THE Philippines is pursuing an independent foreign policy anchored in national interests, international law, and diversified partnerships as strategic competition intensifies, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said during a fireside chat at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York Thursday.
Lazaro said the country does not view its foreign policy through the restrictive prism of choosing sides amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, emphasizing the importance of sovereignty, peaceful dispute resolution, and Asean centrality.
“The Philippines’ mantra has always been that to be security strong, we must be economically strong,” Lazaro said, underscoring the link between economic resilience and national security.
Speaking before CFR members on Sept. 24, Lazaro outlined the Philippines’ foreign policy priorities, its 2026 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), and its approach to a rapidly changing regional and global environment.
She said the Philippines seeks to navigate strategic competition with greater resilience while protecting and advancing its national interests through international law, diversified partnerships and peaceful means.
Lazaro highlighted the Philippines’ relations with the United States, China and other regional partners, as well as its broader multilateral priorities.
On the Philippines’ Asean chairmanship under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together,” Lazaro emphasized the importance of regional unity, peace and stability, economic integration and resilience, and Asean’s ability to respond to emerging regional and global challenges.
She also provided updates on her work as the Asean chair’s special envoy to Myanmar.
Strengthening PH-US economic security
Lazaro highlighted the evolving Philippines-United States alliance as the two countries mark 80 years of diplomatic relations and 75 years as allies in 2026.
She discussed the breadth of bilateral cooperation, including defense and security, economic development, technology, infrastructure, people-to-people ties, and efforts to support a stable Indo-Pacific.
On economic security, the secretary cited the Luzon Economic Corridor as a flagship example of how the two countries’ strategic partnership could translate into concrete economic opportunities.
She stressed the need for resilient, secure, and diversified supply chains, while underscoring cooperation in semiconductors, critical and emerging technologies, critical minerals, and energy.
These areas, she said, are interconnected to achieve food security.
Lazaro also said the Philippines generally views artificial intelligence as an opportunity rather than a threat.
She identified initiatives such as the Luzon Economic Corridor and Pax Silica as examples of efforts to strengthen economic security and resilience.
Addressing questions on the Philippines’ approach to China and the United States amid South China Sea tensions, Lazaro reiterated that Manila’s foreign policy is guided by national interest and international law rather than by an obligation to choose between competing powers.
The discussion at the CFR underscored the Philippines’ efforts to combine diplomatic engagement, regional cooperation, and economic resilience in responding to geopolitical and global challenges.
