Marcos to Armed Forces: Defend our territory

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday, February 27 called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to defend the country’s territory amid a new security landscape and the South China Sea row.

Speaking to troops of the Visayas Command in Cebu, Marcos described the current geopolitical situation in the world today as “most complicated.”

He said there was a time when the Philippines did not have to worry about threats and the intensification of competition between the superpowers.

“For many, many years, we were able to maintain that peace and maintain that understanding with all of our neighbors. Now things have begun to change and we must adjust accordingly,” he said. “We know that the Philippines is just a small country but we still need to defend our territory.”

He said the Philippines used to have clear boundaries, but now these are being questioned – a situation that further highlights the military’s important mission of safeguarding the country.

“We are facing a more complex foreign situation in the Philippines. Like what I said, that in this part of the world, here in the Philippines, South China Sea, among all issues, it is said to be the most complicated geopolitical situation,” the President said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Even if there is war in Ukraine, the South China Sea is said to be the most difficult and most complicated problem. That is why I said the mission of the AFP has changed. We need to safeguard those that we did not need to think much about previously,” u PAGE 2

WHEN United States Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) announced her bid to take over Dianne Feinstein’s seat in the U.S. Senate, many wondered if her age would be an asset or hindrance.

Lee is 76 years old and boasts a 12term legislative career in the U.S. House of Representatives. But given longstanding concerns over the 89-year-old Feinstein’s age — and the threat of the young GOP uprising against the aging Democratic Establishment — many Democratic voters have raised concerns over who should take over Feinstein’s seat.

But regarding the vigorous and progressive Lee, any age concern almost becomes a nonissue.

“For those who say my time has passed,

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sent his "warmest greetings" to all Filipinos here and abroad who solemnly recall the 37th EDSA People Power Anniversary, a popular uprising which ousted his father from power in 1986. Late Thursday, February 23, Marcos moved the February 25 regular holiday to Friday, February 24 as a special non-working holiday, with the Department of Labor and Employment calling Saturday, February 25 just an "ordinary working day."

"As we look back at this moment in our country's history, we remind ourselves that despite the polarizing and divisive nature of our politics, it is our capacity for peace, unity and reconciliation that made us great and worthy of global acclaim as a people," Marcos said in a statement released by the state-run Philippine News Agency.

"To obtain our aspirations moving forward, we must compose ourselves and appropriate our actions towards settling our differences and identifying collaborative ways to nurture our society."

Marcos said that by accepting diversity,

CEBU CITY — Calling the tensions in the South China Sea “the most complex geopolitical situation in the world,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines to “guard carefully” the country’s territory, amid the unabated Chinese incursions into the West Philippine Sea, the area within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said the President was “taking proper steps in defending the rights of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.”

Addressing government troops in one of several activities during his visit here on Monday, Mr. Marcos said the country now “fac[es] a more complex foreign situation.”

“There was a time [when] we did not have to worry about these threats and the intensification of the competition

TAKING in the investment arms of multilateral lenders such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank as strategic partners will likely boost the attractiveness of the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF), according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla. Medalla said in an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News

TV that senators were amenable to taking in the International Finance Corp. (IFC) of the World Bank and the investment arm of ADB as strategic partners instead of doing an initial public offering (IPO).

“In particular, let’s say if the fund gets to attract strategic partners like the IFC of the World Bank and the investment arm of the ADB, then the fund may actually be superior,” Medalla said.

THE resumption of flights from the Clark International Airport will boost the country’s tourism industry and decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The DOT made this statement following the move of Cebu Pacific to boost the Clark hub with a combined 13 domestic and international routes.

The airline company has said three of its aircraft would be based in Clark.

Flag-carrier Philippine Airlines has also announced that it would commence flights from Clark to Caticlan on April 1 and Clark to Busuanga on April 2.

The newly reopened routes will surely boost the country’s domestic and international tourism as they will provide added connectivity to the country’s indemand destinations, according to Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

“After months of our continuous discussions with relevant aviation agencies and stakeholders such as the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, we welcome these additional