THE FILIPINO people have nothing to celebrate in the arrival of US President Donald Trump. He is coming to Manila for the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings; amid intensifying US-China rivalry, the summit provides Washington an opportunity to strengthen its political, economic, and military influence in Southeast Asia. The planned signing of the proposed Pax Silica framework agreement further exposes the economic and strategic interests behind this visit.
Trump’s visit comes as the Philippines and the United States mark 80 years of diplomatic relations and 75 years of the Mutual Defense Treaty. President Bongbong Marcos Jr. seeks to use these milestones to reinforce the bilateral “alliance”. But whose interests does this relationship serve? Certainly not those of millions of Filipinos struggling with rising prices, poverty, unemployment and landlessness.
Hindi solusyon si Trump sa krisis ng Pilipinas. Siya mismo ang kinatawan ng imperyalismong nagpapahirap sa mamamayan!
The Marcos Jr. administration is set to spend billions to host foreign leaders, especially Donald Trump, while ordinary Filipinos struggle to afford food, electricity, transportation, and other basic necessities. The FY 2026 budget appropriates Php17.5 billion for hosting the ASEAN summits and related meetings, including Php10.78 billion for the Office of the President and Php1.93 billion for the Philippine National Police. At a time when inflation reached 7.8% in October and the peso stood at Php63.67 to the US dollar on November 3, the government’s priorities in public spending do not respond to the urgent needs of the people.
Trump dares to step into our country that’s currently ravaged by an economic crisis worse than the pandemic years, while it is his government’s recent war against Iran that brought about the recent wave of economic hardships we Filipinos suffer from. Coupled with the Oil Deregulation Law, which removed the government’s direct control over the oil industry, the US war of aggression in the Middle East contributed to soaring fuel prices, with gasoline and diesel reaching Php85–100 per liter. This raised transportation and other daily costs for Filipinos, while guaranteeing superprofits for oil companies like Caltex, under US-based Chevron.
Besides, for eight decades, US imperialism has maintained its economic and political domination over the Philippines. Through unequal trade agreements, foreign control of strategic industries, neoliberal policies and military intervention, the US has undermined our capacity to build an independent economy.
Trade liberalization imposed through the IMF and World Bank, institutions established under the US-led post-war economic order, has battered our farmers with agricultural imports, undermined local production, and turned our country into a dumping ground for surplus foreign goods. Instead of strengthening domestic agricultural production, these policies have made us increasingly dependent on imported products.
US imperialism benefits from our reliance on imported agricultural and manufactured goods, foreign loans, and dollar remittances from overseas: as long as the country is trapped in such an economy, it compels us to keep on exporting labor to the US and other advanced capitalist countries. Domestically, this economy reduces our laborers to contractual employment so that big businesses can maximize profits from their sweat and blood. They are kept trapped in low wages and compelled to consider working abroad.
The World Bank-backed jeepney modernization program, which threatens to scrap traditional jeepneys in favor of imported electric vehicles, is posed to affect 5,940 families of jeepney drivers and operators, or approximately 29,700 individuals. Under the US-imposed privatization dogma, our consumers also bear the burden of public markets, electricity, water, education, healthcare and other essential services being surrendered to big private corporations, undermining people’s access to these necessities.
Alternatibo ng taumbayan
Trump is not coming to address the fundamental and pressing problems of the Filipino people. His visit falls within the broader US drive to maintain its dominance in the Asia-Pacific, secure the continued subservience of the Marcos Jr regime, and save its own economy to the detriment of its neo-colonies like the Philippines.
BAYAN Panay demands an end to US-imposed neoliberal policies that destroy local industries, undermine agriculture, privatize essential services, and condemn our people to cheap labor and forced migration. Genuine development requires agrarian reform, national industrialization, decent jobs and wages, affordable basic commodities, accessible social services, and protection of the livelihoods of farmers, fisherfolk, workers, drivers, vendors, and indigenous peoples. – ELMER FORRO, Secretary General, Bagong Alyansang Makabyan – Panay <bayanpanay2014@gmail.com>
