At least three administration senators noticed nothing improper with the elevated funds for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s travels in 2024, citing the supposed good points of his previous overseas journeys.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva mentioned it will profit the nation for the President to hunt investments overseas as this might generate extra jobs for Filipinos.
“I really think it’s all worth it. He even mentioned to us ‘yung latest travel n’ya sa Malaysia. He was able to generate $285 million in investment pledges, and he was talking that that amount of money would translate to about a hundred thousand jobs,” Villanueva mentioned in a web based interview with reporters.
“Nakikita ko kasi talaga ‘yung importance and how powerful it is that the number one marketing guy sa Pilipinas, when it comes to tourism, and investments, and economic pledges, eh talagang Pangulo,” he added.
However, Villanueva emphasized that every detail of the increased budget needed to be justified.
“Lahat ng sobra masama. Titingnan pa rin natin at sisiguraduhin na it will be put into good use,” he said.
Rationale
Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito likewise said that senators would ask the Office of the President to present the rationale behind the increased budget for foreign travels.
“We will have to scrutinize, and we will have to ask probably ‘yung OP, ‘yung ES siguro, in the presence of the Executive Secretary, kung ano ‘yung rationale for the increase in the budget for that travel of the President,” Ejercito said in a separate interview with reporters.
For the senator, Marcos’ travels benefited the nation as his schedule was full of conferences and dialogues with different state leaders and overseas businessmen.
“Nakasama ako once sa Malaysia… and I saw for myself meron naman talagang benefits,” Ejercito mentioned.
“Malaking tulong din ‘yung pag re-establish, strengthening ng relationship with our ASEAN neighbors, with [European Union] especially, with our known allies. He wanted to announce to the world that we are now again ready and open for business. So, I think ‘yun ‘yung rationale naman niya—‘yung foreign direct investments to increase,” he added.
While Marcos was busy attracting foreign investments, Ejercito nevertheless pointed out the need to improve public services and infrastructure in the country as this would also encourage foreign businesses to stay in the Philippines.
But if there were “unnecessary expenses” in the proposed budget for the president’s overseas journeys, Ejercito mentioned that this must be realigned to different infrastructure initiatives.
Justified
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian mentioned the rise within the President’s journey fund was “justified” as funding pledges elevated by 120% because the begin of the Marcos administration.
“In my analysis… the past trips of the President are bearing fruit by attracting interest to our country, by attracting pledges to invest in our country,” Gatchalian mentioned in a CNN interview.
“So the trips are justifiable, and I think that’s a formula that our President is applying in order to bring foreign investment… there’s a direction in the trips, it’s not vacation,” he added.
However, Gatchalian mentioned these pledges ought to be translated into precise investments.
“The biggest question and the biggest challenge is when the actual investment will come in. To follow through to those investments. And that’s a different story, because you have to now, pass through the government processes, you have to talk to government agencies, and admittedly we need to fix red tape in our country. But in terms of attracting interest, especially investors to come in, it seems to me that the trips are bearing fruit,” he mentioned.
For 2024, greater than P1.4 billion was allotted for the Office of the President’s native and overseas missions and state visits subsequent yr.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman justified the funds proposal, explaining that it will profit the nation.
In 2022, Marcos went on state visits to Indonesia, Singapore, and China; attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York; and took part within the ASEAN summit in Cambodia.
Marcos was additionally in Thailand final November for the APEC 2022 and in Brussels, Belgium for the EU-ASEAN Summit.
The President additionally traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and Tokyo, Japan for an official go to.
Marcos had secured $1.3 billion price of funding pledges throughout his official go to to the United States in May.
He additionally attended the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia and went on a state go to to Malaysia.
The Department of Trade and Industry mentioned $88 million in investments from Marcos’ overseas journeys would materialize this yr.
Marcos has since defended his journeys overseas, which he mentioned would appeal to extra overseas traders to the Philippines. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
