MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has released a new roadmap to help streamline the government’s approach to enhancing the Philippine’s image and influence overseas.
The Philippine Soft Power Roadmap, formally released on December 11, was the outcome of a 14-month project spearheaded by the DFA Office of Public Diplomacy (DFA-OPD).
The strategic guide compiles the agency’s extensive research and series of consultation workshops with government and non-government stakeholders to provide direction for the country’s 98 foreign service posts worldwide in their soft power work.
With the Filipino diaspora that continues to showcase the Philippines’ rich cultural heritage abroad, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the country is well-positioned to develop a “formidable, global, soft power presence”.
“From Taste Atlas’ inclusion of our “adobo”, “sinigang” and “sisig” among the world’s 100 best dishes for several consecutive years, to the preeminence of San Miguel beer, to the near ubiquity of Philippine festivals around the world, and the steadily increasing number of foreign universities offering Philippine studies in their curriculum, our Filipino expatriate communities worldwide have been at the forefront of highlighting the best that our country has to offer,” he said.
The official, however, said there was a need to have a “better coordinated and documented effort” to harness all the country’s soft power assets.
Under this new roadmap, Manalo said the DFA and its foreign service posts abroad would advance the Philippines’ “diverse perspectives and aspirations,” in line with the present administration’s vision of a Bagong Pilipinas.
“[W]e launch the Philippine Soft Power Roadmap as a call to action — a pivotal first step in a strategic effort to enhance our international image and strengthen our global reach and influence,” he said.
The DFA also hopes this roadmap could later serve as a reference for other government agencies and sectors across the Philippines.
The strategies outlined in the roadmap will complement the DFA’s efforts in the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy: preserving and enhancing national security, promoting and achieving economic security, and protecting the rights and promoting the interests and welfare of Overseas Filipinos.
An integral part of the launch was the publication of two books: “The Frontiers of Foreign Policy: Essays on Philippine Soft Power” and the coffee table book “Colors of Diplomacy: Register of Artworks of the Department of Foreign Affairs”. (PNA)