Are the foreign investors jittery? Is it the right path to take?

Are the investors worried by the course being adopted by the Filipino government?

The current developments on the foreign policy front is indeed causing tremors all over the Filipino world.

On one side is President Duterte who has an unenviable job of putting things right in his country while on the other we have virtually the whole world including:
1. The United States, The United Nations and the European Union,
2. The Moros, the communists, the Abu Sayyaf bandits and many others, and
3. The opposition parties, the drug cartels and a score of his detractors.

China is perhaps the lone entity who may be a supporter at this point of time; the United States has its own worldwide machinery of doing and undoing things. We do not know whether it is part of the misinformation campaign but some commentators are declaring that the foreign businessmen are no longer comfortable in the Philippines due to the anti-US stance of the administration.

This hostility has seemingly given rise to doubts among businessmen from Japan, USA and the EU; it is stated that the confusion caused by this volatile situation is making the foreign businesses postpone the proposed expansion and investment plans.

Some of them are already beginning to think of leaving the country.

This sentiment was expressed by the President of the Cebu Business Club, Gordon Alan Joseph who mentioned that he was being asked by businessmen from all over as to where all this was leading.

Most of them are worried.

The president had during his China visit declared that his country would soon be separating from the United States; this, he had clarified would apply to both the economic and military aspects of the relationship.

In line with the opinion of quite a few other business owners, Joseph stated that for developing cordial relationships with China, there was no need to vitiate the atmosphere by making offensive statements against the United States and others.

A middle road also exists in distancing itself from the US and the EU.

Severing off ties need not necessarily mean hurling harsh statements, accusations and abuse on the ally who had been your solid supporter for long. Antagonizing the US could lead to bad blood between the two nations which was undesirable.

The lack of diplomacy in the head of state can be the cause of some serious consequences if the flourishing financial situation suddenly deteriorates.

History is in the making; time alone will tell whether Duterte was doing as favor to his nation or a disservice.

Umrao singh
umraoz.wordpress.com

Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Written for: Lars-Magnus Carlsson
www.thephilippinepride.com

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