This is an interview with Prof. Clarita Carlos, a political analyst and former National Security Adviser to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Her insights remind us of a crucial truth: when peace and trade prevail over confrontation, smaller economies like the Philippines stand to gain the most. 

President Marcos Jr.’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin illustrates this point. Despite Western sanctions led by the United States, Russia has continued to extend cooperation to smaller economies such as ours. This willingness to engage highlights that even in a fractured global order, economic lifelines remain open.

Affordable energy, accessible fertilizers, and new markets for our agricultural exports are not abstract promises—they are concrete opportunities that can ease the burden on Filipino households and farmers. 

Yet history shows our tendency to lean heavily on military alliances, particularly with the United States, often at the expense of exploring alternative partnerships.

This dependence has limited our ability to diversify energy sources and modernize agricultural inputs. The insistence on outdated nuclear technology, instead of embracing small modular reactors already offered by other nations, is a telling example of how hesitation can stall progress. 

Globally, the divide between the Global North and South is sharpening. Europe clings to NATO and military frameworks, while emerging blocs such as BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are gaining traction by prioritizing economic collaboration.

For the Philippines, aligning with these platforms offers a chance to expand our trade footprint—selling mangoes, pineapples, and coconut oil to wider markets—rather than investing scarce resources in weapons we neither need nor can afford. 

The lesson is clear: peace and trade are not lofty ideals, but practical necessities. Every peso saved on cheaper energy or fertilizer translates into food security, jobs, and stability. Strategic autonomy, rooted in diversified partnerships, is the path toward resilience. 

In the end, diplomacy measured by economic gains rather than military ties is what will secure the future of the Filipino people. For it is only through peace and trade that we can ensure the most vital measure of national strength: a full and secure ‘palabigasan’.