Manila: The Philippines' proactive approach in engaging partners this year has helped shape its position in the global arena - an active diplomacy at work that also cemented its image as a strong advocate and protector of its own citizens abroad. In January, the country saw the long-awaited release of 17 Filipino seafarers of the MV Galaxy Leader, held captive by the rebel group Houthis for over a year, through active coordination with the Oman government, which ultimately helped mediate the extraction.
According to Philippines News Agency, Manila's coordinated diplomatic actions with its Omani counterparts again led to the release of nine other Filipino crewmen, who were held by the same group for over five months after attacking the ill-fated MV Eternity C in July. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also successfully facilitated the safe return of about 700 Filipinos from scam hubs in mainland Southeast Asia throughout the year, including those lured to work in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar.
In its year-ender report, the DFA attributed these feats to active coordination with relevant Philippine agencies and law enforcement offices, complemented by collaboration with foreign counterparts. Beyond the successful rescue of distressed Filipinos abroad, the DFA this year also witnessed a leadership change, with Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro succeeding the now Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Enrique Manalo.
Lazaro, as the country's top diplomat, continued her predecessor's push to foster closer relations with bilateral partners, including through a series of high-level visits. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs, under the leadership of Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, actively pursued the Philippines' diplomatic agenda, working with its bilateral, regional, and multilateral partners in addressing common challenges and maximizing shared opportunities,' the DFA said. 'From July to December 2025, the Department was at the forefront of protecting our national interests and promoting an international environment that is friendly to the Philippines and the Filipino people,' it added.
From July to September, Lazaro met with her counterparts and other high-level officials from Oman, Lao PDR, Croatia, Timor-Leste, and Palestine, with whom she reaffirmed Manila's support for a two-state solution. The Philippines also held successful Maritime Dialogues with Vietnam, Australia, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, and South Korea.
The Marcos administration's summit-level diplomacy also secured billions worth of investments and assistance in energy, maritime, and economic growth programs from like-minded partners, including the United States. Following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s official visit to the U.S. in July, the country generated over USD21 billion in investment pledges and reduced the U.S. tariff rate imposed on Philippine goods from 20 percent to 19 percent. Marcos also led productive visits to India and Cambodia to increase cooperation in defense, tourism, ICT, combatting transnational crime, and enhanced maritime cooperation.
As the country welcomes the new year, the DFA said Manila will bolster its two-way trade and investments with the U.S. in various sectors, such as agriculture and food security, semiconductors, and green metals/critical minerals, among others. At the multilateral level, the Philippines continues to reaffirm its strong commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based order.
During the 80th UN General Assembly in New York last September, Lazaro said Manila will help advance global peace by drawing from its own successes should it secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the term 2027 to 2028. 'In the Philippines, we know that beyond stopping hostilities, peace is a just order, with individuals flourishing in dignity at its center,' she said during the UNGA general debate. 'The success story of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM tells us that peacebuilding, though sometimes arduous and long, endows communities their rightful future,' she added.
The Philippines this year also called for a stronger UN - one that promotes peace, security, climate action, and migrant protection. 'There is no alternative to the United Nations. There is no good global order other than one based on international law and the principle of the sovereign equality of states,' Lazaro said. For a maritime nation like the Philippines, she said a rules-based order is 'indispensable' and that international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), is 'fundamental.'
The Philippines asserts its rights and sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, with international law, specifically UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award as its basis. And while Filipino vessels and fisherfolk continue to be harassed within their own waters, Lazaro said Manila will stick to 'diplomacy and other peaceful means to settle disputes.'
As the country ushers in 2026 and formally assumes chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), President Marcos said Manila would drive efforts to 'strengthen dialogue and cooperation on regional security, deepen economic integration through innovation and sustainability, and uplift the lives and resilience' within the region.
