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Marcos: Philippine-US economic ties won’t change under Trump

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

By Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Monday night said Philippine-US economic ties under a Donald J. Trump presidency would not change given their strong defense bond.

“I don’t think it will change,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a cruise industry event in Parañaque City. “They are our oldest treaty partner; that doesn’t change. So, I will have to see if there is a major change, but I don’t think so.”

Mr. Marcos earlier congratulated Mr. Trump on his win in the US presidential election, hoping for “unshakeable” Philippine-US ties.

He said he looked forward to working with Mr. Trump on a wide range of issues that “will yield mutual benefits to two nations with deep ties, shared beliefs, common vision, and a long history of working together.”

The US is the Philippines’ major security partner, with a 1951 Mutual Defense treaty compelling both nations to defend each other in case of an armed attack.

The US government under President Joseph R. Biden had reiterated that the treaty covers any attacks on Philippine vessels, personnel and other assets in the South China Sea and anywhere in the Pacific.

Last year, Manila gave Washington access to four more military bases under their 2015 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto on Monday said Manila hopes it could improve ties with the US on the economic front under a Trump presidency since the two nations are security allies.

Last month, he flagged a potential “setback on multilateralism” particularly in trade, which he said has been a driver of global growth.

Mr. Trump wants to impose a 60% tariff on all Chinese goods and a 10% universal tariff.

“While the Philippine-US ties are highly likely to remain stable, the economic landscape will be shaped by global dynamics, including the US position on China,” John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “This may present both opportunities and challenges for the Philippines.”

On trade, decoupling trends targeting China could deepen Philippine-US economic engagement, he said, citing the Philippines’ competitive advantage in the electronics, semiconductors and outsourcing sectors.

“Stronger military cooperation can increase economic support. However, any escalation in security ties would need careful management to balance economic dependencies and regional stability.”

Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto Eduardo Gerardo “Gibo” C. Teodoro, Jr. on Tuesday said the Philippines has no expectations about what President-elect Trump would do regarding territorial disputes in the South China Sea. He issued the remarks during a visit to Canberra, the Australian capital.

Tropical Storm Usagi enters Philippines as Toraji leaves

PAGASA.DOST.GOV.PH

TROPICAL Storm Usagi, locally named Ofel, has entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and was set to make landfall over Northern or Central Luzon, the state weather bureau said on Tuesday.

“Regardless of the position of the landfall point, it must be emphasized that hazards on land and coastal waters may still be experienced in areas outside the landfall point or forecast confidence cone,” the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in a 5 p.m. bulletin.

Usagi was last seen 780 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes province, and it was moving west-northwestward at 30 kilometers per hour (kph). It was packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

The weather bureau said Usagi had intensified into a severe tropical storm as it headed toward northern Philippines.

This comes after the area was battered by Typhoon Toraji (Nika), which left the Philippines at 2 p.m.

PAGASA said Usagi was expected to make landfall over the east coasts of Cagayan or Isabela province by Thursday (Nov. 14).

“Areas in Northern Luzon are at risk of heavy rainfall, severe wind and possibly, storm surge inundation from Ofel, which may cause considerable impacts,” it added.

It said provinces in Central and Southern Luzon might also be affected if the tropical cyclone further intensifies.

Separately, PAGASA was still monitoring Tropical Storm Man-Yi, which was last seen 2,515 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes province, and was traveling westward at 30 kph.

Man-Yi was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kph near the center and gusts of up to 90 kph. Once it enters the PAR it will be named Pepito. —  Adrian H. Halili

MMDA, Comelec to share assets for 2025 polls

PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to coordinate efforts and share resources for the upcoming 2025 midterm polls.

The agreement will give Comelec access to MMDA’s Command Center, equipment and personnel to support election-related operations.

“MMDA assets including our command center, body cams, radios, deployable cameras, and Mobile Command Center, will be made available and placed at Comelec’s disposal during the election period to ensure a clean, honest, and transparent election,” MMDA Chairman Romando S. Artes said in a news briefing in mixed English and Filipino.

“Also, aside from the deployment of our trained personnel for traffic assistance, MMDA will assign necessary manpower to assist election officers of the National Capital Region and Comelec Main Office in carrying out the teardown and removal of unlawful election materials,” he added.

The MoA will also cover assistance to Comelec’s final testing and sealing, international observation, and mock elections among other election-related activities.

It has over 330 close-circuit televisions (CCTVs) in its command center.

The Comelec will assign a computer station at the Command Center to ensure proper use of facilities and to coordinate technical support, equipment, transportation, and storage devices at docking stations.

The MMDA will also supply Comelec with manpower and logistical support to help election officers remove illegal election materials.

Both agency officials called on candidates and the public to follow the regulations and be responsible for displaying election materials.

“We hope there is a responsible way for them to put up campaign materials that is consistent with, and pursuant to, our guidelines, first of all. Secondly, we want to ensure it does not disrupt traffic or inconvenience pedestrians,” Mr. Garcia said in Filipino.

The Philippines will hold midterm elections on May 12 next year, where Filipinos will elect their congressmen, mayors, vice mayors and members of city councils. Twelve of the 24-member Senate will also be replaced.

The period of filing for candidacy ended on Oct. 8, which saw 184 people seeking a seat at the Senate, and 190 party-list groups seeking congressional seats. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Gov’t shifts anti-drug strategy 

PHILIPPINE STAR/MICHAEL VARCAS

THE MARCOS government will focus on the supply side in its anti-drugs campaign, with an eye on big-time players, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The Philippines for the longest time has been focused on the consumption side, arresting users on streets and during buy-bust operations, said Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla, Jr. at a Palace briefing on Tuesday.

“This time, we are going heavy on the supply side chasing after the big guns, the big suppliers, the main men involved in the importation of drugs,” he added.

“The personalities have been identified; I am not at liberty to discuss it.”

Mr. Remulla, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Chief Moro V. Lazo, and police chief Rommel Francisco D. Marbil met with Mr. Marcos on Monday to discuss “a new strategy towards fighting the war on drugs,” according to the DILG chief.

He said the Muntinlupa City Jail remains the number one source of drug trade in the country.

Authorities are “taking proactive steps” to transfer high-value detainees from the jail to a “maximum security facility somewhere in the Philippines.”

“I think the operations will be set pretty soon and we should see a marked difference in the war against drugs here in the Philippines.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Duterte to face House probe

FORMER PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte — OFFICIAL FACEBOOK ACCOUNT OF THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES

A FORMER presidential spokesperson on Tuesday said ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte challenged the House quad committee to hold a “marathon” hearing on his administration’s alleged state-sponsored killings.

“Mr. Duterte and I will go to the Batasang Pambansa Complex tomorrow at 10:00am and confront the House quad committee members. Why, after demanding his presence and accepting their invitation, and coming here last night, they will just cancel it without prior notice,” former spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo told reporters in a Viber message.

“He will ask them to schedule a marathon hearing of ten days,” he added.

Mr. Panelo’s statement comes as the House quad committee on Tuesday rescheduled the Wednesday hearing as the panel vets the claims of witnesses who want to appear before the panel.

“If you recall, we always say that when we have witnesses, we want them to execute affidavits,” Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace S. Barbers, who heads the House quad committee, said in mixed English and Filipino in a briefing. “[And] even if they have executed their affidavits, we will still need to vet them.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Disaster Resilience dep’t bill OKd

PHILIPPINE STAR/MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

A House of Representatives committee on Tuesday approved a bill seeking the creation of a government agency solely tasked to handle the country’s natural disaster preparation and response, a proposal seen bolstering the country’s disaster resilience efforts.

Approved by the House government reorganization and disaster resilience committees, the unnumbered substitute bill seeks the establishment of the Department of Disaster Resilience, which would spearhead the state’s disaster response efforts.

“The department shall be the primary government agency responsible for leading, organizing, and managing the national effort to reduce disaster risk, prepare for and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate, and build forward better after the occurrence of disasters,” a part of the unnumbered substitute bill obtained by BusinessWorld stated.

A version of the bill was approved by the House in the 18th Congress, but its counterpart measure did not hurdle the Senate as several lawmakers questioned its practicality and the funding required to set up another department.

The country’s emergency preparedness and response programs are under the helm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which is led by the Defense department with secretaries of other agencies serving as its vice-chairpersons. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Act vs work heat stress, gov’t told

JOSUE ISAI RAMOS FIGUEROA-UNSPLASH

A LABOR group urged the Philippine government to take immediate and serious action against the impending threat of heat stress in workplaces, following the release of the latest State of the Climate report in Azerbaijan.

“Climate change is destroying jobs, lives and livelihoods. While recovering from the destruction from devastating typhoons, we should expect extreme heat to hit us as hard, if not harder,” Julius H. Cainglet, vice-president of the Federation of Free Workers said in a statement on Tuesday.

The World Meteorological Organization report presented at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan said that global air temperatures in January and September 2024 averaged 1.54 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, highlighting the urgent need for measures to address the increasing risk of heat stress.

Mr. Cainglet suggested innovative measures like heat stress insurance and broader climate adaptation efforts for communities and businesses as labor advisories alone will not be enough to confront this issue.

At COP29, trade unions from the Global South, including the Filipino group Workers for Just Transition, are advocating for the Global North to commit trillions of dollars toward climate initiatives in poorer and developing nations.

COP29 commenced last Nov. 11 until Nov. 22. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Senate hikes DoH 2025 budget by nearly 28%

BW FILE PHOTO

THE SENATE has increased the total proposed budget of the Department of Health (DoH) and its attached agencies next year to P277.996 billion from the P217.388 billion proposed by the Executive branch.

Citing the Senate’s committee report on House Bill No. 10800, Senator Pilar Juliana S. Cayetano, who sponsored the department’s budget told the plenary that the increase would be used to build new outpatient clinics, the procurement of vaccines, and renovation of other hospitals next year.

“These are all part of our commitment to integrate the sustainable development goals into our National Development Plan and policies… ensuring healthy lives and to promote the wellbeing of all ages,” she said during Tuesday’s session.

Senator and Finance Committee chairperson Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares earlier told the Senate floor that the Senate’s P6.352-trillion national budget bill would include funding for the construction of 700 rural health units, 300 local government units and DoH hospitals, and other clinics and health facilities next year.

In the 2025 National Expenditure Program — the document prepared by the National Government detailing its spending priorities before the budget is legislated — the Department of Budget and Management slashed the proposed funding for agriculture, health, and social welfare sectors by 4.7%, 7.6%, and 3.4%, respectively.

“We can do so much better than this than to see our countrymen lining up because we have funds,” Ms. Cayetano said. “It is really a matter of managing our resources properly and putting it into good use.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

SC clarifies PhilHealth policies 

PNA/JOAN BONDOC

THE Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the authority to revoke accreditation from healthcare providers lies exclusively with the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) Board of Directors, not with its president.

In a decision released on Nov. 12 and penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, the top court’s First Division ruled that under the National Health Insurance Act, only PhilHealth’s board has the power to withdraw or terminate accreditation.

“This power can only be exercised by the PhilHealth Board, and it requires a majority vote from its members,” it said in a statement.

The high tribunal clarified that the application for accreditation and revocation are two different processes.

“While the PhilHealth President may resolve applications, only the PhilHealth Board has the authority to act on withdrawals or revocations of accreditations,” it added.

The case stemmed from a spot inspection, in which PhilHealth’s fact-finding team found that a medical center had submitted fraudulent claims for patients who had already passed away.

The report said that a doctor from the center certified that one patient had undergone dialysis sessions after July 16, 2016, despite records showing the patient died on said date.

The doctor claimed that he and other medical staff were also victims of the center’s fraudulent practices, arguing that the two whistleblowers had publicly confessed to forging signatures to submit false claims for non-existent dialysis treatments.

PhilHealth later informed the doctor that his accreditation was revoked due to alleged misrepresentation involving false information.

He appealed the decision to PhilHealth’s regional office but was denied by the PhilHealth President and Chief Executive Officer.

He elevated the case before the Court of Appeals, ruling in his favor. The court said the revocation of his accreditation was invalid as it was issued without proper authority. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Publicized budget deliberation urged

BW FILE PHOTO

SOME minority lawmakers of the House of Representatives filed on Monday a resolution seeking to make public the bicameral conference committee’s deliberations of the proposed national budget, citing the need to make the budget process transparent and open to scrutiny.

Filed by Party-list Reps. France L. Castro, Arlene D. Brosas and Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, the resolution urges the chamber to open to the “public and media” the proceedings of congressmen and senators as they reconcile differences between the budget bills passed by their chambers.

The bicameral panel has historically discussed the budget bill behind closed doors, leaving a blind spot for the public to scrutinize the changes being made to the annual spending plan.

The House should also freely provide the public with the documents concerning the national budget, including the transcripts of the joint panel’s hearings.

“The lack of transparency in Bicameral Conference Committee proceedings has enabled the insertion in the budget law of provisions that were not in the versions approved by either House, and oftentimes not even discussed in the deliberations of either House, effectively circumventing proper legislative scrutiny,” a part of House Resolution (HR) No. 2067 stated.

The lawmakers cited a special provision under the 2024 budget law that allowed the National Government to siphon the unused funds of state-owned companies, such as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

The Finance department used the budget provision as grounds to order PhilHealth and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. to transfer P89.9 billion and P110 billion, respectively, to the NG’s coffers.

“Public access to the proceedings of bicameral conference committees will serve as a deterrent against questionable insertions and ensure that discussions remain within the scope of reconciling legitimate differences between the House and Senate versions,” the resolution read.

Hansley A. Juliano, who teaches politics at the Ateneo de Manila University, said the chamber will only act on the resolution if they were keen on demonstrating their transparency.

“Greater coverage on the committee-level hearings of the government is always a good indicator of government transparency,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“It’s there for the political and governance actors interested in what they have to say, and it’s also a means to cross-check previous public pronouncements.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

BoC warns public vs new scam

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Tuesday warned the public against a new scam, involving individuals impersonating Commissioner Bienvenido Y. Rubio to extort payments.

“These scammers pose as the Commissioner, misleading individuals into thinking they are engaging in legitimate transactions and soliciting payments for customs-related services,” it said.

The Bureau said it does not conduct transactions through social media or messaging platforms, including WhatsApp.

“The BoC urges the public to remain cautious, especially when receiving unsolicited messages or calls requesting sensitive information or payments,” it added.

It also advises against engaging with suspicious messages and urges prompt reporting, which helps the Bureau in prevention and investigation. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

DBM: Rice grant helps MUPs in remote locations

REUTERS

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said the issued administrative order (AO) 26 or rice assistance to all military and uniformed personnel (MUP) help those stationed in remote provinces and even local farmers.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed the AO 26 on Nov. 7, providing a uniform quantity of 25 kilograms of rice to all active MUP, as of Nov. 30 this year.

“When we learned that having rice assistance is very important to them, especially those stationed in remote provinces and isolated areas, we recommended this to the President,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in a statement on Tuesday.

She added that this will benefit local and participating farmers of the Kadiwa program.

DBM said that the rice grant will be distributed to authorized representatives of MUPs from Dec. 2024 to March 2025 in designated National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses, based on a schedule set by NFA.

“The funding requirement for the grant of the rice assistance shall be charged against the Contingent Fund under the FY (fiscal year) 2024 General Appropriations Act, subject to compliance with relevant laws, rules, and regulations,” she said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

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