The Philippines under Duterte has tried to develop an independent foreign policy rather than being a US puppet most of the timeThe US government, lawmakers an米乐体育M6珲春d pundits have generally expressed negative views of Duterte since he took office last JuneAnd overall, the perception gap between the US and China in the Philippines is narrowingAccording to the survey, 78 percent in the Philippines have a positive view of the US as of this spring, down from 92 percent who expressed positive sentiments in 2015But the Philippines, and indeed all the countries in the region, should be encouraged to have good relations with both 米乐体育M6珲春China and the US, a real win-win situation for not just the three countries involved, but for the region and the worldAt the same time, 78 percent believe the current economic situation is good, and 57 percent are satisfied with the direction of the country, a 21 percentage-point increase from 2014, the last time this question was asked in the Philippines