US President Donald Trump speaks to journalists as he signs an executive order regarding the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. —Photo by Jim Watson/ Pool/Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos expressed optimism that the “strong and lasting” Philippine-American alliance would continue as he greeted US President Donald Trump on the latter’s inauguration on Tuesday.
“Congratulations to POTUS (President of the United States) @realdonaldtrump and to the American people on another peaceful transfer of power in their Nation’s nearly 250-year history,” Marcos said in a post on X.
Article continues after this advertisement“The strong and lasting PH-US alliance will continue to uphold our shared vision of prosperity and security in the region,” the President added.
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It was the second time Marcos congratulated Trump on his second nonconsecutive ascent to the presidency; the first was right after Trump won the US elections in November.
Article continues after this advertisement Security cooperation“I look forward to working closely with you and your administration,” said Marcos, who in under three years in office had Manila pivoting back to Washington after his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, chose to lean toward Beijing for investments and loans.
Article continues after this advertisementIt was also under Marcos that the Philippines further expanded security cooperation with the United States in the face of China’s aggressiveness and expansionist claims in the South China Sea that have raised regional tensions.
Article continues after this advertisementAmong the major steps in this direction were the addition of more Philippine camps where American forces can stay on rotation and position equipment, bigger and more frequent war games, enhanced intelligence sharing, and, as announced in June 2024, the US commitment to fresh military aid worth $500 million.
For review in 90 daysOn his first day back at the White House, however, Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all US foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.
Article continues after this advertisementIt was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the order, as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent if not already spent.
The order, among many Trump, signed on his first day back in office, said the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values” and “serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.”
Consequently, Trump declared that “no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”
Up to RubioSecretary of State Marco Rubio told members of the Senate foreign relations committee during his confirmation hearing last week that “every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions:
“Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?” he said.
The order signed by Trump leaves it up to Rubio or his designee to make such determinations in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget.
The Department of State and the US Agency for International Development are the main agencies that oversee foreign assistance.
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Trump has long railed against foreign aid, although such assistance typically amounts to roughly 1 percent of the federal budget, except under unusual circumstances such as the billions in weaponry provided to Ukraine. —with a report from AP
In a statement on Monday, GSIS said the transport hub dubbed as ‘Project Hub’, will be located at the corner of the Elliptical Road and Commonwealth Avenue.
The National Union of Healthcare Workersphv88, which represents the employees, is negotiating a new contract with the Oakland-based health giant. It said the strikers demand Kaiser hire more people to ease the burden put on the current staff.
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