Acting Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the Philippines will rely on the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in resolving its territorial disputes with other countries. Del Rosario said the Philippines will also seek ASEAN's help in bolstering its relations with its longtime military ally, the United States, while strengthening its relations with Asian powerhouse China. He bared the Philippines' foreign policy on territorial conflict resolution before Philippine-based diplomats in a reception he hosted in Makati Monday night. According to Del Rosario, the foreign policy of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III also focuses on the country’s main international worries:
protecting overseas Filipino workers from abuse; attracting badly-needed foreign investments, and promoting national security. “We want to create jobs by enticing investors, so that Filipinos will not have to seek employment abroad," Del Rosario said. “But in the meantime we need to protect them and promote their welfare, and in the end encourage them to go home and help in nation building." Economic partners Del Rosario said the DFA will be more aggressive in engaging with the country’s traditional economic and commercial partners in East Asia, North America and Europe, and new ones in South and Central Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa. Del Rosario also assured the public that the Philippine government’s economic diplomacy is anchored on “transparent, stable and predictable policies." He also said the Philippines will increase its interaction with other countries in resolving the Mindanao conflict, the Palestinian issue, global terrorism, and the ongoing unrest in the Arab world. South China Sea territories The South China Sea territories — a cluster of islands, shoals, islets, atolls, cays and reefs with rich minerals and oil reserves — are seen as one of Asia’s major flashpoints. Aside from the Philippines, the countries claiming it in part or in whole are China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan. Nearly a decade ago, in 2002, the ASEAN and China signed a landmark non-binding code of conduct in the South China Sea to reduce the tension among the claimants by temporarily putting ownership issues in the backburner. The US earlier expressed concern that the dispute in the South China Sea territories would hurt access to the area, one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes, and affect commerce between the US and Asia. The US government urged the ASEAN and China to forge a stronger code of conduct in the Spratlys and even offered assistance in the negotiations for the crafting of the new document. However, China ruled out foreign intervention in resolving the dispute among claimants in the Spratlys. – VVP, GMA News 
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