Friday, June 27, 2008 Editorials: President’s visit to the US
QUESTIONING why the US should send a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to help in the rescue operations of one of the country’s worst sea disasters is like an American senator asking why the country’s chief of state is sitting with the US president in his office when she is most needed in her country.
There is really no pat answer to questions of assistance from friends in times of real need.
Regardless of what the political public would think about President Arroyo’s visit to the US last week, the fact remains that it was not really made in vain.
Assistance
One main by-product of the visit besides the side trip of the USS Ronald Reagan to the Philippines to help in the rescue operations is the extension of $216.5-million food security assistance in grants and loans “to help ensure food security amid rising prices of rice, fuel and other commodities in the world.”
The framework agreement of cooperation on agriculture and related fields was signed Tuesday by the two countries.
In the past, visits of Philippine leaders to the US were always tied to domestic politics, and would always happen during the run-up to election campaigns.
Both the incumbent president and the opposition standard bearer would vie for open American declaration of aid or assistance to the Philippines that they would wave before the electorate to win their votes.
The reason behind this was the public sentiment looked to the US for social and economic support.
This attitude overpowered the nationalism that bound Filipino public opinion against the US early on.
Ties that bind
To a certain extent, it is quite a shame that there are still Filipinos who cannot accept our independence.
But it can only be the fault of our leaders who are unable to keep faith with our people.
Indeed, it has become part of our national life and tradition that American culture, as well as political thought and practices, influenced our attitudes, the way we talk and behave, the way we look at governance, the justice system we live by, even the books we read, and build our libraries on, and the courses we offer in our colleges and universities.
Truly, we cannot escape the ties that bind us with our “brother” Americans.
