In contrast to his predecessor’s pro-China stance, he has pursued closer ties with US Marcos won last year’s elections by a landslide MANILA: As Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marked his first year as president of the Philippines on Friday, Filipinos ranked his changes in foreign policy as his biggest success so far, particularly the way he has defended national interests in the South China Sea against Beijing. The son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator, the 65-year-old won last year’s elections by a landslide, campaigning on a vision of national unity and portraying himself as a candidate for change, promising happiness to the country’s 110 million residents, many of whom were weary after years of political polarization under his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. He was sworn in on June 30, 2022, and after just 12 months of his six-year presidential term he has already shifted away from Duterte’s foreign policy by pursuing warmer relations with the US and taking a tougher stance against Chinese claims over the disputed South China Sea. Navigating increasing tensions in the maritime region, where China’s presence infringes on the Philippines’ exclusive economic zones, has been seen by Filipinos — both those who voted for Marcos and those who did not — as his major achievement so far. “He seems to know the issues confronting the country in the area of foreign relations well, including the South China Sea, and he knows how to address them, or is working to address them. He’s resolute while maintaining the country’s good standing with other states,” said Reynaldo Palacios, a 52-year-old factory worker from Marikina city in Metro Manila, the National Capital Region. “Defense is the area where he has gained the most,” he continued. “He has reinvigorated the country’s relations with other states — the West especially; something that was moribund during the time of his predecessor.” Under Duterte’s administration, relations with the US had markedly deteriorated, but Marcos has expanded America’s access to Philippine military bases under a decades-long security alliance that obliges the two countries to defend each other’s territory in case of attack by a third party. That move, made in February, enabled US troops to increase their footprint in the country and also gave them an entry point to the South China Sea. Marcos has also strengthened defense ties with two other regional allies of the US — Japan and Australia. For businessman and publisher Monsi Serrano, these developments in foreign policy came as a positive surprise, especially with regard to the Philippine portion of the South China Sea — one of the world’s most heavily trafficked waterways. Marcos’ protection of Philippine interests in the maritime region has been “admirable,” Serrano said, adding: “China lost its grip. (Marcos has given) a clear and consistent message that we will not allow our territory to be given away — not even an inch of it.” Jose Villafuerte, a civil servant in Pangasinan province, was also positive about the achievements of the Marcos administration so far. “He has a firmer command of his policies, does not micromanage, and will not act on a whim,” he said, referring to Duterte’s often controversial and violent rhetoric. “I’m a bit more optimistic than under the former president ... (Marcos) undid in one year the massively pro-China stance of his predecessor.” Despite his successes, there are still a number of issues for the president to address as he marks his first year in office. He told reporters, “We are still fighting with inflation,” which he described as “one of the biggest problems” facing the country, but stressed: “We are doing everything we can so that our people will not suffer too much.” Inflation reached a 14-year high of 8.7 percent in January, driven largely by global increases in food prices following the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Inflation has become a way of life,” said Angel Cho, a university teacher in Cavite province, adding that she was hopeful Marcos will deliver on his promises. “Some of his appointments in budget and management and in finance are seasoned economists, whom we really need right now to overcome this economic crisis,” she said.