Q: Sir, may we get your – the prospect for US-Philippine relations, sir, following the election of President Trump, sir – the prospect for US-Philippine relations, sir, especially on the economic front?

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS JR.: I don’t think it will change. The… You know, the global forces that are – and you know, they are our oldest treaty – treaty partner, that doesn’t change.

So, I will have to see if there is a major change, but I don’t think so.  I don’t think so.

Anyway, to get… We are now monitoring what’s happening. I was watching some film that came out of Aurora and some film that came out of Isabela this – earlier today.

And – oh well, we are just preparing. We have – we actually managed to prepare… We’ve done the usual standard procedure where we have sent, prepositioned our equipment and our relief goods. And we will just have to see where the areas are — that will be particularly hit.

The problem is, there is another one that’s now 3,000 plus mile – kilometers off the coast of Luzon. And that promises to be a stronger one.

So, we just have to continue to prepare. It becomes a little complicated because generally speaking pagka nagkaroon tayo ng bagyo, sasabihin ito ‘yung nasira, ito ‘yung kailangan gawin, ayusin natin muna lahat ‘yan.

Ngayon, sinasabi natin mag-isip-isip tayo kasi kung aayusin natin tapos sisirain na naman ng susunod na bagyo, sayang lang ‘yung ating ginawa. So, kailangan natin magplano.

Pero ‘yung mga tao, kailangan na may kuryente, kailangan na may food supply, kailangan na may tubig, kailangan ng ayusin ang kanilang bahay.

So, this is the balance that we’re — this is the tightrope that we are trying to navigate. It’s a little bit a…

We don’t have a textbook to follow. We don’t have a template to follow. It is climate change, and it is the new reality that we are having to face.

I don’t remember — I’ve been around for a long time – I don’t remember seeing these many – sunod-sunod of this strength.

Maaari ‘yung isang malakas tapos may susunod na isa, may hangin nang kaunti. Pero hindi ‘yung sunod- sunod na malakas. At saka sunod-sunod, hindi man lang tayo pinagbigyan ng isang linggo.

So, this is what we are monitoring now. We’re trying to see what the damages are, that we have to go in already.

This storm will leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility around 2 p.m. tomorrow, ang sabi nila. But then, we have to watch the new one coming in. So, that’s where we’re at right now.

And just trying to keep watch, making sure that everybody’s safe. We have done some initial evacuations already. So, we will just try to stay safe.

So, everyone, please listen to your local government and the authorities who tell you what to do. As long as – as soon as the national government can come in, we will come in.

Your local government is there – is ready to be the first responders as they always are, and the national government will come in as soon as we can. In fact, we’re already there and they are just waiting for the storm to allow them to get to work.

But some people are already working in terms of clearing the roads. Kahit na may bagyo, kahit na malakas ang hangin, nasa labas sila dahil kaya pa naman eh, kaya pa naman daw. Sabi nila they can still work to clear trees that fell, to – ‘yung mga poste na nahulog para may daanan ang relief goods natin. So, puwede naman, puwede naman, we can still transport people.

So, let’s hope that it’s not as – that it stays this manageable. And let’s be conscious of the fact that there’s a very – there’s another one, another very significant weather system coming into the Philippines after that.

Q: Sir, other matter lang po? Mayroon daw, sir, alleged loophole ‘yung EO 74, banning the POGO? Kasi, sir, Senator Hontiveros said na baka puwede pa ring mag-operate ‘yung POGO sa mga PAGCOR-operated na casinos and resorts.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Not – no, no. Not operated – hindi under the authority of PAGCOR. They cannot.

Q: How about PEZA, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: There is just no way because it’s the nature of the operation that we are banning. It’s not because it’s under PAGCOR or not. Basta’t sinabing – basta’t POGO ‘yan, basta’t ganyan ang lisensya nila, it’s banned.

Q: Sir, do we need a separate law for that, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, the EO is sufficient.

Q: Sir, China is reacting doon sa Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Law. Nagpapalala raw po ito ng tensyon sa South China Sea. Your comment, sir, sa — ?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, it’s not unexpected but we have to define closely… Marami tayong sinasabi that we have to protect our sovereign rights and our sovereignty.

So, it serves a purpose that we define closely what those boundaries are, and that’s what we are doing.

All right? Thank you.

Q: Thank you, sir.

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