dimension of Globalization

The 1648 Peace of Westphalia, also known as The Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the religious
wars in Europe, has paved the way for the emergence of modern nation-state. “The peace allowed
centralization of political power and the development of professional diplomacy and state
administration.”

Scholars argue that the creation of a global democracy is an abstract idealism and some nation-
states will eventually reject this. Democracy can become mobocracy in the hands of the uneducated
masses and morally corrupt government people. Further, an amoral leader cannot determine what is
moral and immoral with the distorted concept of God.

There is 373 years gap between 1648 and 2021 - history tells us that much has happened around
the globe since the Two World Wars which was fanned into flame by religious people. Just a point of
clarification – being religious does not make a person godly. It is by their character or spiritual fruit
that a godly leader can be known. A leader reproduces himself to his people, thus in a democratic
government, the one in the seat of power represents the aspiration of the people who have chosen
him as a leader.

Others believe that former US President George Bush 1990 proclamation of the birth of a “new
world order” has signaled the death of the Westphalia nation-state model.

Steger, in his 2017 book, defines political globalization as the intensification and expansion of
political interrelations around the world. Hyper-globalizers believe that the political globalization is
principally driven by economic and technological forces. On the other hand, globalization sceptics,
totally disagree with hyper-globalizers. They believe that is political in nature. It has originated with
neoliberal government’s political decisions to remove international trade restrictions on capital.

The 2019 Corona Virus Disease (CoViD19) which started in China has brought the whole world
to economic depression. Regardless whether it is an alleged bio-chemical weapon or a natural
pandemic outbreak, the world leaders have been challenged to do the necessary things in order to
protect their own people physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially. The ones who are still
miraculously standing alive today must be grateful to His Creator for allowing him to live since the
2019 pandemic. The world has the enemy that she cannot see…and the leaders, even the atheist
leaders, have learned to acknowledge and bend their knees, even reluctantly, to ask for wisdom and
protection from the Only Creator God who is able to save mankind from death.

 The Economic Dimension of Globalization

The philosophy of consumerism encourages the acquisition of goods and services in an increasing
amount. But this economic dimension in globalization also involves ecological dimension to show the
relationship of the environment with the unabated increasing population affecting humanity socially,
politically, economically, and psychologically as well.

The ecological dimension of globalization studies the global effects of the social, political and
economic unions on environment issue. Ecological globalization refers to worldwide environmental
issues which include population growth, access to food, global reduction in biodiversity, the gap
between the rich and the poor, between the global North and the global South, human-induced
climate, and global environmental degradation.

 The Cultural/Social Dimension of Globalization

Cultural globalization is the intensification and expansion of cultural flows across the globe. The
hyper-globalizers consider the political globalization that is driven by economic and technologic
forces see it as cultural imperialism. But if culture means the way of life, and the people have
embraced the economic technology, it cannot be called imperialism for the very fact that they
have embraced and accepted the technology. Culture virtually covers all areas of human life.
Imperialism is political in nature and it is much more serious because it involves the use of threat,
force, deception, and intimidation. Imperialism is tyrannic in nature.

However, the optimistic and pessimistic hyper-globalizers look at globalization differently.

Economic technology is seen as an enticement. One good example is the concept of Mc
Donaldization where the people are supposedly enticed what they should eat through
promotional advertisements. But Fortune Magazine’s July 2019 report shows that Walmart ranks
No. 1 in 2018 World’s Largest Companies, ranked by 2018 revenues, in millions of dollars, with a
revenue of US$514,405. China’s Sinopec Group is No. 2. (pp.55, 2020 The World Almanac and
Book of Facts).

Cultural hybridization also refers to the mingling of cultures as a result of globalization intended
to create a new and unique hybrid cultures that are not reducible to either local or global culture.
Cultural hybridization in the Philippines is one good example because this country had been
colonized by Spain, America, and Japan in different periods… and we have also traded with
them.

The concept of individualism in the cultural dimension of globalization gives emphasis to human
independence, self-reliance, and liberty. The concept of liberty or genuine freedom, however, has
started in Egypt Exodus of the Hebrew people, but it was eventually rejected by the East in
human history, yet widely accepted by the West even today. The West learned from the East,
and in full circle, the Western people is now coming back to teach the Eastern people what
originally started from and entrusted to the East that we may share God’s blessings together with
them. This rejection has become a blessing to the world.

When we talk about the cultural dimension of globalization, it also includes the study of history
of a particular culture or nation beyond one’s homeland. The study of globalization in the
 contemporary world is much more tedious because it requires looking at the very roots of what is
happening today and the major turning points in the study of world history.

One good example is the local and international studies which shows that the Philippines is the
most significant place on the face of the earth, and that Baybayin alphabet was the letters
contained in the Ten Commandments that God first handed down to mankind through Moses
and the Hebrew people.

The CoViD19 pandemic has been dreaded and brought fears, anxieties, and terror to the whole
world because everyone is, of course, afraid to die. For death also seems to be the death and the
end of all men’s aspiration and what they have hoped for in this life.

But there is one disease much more dangerous than CoViD19 that even the best of world leaders
in the history of humanity is battling and struggling to overcome ever since the world began.
Many do not want to talk about its danger or harmful effects to the society, but it is real and it is
true. It is called in different names… others say it is sexual preference, sexual deviation,
paraphilia, or sexual immorality. But no matter how we call it, the statistical data clearly show
that it is the world’s biggest problem or challenge that we all need to face because it is a
generational and old age problem that enslaves the whole world regardless of age, nationality,
gender, political, social and economic status…even today. Everyone is involved here, not just the
parties who indulged on this…beginning with our own families, communities, and government
leaders here and abroad.

Someone blames somebody, but it is not a solution. Everyone must do something to protect the
innocent next generation from the harmful effects of this sexual deviation from man’s original
image, design and purpose. Parents, educational community leaders, church and government
leader, even lawmakers and judges, play a vital role to protect the moral values of the younger
generation. To abandon this responsibility is to leave our children and children’s children at the
mercy and influence of the wicked people, and to develop a culture of the undisciplined, unruly,
and promiscuous society.

The data below is copied from the Learning Module that I wrote in the course, Understanding the
Self, to help the readers/students understand why sexual immorality/deviation is the biggest
problem of the world even today. This is just a tip of the iceberg…

SEXUAL DEVIATION OR PARAPHILIA is a sexual behavior that deviates from its original and God-
ordained sexual behavior or activities intended for married couples only under monogamous family set-
up. Some experts define it as “a preference for and obsession for unusual sexual practices” enumerated
below, which is a form of mental disorder. (https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sexual-deviation, 2020)

Very few people realize that much of the social problems we have today are products or effects of sexual
deviations. It can be denied and it is difficult to trace and to uproot the real cause of sex-related social
problems because they are hidden, subtle, and often times ignored. Some experts focus on the cure
instead of prevention and correction, thus lead to the escalation of more social problems like rebellion,
drugs, depression, divine wrath, and marred testimonies. We call it horizontal, vertical, and
internal/external relations. Continuing in this unacceptable and unsustainable behavior will defeat the
real purpose of sexuality in human lives, tarnish one’s reputation, and hinder the fulfilment of one’s
destiny as God has designed it to be.

FORMS OF SEXUAL DEVIATIONS OR PARAPHILIA:

1. Premarital Sexual Relations or Fornication –It is a sexual relation between two unmarried people. This
can lead to teenage pregnancy and conception of illegitimate children. According to Philippine Statistical
Authority 2017 statistics, 538 babies are born to teenage Filipino mothers every single day. This data is
5.99% of the Filipino girls in 2019. (Children, 2019)
Once a teenage girl got pregnant by a wrong man or raped by any man, the government has already been
involved, including the lawmakers and the judges, to protect the rights of the girl and her unborn child
from womb to tomb. The problem of overpopulation and pollution, as her twin sister, has also rooted in
sexual immorality.

2. Extramarital Sex, Adultery or Polygamy – It is a sexual relation between married couples other than
their spouses… or the other partner may be unmarried. In the long run, this may lead to broken homes,
broken marriage, and rebellion of children or juvenile delinquency. (Law, 2018) It is quite alarming these
days that in 2018 SWS survey, 53% of the Filipinos agree on the legitimization of divorce for the
irreconcilable separated couples. (Station, 2018)

Legitimizing or legislation of the law affecting family is more than just simply depending on numbers or
data on who agree and disagree. The experts and lawmakers alike should dig deeper on the root cause of
the problems, and focus on the prevention and correction of the behavior, more than just offering the
cure. As the old adage says,” prevention is better than cure.”

Experts say that sex and drugs are associated with each other, and the young children are the innocent
victims of the abusive adults. They were not born criminals, but the government must do something to
correct this behavior, both on the side of the parents and their minor. (Ng, 2019)
 
3. Rape – It is a sexual intercourse with a woman using force, threat or intimidation. There are 13.1%
reported cases of rape in the Philippines from1999 to 2009 resulting to broken lives. (Women, 2020)

4. Homosexuality – It is a quality or behavior of having sexually attracted to another of same sex. Some
experts say that homosexuality is hormonal influence, but most studies show that it is a psychological
disorder because there are many testimonies of former homosexuals who returned to their original
designed, to name a few like former comedian Anthony Roquiel, former supermodel Vince Santiago, and
many others who refuse to be named. The sad thing is that there are also 28 cases of former homosexuals
on social media that have been bullied. Some of them were even receiving grave threat, because of their
testimonies to bring hope to those who want to get out of homosexuality…telling them that what is
impossible with man to do is possible with God. In science, it takes only one theory to destroy an existing
theory that is accepted by almost everyone. For example, to say that homosexuality is a hormonal
influence is to violate the freewill of man which is God’s gift to mankind. Hormonal influence does not
necessarily determine man’s sexuality; it is still a mystery even today…but everything is a choice.

In the international level, both the Human Rights Committee of the United Nations and the
European Courts of Human Rights have not yet accepted an equal right for same sex marriage, despite
acceptance of some countries, to protect the values of people, especially the youth. The Jews, Biblical
Christians, and Muslims all strongly disagree on the idea of same sex marriage as well. (Wikipedia, 2020)

The Article XV of 1987 Philippine Constitution also strongly protects the value of family under a
monogamous family system. Thus, any attempts or proposals to legalize same-sex marriage are totally
unconstitutional for this would undermine the role of parents in honing the moral values of their
children. (N.Nolledo, 2001)

5. Bestiality – It is a savage and cruel behavior characterized by a sexual intercourse between a person
and an animal. This action is a psychological disorder and an outright violation of animal’s rights.
Republic Act No. 9775 prescribes penalties thereof and for other purposes. (Congress, 2009)

6. Voyeurism – It is an act of viewing naked person/persons without his/her knowledge, and/or making it
public by any means. An offender who got used to this habit tends to develop a psychological incapacity
to perform satisfying sex with his/her future spouse. This is also punishable under Republic Act No. 9995
or Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009. (Congress, Republic Act 9995 , 2010)

7. Exhibitionism – It is a form of sexual harassment wherein a man, very seldom on women, is showing
sex organ or masturbation acts in public to be seen by an opposite sex. It is considered a psychological
disorder and punishable under Senate Bill No.1254, also known as Anti-Sexual Harassment, repealing
Republic Act No.7877. (Poe)

8. Masturbation - It is a solitary sexual behavior using “sex-capade”, sexual fantasies, or inanimate

objects to attain sexual gratification. However, though studies show that millennial are masturbating
more than any other age group (Holmes, 2020), and some doctors consider it “normal and healthy”, it is
not always true. This undisciplined sexual behavior can lead to a psychological disorder that can harm
others and one’s future spouse in the long run.

9. Incest –It is a sexual relation between members of the same family. Records show that there are 400-500
recorded cases of incest in the Philippines annually resulting to broken homes and broken lives. Most of
the victims are innocent children. (Gutierrez, 2017)

10. Masochism – It is a paraphilic form of psychological sexual disorder involving self-infliction before
and during sexual intercourse to achieve gratification. It is bent to rituals on sadomasochistic fantasies of
consenting couples and it is long-standing that can lead to injury or even death. (Brown, 2020)

11. Sadism – It is also a paraphilic form of psychological sexual disorder involving infliction to a non-
consenting partner before and during sexual intercourse to attain sexual excitement and orgasm. (Brown
G. , 2020) Authorities found out that cybersex trafficking are prevalent as they discovered that there are
more than 4,000 naked images of young Filipino children on a man’s laptop alone in London, and were
able to connect it to cybersex trafficking. (IJM, 2020)

12. Pornography – It is a sexual activity in exchange for money whether private or through social media.
Rappler reports that “child sexual abuse materials are now peddled for as low as 100 on twitter”.
(Gavilan, 2020) The ASEAN Post reveals that the Philippines is the only ASEAN country, watching and
sharing porn, that made it to the top 10 list of countries worldwide, something that we should not be
proud of. (Khidhir, 2019)

13. Fetishism – It is a mental disorder involving sexual fixation with an inanimate, non-living or non-
genital object (fetish) for sexual gratification. This can have detrimental or harmful effects on the
important areas of a fetishist life. (Wikipedia, Sexual Fetishism, 2020)

14. Prostitution – It is a sexual activity in exchange for money both private and public. It is broader in
concept because it is a general term for pornography and pedophilia. In 2012 alone, the Department of
Justice has recorded 60,000 to 100,000 cases of prostitution in the Philippines. (Women, Enacting the Anti-
Prostitution, 2020)
15. Pedophilia –It is a sexual activity involving an adult and a young boy or girl in exchange for money.
Poverty and lack of parental guidance have opened the door for criminals to abuse innocent children. The
UNICEF’s National Statistics Office has the same findings that 60,000 to 100000 children are involved in
the sex industry. (Humanium, 2017)

Man is not created for sexuality only. It is just an episode of human life, not the final one. For a man or
woman to focus on sexuality alone as the ultimate source of happiness is to fall short of his/her final
destiny. Constantly remember that we are created beings…we are not the divine creator of our own
body… it belongs to our Creator. Man’s ultimate design is to fulfil his ordained destiny as God has
created him/her to be...this is for him to discover. (Slattery, 2018)

 The Philosophical Dimension of Globalization

The collaborated work of De Guzman, Rocina, Balaw-ing and Garcia in the book, Contemporary
World, explains that homogeneity happens when there is increasing sameness in the world politically,
culturally, and economically. Examples are religion, sexual deviation, media imperialism, and Mc
Donaldization.

On the other hand, heterogeneity happens when various cultural, political, and economic practices
are created because of the interaction of the elements from different societies in the world. Heterogeneity
in culture is also referred to as cultural hybridization. One good example is Jihad and the Mc World – but
this can result to catastrophic collision if any of the aforesaid parties disrespect the other.

Out thought pattern; the way we think, behave, or reason; what we listen to; what we read; what we
say; and how we behave; our character or attitude; and all our actions, choices, and decisions in life…all
of them are driven or motivated by the philosophy/ies in life that we put so much value. Our philosophy
can affect our whole being – body, mind, emotion, and spirit.

Since human organization is involved in globalization, philosophy becomes an integral and

inalienable part of globalization as well.

Philosophy is divided in four (4) major branches, namely: metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and
logic.

The word Philosophy itself came from the Greek words phileo (love for a friend) and sophia or sophie
(wisdom), or the love for wisdom as a friend. Its first major branch, Metaphysics, came from the word
meta (origin, cause or nature of reality or the physical world). The second major branch, Epistemology
came from the word episteme (knowledge) and logos (study of the word or study of the history of
word/knowledge). Axiology is the third major branch of Philosophy came from the Greek word also, axio
which means value or worth of morality, ethics, aesthetics. The fourth and last major branch of
Philosophy is Logic. In Greek it is logike, logikos, or logos (reason of words or science of correct thinking).
It deals with the formal process used in thinking and reasoning.

Given the four major branches of philosophy, we can determine where a certain philosophy is
coming from. There are three perspectives or philosophies on global cultural flows, namely –
differentialism, hybridization, and convergence.

Differentialism believes that cultural history and studies of civilization play a significant role for
this flow to work because it contains the potential for “catastrophic collision” especially between the East
and the West civilization. It is even more catastrophic if the concerned parties are not well informed and
do not have even an iota of interest in studying history and the skills to interpret remains of civilization.
Historians and theologians call it generational cut. It is just like planting trees without roots.

The hybridization approach however emphasizes the integration of local and global cultures
which gives rise to hybrid entities. It is also known for its saying, “unity in diversity.”

Convergence approach however refers to homogeneity introduced by globalization or strong

flow associated with cultural imperialism. Convergence or strong flow approach, however, can only
work best in a cultured and holistically developed society. Holistic development involves all facets of
human life – physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional.

 Market Globalism
Market globalism pursues to grant globalization with neoliberal meanings and free-market
norms. Its globalization is all about liberalization and global integration of markets to create
stronger economy.

It is inevitable and irreversible as it pursues to gain and acquire more and more assets and
wealth.

Nobody is actually in charge of globalization. It just happens just like what the Theory of
Invisible Hand teaches us. But it benefits everyone because it furthers the spread of democracy in
the world. Finally, democracy requires war on terror that can paralyze every economy.

Democracy, however, is not democracy in the educated masses…it is mobocracy instead. Thus,
both the government, the church, and the educational community leaders play a significant role
in providing programs for the development of their own people.
 Justice Globalism

Justice globalism, however, asserts an alternative philosophy of globalization based on the

egalitarian ideals of global solidarity and distributive justice. It is against market globalism that
may lead to social inequalities if incompetent and corrupt people are in the seat of power. Justice
globalism involves seven key values, namely – transformative change, participatory democracy,
equality of access to resources and opportunities, social justice, universal rights, global solidarity,
and sustainability.
Justice globalism promotes three different strategies – reform, autonomy, and transformation.

 Religious Globalism

Religious globalism endeavors for global religious community with dominance over secular
structures. They fight against market market globalism and justice globalism for their religious
beliefs and values that are allegedly under attacks by the power of consumerism and secularism
in the globalized world.

Jihadist Globalism, as an example, seeks to weaken the West’s military and economic power and
reestablish the Ummah (the whole Muslim community bound together by ties of religion)
through armed or unarmed struggles.

The word faith is often associated with religion, although faith and religion are not the same.
One can be religious, but it does not necessarily mean that s/he has faith or s/he is godly.

There is no religion endorsed by the Holy Scriptures or the Bible (the universally accepted and
divinely authored Word of God based on its historicity and scientific evidence), and Jesus has
never ever introduced or endorsed any religion in His teachings.

The Greek origin of the word religion is “threskos” used in James 1:26 which implies superstition
in the cultural setting of their time. While the Greek origin of the word outward expression of
faith is “threskeia” used in James 1:26-27 which denotes content of faith.

In context, James challenges his readers that a truly religious person expresses his faith by
keeping a tight rein on their tongues, by looking after the orphans and widows in their trouble
and distress, and by keeping oneself from being corrupted by worldly values.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIGIOUS GLOBALISM:

• GLOBALIZATION HAS ALLOWED RELIGION OR CONCEPT OF FAITH TO GAIN
CONSIDERABLE RELEVANCE AND IMPORTANCE AS A NON-TERRITORIAL
TOUCHSTONE OF IDENTITY.
• AS DIFFERENT RELIGIONS SEEK TO ASSERT ITS IDENTITY IN THE CONCEPT OF
GLOBALIZATION, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT INTERNAL STRUCTURES, CULTURES,
RITUALS, AND BELIEFS THAT CONTRADICT. FOR INSTANCE, CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM
ARE INCOMPATIBLE WITH EACH OTHER. THEY CANNOT BE HYBRIDIZED OR
HOMOGENIZED UNLESS THEY OPEN THEIR EYES TO THE STUDY OF THEOLOGY AND
HUMAN HISTORY.
• FURTHER, IN A KNOWLEDGE-BASED SOCIETY WE HAVE TODAY, ONE’S CONCEPT OF
FAITH OR BELIEF MUST BE ABLE TO STAND AGAINST STRONG OPPOSITIONS, EVEN
DESTRUCTIVE/CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS FROM TOUGH MINDED PEOPLE WHO
VALUE LIBERALISM, CONSUMERISM, AND RATIONALISM. “SUCH PHENOMENA
ADVOCATE SCIENTISM AND SECULARISM.’
• THE VALUES OF CERTAIN RELIGIONS CAN ONLY BE COMPATIBLE WITH LIBERALISM
AND SECULARISM IF THEIR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS HAVE STRONG SCIENTIFIC AND
HISTORICAL FOUNDATION.
• IT MUST HAVE THE MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, MULTI-CULTURAL, MULTI-GENERATIONAL,
AND MULTI-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, ATTRIBUTES AND APPEAL TO PROVE
ITS VALUE AND DIVINE AUTHORSHIP. OTHERWISE, THIS WILL FALL APART.
• EXAMPLES - EXTREMISM OR MAKING A SWEEPING GENERALIZATION OR JUDGMENT
ON THE LOOSE MORALS OF OTHER CULTURES, LIKE THOSE IN THE WEST, MAY ALSO
LEAD TO A CULTURE OF VIOLENCE.
• FURTHERMORE, RELIGIOUS FANATICISM AND ANTI-SEMITIC PERPETUAL
ANTAGONISM AND PERSECUTIONS AGAINST THE JEWS, TO ANNIHILATE THEM FROM
THE FACE OF THE EARTH THAT LEAD TO WORLD WARS, ARE STILL ALIVE TODAY.

• ON THE OTHER HAND, TOO MUCH FREEDOM, UNREGULATED SEXUAL REVOLUTION,

ESPECIALLY SEXUAL IMMORALITIES MAY ALSO LEAD TO A DESTRUCTIVE CULTURE OF
PROMISCUITY AND WOULD UNDERMINE THE ROLE OF FAMILY, PARTICULARLY THE
PARENTS, IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MORAL AND SPIRITUAL WELL BEINGS OF
THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
• BOTH THEOLOGY AND HISTORY HELP US UNDERSTAND THE CHRONOLOGY,
CONTINUITY, TRUTHFULNESS AND VALUES OF WHAT WE BELIEVE IN. THESE ARE THE
MAJOR ISSUES IN STUDYING ANY BELIEF/DISCIPLINE WHICH CAN NEVER ESCAPE THE
 CRITICAL EYES OF HISTORIANS AND TEACHERS OF HISTORY.
• AGAIN, HISTORY PLAYS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR GLOBALIZATION TO
SUCCEED.

 A Working Definition of Globalization

• IT REFERS TO THE COMPRESSION OF THE WORLD AND THE INTENSIFICATION OF

WORLD CONSCIOUSNESS AS A WHOLE.

• IT COMPRESSES THE TIME AND SPACE ASPECTS OF SOCIAL RELATIONS.

• IT REFLECTS THE SENSE OF IMMENSE ENLARGEMENT OF WORLD COMMUNICATION.

• GLOBALIZATION IS THE GLOBAL PROCESS OF AGREEING ON COMMON INTERESTS

AND SOLVING COMMON CHALLENGES POLITICALLY, ECONOMICALLY AND
CULTURALLY TO ATTAIN SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND WORLD PEACE
AND ORDER.

ECONOMIC GLOBALIZATION

Globalization in the Economy?

According to the Committee for Development Policy (a subsidiary body of the United Nations), from an
economic point of view, globalization can be defined as:

“(…) the increasing interdependence of world economies as a result of the growing scale of cross-border
trade of commodities and services, the flow of international capital and the wide and rapid spread of
technologies. It reflects the continuing expansion and mutual integration of market frontiers (…) and the
rapid growing significance of information in all types of productive activities and marketization are the
two major driving forces for economic globalization.”

Globalization and the G20: What is the G20?

The G20 is a global bloc composed by the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and
the European Union (EU). Established in 1999, the G20 gathers the most important industrialized and
developing economies to discuss international economic and financial stability. Together, the nations of
the G20 account for around 80% of global economic output, nearly 75 percent of all global trade, and
about two-thirds of the world’s population.

G20 leaders get together in an annual summit to discuss and coordinate pressing global issues of mutual
interest. Though economics and trade are usually the centerpieces of each summit’s agenda, issues like
climate change, migration policies, terrorism, the future of work, or global wealth are recurring focuses
too. Since the G20 leaders represent the “political backbone of the global financial architecture that
secures open markets, orderly capital flows, and a safety net for countries in difficulty”, it is often thanks
to bilateral meetings during summits that major international agreements are achieved and that
globalization is able to move forward.

The Globalization experience and its challenges for the Philippine economy

Evidence suggests that Globalization has a positive effect on the country's economic growth and
employment. In particular, trade openness and foreign portfolio flows have contributed to higher per
capita GDP growth in the Philippines, following the implementation of FX Liberalization reforms.

Trade openness

From the 1990s to the 2000s, trade openness in the Philippines improved from 88.1% to 101.0% of the
country’s gross domestic product (GDP) (Graph 1). Contributing to this increase were the country’s
efforts towards a more open trade policy starting in the 1980s. This trade openness also reflected
declining transport costs and improved information and communications technology that supported the
development of complex GVCs, particularly in electronics and electrical components, allowing ompanies
to manage their production more efficiently

GRAPH 1
Key Points:

 The G20 is a global bloc composed by the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries
and the European Union (EU).

 Globalization has a positive effect on the country's economic growth and employment. In particular,
trade openness and foreign portfolio flows have contributed to higher per capita GDP growth in the
Philippines, following the implementation of FX Liberalization reforms 

THE GLOBAL INTERSTATE SYSTEM

Definition of Terms:

Interstate System. Refers to a system for international relations that deals with the government or states
and their authorities

Internationalism. Is political, economic, and cultural cooperation among countries.

Globalism. Is an ideology anchored on the belief that people, goods, and information ought to be able to
cross national borders unstrained?

“System” in International Relations

In the context of the global interstate system, system fundamentally refers to interactions by various
entities, but mostly states. Today, the system is virtually global.
During the 18th century, the term “system” came into common use in the field of international relations.
The Genevan philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) stated that the powers of Europe from
among themselves a kind of system that joins them together through the same religion, law of nations,
customs, letters, commerce, as well as a sort of balance which is the necessary effect of all this. His
thoughts clarified, among other things, that the concept of an international system goes beyond simple
geographic proximity.

The French historian, George-Henri Soutou (b.1943) introduces international system as characterized by
the general balance of the powers making it up, and also by shared solidarities that are cultural, religious,
economic, social, as well as with regard to legal and diplomatic structures.

Interstate System

Interstate system may refer to as a system for international relations, specifically that which deals with
governments or states and their authorities. International relations are broad and can be divided into (1)
interstate, (2) intersocietal, and (3) interpersonal. As we shall see, interstate relations, which are concern of
interstate system, are related to but are technically different from intersocietal and interpersonal relations.

Interpersonal relations

Denote those relations of or between citizens of different states acting in their personal interests.
Migrants, tourists, foreign students, and the international jet set exemplify such interpersonal relations.
Other examples include some international mails, phone calls, telegrams, and cross-border air and
surface traffic.

Intersocietal Relations

Refer to those authoritative actions, understandings, or commitments of the authorities of groups within
one state with those groups or citizens of another state. Examples include companies selling goods or
services to the citizens of other states, contacts between foreign firms, or a company contracting with a
foreign firm. But intersocietal relations also refer to those relations within groups whose membership
and organizations transcend states. This type includes multinational corporations with foreign
subsidiaries, international professional associations, and centrally-administered international religions
like the Catholic Church and the Iglesia ni Cristo from the Philippines.

Interstate relations are those “authoritative actions, understandings, or commitments of the

governmental authorities, that is, the leaders, of one state to or with the governmental authorities of
another state or its groups or citizens, either bilaterally or through international organizations” Examples
include states visits, treaties, international conferences, military aid and the like, as well as
nationalizations of foreign business, applying duties to foreign goods, expelling foreign newsmen,
arresting a foreign national, and censoring foreign magazines. All authoritative actions of a state’s
governmental authority against any citizen or group or another state is part of interstate relations.

The Effect of Globalization on Governments

State is commonly defined as a nation or territory as an organized political community under one
government.

Government is the governing body of a state, nation, or community. A government is thus the political
administration of a state or country.

A State is the geographic unit that has a distinct constitution, fiscal system, and is sovereign (that is, self-
governing, and independent from other states as recognized by them). It is in a state where a government
can exercise its powers.

One of the debatable issues relevant to the outcomes of globalization is the effect that it has had on
governments or state entities. Government is an essential part of the overall impact that globalization has
had on the world. It is also vital to evaluate particular implications of globalization, and specifically the
effects of economic globalization, as well as the political impact of globalization on the behavior of
governments or states.

Concerning globalization and economic sovereignty, Osland (2003) contends that “the key question
regarding globalization and governments is whether or not globalization threatens national sovereignty”

History seems to manifest that the governments of states were contributory in driving globalization.
Governments calls to carry out naval expeditions, their policies for or against tariffs, and their willingness
to endorse economic enterprises that lead to a growth of technological innovations in their nation are all
ways in which government can drive globalization.

Joyce S. Osland, Ph. D. of San Jose State University College of Global Leadership and Innovation
enumerates some of the pros and cons of globalization related to governments. The positive includes the
following (2003):

1. increased economic development benefits some governments;

2. increased jobs and expanded infrastructure benefit some countries;

3. transfer of modern management techniques into business sector;

4. greater interdependence among trading and investment partners may deter war; and

5. proliferation of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to counter balance decreased governmental

power.

On the other hand, the negative effects of globalization on governments include these (2003);

1. power of multinational enterprises (MNEs) increased at the expense of government power,

sovereignty, and ability to regulate business;

2. MNEs externalize some of their costs to countries;

3. competition for factories and foreign direct investment (FDI) results into many concessions to MNEs
by some governments;

4. some MNEs influence local government policy and threaten to leave if their demands are not met.

5. MNEs pay fewer taxes to governments and incorporate where the tax rate is lowest, depriving their
own country of revenue; and

6. governments are pressured to reduced tax rates and decrease social benefits that may affect stability.

Institution That Governs International Relations

International relations (also referred to as international affairs) have a broad purpose in contemporary
society, as it seeks to understand the following

1. The origins of war and the maintenance of peace;

2. The nature and exercise of power within the global system; and

3. Changing character of state and non-state actors who participate in international decision- making.

Historically, the formation of treaties among nations served as the earliest form of international relations.
The study and practice of international relations in today’s world and globalized society is valuable for
several reasons. International relations have the following roles.

1. It promotes successful trade policies between nations;

2. It encourages travel related to business, tourism, and immigration, providing people with
opportunities to enhance their lives.
3. It allows nations to cooperate with one another, pool resources, and share information as a way to face
global issues that go beyond any particular country or region. Contemporary global issues include
pandemics, terrorism, and the environment.

4. it advance human culture through cultural exchanges, diplomacy, and policy development

Example of International Relations

Humanitarian Organizations (Action Against Hunger, Oxfam International, World Food Programme)

Government Agencies (Department of State, Department of Commerce, Department of Homeland Security)

Intergovernmental organizations (World Trade Organization, United Nations, NATO)

International Institutions

Form an essential part of contemporary international relations. They govern much interaction at the
system level and in effect outlaw some traditional institutions and practices of international relations.
World trade organizations, for instance, emerged as a commanding international organization capable of
effectually influencing individual governments to follow international trade rules, policies on subsidies,
copyrights, taxes and tariffs. States cannot violate rules without facing economic sanctions or
consequences.

International organization – is an institution with an international membership, scope, or presence. It is

an organization drawing membership from at least three states, having activities in many states, and
whose members are held together by a formal agreement.

There are two main types”

1. International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) that operate internationally. Their members

are associations or individuals. These include international non-profit organizations and worldwide
companies such as the World organization of the Scout Movement, International Committee of the Red Cross.

2. Intergovernmental organizations – known as international governmental organizations (IGOs) –

composed of sovereign states (referred to as member’s states) examples include the United Nation (UN),
International Labour Organization (ILO), and International Police Organization (INTERPOL)
Functions of International Organization

a. Gathering information and monitoring trends (e.g., The World Meteorological Organization)

b. Providing services and aid (e.g., World Health Organization)

c. Staging forums for bargaining (e.g., the European Union)

d. resolving dispute (e.g., the World Trade Organization)

The Roles of International Organizations

a.) assisting to set international agenda

b.) arbitrating political bargaining

c.) establishing a place for political initiatives, and serving as catalysts for coalition-formation

d.) resolve issues

e.) assist governmental priority determination

INTERNATIONALISM VS. GLOBALISM

What is the difference between Internationalism and Globalism? The two terms may appear to be alike,
but exists conceptual difference between the two terms.

What is Internationalism?

Internationalism is political, economic, and cultural cooperation among countries. Internationalism puts
stress on the cooperation and solidarity among the states, while acknowledging their sovereign character.

Globalism, on the other hand is an ideology anchored on the belief that people, goods, and information
ought to be able to cross national boarders unrestrained. Furthermore, globalism is much wider term than
internationalism. Globalism puts emphasis on the dilution of the sovereign expression of the nations and
also exhibits the conflicts arising out of this dilution. However, this does not mean that globalism is a
negative concept, because surrender of national sovereignty is intended to moderate the obstructions to
international exchanges.

In the contemporary world, conflicts, cooperation, and interdependence among several countries go hand
in hand and so do globalism and internationalism. Although in theory they manifest difference in terms
of their conceptual meaning, yet, in practice they are not exclusive of each other and are frequently seen
together with varying degree.

GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

Definition of Terms:
  
Global Governance. The sum of laws, norms, policies, and institutions that define, constitute, and
mediate relations between citizens, societies, markets, and states in the international system.

Governance. Is a formal political institution that coordinate and control interdependent social relations
and impose decisions.

Globalism. Is an ideology anchored on the belief that people, goods, and information ought to be able to
cross national borders unstrained?

Definition of Global Governance

The Commission on Global Governance (1995) defines governance as the sum of many ways individuals
and institutions, public and private, manage their common affairs.

According to Kennette Benedic (2015) Global governance is a purposeful order that emerges from
institutions, processes, norms, formal agreements, and informal mechanism that regulate action for a
common good.

Global governance is the way in which global affairs are managed today. Thakur and Weiss define global
governance as “the sum of laws, norms, policies, and institutions that define, constitute, and mediate
relations between citizens, societies, markets, and states in the international system. Ideally, global
governance will assist in helping to solve challenges within the international system. This global
governance normally involves a variety of factors including states and regional and international
organizations.

One organization may technically give the central role on an issue, like the World Trade Organization
(WTO) in world trade affairs. Thus, Global governance is understood “as international process of
consensus-forming which generates guidelines and agreements that affect national governments and
international corporations. Examples of consensus would include WHO policies on health issues.
Institutions of global governance also include the United Nations (UN), International Criminal Court
(ICC), International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World bank (WB).
Contemporary Global Governance

The term governance stands for formal political institutions that coordinate and control interdependent
social relations and also impose decisions. In the contemporary world governance has been used to mean
the regulation of interdependent relations in the absence of all-embracing political authority, such as in
the international system. Therefore, Contemporary global governance can be depicted as the summary of
laws, policies, regulations, norms, and institutions that define, establish, and mediate transborder
relations among states, cultures, citizens, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the
market.

The Contemporary global governance has the following features (Biermann and Pattberg. 2008):

a.) the emergence of new types of agencies and of actors in addition to national governments;

b.) the emergence of new mechanism and institutions of global governance that go beyond traditional
forms of state-led, treaty-based regimes; and

c.) increasing segmentation and fragmentation of the overall governance system across levels and
functional spheres.

THE ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace
and security.

The United Nations is an international organization founded on October 24, 1945. It is the second
multipurpose international organization instituted in the 2oth century that was global in membership
and scope. Its predecessor, the League of Nations, was established in 1919. By the Treaty of Versailles but
disbanded in 1946.

The UN Functions

1.) maintaining peace and security (especially in the international level)

2.) developing friendly relations among nations anchored on respect for the principles of equal rights and
self-determination of peoples;

3.) achieving global cooperation to resolve international economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian
problems;
4.) respecting and promoting human rights; and

5.) serving as a center where nations can coordinate their actions and activities toward these mentioned
ends.

The UN’s Role in Global Governance

The United Nations plays four vital roles as an intellectual actor. These are:

1. Managing Knowledge. United nation is a knowledge-based and knowledge-management

international organization.

2. Developing Norms. New norms have to be pronounced, circulated, and established once information
has been gathered and knowledge acquired that a problem is severe enough to warrant attention by the
worldwide policy community.

3. Promulgating recommendations. Once the norms start to change and become prevalent, a succeeding
step is to frame a range of possibilities about how states and their citizens and IGOs can change conduct.

4. Institutionalizing ideas. When knowledge has been acquired, norms articulated, and policies
formulated, an institution can administer their implementation and monitoring.

THE CHALLENGES OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE

Ramesh Thakur, former Senior Vice Rector of the United Nation University in charge of its Peace and
Governance Programme, explains that the challenge of global governance – governance for the world to
yield order, solidity, and predictability even in the lack of a world government – is sixfold:

1. The evolution of international organizations to facilitate robust global responses lags behind the
emergence of collective action problems;’

2. The most pressing problems – nuclear weapons, terrorism, pandemics, foods, water and fuel scarcity,
climate, agricultural trade – are global in scope and require global solutions without passports. But the
policy authority and legal capacity for coercive mobilization of the required resources for tackling them
remain vested in states;

3. There is a disconnect between the distribution of decision-making authority in international

institutions and the distribution of military, diplomatic and economic power in the real world.
4. There is also a disconnect between the concentration of decision-making authority in
intergovernmental forums and the diffusion of decision-shaping influence among non -state actors like
markets, corporations and civil society actors.

5. There is a mutually undermining gap between legitimacy and efficiency. Precisely, what made the
G8 summits unique and valuable – informal meetings between a small number of the world’s most
powerful government leaders behind closed doors on a first name basis, without intermediaries and with
no notes being taken – is what provoked charges of hegemonism, secrecy, opaqueness, and lack of
representation and legitimacy, the very feature that gives the United Nations unique legitimacy,
universal membership, makes it an inefficient body for making, implementing and enforcing collective
decisions;

6. During the Cold War, the main axis around which world affairs rotated was East-West. Today this
has morphed into a North-South axis. The Copenhagen Conference on climate change was suboptimal in
outcome in part because of the colliding worldviews of the global North and South. (Thakur,n.d.)

The G20 is an international Forum for the governments and central bank governors from Argentina,
Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan,
Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United
States of America.

The advent of G20 spoke strongly to the need for an alternative worldwide directing group to pull in all
the world’s potent actors as accountable managers of the world order as stakeholders, and not simply as
rule-takers.

The Relevance of the State Amid Globalization

State is a community formed by people and exercising permanent power within a definite territory.

Characteristics of the Territorial State

According to the international law, a state is characteristically defined as being based on the 1933
Montevideo Convention. Based on Article 1 of the Convention, the state as a person of international law
should possess these qualifications:

a. Permanent population

b. Defined Territory

c. Government
d. Capacity to enter into relations with the other states

Social Historian Eric Hobsbawm, Emeritus Professor at Birkbeck College, University of London and at
the New School for Social Research in New York enumerates some specific characteristics of the territorial
state:

1. It consists of a territory, separated from other states by clearly defined lines (frontiers or borders)
demarcating the area under the power of one state government from that under the power of another.

2. Second, this territory is sovereign, which is to say that within it no authority other than that of the local
state is recognized, except by the unforced agreement. The imposition of a superior authority against the
will of the local state – such as military conquest- is an act of force which bring sovereignty to an end, at
least temporarily.

3. Within its territory the state has the monopoly both of law and of the powers of coercion, except in so
far as these have been willingly renounced, as by the member-states of the European Union which accept
for certain purposes the precedence of European Law over national Law.

4. Fourth, the national state rules its citizens or subjects directly and not through intermediate
authorities, subaltern but to some extent autonomous, as was the case in feudal societies or certain kinds
of traditional empires.

5. Direct government and administration of the inhabitants by the central authorities of a nation – state
implies a certain degree of standardization or even homogenization in the treatment of the inhabitants.

Finally, while a nation-state compose of people without political rights or positive participation in its
affairs is possible, the heritage of the Age of Revolution has been to turn most sates into citizen states, at
least in theory.

The Weakening of the State in Globalization

In today’s globalized world, the removal of trade barriers, liberalization of world capital markets, and
rapid technological advancement, particularly in the fields of transportation, telecommunications, and
information technology, have enormously improved and hastened the movement of products, people,
information, and capital. These developments have also enlarged the variety of issues which spill over
the borders of nation-states necessitating transnational regulation and norm setting and, thus talks and
formal negotiations on a regional or global scale. Due to globalization, several problems troubling the
world today, such as economic crises, poverty, environmental pollution, organized crime, and terrorism,
have been transnational in nature, and thus cannot be managed only at the national level, nor by state-to-
state dialogue.

Eric Hobsbawm enumerates three ways in which the transnational forces have weakened the state:

1.) The creation of supranational economy, whose transactions are largely uncontrolled or even
uncontrollable by states, restricts the capacity of states to direct national economies.

2.) The state has been weakened by the rise of regional or global institutions such as the European Union
and the international banking institutions set up in 1945 to which individual states defer, either because
they are too small to engage in effective international competition except as part of a larger bloc, or
because their economies are so weak as to make them dependent on loans given under politically
restrictive conditions.

3.) Territorial borders have been largely irrelevant by the technological revolution in transport and
communication. A world in which people, with rare exceptions, lived and work either in one state or in
another, has been replaced by one in which they may live and work simultaneously in, or commune
between, more than one state, as well as being in constant immediate contact with any part of the globe.

ASIAN REGIONALISM

Introduction
The earth and everything in it have one Creator…we are one. Only the geographers have
divided the earth into two parts, namely the East and the West. The Asian world is referred to be the east,
also known as the land of the orient or the rising sun; while Europe and North America are referred to as
the land of the occident or the setting sun. So, when we talk about eastern thoughts, the Asian world
immediately comes into our mind.

Asia is known to be the foundation of civilization. All archaeological evidence seems to point to
Asia as a seat of civilization and it clearly represents Eastern thought and embodies the Western thought
that originated from Israel, in the Middle East.
Asia is divided into four regions, namely – the East Asia; the South, North and Central Asia;
Middle East or Western Asia; and the Southeast Asia.
The East Asia is composed of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan
 The South, North and Central Asian Region houses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,
Afghanistan, Russia, and China.
The Middle East or Western Asian Region meanwhile is composed of Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia or KSA, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates or UAE,
Qatar, Bahrain, and Yemen.
The last, but not the least, is Southeast Asian Region where we can find Philippines, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.

Regionalization and Regionalism in Asia

The term regionalization and regionalism denote different meanings, yet they are intertwined.

Regionalization is the process of the decentralization of regions. Politically speaking it involves a

process of dividing a political entity or into country into smaller jurisdiction for the administration of
subnational units. It is the opposite of centralization or unitarization with a central government.

In the context of Asian regionalism, however, regionalization also requires an increasing volume
of interaction, agreement, and cooperation among neighboring and participating states. One very good
example here is the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum which started in 1989. In fact,
APEC has widely contributed to the development and improvement of the public and private institutions
in the Asia-Pacific region.

Regionalism, on the other hand, is more of a shared principle or philosophy and information on
the economic side, particularly on production and employment, of multi-lateral intergovernmental
institutions. It involves the study of political economy to attain sustainable economic and political
development and growth between countries in the region.

Regionalization Versus Globalization

In the business and political world, globalization is somehow intertwined with international
relations and cooperation among nations. Regionalization can be a hindrance to globalization because it
is seen as political in nature to some states.

However, the international relations among Asian nations in the ancient times, for instance, have
led to the development of the international law that we have today. It can be divided into three periods,
namely – the early, middle, and modern period which we will be discussing later on.

Conflicting Versus Complimentary Processes

Asian regionalism is considered to be practically compatible with globalization and an eventual

encouragement to the latter.
Read pp. 129-144, The Contemporary World By De Guzman, Rocina, Balaw-ing, and J.S.Garcia for the
following:

 Three Views of Globalization in Asia-Pacific and South Asia

 Factors Leading to the Greater Integration of the Asian Region
 Similarity in Culture and Ethics Among Asians
 Asian Confrontation of Globalization and Regionalization

 The Three Views of Globalization in Asia-Pacific and South Asia include an externalist view of
globalization in the region, generating globalization, and the anti-global impulse: regional
alternatives to globalization.

The externalist view of globalization in the region perceives it as a compelling force into the Asia
Pacific and South Asian region by the Western world powers, particularly the United States of America
and Europe. History, theology, and etymology play a very important role to unearth the truth on the
historicity of globalization. It also includes the sources they use and the right interpretation and
generational connection of the source or historical materials presented.

However, interpretation of the fossils or the remains of civilization can be a great challenge for any
historians because tribal invasions, annihilation, and burning of the cities were also a cultural setting and
the name of the game in the ancient and medieval periods. The good news is, historians were able to
prove the historicity and the authenticity of the Bible that we use today as the oldest existing history book
and the divine Word of God for its indestructibility, infallibility and incorruptibility. Mark Twain and
other prolific writers also said that it takes God’s miracle and the mighty work of His hands for this
document to survive thousand years of heavy persecutions from ruthless leaders and godless people, and
yet, preserve its message to transform the willing humanity.

The Philippines, for example, is seen by the experts and historians as the most important place on the
face of the earth for this country is the epicenter of life and language…but we almost lost our culture
because of Hispanic colonization and the boustrophedon evolution. The independent works of Dr.
Richard Vince Narag, Timothy Jay Schwab and The God Culture Teams have presented compelling and
overwhelming evidence from Biblical and extra Biblical sources that the Philippines is indeed the Ophir
mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Europeans came here because they are passionate people and they
knew then our history more than we did. History tells us that the Americans only came over because the
Filipinos asked for help against the Spaniards cruelty in World War I, and against the ruthless Japanese
Imperial Army during World War II…the war marks the emergence of the sovereign states and nations,
and a shift from politics to political economy.
 Generating globalization – Others see the Asia-Pacific and South Asia as an independent agent
serving as a Springboard or engine of globalization since other regions are not yet into it particularly
those in the Middle East or in West Asia. International scholarship is also commonly interpreted and
perceived as “Westernization forcing itself upon Asia.” Arguments include the early modern history,
asserting that prior to the coming of the Spaniards, the Philippines had already its thriving culture,
economy, and barangay government (though not yet a unified government). In summary, globalization
is interpreted as the awakening of the Asian people to dominate the world again and the restoration of
her original design and purpose as a leader. It is history coming in full circle in the modern world. The
Asian people is the originator of the globalization process and not its receiving end.

The anti-global impulse: regional alternatives to globalization sees the exclusive Asian regionalism
as an alternative to globalization. The ASEAN+3 seemingly seen “to be exclusively and self-consciously
Asian.” However, the advent of regional terror networks, such as Jemaah Islamiyah is perceived as an
extreme expression of regionalism posed against the West-based globalization.

 The Factors Leading to the Greater Integration of the Asian Region are traditional trade,
strengthening of domestic policy reform, increased multi-lateral bargaining power, guarantees of
access, strategic linkage, and multilateral and regional interplay. Such integration is believed to
create balance in regional decisions and negotiations. (Read The Contemporary World by - De
Guzman, Rocina, Balaw-ing, and J.S.Garcia, pp. 134-140)

 The Similarity in Culture and Ethics Among Asians as relationship-oriented people will make this
integration possible. Basically, collectivism matters to Asian people… It is evident on the way they
show respect to the members of their own family, community, government, culture, and tradition
even though they are sometimes against it. It is a protocol for every member of the society. Although
Asia houses major religions in the world, and people have different religious beliefs and rituals, yet
the aforesaid similarity in culture and the respect for one another can make the economic and
political integration possible. (Romans 13)

The main basis of Asian ethics is culture and religion. Judaism, Hinduism, Judeo Christianity,
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Islam religions have all started in Asia. But among these religions, only the
Christian ethics or the teachings of Jesus Christ have made significant impact to the world because of the
historicity of his resurrection from the dead…as an evidence of what He has claimed to be, the Son of the
Living God… No historians of antiquity, like Luke and Josephus, even the modern atheistic historians,
has ever yet raised a voice against the historicity of his resurrection

On the other hand, the West is a result-oriented people. They have embraced the concept of
individualism or a belief in human dignity, which is basically about finding the incorruptible truth.
Individualism which started in Christianism also, before its corruption, basically believes that God has
given men the ability to create and reproduce, and to know the truth. (Genesis 1:26-28).

The good news is, the Western thought that places more emphasis on the Law…on truth,
righteousness, and justice is also an Eastern thought. Jesus Christ was a Jew who lived for more than 30
years in Israel. His followers who adhered to his teachings were later called Christians. Saren
Kierkegaard (1813-1855), for example, who was known as the father figure of existentialism, only became
popular for his theory of individualism. He was a Christian… However, he was led to the deep doubt and
anguish of his own experience because of his devaluing of Christian community as a theoretical thought.
This has likewise led to the negative individualistic and corrupted practical account of faith.

But without Saren’s anchorage to Christian faith and his influence, we will not have Heidegger,
Nietzsche, Sartre, Camus, and Marcel, proponents of existentialism from 1889 to 1960, and “this outlook
can lead to an increasingly one-sided surrender to relativism and atheistic individualism.” (Beaver,
1982,1991). Surprisingly, much of the critics of Christianity, even today, have actually not known or have
fully read the Bible. They simply depended on citing readings and secondary sources, but they have
actually failed to investigate the primary source or the document’s contents itself demanding a verdict
from its readers.

Saren was a contemporary of Karl Marx (1818-1883), a great thinker with Jewish and Protestant
background. For some reasons, he later abandoned his faith and became an atheist… Today, he is
considered to be the father of communism. Communism is an economic system that believes in a
government-controlled economy, free development of individual faculties and versatility in a society, but
he was also concerned with revolutionary action. Much of the political and economic principles of
communism is copied from Christian teachings, except the atheistic revolutionary actions. (Curtis,
1962,1981) (Gordon, 1991, 1993)DR

When Karl Marx died in 1883, his teachings were embraced by Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin, and
Mao Zedong (China) to lead their countries with this ideal. (Editor, History of Socialism, 2019). For the
Marxists and the Non-Marxists, it was just a matter of time before Christianity will soon disappear, but it
was the ideology of Communism that fell in 1989. Christian organizations still stand today guarding the
wellbeing of the oppressed and the needy, humans or state, and defending their inalienable basic human
rights under the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Law. (Beaver, 1982,
1991)
 Thus, the multi-cultural, multi-dimensional, multi-generational, and multi-perspective approach of
Christian teachings fit in to any society, culture, economic, and political set ups which was previously
rejected by the Asian nations. Considering the development of the concept of globalization, if this has
proven to be effective to the West, why can’t it be possible for the East to integrate?

Asian Confrontation of Globalization and Regionalization

- The East Asian Regionalism

The East Asia is composed of China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan which are basically monarchial
government. Some of them did not really experience colonial rule like Japan.

Japan and China chief naval power are the only Asian countries called for in the 1921
Washington Conference for the “purpose of passing upon questions on disarmament.” Then came the
most expensive and largest battle in the history of humanity, the World War II. In fact, 22 million people,
including 1.5 million in the Philippines, died during the war

The bombing of Pearl Harbor has marked the end of Japan’s ruthless imperial domination in a
supposed East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere against alleged Western imperialism. After World War II, the
1951 Treaty of Peace with Japan has concluded the war between Japan and the Allied Forces as provided
for in Article 23 of the aforesaid treaty. (Public International Law). The United States of America also
stressed Japan’s economic development and its fusion to the world economy. Japan was also incorporated
to a multi-lateral economic order including the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). (Steger,
2014, p.203) Thus from 1950’s to 1970’s, despite poor resources, but with their diligence, creative minds,
and hard work, Japan was able to attain an economic restoration and competitive edge in the world
producing and manufacturing market.

In 1950’s Korea and Taiwan have engaged in exporting business, but China and other latecomers
have overtaken them in economic growth and development. Nevertheless, later in 1980’s and 1990’s the
two countries abandoned the attitude of exclusivity and learned to develop a healthy cooperative
relationship with different foreign forces through export-oriented policies.

Meanwhile, Mao Zedong of China died in 1976, and Xixian succeeded him to lead the country
through extensive market-economy reforms. But China’s economic liberalization only happened in the
late 1970’s. This was introduced by Deng Xiaoping, also known as Xixian, the supreme leader of the
People’s Republic of China from 1978-1989. China has also adapted Japan’s pattern of development as
world’s importers of basic raw materials such as iron and steel production.

Today, according to the Fortune Magazine’s ranks of 2018 World’s Largest Companies, by revenues
in millions of dollars, China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea are among the top 100 companies in the world.
The U.S.A is No. 1, but China is No.2…making China the No.1 economic leader in Asia. (2020 World
Almanac, pp. 55-56)

- The South, North and Central Asian Regionalism

The South, North and Central Asian Region houses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan,
Russia, and China.

The humane treatment of persons and non-combatants is prescribed in the Indian Code of Manu
about 500 B.C. It also forbade the use of poisoned weapons.

Russia, together with Prussia and Austria of Europe are members of the 1815 Holy Alliance in
which they solemnly declared that “in the administration of their respective states, and in their political
relations with every government, they would take for their sole guide the precepts of justice, Christian
charity, and peace. They also promised to lend each other aid and assistance. Its policy to suppress
movements in favor of popular liberty, led to the declaration of Monroe Doctrine.” (p.340-341, Public
International Law)

India’s economic liberalization started in 1991. They focus chiefly on textile production and
service sectors. They also opened the economy to export oriented approach and experienced high level of
economic growth as they become more integrated into the global economy including membership to
World Trade Organization (WTO).

- Middle East or Western Asian Regionalism

In the Middle East or Western Asian Region, we can find Iraq, Iran, Israel, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia or KSA, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates or UAE, Qatar,
Bahrain, and Yemen. It is in this region where the international law began.

The early period of international relations and law actually began in Hebrews Egypt Exodus
(1446 B.C.) when the Egyptian pharaoh, by the strong arm of God through the ten plagues, was
compelled to set them free from the bondage of slavery, even vehemently. Afterwards, the Divine
Law/Ten Commandment was handed down to mankind through Moses and the Hebrews as the first
fruit.

David, Solomon, and other Hebrew kings in the United Kingdom of Israel then had made
treaties with their neighboring states. These treaties were entered into providing for the recognition of
free commercial relations, mutual sovereignty, equality, extradition of political refugees and immigrants.
They had faith in treaties and respect for the sanctity of the ambassadorial character. The higher moral
law, restraining on several occasions the ruthlessness of war procedure, is also recognized.
 History tells us how the Hebrews as Asians have influenced the rise and fall of the Assyrian,
Babylonian (modern day Iraq), Persian (modern day Iran), and Roman empires that led to the
development of European civilization until the beginning of the Christian era.

Surprisingly, future events, even the contemporary world setting were actually written in
advance especially in the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and Revelation before and during the
Babylonian captivity, except the Book of Revelation. The book was written by the Beloved John during his
exile in Patmos. Not one of them has missed.

The middle period also began from the Christian era to the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 in
Europe. However, the idea for the common bond of unity is not a unity of sovereign powers acting on
established international principles, but the establishment of state religion. All other powers were
subordinate to a single power. Laws on land and seas were reestablished. The Diaspora also happened
during this period, 70A.D., when both the Jews and Christians literally scattered abroad because of heavy
persecution. But they became influencers wherever they went. The Book of Revelation was also written
by the Beloved John around 95 A.D.

Gnostic controversy or the anti-Christ mythical and secret knowledge belief, however, surfaced
around 60 A.D., and by 140A.D. The Gnostics later outnumbered Christians in some areas. Christians in
Asia were heavily persecuted for more than 1600 years, and this period was characterized by Christian
martyrdom, continuing slavery, religious and racial discrimination, state religion, the split of Rome into
two parts – the West Rome and the East Rome, Byzantine Empire, and invading tribes. The Moslems, the
Turks, the Ottoman Empire also established state religion, this is evident even in Arab countries today. It
was in effect until the rise of the Christian West (1000-1500). The Reformation Period and the Renaissance
(1320-1600) eventually happened due to the corruption of Church leadership and teachings in Europe.

The modern or contemporary world began from the Treaty or Peace of Westphalia with Christian
influence to the present period. This contemporary world may also be divided into five eras –

1. From 1648 Peace of Westphalia to 1713 Peace of Utrecht

2. From 1713 Peace of Utrecht to 1815 Congress of Vienna
3. From 1815 Holy Alliance to 1899 First Hague Peace Conference
4. From 1907 Second Hague Peace Conference to 1919 The Covenant of the League of
Nations /Treaty of Peace in Europe ending World War I/Creation of the International
Court of Justice
5. From 1921 Washington Conference to 1945 United Nations Charter,
- 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide ending
World War II
 The 1917 World War I also ended the Ottoman Empire (1517-1917) (History of Islam – Five Pillars,
Nation of Islam, 2020) with the Treaty of Peace in Europe. There were seemingly five reasons for the fall
of the empire –

 The empire was too agrarian.

 Its multiculturalism makes it non cohesive.
 The under-educated people.
 Deliberate rejection of other countries.
 Destructive rivalry with Russia.
 Wrong alliance in World War I (Kiger, 2020).

All the members of the United Nations, especially Asians, are beneficiaries in the provisions of
1945 United Nations Charter, 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and 1948 Convention on the
Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This was in response to the crimes committed
against humanity by the members of the Axis Powers, including Japan, during World War II.

Economic growth and development in the Middle East and Western Asia have been a challenge
for globalization because of the millennial age and perpetual antagonism of Arab countries against Israel
and the irrepressible Jews, the collectivist/exclusive manner of some, the antisemitic groups, and the
resurrection of religious globalism through terrorism. (The 2020 World Almanac, pp. 13-34)

- Southeast Asian Regionalism

Southeast Asian Region is composed of Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand,
Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.

The presence of the Muslims in the southern part of the Philippines is believed by some to be the
evidence of the coming of the Arab or Muslim traders to the Philippines between 1200-1300AD.
However, many historians believe that the land was already inhabited prior to their coming due to the
presence of tribal wars in the country. This was also described by Antonio Pigafetta in his documented
narration of Magellan’s conversation with a non-Muslim tribal king, and the Aramaic / Non-Arabic
language spoken by the natives during their exploration of the Philippine islands. Linguists say that
Aramaic is the old Hebrew language. But there is more to that, because Baybayin is widely accepted
today as the mother of all language, and that the Ten Commandments, according to Dr. R.V. Narag, a
modern Hebrew scholar, is written in Baybayin.

Apparently, the Spaniards have also failed to rename many provinces in the Philippines having
Hebrew meanings according to Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture and his team in his meticulously
researched 12-Part Video Series, Solomon’s Gold with over 4 million followers. Amazingly, the
consolidated independent works of Dr. Richard Vincent Narag, author of Rizal Code and many others,
and The God Culture Team’s Solomon’s Gold Series, show many convincing proofs that the place Ophir,
mentioned in the Bible, is indeed Philippines…and that we are Ophirians…descendants of Joktan, son of
Eber (Father of Hebrews), son of Shelah, son of Arphaxad, descendant of Shem, son of Noah, descendant
of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

The evidence is overwhelming that calls for Filipino historians to study deeper the pre-Hispanic
Philippines. So, globalization and regionalism are nothing new to Asians, especially the
Filipinos/Ophirians when it comes to international trading. We already have our thriving culture prior to
the coming of the Spaniards. Studies on this have been expounded in the course on Philippine History.

Although the East has rejected Christ teachings, the year 1500-1650 marks the expansion of the
West and the endurance of the East. This explains the reason why Magellan came to the Philippines on 17
March 1521, since the establishment of the international dateline, not 16 March 1521. The expansion of the
European world hegemony took place from 1650 to 1815.

The triumph and tragedy of western civilization happened between 1815 and 1945 wherein
World War I and II happened. The total World War II death toll apparently reach 22-23 million people.

The Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and the Philippines was signed in
Washington on 13 August 1951. Article I of the said treaty provides for the peaceful means of settling
international disputes between the two countries. They both agreed to refrain from using threats or use
of force inconsistent with the purpose of the United Nations.(p.352, Public International Law)

During the liberation period, the Philippines was 2 nd only to Japan in the world economic index
based on economic growth and development…with the foreign exchange rate of Php 2.00 = US$1.00 only.
After seven decades, the foreign exchange rate has risen to Php 50.00 = US$1.00.

Former President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who ruled the Philippines from 1966 to 1986, is
considered to be the smartest president of the Philippines. Critics say that he did well in the first six years
of his administration until the September 1972 Martial Law and his attempt to change the form of
government of the Philippines from Presidential to Parliamentary through the 1973 Philippine
Constitution.

However, his handwritten law, Presidential Decree No. 27, entitled, “Emancipation of the Tenants
from the Bondage of Soil, transferring to them the Ownership of the Land They till and Providing the
Instrument and Mechanism Thereof, is considered to be one of his greatest achievements. (Garcia, J.S.,
Readings in Philippine History (2019), pp. 78-79)

Meanwhile, King Mongkut, Rama IV, (1804 -1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam, Thailand. He
is known as the Father of Science in Siam as he embraced Western innovations and instigated the
modernization of Siam, both in culture and in technology.

King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, (1853-1910), is also known as Great Modernizer for his political
and economic reforms in Thailand. Some nationalism scholars contend that the roots of national identity
of Thailand lies in the rise of Western industrialization and capitalism.

In 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) has been established. The purpose of
the organization is to accelerate the economic growth; develop the society and culture in the region
through research, technical cooperation, and advance studies; and to promote peace and security in the
Southeast Asia. This was started by the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore
and Thailand in 1967. Brunei joined in 1984, supported by Vietnam in 1995, followed by Laos and
Myanmar in 1997, and finally Cambodia joined in 1999.

Member states of ASEAN is eyeing on the European Union as a model of “free trade for the
region that covers more than 600 million people.” This happened in Jakarta on 15 December 2008 when
the charter, signed in November 2007, was opened.