Activating the National Maritime Council

THE true mettle of a leader is almost always tested by crisis. The biggest foreign policy challenge to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is the West Philippine Sea. It is an existential issue that will impact the lives of generations to come. How we got to this conundrum can be traced to historical forces, a lot of which were beyond our control: colonialism, World War 2, the Cold War and the globalization of world politics.

The President is the chief architect and implementer of foreign policy. Needless to say, while he has the entire executive branch at his beck and call, he needs to carry out the appropriate response in a timely manner. He is the crisis manager, backed by a team of competent, well-informed and determined bureaucrats. The reorganization of the National Coast Watch Council into the National Maritime Council under Executive Order 57 is a welcome step. It is tasked "to formulate policies and strategies to ensure a unified, coordinated, and effective governance framework for the country's maritime security and domain awareness."