Malacañang fires back over P23-B summit tab

Palace press officer Claire Castro on Thursday defended the P22.9-billion budget for this year’s ASEAN Summit, saying it should not be compared to the P1 billion spent for the summit during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the P3.9 billion during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.

Castro cited the scale of this year’s preparations, saying the government held 393 meetings and had another 164 scheduled, compared with the 279 meetings during the 2017 summit in Duterte’s time.

She said the administration was prepared to have the expenditures audited by the Commission on Audit.

Her remarks came amid questions over the cost of hosting the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, as the preparations continued to disrupt businesses and daily activities in parts of Metro Manila.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has asked Filipinos to bear with the inconvenience, saying the benefits of hosting the regional gathering from 15 to 17 November would outweigh the temporary disruptions.

In a video message on Thursday, the President appealed for patience from residents and businesses affected by the security and logistical measures ahead of the summit.

“Although there will be some inconvenience in the coming days, this will only be temporary. I ask for a little patience. I am certain the benefits we will gain from the policies that will be agreed upon and the jobs that will be created will outweigh these inconveniences,” he said.

Beautifying Marcos?

Ambulant vendors have been barred from selling their wares, while some establishments near the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, the main summit venue, had been ordered closed from 1 to 18 November.

Asked about Bayan president Renato Reyes’ criticism that “the people are being made to suffer because of the vanity of the President,” Castro rejected the characterization.

“Is the President beautifying himself? What are we beautifying? Is it not the Philippines? We are improving the country so other nations will see that the Philippines is a trustworthy country where they can invest,” she said in Filipino.

“What do they want to see in our country — a dirty country? Do not pin all these baseless accusations on the President. He is not beautifying himself; he is improving the country and working for the welfare of every Filipino,” Castro added.

Harsh realities

Marcos said the summit was particularly important amid the rising prices of goods and fuel, the economic difficulties in several countries, and the security concerns.

He said regional cooperation was necessary because many of these problems could not be addressed by the Philippines alone. As host, he added, the country could help prioritize issues affecting Filipinos, including food and oil prices, security, agriculture, jobs and livelihoods.

The economic backdrop is increasingly difficult for Filipinos to swallow.

The latest government figures show that the economy grew by only 2.1 percent year-on-year in the third quarter. Agriculture, forestry and fishing contracted 4.8 percent, while household spending grew by just 2.4 percent and investment declined 0.2 percent.

Inflation accelerated to 7.8 percent in October, from 1.7 percent a year earlier, with rice prices rising 20.7 percent and transport costs 20.1 percent.

Unemployment climbed to 5.4 percent in September, from 3.8 percent a year earlier, leaving 2.86 million Filipinos without work. Another 5.56 million were underemployed.

The figures highlight the strain on household budgets as the government asked the public to be patient over the cost and disruption of hosting the summit.

A Social Weather Stations survey conducted from 21 to 27 September found that 91 percent of 1,500 adult respondents expected the Philippines to benefit from hosting the summit.

Among the issues they wanted raised were inflation and the rising prices of goods, cited by 19 percent; the West Philippine Sea, 16 percent; and oil prices and supply, 12 percent.