Independence

Every nation should be able to stand on its own feet, without depending on foreign aid for its development and other needs. So President Duterte is making the right noises, although in his trademark profanitylaced terms, when he vows to pursue an independent foreign policy.

As of Friday, three of the nation’s largest sources of various forms of assistance – the United Nations, European Union and the United States – said they were not about to withdraw their aid to the Philippines, as advised by the President, who was reacting to a warning from Vice President Leni Robredo.

It would be cause for celebration if the country no longer needs foreign aid. This is in fact the ultimate objective of the donor community: to see recipients “graduate” from aid packages. But the reality is that the nation still relies on a substantial amount of official development assistance in many areas including infrastructure projects, disaster reconstruction, the conditional cash transfer and other poverty alleviation programs.

Still, a nation that needs foreign aid must share the ultimate goal of the donors: to stand on its own feet without relying on others. Dependence on foreign aid can lull a nation into complacency. But declaring independence from foreign assistance must be matched by the heavy lifting that is needed to build a strong nation.

President Duterte can pursue this ultimate goal by focusing on the many other aspects that are critical for its achievement. He must pour more resources into improving a nation’s greatest asset, its people, by boosting investments in education and public health, by promoting innovation and supporting research and development.

He must create a proper environment that will unleash the entrepreneurial, innovative spirit of the Filipino. He must empower the people to compete and excel in a globalized economy. He must provide the infrastructure and the structural foundations to create a strong, functioning republic – one that does not need to demand respect from the community of nations because respect has already been earned.

Along the way, the President may find it useful to start shedding his belligerence and make as many friends as possible, if not for himself then at least for the nation, because even the most prosperous states cannot isolate themselves from the international community. Even when the day comes that the Philippines no longer has any use for foreign aid, it will always benefit from having all the friends it can have.