Kapihan with the Media in New York City, USA

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS JR.: Alright. Good afternoon, everyone. Allow me to just first read a statement before we get started with the actual conference.

Good afternoon. It is good to be now already on the tail end of a very productive Working Visit here in New York in United States with the Philippine delegation.

I am happy to report that the outcomes of this visit to call for peace amidst tensions in the Middle East and other parts of the world, and of course, to campaign for our UN Security Council candidature.

Yesterday, I delivered the Philippine National Statement at the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, where we shared that the nation’s true progress is measured by the status and empowerment of its women.

I emphasized, amongst others, the importance of education, unity to confront violence against women in all forms, and ensuring that women are present wherever decisions are made, anywhere within government, within business, in science, in diplomacy, and in peacebuilding.

I also had a very good meeting with the United Nations Secretary-General Antońio Guterres, who I first met in 2022 on regional and global issues.

I also conveyed to him the Philippines’ enduring commitment to the UN and to multilateralism.

Earlier this morning, I addressed the 193 UN member states at the special session of the UN General Assembly, where I stressed the importance of the rule of law, multilateralism, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.

I also spoke about the intertwined destiny of the Philippines and the United Nations, our shared values and principles, and the need to unite in addressing the humanitarian crises around the world.

I reiterated our request for support for the Philippines candidature for a non-permanent seat to the UN Security Council for the term 2027 to 2028, highlighting that the Philippines offers a voice from the Indo-Pacific, from developing countries, climate-vulnerable nations, and from middle-income countries and our commitment to South-South cooperation.

I also [inaudible] to share in this regard our priorities as ASEAN Chair.

I was also able to meet, just now, high-level representatives of the other UN member states at the diplomatic reception.

I hosted this to galvanize support for our Security Council candidature and to showcase once again that the Philippines has always been, since the very beginning of the United Nations in 1945, part of the solution to addressing global challenges and conflicts as a trusted and independent partner, pathfinder, and peacemaker.

On the sidelines of the visit, I also had the opportunity to meet with business leaders and investors. I met with a U.S. Medical Glove company to discuss their plans to build a manufacturing facility in the country. If realized, the project could create more than 2,000 Filipino jobs.

It will also allow us to produce essential medical supplies locally and to open new opportunities for Filipino workers in the growing global medical manufacturing industry.

I also met with senior leaders of JPMorgan in New York to discuss ongoing economic cooperation and [inaudible] global issues that are affecting financial markets.

The conversation covered heightened geopolitical tensions and their impact on global oil prices, as well as the broader implications for both advanced and emerging nations.

We emphasized the importance of sustained dialogue and cooperation amid increasing volatility in international markets.

JPMorgan also provided insights on the rapid advancements in AI and emphasized the growing need for governments and institutions to prepare for the transformative effects of AI on economics, industry and labor markets.

The exchange underscored the growing importance of technological readiness, cybersecurity resilience, and workforce upskilling in order to remain competitive in a fast-changing global environment.

Sa pagtatapos ng ating pagbisita sa New York, ipapagpatuloy natin ang paglilingkod sa bayan nang mas mulat sa mga bagong kaalaman, pamamaraan, at mga ugnayang ating [inaudible] habang nandidito.

Our engagements in the UN and other multilateral fora complement our efforts to enrich bilateral relations with countries around the world. We do as well want to enhance regional solidarity, chiefly through ASEAN.

Thank you.

QUESTION AND ANSWER

Q: Mr. President, [inaudible].

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon.

Q: Good afternoon, Mr. President.

My question is, gaano ba kahalaga ‘yung – na makuha natin ‘yung seats sa

UN Security Council? And, paano po ba ito mapapakinabangan, ‘yung benepisyo na ito doon mga ordinaryong mamamayan?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, malaking bagay sana ito dahil uupo – kung ma –

eh tayo ay mapagbigyan at maging non-permanent member ng Security Council, uupo tayo sa Security Council which is the guiding body of the United Nations at doon ay dine-decide kung ano ang mga issue na dapat talakayin ng United Nations, mga General Assembly na pag-uusapan, and all the other issues around the world.

At ito’y magbibigay ng boses para sa Pilipinas na kasing-halaga ng boses ng mga malalaking bansa, the rich and powerful nations that already sit as permanent members of the Security Council.

But we have to look beyond just the Philippines and what it can do for the Philippines. Dahil ito talaga ay bilang mapatibay pa ang ating partnership with the UN na matagal na.

We have been – we have been working together with the UN since 1945 on many of the most important issues. And so it is really to strengthen that partnership and it is not just about the Philippines. It is about being a representative voice for middle-income countries, for developing countries, for the Indo-Pacific region, which is now really the driver of a great deal of the global economy and of geopolitics.

Kaya’t napakahalaga na magkaroon tayo ng boses sa ganiyang klaseng – ganiyang klaseng body na napaka-importante at napakataas na sa ngayon ay hindi natin – wala tayong boses na ganiyan.

At tayo ay magiging boses, hindi lamang para sa Pilipinas kung hindi sa iba’t ibang mga bansa din.

Q: Hi, Mr. President. Good afternoon. Sir, I just want to ask on your assessment on the overall campaign of the Philippines for the UNSC non-permanent seat. Just wondering, sir, what are the challenges, if there’s any, that you’ve encountered during the campaign, and how optimistic are you in winning against our rival country, Kyrgyzstan?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we have the advantage, and this is what I highlighted in my speech, that the advantage that the Philippines has is that we have a very strong record of partnership with the UN over the years.

At hindi lamang – it is not about the Philippines. For example, ‘yung mga peacekeeping na tinutulungan natin ang UN under the auspices of the UN.

‘Yung ating mga pagdala ng mga iba’t ibang isyu na tayo lang ang nagdala sa UN. Women’s issues, climate change issues, social issues that were initiated by the Philippines.

And because of that, we can – we see now an opportunity to contribute even more. And that, I think, will serve to the advantage of the Philippines in this candidature.

It’s very hard to assess what the chances are. We have some solid expressions of support but it is a silent ballot, so secret ballot rather.

So you know we just have to keep talking to our friends and hope that they provide us their support.

Mukha namang ma – may – maganda naman ang pag-asa natin. Sana naman matuloy at tayo’y maging non-permanent member na.

Q: Good afternoon po, Mr. President. As the world marks the 70th anniversary of the Conference of the Status of Women under the theme of accelerating gender equality by 2030 po, how does the Philippine government plan to address persistent issues such as gender-based violence and under-representation of women in leadership roles both in public and private sectors?

THE PRESIDENT: Well,’yung – what – the way I framed it was in the Philippine context where in especially – well, women have always been recognized as equal partners to men in many ways, in government, in business, in all the decision-making areas. So, it’s a very good example to hold up.

Of course the violence against women still exists, the access to economic betterment still exists, but we feel – I felt that we could speak with authority on those subjects because the Philippines has been adjudged by many international surveys or studies as being one of the most advanced when it comes to gender equality so doon – doon – ‘yun ang pinagbasehan ko. ‘Yung experience natin sa Pilipinas.

Q: Mr. President, with regards to the ongoing conflict po in the Middle East, how will the government protect our OFWs, especially women?

THE PRESIDENT: How do we?

Q: Protect po our OFWs? Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we do not first – well do not make the differentiation between men or women. Basta OFW natin, siyempre tutulungan natin.

And to protect them, what – we have to depend on the locals, the local authorities dahil wala naman tayong military doon. Wala naman tayong police doon, wala naman tayong courts doon. So, ulit, dahil sa magandang performance ng ating mga OFW, talaga namang tinutulungan sila.

They are being kept safe by the governments, the countries where they have been working.

Ang maaari lang nating gawin ay iuwi ‘yung mga gusto nang umuwi. And for that, we have made many arrangements. We are arranging charter flights kasi medyo lumuwag na ang sitwasyon.

‘Yung lumipad na Emirates coming out of Dubai, nakatatlong flight na yata tayo. Dubai-Manila ‘yun, mga Dubai-Manila. So, that’s direct and ‘yun, naisakay natin ‘yung mga ibang Pilipino.

But now that the Emirates has decided that it is safe enough for them to fly and it should be safe enough also for us to charter airplanes na makapa – para maisakay ‘yung ibang Pilipino na nais umuwi.

And there are two flights that we are being – that we are planning.

One is out of Riyadh para sa mga nasa Saudi, sa [inaudible], Kuwait, and Bahrain.

‘Yung isa naman out of Fujairah in the UAE to transport ‘yung mga Dubai OFWs.

We are hoping to bring DND and CAAP personnel.

In fact, I know that Secretary Hans Cacdac is taking the flight to Dubai. Ang sabi ko, sumakay siya para makapag-report siya nang mabuti kung ano ba talaga ang sitwasyon doon and I – he will be doing that.

Ang nabuksan pa ay there’s a now land border crossing from the UAE and from Israel.

Sorry, yeah, that will be arriving tomorrow respectively. So, maisasakay din natin ‘yan sa mga eroplano.

So, galing Israel, UAE, puro border – land border crossing Oman. A group from UAE is arriving tonight. The Israel group of 16 tomorrow night naman.

Malap…The target date of departure from Fujairah and the UAE is March 13, ETA Manila, gabi ng March 13 or early morning of the 14th.

Q: Hi sir, good afternoon. Sir, you mentioned ‘yung Medical Gloves Manufacturing is investing in the Philippines. So, when is the timeline they gave for –

THE PRESIDENT: [inaudible]

Q: For the medical gloves po.

THE PRESIDENT: Ah, actually na… They already have started it. We…They sent already representatives to the Philippines na there’s already starting to build their first plant. And gusto nilang mag-expand pa.

They already have found a local partner. So, but this…The first phase will be a smaller investment. But we’re already talking about the larger investment.

Now, this is going to be to our advantage dahil magkakaroon tayo ng supply hindi lamang para sa mga healthcare workers, pati sa military, pati sa lahat ng mga nangangailangan.

At sana kung talagang maging maganda ang takbo nitong manufacturing na ito, makapag-export pa tayo.

So I – they want to do it as quickly as possible. And it mukhang – pinalaman sa atin na pagpatayo ng ganitong klaseng facility ay mabilis lang.

Sabi nila pagdating ng makinar – basta’t napagawa na nila ng building, pagdating ng makinarya nila, within 48 hours, they’ll start the process already.

Q: Just a follow-up for that question, sir. Did they mention the amount of the investment they are pouring in?

THE PRESIDENT: The prospective amount is $200 million at least in the beginning.

Q: Sir, good afternoon. My question is on the emergency powers. I understand that the Committee at the House has submitted its committee report to the PLLO.

May wew know why you prefer to receive first the committee report from Congress versus you, declaring it or certifying the emergency powers bill as urgent?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I… Actually I will declare it as urgent once the…Because there’s no point declaring it as urgent before the committee report has been completed.

And that is what I told them, both Houses. And I said, the minute that you have completed your committee reports…Because the – when you declare a bill as urgent, it the – the shortcuts, if we say, only begin on the plenary debates.

So, ‘yung requirement of three working days between the reporting out from Committee to the debate on the floor of the – is shortened and that’s what …Kasi kung minsan, ‘pag talagang urgent, ‘pag report out, ‘pag sa – ‘yung Majotrity Floor leader, babasahin ‘yung report at pagkatapos ma-prove ‘yung report ay hindi na ba – hindi na uupo ‘yun.

There was – then go straight to the third reading. So, that’s when – that’s when the – the declaration of the bill as urgent really goes into – into effect.

Q: You have like a preference or provisions that you want to see in the providing you with the emergency powers?

THE PRESIDENT: It’s very,very simple. What we asked of the Legislature is really very simple is that when the price of oil, at least this is the original version, when the price of oil has breached $80 per barrel on average for a month, then the emergency powers can be exercised.

Does that mean that you will necessarily do it? But it can be exercised by the President. ‘Yun lang ang hiningi.

Q: Just last one. Sir, papaano niyo po kakausapin ‘yung mga ordinary Filipinos na medyo nangangamba cause if the Middle East crisis worsens. So, patong-patong na ‘yun, sir, bilihin, gasolina. Papaano po ‘yung magiging approach and how do you – what do you want to tell them now?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, the – we are still… As we explained, I explained the first time I met with you, in terms of supply, we are in good shape. And not only do we have inventory in the Philippines, we also are awaiting some supplies coming in that are in transit.

Ang pinaaral ko lang, kung ‘yung mga in transit baka naman nandoon sila sa lugar ng peligro. So, para maging accurate ‘yung kalkulasyon natin pero hindi naman daw. ‘Yung pagsara ng Strait of Hormuz, hindi kasama doon sa kalkulasyon so far.

So, that – so in terms of supply…but you know, that doesn’t mean that we’re not doing anything.

Naghahanap tayo ng iba’t ibang lugar na makapagbigay ng supply sa atin. We are talking to many other countries who we normally do not buy oil from but hopefully we will be able to come to an agreement with them and that we will get further supply from them.

But the real problem here that everybody is having to deal with is hindi natin alam kung gaano katagal ito.

Hindi natin…Kasi ‘yung presyo kung saan pupunta, hindi natin…How long kung tataas man, tumaas na nga. Gaano katagal ba ‘yung pagtaas na ‘yun? Ito ba ay pangmatagalan? Permanent na ba ito? Ano bang mangyayari?

‘Yun ang problema talaga and this is the same problem…Noong nandoon – nasa JPMorgan ako, pinag-usapan namin nang matagal ito, pati sila. Sila nag-a-analyze sila kung ano ‘yung takbo ng financial markets eh.

So, ganoon din ang kanilang sinasabi. The hardest part of this…kasi kung alam natin kung ano ang magiging presyo ng langis, alam na natin ang effect so makapaghanda na tayo. Pero… Ang presyo ng langis ay hindi lamang dahil sa supply, volatility is also a big factor.

‘Pag hindi nakakasiguro – hindi tayo nakakasiguro kung gaano katagal pa ito, even the supply will be affected. Kasi ‘yung mga supplier ng langis, siyempre sasabihin nila, “‘Yung nasa amin ang hahawakan na muna namin. Baka maipit kami ‘pag pinagbili namin ito tapos tumagal ito, kami naman ang mauubusan.”

So, they can be very conservative or less so. Depending again on the planning horizon, kung tawagin. If it’s going to last this long, one month, two months, or one week, whatever it is na… But we don’t know. That’s the problem.

We do not know how long it’s going to last, when the actual war is going to end, what the end will look like and how it will change, how everything will change.

Dahil kahit ano pang mangyari, eh talagang magbabago ang sistema. And what will that new system look like? So, those are the unknowns that we are having to deal with now.

Q: Basic commodities, sir.

THE PRESIDENT: Ha?

Q: Basic commodities, sir. Prices. Papaano ba ‘yun? Puwede bang price [inaudible?]

THE PRESIDENT: Well, we have already. We’re trying to keep prices down but there’s an inevitable effect.

‘Pag oil goes up, everything goes up. So right now, bumaba nang kaunti. Yesterday na was very worrisome because it went above $100 per barrel, but it’s now adjusted to below $90, which is, of course, still high dahil nag-start tayo $72 eh. So, pero but that – so that –that makes – that gives us a little better chance of providing subsidies for our people, for providing support for the affected sectors. I think we’ve identified those sectors already.

Q: Good afternoon, Mr. President. Given the concerns po about the corruption and –

THE PRESIDENT: About the?

Q: Corruption and the possible impact of ongoing oil crisis sa economy natin, ano pong image ng Pilipinas ang gusto niyong makita ng UN member states in the coming years?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, it depends on who you’re talking to. Like if we were talking about the United Nations, ang tinitingnan nila ay kung ano ‘yung record natin with the United Nations. And I’m proud to say, maganda ang record natin with the United Nations.

‘Yun naman – sila naman ang ina-ddress (address) natin dito sa trip na ito eh. Ang mga United Nations delegates, mga iba’t ibang bansa, para kung sana eh matulungan tayo, bigyan tayo ng suporta sa ating kandidatura.

And I am very happy to note that… Kasi during the reception, isa-isa kong nakilala ‘yung mga permanent representatives ng iba’t ibang bansa, at lahat naman – hindi naman – lahat naman sila, nakikita nila na mahaba talaga ang magandang record natin with the UN.

‘Pagka nangangailangan ng tulong ang UN, tayo lagi – always ready to help naman ang Pilipinas at noong 60s pa, nagpapadala na tayo ng peacekeeping forces.

At in fact, the Korean War, nagpadala tayo ng tao, and namatayan pa nga tayo.

And so all of these instances where we have initiated, for example, the debate on women’s rights, the debate on climate change, we have been very active on that, siyempre because apektado tayo.

So, with all of those things in hand, and ‘yun ang aking binanggit sa speech ko, na matagal na ang Pilipinas at saka ‘yung UN na nagtutulungan. At kaya’t eh may pagkakataon tayo, may pagkakataon ang Pilipinas na mas tumulong pa kung tayo man ay maging non-permanent members sa Security Council.

Q: Hi, sir. Good afternoon. Sir, may we know what will happen to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure? Are they going to be abolished or will you fill up the vacant positions?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, right now what the ICI is doing is that they are collating all of their findings because dadalhin nila – siyempre, they are also writing their final report. I think baka tapos na. But the – essentially within – with the ICI itself has made a determination that much of their work has already been done.

And the next part of this process is that they will send those – the information, they will send it to DOJ and the Ombudsman, depending on which is the appropriate body. So, nandoon tayo ngayon.

Now, what will happen afterwards is, let us see what else that they can do but for now their brief has already been fulfilled.

Q: And sir, may we also have an update about former Congressman Zaldy Co? Why is it difficult for the government to bring him home?

THE PRESIDENT: You cannot bring him home because hindi – that’s just not the way it works. We have to ask the assistance of the country where he is in, which is presently Portugal.

So that is what we have done. Naglagay na tayo ng red notice sa Interpol at patuloy ang ating ugnayan sa mga Portuguese authorities na pauwiin na siya. And that’s the process that…You do not send your own police to go and pick him up kasi wala namang jurisdiction ang police doon sa kung saan ‘yung ibang bansa. So, they cannot arrest anyone. So, it will have to be with the assistance of the hosting country. Yeah.

Alright. Maraming salamat. Thank you.

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