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Saturday, October 19, 2024 Vol. 20 No. 10
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PHL-EU RELATIONS WARM UP AS FTA TALKS RESUME n
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MANALO ASKS THAI MINISTER FOR ACCESS TO CHINESE DETAINEE-SPY
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By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
RUSSELS was a bit chilly than usual on October 14, the day the Philippines and the European Union resumed negotiations on a free-trade agreement (FTA). The atmosphere at the negotiating table, however, was starkly different from the mood of the parties. “The atmosphere was positive. We feel the excitement and enthusiasm during the resumption of the FTA negotiations,” Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty told the BusinessMirror. The Philippines, the second largest market in Southeast Asia,
and the European Union, the world’s biggest trading bloc, have been planning to have an FTA since 2015. EU is a bloc of 28 countries— Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
“We have an untapped potential of $8.3 billion in trade in goods in the European market.” — Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty on the opportunities the FTA could unlock for the Philippines.
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands,
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden. If the Philippine-EU FTA is concluded, it would be the biggest FTA the Philippines has ever forged. FTA talks have been progressing for two years. But Duterte’s war on drugs concerned human-rights parliamentarians in Europe, provoking Duterte to lash back at the West’s perceived double standards and threatening to expel EU diplomats. Diplomatic relations soured, and brought the FTA talks to the backburner. Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed presidency in 2021, engagement between EU and the Philippines increased. Marcos Jr.’s visit to Brussels and European Commission President Ursula Continued on A2
PHL still most disaster-prone country in SE Asia–report By Bless Aubrey Ogerio
T
HE Philippines remains as the most disaster-affected country in Southeast Asia, according to a recent report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The report indicated that from 2014 to 2023, the country experienced nearly 43 million disasterrelated displacements, with approximately five to 10 destructive typhoons making landfall each year. A separate ADB infographic, based on the 2023 World Risk Report, showed that the Philippines leads the region with a Disaster Risk Index score of 46.86, surpassing Indonesia’s score of 43.50 and India’s 41.52. The vulnerability of the Philippines is exacerbated by the frequent typhoons and its geographic position along the Pacific Typhoon Belt, combined with rapid urbanization, socioeconomic factors, harmful human activities, and the increasing effects of climate change. The SEA region, as a whole, recorded 58.7 million disaster-induced
displacements over the past decade, accounting for one-third of the global total. Much of the displacement in the region, which is nearly 70 percent, was driven by tropical cyclones and other storms, while floods made up 24 percent, and earthquakes contributed 4 percent. For instance, in Indonesia, land degradation and deforestation are believed to have contributed to the January 2023 flooding in the province of Aceh, which accounted for nearly two-thirds of the 184,000 flood-related displacements recorded that year. The Asia and Pacific region experienced 177 million disasterrelated displacements between 2014 and 2023, accounting for 74 percent of the global total. Weather-related hazards like floods and storms caused 92 percent of these displacements, while geophysical events such as earthquakes and tsunamis led to about 13.6 million displacements or 8 percent. In response to these threats, the Philippine government created the National Disaster Risk Man-
2023 WORLD RISK REPORT Rank
Country
Risk
1
Philippines
46.86
2
Indonesia
43.50
3
India
41.52
4
Mexico
38.17
5
Colombia
37.64
6
Myanmar
36.16
7
Mozambique
34.61
8
Russian Federation
28.20
9
Bangladesh
27.29
10
China
27.10
agement Plan (2020-2030) and the National Climate Change Action Plan (2011-2028) to address both the immediate and long-term needs of displaced communities. Per the report, these plans have
helped streamline disaster response efforts, such as those seen in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 and Typhoon Rai in 2021. The Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), established in 1994, also helps manage disaster displacement by tracking people in and outside evacuation centers. It collects data to guide the government’s response and ensure services like protection and psychosocial support are accessible for internally displaced persons (IDPs). To protect vulnerable populations and reduce future displacements, the ADB called for sustained investments in disaster risk reduction and resilience-building efforts. “Providing a regional breakdown, it shows how MDBs [multilateral development banks] can work with governments to invest in resilience building, mainstream disaster risk reduction, and finance initiatives designed to reduce the socioeconomic impact of disasters and prevent future displacements,” the report read.
SHE ZHIJIANG
By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
F
OREIGN Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo has asked the Thai foreign minister for access to the Chinese tycoon detained in a Thai prison. A Chinese tycoon named She Zhijiang had earlier told AlJazeera in a documentary that he is a Chinese spy. He has a dossier of fellow state agents who work for the Chinese Communist Party, including dismissed Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo. Manalo flew to Bangkok Friday for a bilateral meeting with his Thai counterpart, Maris Sangiampongsa. Sources said Secretary Manalo raised the request for the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok and for the Philippine Senate to have a chance to interview She. Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate committee probing human trafficking and other violations of POGOs, said that based on their media sources, the Chinese tycoon has already been transferred to another facility and is now “unreachable.” “Mukhang kailangan natin kumilos agad para makausap ang suspected Chinese spy na si She Zhijiang, at mabunyag ang impormasyon nya ukol kay Guo Hua Ping at mga kasabwat nito,” Hontiveros said in a statement. DFA sources told the BusinessMirror that Manalo brought this matter to the attention of the Thai foreign minister during his bilateral meeting Friday. When asked how the Thai minister replied to the request, a high-ranking source privy to the meeting replied, “The minister said he will consult with relevant agencies.” “We just have to wait for the Thais’ reply to our request,” another diplomatic official said. During the Joint Commission for Bilateral Consultation meeting, the Philippine and Thai foreign ministers have also agreed to cooperate “closely on defense and security, specifically in combating transnational crimes, which continue to victimize our nationals in their online scamming operations.” “We also agreed to explore other potential areas of cooperation, such as cybersecurity, peacekeeping operations, and disaster relief, among others,” Manalo said during the press briefing with Thai media. He also reiterated the invitation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the newly elected Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to visit the Philippines.
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 57.7180 n JAPAN 0.3844 n UK 75.1257 n HK 7.4250 n CHINA 8.1025 n SINGAPORE 43.9288 n AUSTRALIA 38.6480 n EU 62.5259 n KOREA 0.0421 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.3693 Source: BSP (October 18, 2024)