CACANANTA, MARIA LOUISE VICTORIA M.

– B27

Global Power: To Rule or To Obey

(715)

Today we are experiencing globalization in constant changes. Many times, we begin and retire

from trends due to this situation, but there is one factor that has constant control over it, and that is “global

power”. Global power is an undefined or more likely an overlooked factor when we discuss globalization,

often times globalization is about the economy of the world run by currencies and all of the factors that go

on with people, movement, and trading; but globalization in politics could mean more as power, and that

is what this paper will discuss, specifically how global power will be achieved by a developing country like

the Philippines.

What is global governance? How does it affect the ways of ruling and living in the Philippines?

Global governance brings together diverse actors to coordinate collective action at the level of the planet.

The goal of global governance, roughly defined, is to provide global public goods, particularly peace and

security, justice and mediation systems for conflict, functioning markets, and unified standards for trade

and industry (Global Challenges Foundation, 2022). As stated in the introduction we are experiencing

globalization that is constantly changing and relating that to global governance we should be able to

adapt to the present trends and retire from the old ones in order to keep par with what the modern world

has to offer for our country. Applying global power to these concepts, we must ask first if we do have the

power to create such change that will make the rules benefit us, and is that possible? Yes, it is possible,

but there should be fewer expectations due to the fact that we implore a common goal of doing the

common good for many rather than coercing our personal interests upon others if we are to be playing an

ideal role. So how do we create rules from this information? Firstly, we are a sovereign state and as the

word implores, we have power over our own nation, we make the rules, we create borders and many

more that would benefit our country, but how do we ensure ourselves that this is understood by the

world? Of course, we communicate with them, and we relate ourselves by joining organizations and

participating in their plans to better one for all and all for one as if everything would come in place.

Although this has worked quite well in creating temporary solutions for our country’s crisis, much of it

buries a foot behind in global competitiveness.

1
CACANANTA, MARIA LOUISE VICTORIA M. – B27

The other way would be much simpler, to obey. We have been doing that for years, evidently the

dark times of our country where we were submerged in slavery, and at present vague traces of neo-

slavery. We do what we are told by the rules and the laws defined by others, being under the power of

others. For example, the UN. We have been experiencing this dispute with China, the claim for territory in

Spratly’s Islands which had been going on for years and still had us gain close to nothing but a paper.

Why is that so? The fact that we are part of the UN, is that we are under its governing laws, and for us a

mere member we do as it says while for China a member of the Security Council, specifically the P5 they

create the rules beyond us although they do not directly perform such actions it is still evident through the

results. Relating this fact to the results of ICC on the UNCLOS investigations and everything else that

claims for the rights of the Philippine borders is that China does not recognize or ratify the ICC’s decision

as they are part of the P5 having control over the majority with a single veto, and if we are to insist such

words and papers to their ideologies, the tables would have turned against us and why? For one reason

we could not insist on a such decision on a superpower country that invokes its rights on its sovereignty

the same way we do.

Thus, if our country would like to continue social and diplomatic relations with other countries

we must play by the rules. It’s simple yet absurd when it comes to our rights, but it is the price of peace

over power.