“Betrayal of the people; betrayal of the farmers.” These are the accusations critics levy against the government whenever it attempts to liberalize trade or open up the economy to imported products. The accusations are anchored on the view that, in its essence, foreign trade is inimical to the growth of the local economy. It supposedly drives our consumers to buy imported goods instead of patronizing local products. In turn, producers of other countries are the ones who benefit, as the proceeds of the sales of the imported products are siphoned off to the exporting country.

To counter such inimical trading relationship, the prescription is to “buy local products or patronize Philippine-made products.” It adds, by an appeal to emotion, that this is what “nationalism” is all about.