“It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.” Henry Kissinger
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has concluded his visit to the United States. Marketed as a reaffirmation of “ironclad friendship” between Manila and Washington, the trip was hyped by Malacañang as a breakthrough moment for Philippine economic and security interests. But with the announcement of the concessions made under the “trade deal”, the visit appears to have yielded little value for the Filipino people—and much for the United States.
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President Marcos accepted the terms of a new U.S.-Philippines trade deal that imposes a 19% tariff on Philippine exports, while allowing American goods to enter the country tariff-free.
The 1% discount from the initially proposed 20% is a far cry from the Philippines’ original position of a 10% rate. In exchange, the U.S. offered warm words, military photo ops, and rhetorical affirmations of friendship.
What it did not offer was a fair deal.
The Leverage That Wasn’t Used
The Philippines entered these negotiations with more leverage than it realized. Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), the U.S. now enjoys access to nine key military sites across the country—including bases in Palawan, Cagayan, and Isabela—giving Washington strategic positioning along the so-called ‘first island chain’ encircling China.
In military terms, this makes the Philippines one of the most crucial staging grounds for U.S. operations in the Indo-Pacific. But instead of translating that value into stronger negotiating power for trade, investment, or technological cooperation, the Marcos administration settled for symbolic gestures and lopsided economic terms.
This failure to leverage EDCA and the Philippines’ geographic centrality has resulted in an arrangement where the country is increasingly seen not as an equal ally, but as a forward-operating warship for U.S. military interests—a pawn in a great-power contest whose economic interests are being sidelined in favor of Washington.
The Philippines is again made an American colony
In one visit, Washington secured continued basing access, advanced plans for a shipyard in Palawan, a future arms manufacturing facility on Philippine soil, and open access to the Filipino market for U.S. exports.
Meanwhile, Manila walked away with a 19% tariff burden on its key export sectors and a public relations line about ‘ironclad friendship’ that harms Filipino farmers, workers, industries, or national development.
The electronics and semiconductor sectors—among the most critical for Philippine exports—are projected to generate over $30 billion this year. A 19% tariff will significantly erode competitiveness and discourage further investments, especially as neighboring ASEAN countries secure preferential or exempted status from similar tariffs.
ASEAN Neighbors Stand Up vs America While Marcos Begs for 1%
While Marcos basked in American red carpet make-believe, his ASEAN neighbors were securing real gains:
Indonesia
Cut tariffs from 32% to 19% via a simple phone call. Official U.S. visit scheduled for September.
Malaysia
Finalized a green tech trade pact, drawing U.S. investments across Malaysia.
Vietnam
Signed a semiconductor supply agreement and received preferred status for chip exports.
Thailand
Renewed U.S.-Thai Free Trade Dialogue, gained agricultural exemptions and AI research grants, and hosted the U.S.-ASEAN Digital Cooperation Summit.
By contrast, Marcos—the first ASEAN leader to visit Washington under Trump’s second term—returned home with less favorable terms, despite offering more strategic concessions, with some experts decrying as selling out the Philippines’ sovereignty. This glaring asymmetry raises questions about the quality of Philippine diplomacy and whether its national interest is truly being advanced.
Ambassador Romualdez: More Lobbyist than Diplomat?
Key to this outcome is the enduring presence of Ambassador Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez, who has been central to shaping U.S.-Philippine relations. Romualdez has consistently prioritized U.S. security and economic preferences—championing EDCA expansion, echoing American talking points, and now defending a trade deal that clearly disadvantages the Philippines.
Rather than acting as a negotiator for Philippine advantage, Romualdez has functioned as a broker for U.S. access and influence. His role in these negotiations underscores the urgent need to re-examine who is truly representing Philippine interests abroad.
Target in the First Island Chain
With this visit, the Philippines’ status as the first island chain of U.S. defense against China is no longer speculative—it is being operationalized.
With military infrastructure in place, a trade agreement that favors Washington, and a subservient diplomatic posture, the Philippines is drifting from an ally to a proxy.
This trajectory will have long-term consequences. Not only does it reduce Manila’s economic flexibility and negotiating leverage, it also places the country directly in the crosshairs of any potential great-power conflict in the region.
And for what?
A 19% tariff and another promise of partnership.
First to Fly, Last to Deliver
President Marcos may have been the first ASEAN leader to fly to Washington this year, but he is returning home with the least to show for it. The Philippines gave up strategic concessions and accepted economic penalties—while others in the region delivered results quietly, strategically, and effectively.
The Filipino people deserve more than diplomatic rhetorics. They deserve a foreign policy grounded in dignity, reciprocity, and the clear advancement of national interest. Anything less is not leadership—it is surrender.
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Good day,
Sorry you feel the way you do about the 19% tariffs. However, that’s only one item in a long list that that’s holding the Philippines back economically. Real change starts with the people through the cooperation of the worthy classes & the government.
The third world shit hole country is being treated badly by its colonial master? Who would have thought, keeping sucking off Uncle Sam and prepare to be human shields and rape victims, keep protecting America you third world scum
3rd world shit hole indeed
venezuela is poor , but its markets are clean
its the philippine market vendors who are a bunch of filthy, disgusting animals.
there ive said it.
out public market floors are full of muck and the heavy smell of fish guts and the walls have streaks of what look suspiciously like human excrement.
buzzing flies bigger than bees and mutated sewer rats with black and white spots the size of full grown cats .
now who do we get rid of?
these hordes of filthy market and riverbank squatter types, so brainwashed and deluded as to maintain a facade of smiley contentment and normality , mistakenly attributed to “filipino resilience” and “ingenuity”, when they are literally living on a pile of flooded garbage?
or the shameless politicians who coddle them?
if youre already in jail?
then its off to the rice fields for you.
old-school chain gang style.
all sidewalk vending, parking tickets, petty violations? off to the esteros and streets and drainage for clean-up duties for you.
nationwide ban on karaoke, billiard parlors, street drinking, street basketball courts, all forms of gambling, cockfight arenas , unregistered dogs and cats, smoking and vaping, happy ending massage parlors.
do it now!
the problem is that the poor cannot or do not discipline their young.
the solution ? compulsory milatary service for out of school youth and those who do not proceed to college.
problem solved in a single generation.
how about the population, you ask?
if you dont pay taxes, its a one child policy for you.
if you live on a pile of garbage? then its a zero child policy for you.
violators? a mandatory ligation or vasectomy !
our educational system is a disgrace.
heres how we can improve it in a mere one year :
– institute a model citizenship subject in all grades until grade 12
– here students are taught the proper values, i.e squatting is wrong, sidewalk vending is wrong, living on a pile of garbage and actually eating recooked garbage is deplorable and is definitely not ok, making the street a personal garage is shameful, riding a pedal cab is stupid when you can easily walk a kilometer, repairing perfectly good concrete roads in the guise of maintenance is total bullshit, among others
– every week, each child is required to report all violations they observe into a special 8888 hotline or online forum
– every day , children are taught the various trikks and gimmiks politicians use to stealmoney from the people
this is very simpe to do, and can take the place or augment the existing civics or aralin panlipunan subject.
cmon bobble head president guy, do it now !
NATIONWIDE BAN ON POLITICAL TARPAULIN ADS, like,
RIGHT FREAKING NOW !
the least we need to be looking at right now are slimy politicians and their ugly mugs .
is that so hard to do, you useless fag nerds in congress?? bobble head president guy? its just a simple executive order.
no excuses, no lawyers making things unnecessarily complicated, no talking blah blah blah , just get it done.
just get off your lazy assssss and do it.
philippine culture is wrecked.
the wrong values are being passed on to the next generation, an unruly, stubborn,insipid, and stupid culture.
the masses are trapped in an illusion of happiness and contentedness despite all around him is only wretched squalor, public disorder,floating filth and the ugly mugs of politicians on tattered tarpaulins.
what is needed is a cultural revolution.
send all grade 12 and college students prior to graduation for at least a week of cultural exchange to singapore, korea, japan, china.
this will culture shock therapy the “filipino psyche” out of the young and reboot them on the road to bettet citizenship.
it is easily doable. do it now !
At this point any level-headed Filipino has to confront the question of whether a few islands in the South China Sea are worth risking a potentially devastating proxy war.
And I find it the height of irony that Filipino media engaged in so much agitation over one country’s military presence in the Spratly Islands and Philippine waters—all to end up making Pinoys to consent another country building bases on our own major islands.
I suspect that all the media noise over the Spratlys issue served as nothing but a means for the Filipino people to direct their frustrations, grievances and discontent on a scapegoat (in this case China) instead of towards the corrupt political class or US imperialism. It’s another form of “bread and circuses” escapism in other words.
manila could use a few bombs, might reduce the congestion.
Correcto–however, the average Pilipino has an IQ of 79-81 and “loves” their us colonial masters-overlords. It is a severe form of mental illness.
the filipino , to this day, subconsciously equates ANY white man to the christian god jesus christ.
500 years and the brainwashing pervades.
Pastor Apollo Quiboloy isn’t a white man and it did not take him 500 years to convince people in the south to believe in him that he is the Son of God.
Even being in jail, there are people he abused who still have faith in him. Accused of wrong-doing, it’s unbelievable there are people of national prominence and stature who are up in arms just to defend him including lawyers (including a Muslim lawyer), city mayor, congressmen, senators, business personalities, the VP and the Former President who once called God as stupid.
but, everyone is a son of god.
Isn’t the whole planet under white supremacy rule? You just can’t say the N word but they can do the salute and broadcast it in your face. Does the Eastern “giant” want to be the next supremacist??
Uncle scam put pilipinos in zoos for paying customers (of course–the vile us empire is and was ALL about money.
Colonialist scumbags-tell the americans and uncle scam to bleep off