
Marcos leaves for Osaka, Japan —Palace
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said Marcos left this past Thursday afternoon. The caretakers of the country will be Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III.
Marcos will return this weekend, Castro said.
The Presidential Communications Office earlier said Marcos would visit the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan and that he will also attend business meetings there.
The World Expo 2025 was opened to the public on April 13. The Department of Tourism said over 40,000 people visited the Philippine Pavilion in just nine days.
The World Expo will run until October 13, 2025. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
16 minutes ago
- GMA Network
Marcos vows PH will never back out after latest WPS water cannon incident
President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Monday said Philippine assets would never back out, after a Chinese vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine vessel in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Marcos was referring to the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) vessel BRP Suluan which was on a mission to aid Filipino fishermen in Bajo de Masinloc when the incident occurred on Monday morning. ''We have never instructed any of our vessels to back out,'' Marcos said at a press briefing. ''Never, never. But we have to always – we do not back out because natakot tayo, umatras tayo. Alam mo, I don't know about other places, pero dito sa – dito sa gobyernong ito, hindi tayo umaatras sa laban (We do not back out just because we are scared. In this government, we will not back out.),'' he added. ''We don't – we don't… We are brave. Filipinos are brave,'' the President said. Marcos said the country's uniformed personnel have been doing their duty and mission of defending the Philippines, noting that ''we will not stop doing it.'' Earlier, Philippine vessels and fishermen encountered hazardous maneuvers and blocking actions from other vessels in the vicinity, according to PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela. 'In particular, the MRRV 4406 (BRP Suluan) was targeted with a water cannon, but the seamanship skills by PCG crew members allowed the vessel to successfully evade from getting hit,' Tarriela said. He said the PCG has deployed the BRP Teresa Magbanua and BRP Suluan, along with MV Pamamalakaya, to carry out the 'Kadiwa Para sa Bagong Bayaning Mangingisda (KBBM)' initiative. According to Marcos, there is an increased tension in the region due to his remarks last week, wherein he was accused by China of playing with fire. To recall, China lodged "serious protests" against the Philippines after Marcos stated the country may be drawn into a conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan. In defense, Marcos said he was perplexed with China's accusation, adding that he was only stating facts. 'Playing with fire? I was just stating facts," he said. Marcos vowed that his administration would continue to exercise the country's sovereignty in the region. ''We will continue to be present. We will continue to defend our territory. We will continue to exercise our sovereign rights. And despite any opposition from anyone, we will continue to do that as we have done in the past three years,'' Marcos said. GMA News Online asked the Chinese Embassy for comment but it has yet to issue a statement as of posting time. —KG, GMA Integrated News

GMA Network
an hour ago
- GMA Network
Marcos to China: Playing with fire? I just stated facts
''Playing with fire? I was just stating facts.'' This was the response of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. to China after the latter had lodged "serious protests" against the Philippines over Marcos' statement that the country could be drawn into a conflict between the United States and China over Taiwan. During a press conference on Monday, Marcos admitted that he was a little bit perplexed that his remarks were characterized as 'playing with fire.' ''I don't know what they are talking about. Playing with fire? I was just stating facts. There… We do not want to go to war. But I think if there is a war over Taiwan, we will be indrawn, hihilaan tayo sa ayaw at gusto natin (We will be dragged whether we like it or not). Kicking and screaming,'' Marcos said. ''We will be drawn and dragged into that mess. Whatever you do…Come on, let's be – huwag na tayong mag… Hope. I love this saying, hope is not a plan. I hope it doesn't happen. I hope it doesn't,'' he added. Marcos, in a media interview during his state visit to India, said "there is no way that the Philippines can stay out of it" if an all-out war erupts in the Taiwan Strait due to its geographic location. The Philippine leader also acknowledged the presence of around 200,000 Filipino workers on the self-ruling democratic island China claims as part of its territory. Beijing, for its part, pointed out that "near geographic location' and 'a large amount of Filipinos in Taiwan' should "not be used as pretexts to interfere in the internal and sovereign affairs of other countries." Manila does not have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a democratic self-ruling island which has been separated from the Chinese mainland since 1949. The Philippines, however, maintains a de-facto embassy in Taiwan, called the Manila Economic and Cultural Office or MECO. In case a war arises, Marcos said the Philippine government should plan for it already. ''And that's what I was talking about. How do we get our people out? How do we protect the – kung magkagulo – giyera na nga dito, eh malapit na sa atin. Anong gagawin natin? Okay lang, normal lang 'yan, pababayaan na lang natin kung sino pasok-labas dito sa atin.' Hindi naman puwede 'yun,'' he said. (If a conflict arises, in case there will be a war, it's near to us. What will we do? ''It's fine, it's normal, we just let whoever goes in an out of our country.'' That's not possible.) ''So, we'll have to do something. So, inevitably, despite our fervent wish to avoid any confrontation with anybody anywhere, war over Taiwan will drag the Philippines kicking and screaming into the conflict. That is what I was trying to say. That's why I don't understand,'' Marcos added. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News


GMA Network
3 hours ago
- GMA Network
Marcos bares total cost of flood control projects since July 2022 at over P500B
The total cost of flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025 amounted to more than P500 billion, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. disclosed Monday. ''The total cost of all of the projects since July 2022 until today is P545 billion. I don't know about you but that is a very big number, by any measure that is an enormous number,'' Marcos said at a press conference where he announced the launch of a website about flood control projects. The total number of the flood control projects was 9,855. Marcos said that a total of 6,021 projects were worth more than P350 billion, adding that they do not specify the exact type of flood control structures built, repaired or rehabilitated. As part of the initial findings, Marcos said several projects in different locations have exactly the same contract cost, which could mean that same designs, materials, and lengths were used despite differences in location or terrain. The regions with the most projects and highest spending include the National Capital Region (1,058 projects worth P52.57 billion), Region III (1,617 projects worth P98.01 billion), and Region V (866 projects worth P49.61 billion). Marcos disclosed this pieces of information after receiving a list from the Department of Public Works and Highways on the flood control projects. As promised during his last State of the Nation Address, Marcos noted that the audit of the projects will be made accessible to the public. ''And most importantly, it is in a form that the public can use so that they can first, identify the projects that -- the flood control projects that are within their area, within their barangay so that they can actually go and look at it,'' Marcos said. ''Or if they already have information, they can tell us about it kung maganda 'yung naging project, kung hindi maganda 'yung naging project, bakit hindi maganda 'yung naging project, ano naging problema, et cetera, et cetera,'' he added. (They can tell us about it if the project was good, if it did not become good, what were the problems encountered, et cetera, et cetera.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News