The Philippines dropped two places to 44th out of 150 countries in 2023, based on the latest edition of the Elcano Global Presence Index by Madrid-based think tank Elcano Royal Institute. The index assesses and ranks a country’s international relations, foreign policy, and global affairs under three dimensions: economy, defense, and soft presence. With an index value of 55.15, the country is the sixth-lowest among its peers in the region.