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Why Pinoys are invested in US Prexy Elections—and why it matters that we should

It’s an election that should not matter to our country, but just like the rest of the world, we are heavily invested. Why?

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It seems that there are three elections that matter the most to Filipinos. These are the two National Elections that happen every three years—Presidential and Midterm—and, weird as it may sound, the US Presidential Elections, which happens every four years.

But why? Why are Filipinos so invested in who becomes the President of the United States (POTUS)?

And why do tweets and social media posts like this exist?

Of course, there are people who simply show interest because it’s a hot topic. After all, a lot of Filipinos see parallels between current POTUS Donald Trump and our very own President Rodrigo Duterte.

They both like to talk tough, they “put their countrymen and their country first”, and they’re “a departure from traditional politicians”.

Of course, all of these claims have since been disproven, though Americans seem to have gotten the shorter end of the stick with Trump.

There are, however, very real reasons Filipinos should be interested—if not invested—in the US Presidential Elections.

Global powerhouse

For one, the US is arguably the world’s most powerful country. They hold so much power and influence that the decisions their President makes affect the entire world—specifically the global economy.

It’s no secret that the US is one of the world’s biggest markets, as they both provide and consume goods on a scale matched by very few countries. The Philippines, in particular, has a lot of trade deals with the US, with 16.3% of Filipino exports going towards the “Land of the Free”.

It’s no secret that the US is one of the world’s biggest markets, as they both provide and consume goods on a scale matched by very few countries. The Philippines, in particular, has a lot of trade deals with the US, with 15.63% of Filipino exports going towards the country according to data from the World Integrated Trade Solution World Bank,

Visa policies

Policies put in place by the US continue to affect its immigrants and their home countries, like what Trump put in place during his four years as POTUS.

Just think about the long waitlist for US visa interviews at the US Embassy—yes, that building beside Manila’s infamous Dolomite Beach. They process hundreds, if not thousands of visa applications monthly for Filipinos, with a significant chunk not being accepted because of policy changes put in place by Trump’s administration.

International defense

The US continues to be our country’s biggest military ally. The Visiting Forces Agreement may have left a bad taste in our mouths, but it’s hard to argue against being a protectorate of the US.

Having the US as an ally means we can assert our territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea. If someone who “puts America first” like Trump were to stay in power, we would lose a key ally in our bid to claim what is rightfully ours.

Someone like Joe Biden might prove to be a good president in that case, as he is more willing to collaborate with leaders from other nations on matters of international security.

As of this writing, Joe Biden is a mere one state away from winning the US Presidential Elections.

However, only time will tell if this will be good for Filipinos and the rest of the world.

Donald TrumpJoe Bidenrodrigo duterteUnited States Of AmericaUS Presidential ElectionsUS-PH Relations

Written by Andronico Del Rosario

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