Q: What is your marching order to DTI to improve Philippines’ performance on exports and transform it from being a laggard to a powerhouse in the region?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, really what this is – what the export plan is about is for us to be prepared to compete. Marami tayong pinasukan na mga opening of markets with preferential treatment for different – lalo na ‘yung RCEP mga – ang pinakanahuli sa mga ganyang treaty. Pero nilalakad pa natin ‘yung mga FTA, mga Free Trade Agreement sa iba’t ibang bansa.

Malapit na tayong pumirma sa Korea. We are still working on the EU. We are still working on the United States. But the reason we are doing this is we want to open markets from – that will be able to be – that will be able to – that the Philippines will be able to export to and import from. So it’s not one way, it’s straight.

And that is the most important thing. But what we have to do is to allow ourselves the restructuring of some of the elements that are within the law, that are within the rules so that we can compete on an even basis.

Kaya pinag-aaralan natin lagi kung ano ‘yung mga ginagawa ng mga ibang bansa na successful sa kanilang trade agreements sa kanilang mga export. At ang pinakamagaling sa ngayon ay nandito sa Asya. Iyan ang kakumpetensiya natin.

That is why we have to bring up our game, export game a little bit and support our exporters so that they can compete in foreign markets, and that they are able to be not only suppliers but also industrial consumers of the products that are around the world. In other words, to strengthen trade.

Q: Hi good morning, Mr. President. Speaking of our foreign relations, ano pong reaksyon niyo sa naging invitation ng UAE para —

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ng?

Q: — invitation po ng UAE para dumalo po kayo sa UN Climate Change Summit. Did you accept it? At gaano po ba kahalaga sa Pilipinas ‘yung mga katulad nitong mga international conferences?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Kaya suot-suot ko ‘to eh because it was given to me by the Ambassador of UAE dahil nga mayroon ‘yung Climate Change, COP 28 is being held in their country.

But certainly, first of all, kaya ko sinama siya kahapon ang Ambassador ng UAE ay dahil sila talaga ay mabilis na nakapagbigay ng tulong kaagad. Hindi pa tayo humihingi nagparating na sila ng – ‘yung mga pagkain, ‘yung mga relief goods, ‘yung gamot, ‘yun ang…

Kaya’t kailangan… Kaya ko sinama para naman makita niya kung saan pumunta ‘yung kanilang tulong. And we have to be very grateful to them.

And part of our… He came to see me – the Ambassador came to see me beforehand, the day before and we were talking about precisely COP 28 and to see… I hope to be able to attend because climate change is a primordial issue when it comes to the Philippines. So I hope that we will be able to attend.

And beyond the Conference of Parties is that we also want to renew our ties with the UAE. Ang daming Pilipino doon. Kaya’t kailangan makatiyak tayo na patuloy ang kanilang magandang pagtrato sa ating mga kababayan sa UAE. And they have been very welcoming. They have treated our people very well. They have protected them and they have allowed them to make a living in the United Arab Emirates.

So that’s something that we hope to continue and even progress further.

Q: Thank you very much, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Thank you.

Q: Good morning, sir. Sir, nabanggit po kahapon ni Governor Lagman na kailangan natin ng around 166 million to ensure po ‘yung continued assistance sa residents na affected ng Mayon. Sir, mayroon na po ba tayong pagkukuhanan ng pondo as of this moment?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, kung nakita niyo ‘yung sa briefing those figures are dependent on how long that the evacuees will have to stay in the evacuation centers.

At marami tayong mga isyu tungkol nga kailangang gamitin ulit ‘yung mga eskuwelahan na ginamit natin na evacuation centers pati na ‘yung mga pag-aaral ng mga bata. Lahat ‘yun ay kasama sa assistance na ibinibigay natin.

But simple lang naman ‘yung cash assistance. The only thing that when it came to cash assistance yesterday dahil nag-usap nga kami ni Governor Lagman at sinasabi niya maganda mayroon tayong mga food products, mayroon tayong mga hygiene kits ganoon na ibinibigay, mayroon tayong naitutulong, mayroon tayong evacuation center. But it comes to the time, iba-iba ang pangangailangan ng bawat pamilya na hindi naman nasasama doon sa assistance na ibinibigay natin.

Iyan ang pinag-iisapan natin. Iyong iba maraming anak, ‘yung iba wala. Iyong iba may inaalagaan na lolo o lola, kailangan ng gamot, kailangan na magpatingin sa doctor.

So all of these things have to be included. So nung tinitingnan ko nga kaya’t sinasabi ko ‘yung binibigay na mga figures, sabi ko huwag niyo munang ipakita sa akin kung ilang piso ang nagastos natin. Ang tingnan natin ay kung gaano karami ang pamilya na nakaramdam ng tulong natin at gaano pa karami ang hindi pa nakakaramdam ng tulong natin.

Kaya’t iyon ang kailangan natin pag-aralan nang mabuti. And so that’s what we are doing now. We want to make sure – as the local governments say eh ‘yung bawat bayan hindi naman pare-pareho ‘yan. May malaki, may maliit. May nasa bundok, mayroong malapit sa siyudad. Mayroong… Iba-iba. Iba-iba ‘yung mga isyu. Kaya’t kailangan sensitive ang gobyerno doon sa kanilang pangangailangan at mabigyan naman, matugunan naman natin at mabigyan ng solusyon ang kanilang hinaharap na mga problema.

Q: Pero sir, may assurance naman po na may enough na pondo from the national government?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: I’m sorry. I cannot…

Q: Sir, may assurance naman po na may enough fund. May enough fund naman po na magmumula sa national government once nalaman na po kung magkano ‘yung figure?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Whatever is needed, we will have to provide. Hindi naman… Marami naman tumutulong, marami namang ahensya. All agencies are already engaged in the rehabilitation effort, in the support for the evacuees.

At sa palagay ko naman, nandiyan naman lahat ng mga… Kasi hindi naman laging cash lang ang pinag-uusapan. Mayroong mga non-cash na tulong na ating binibigay.

I think in terms of the actual na gastos na ano, palagay ko — alam ko naman may budget tayo diyan.

Pero ang sinasabi ko, ang instruction ko sa kanila, pag-aralan niyo nang mabuti hindi ‘yung basta bigay kayo nang bigay ng pera. Kailangan tingnan ninyo ano ba problema para maayos natin kung ano ‘yung problema nila.

And if it takes cash, then that’s good. Well and good. But if sometimes, it’s not cash. Matagal naming pinag-usapan anong gagawin natin doon sa mga bata na hindi nakakapag-aral, na walang ginagawa. These are other issues that are basically not quantifiable but they are important.

The issues of mental health, of those children, even the parents. Kailangan natin pag-isipan ‘yan kasi mahirap talaga ‘yung pinagdadaanan nila. So we have to give all the support that we can.

All right. Okay. Maraming salamat. Thank you.

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