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Philippine diplomacy by the numbers A recently launched book shows how treaties tell the story of foreign policy shifts across administrations
FROM SANDUGO TO STATECRAFT The Blood Compact Monument in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, commemorates the 1565 Sandugo, a historic pact of trust and mutual obligation between Filipinos and Spanish explorers. While not a modern treaty, it embodies the enduring principle of commitment—tracing the Philippines’ path from symbolic pacts to the 1,800+ negotiated and ratified agreements shaping today’s foreign policy. EVGENII MITROSHIN | DREAMSTIME.COM
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Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). • The Procurement Law Definition: A framework that adds essential technical parameters for government transactions. “When practices and procedures are clear, entry into agreements and the ratification of concluded agreements can be facilitated,” Malaya explained, noting that clarity allows these agreements to impact the real world much sooner. Professor Casis echoed this practical approach. The guidebook, which began in 2016 as a simple ring-bound internal manual, was engineered for utility. “What practitioners need is not eloquence but precise, clear guidance on process, obligations, and limits,” he said.
By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
PEECHES fade. Press releases are forgotten. Summit photo-ops capture only a single moment in time. If you want to understand a nation’s true geopolitical priorities, look past the rhetoric and follow the ink. The real language of foreign policy is written in treaties.
(L-R) Undersecretary Maria Andrelita Austria, Undersecretary Ma. Theresa Dizon-De Vega, Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim, Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya, Professor Rommel J. Casis, Director General Neil Frank Ferrer. DFA-OPD JOHANNES ADRIAN DE GUIA VIA FOREIGN SERVICE INSTITUTE (FSI) OF THE PHILIPPINES
POST-EDSA TREATY FOOTPRINTS (1986-2022) 300
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AMBASSADOR Malaya, author of the foundational Philippine Treaty Patterns 1946–2020, emphasized the sheer scale and cross-sector nature of the country’s treaty-making. With over 1,800 agreements
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Why treaties matter more than speeches
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*partial totals: 14 China, 33 Russia
BM Graphic: Ed Davad / Source: Philippine Treaty Patterns 1946–2020
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250 Total Treaties
These legally binding commitments—painstakingly negotiated, signed, and ratified—are the ultimate mirror of a country’s shifting allegiances and evolving goals. For the Philippines, more than 1,800 treaties signed since 1946 quietly chronicle the nation’s modern trajectory: from rebuilding a fractured democracy and protecting overseas workers, to asserting maritime sovereignty and embracing climate responsibility. This reality took center stage at the recent launch of the 2025 revised edition of Treaties: Guidance on Practices and Procedures. Co-authored by Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya and U.P. College of Law Assistant Professor Rommel J. Casis, the 240-page guidebook was unveiled at an event hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the UP College of Law. It served as a powerful reminder that treaties are not dusty legal archives—they are the living instruments of statecraft.
concluded since 1946, he noted that treaty negotiations extend far beyond the DFA, requiring massive inter-agency coordination across finance, trade, labor, and defense. However, the complexity of this process often breeds confusion. To ensure predictability and transparency, Malaya breaks down the concept of a “treaty” into three distinct definitions: • The Constitutional Definition: Agreements that explicitly require Senate concurrence to take effect. • The International Law Definition (Vienna Convention): The standard that distinguishes legally binding treaties from non-binding
The post-EDSA pivot: Presidents and their treaty footprints
TREATIES act as the institutional fingerprints of presidential priorities. A closer look at the data from 1986 onward reveals exactly how each administration leveraged international law to advance its specific vision for the Philippines:
Corazon Aquino (1986–1992) | Development Diplomacy
EMERGING from dictatorship and facing economic stagnation, Aquino prioritized recovery. She signed 46 bilateral agreements, 41 percent of which focused on economics, including air services, agriculture, and foreign investment attraction.
Fidel V. Ramos (1992–1998) | Economic Integration
RAMOS accelerated the economic Continued on A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 57.5540 n JAPAN 0.3687 n UK 77.6001 n HK 7.3570 n CHINA 8.4020 n SINGAPORE 45.5477 n AUSTRALIA 40.8864 n EU 67.9022 n KOREA 0.0402 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.3465 Source: BSP (February 27, 2026)