The Philippines’ overall external projection ranking improved by three spots to 41st out of 150 countries in 2021, according to the latest edition of Elcano Global Presence Index by Madrid-based think tank Elcano Royal Institute. Its overall index score, meanwhile, dropped by 3.59 points to 48.47. The index is an annual ranking of different countries’ international projection based on three main dimensions: economy, defense, and soft presence. Among the 14 East and Southeast Asia countries included in the index, the Philippines placed 9th, ahead of Myanmar (64th overall), Cambodia (92nd), Mongolia (104th), Laos (143rd), and Brunei (144th).
