Marcos, Rubio discuss Luzon dev’t, Pax Silica
President Marcos said the region is living through the “curse” of “interesting times” as he reaffirmed strong bilateral ties between Manila and Washington during a meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Malacañang on Wednesday.
The President framed Rubio’s visit in such terms on the same day the US Department of State expressed Washington’s commitment “to deliver over $100 million of new foreign assistance” to upgrade infrastructure and advance logistics and energy projects in Subic.
The undertaking is part of the buildup of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) and, specifically, the new tech industry hub taking shape under the US-led Pax Silica supply chain alliance, which is seen to attract investments and high-value industries to New Clark City in Tarlac and the Port of Subic Bay.
“Secretary Rubio and President Marcos also discussed opportunities related to the Philippines’ membership in Pax Silica and hosting the initiative’s first Economic Security Zone in Clark,” US Department of State spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement released by the US Embassy in Manila.
“Secretary Rubio hailed the deployment of the Expeditionary Cutter Squadron that will operate from forward locations in Singapore and the Philippines to enhance maritime interoperability and support shared regional security objectives,” Piggot added.
The statement also said Mr. Marcos and Rubio discussed the upcoming inaugural LEC Investment Forum in September.
The LEC is a trilateral initiative of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines. It engages partners—including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and the United Kingdom—to create mutual economic growth, generate jobs, strengthen connectivity, and improve transport and logistics, energy, and digital infrastructure along the corridor connecting Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas.
Part of conversation
In their meeting in the Palace, Mr. Marcos told Rubio: “Mr. Secretary, as we are living the curse of ‘May you live in interesting times.’ And here we are, right in the middle of them. It doesn’t sound like a curse, but it turns out that it is,” Mr. Marcos said.
Rubio, the state department’s statement said, reaffirmed the United States’ “ironclad Alliance and […] shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”
“They underscored the importance of upholding freedoms of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea and noted the recent tenth anniversary of the July 2016 Arbitral Award in the South China Sea, confirming that there is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea,” it added.
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez, meanwhile, said the Philippines and the US’ relations with China were mentioned in passing during the conversation between Mr. Marcos and Rubio, who was in Manila to attend the 59th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The Philippines chairs the 11-member grouping this year.
Mr. Marcos is hoping that the region, under the country’s Asean chairmanship, could finally adopt a legally binding “conduct of conduct” for the South China Sea after more than two decades of discussions.
“China, of course, has always been a situation that is always part of the conversation in the sense that the hope is that countries will have a way to be able to persuade China to be able to respect the rule of law, international law of the seas, and so forth and so on,” Romualdez said.
The Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal incident, however, was not part of the discussion, but it was a topic that Manila and Washington would probably bring up “at some point in time,” according to Romualdez.
Rubio also conveyed to Mr. Marcos that US President Donald Trump “holds [him] in high esteem” following their “very positive” meeting in Washington in July last year.
“This is a country that has deep ties to the United States in many ways and it’s a partnership that is only growing,” Rubio said. “And in light of recent events, it’s become more important than ever. And so we’re glad to be with you today and to reaffirm that relationship and our commitment to the US and Philippines’ relationship.”
‘Massive sellout’
Some groups, meanwhile, have raised concerns over Pax Silica, particularly on issues concerning environmental protection, water resources, and land rights, as well as the possible displacement of communities.
Over the weekend, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), in a statement, slammed the government for backing the proposed hub, saying the US-initiated project could intensify land grabbing, resource extraction, and militarization in rural areas.
The group described the project as a “massive sellout” of the country’s land, minerals, and sovereignty.
“To be honest, this is war production disguised as ‘so-called development.’ The government is opening our mountains and ancestral lands to more destructive mining and industries that serve foreigners rather than the Filipino people,” the KMP said.
Malacañang earlier assured the public that the project will protect the country’s national interests, the environment and its host communities, amid concerns over foreign influence, scarcity of water resources and possible displacement of residents.
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