The Philippines must be prepared for the policy shifts that US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to implement once in office, according to Senate President Francis Escudero.
Escudero said the government should start drawing up scenarios in the Trump administration and preparing a response.
“From trade to security to immigration, what he said he plans to do, some on day one of his administration, would certainly impact us,” he added.
If Trump pushes through with his pronouncement to carry out the greatest mass deportation in US history, “then how many of the estimated 300,000 vulnerable Filipinos will be in the first wave of expulsion?” Escudero asked.
Escudero said that even if only 1% of the 300,000 would be removed from American soil, it would require 10 big airplanes. “How will his plan to erect high tariff walls affect our economy given that almost $1 in every $7 of our export earnings come from our trade with the United States?”
“If the dollar will strengthen because of him, what effect will it have on us if it causes the peso to weaken? The value of our foreign debt will balloon.”
He added that even though Trump’s proposed pivot on the diplomatic front will reduce global tensions and settle wars, “these wins will still impact our fiscal position.” He said another important aspect of the US-PH relations that should be revisited by the Philippine side is the military alliance boosted by the Biden administration.
Senator Imee Marcos also urged the country to brace for a Trump presidency.
The senator noted various aspects of the US-Philippine relationship that may be affected by the new presidency, including immigration, defense, and geopolitical interests.
Marcos highlighted undocumented Filipinos at risk of mass deportation and stressed the urgency of preparing expanded reintegration programs, which would include skills training, livelihood support, and direct assistance for deportees from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
According to the senator, based on the 2025 National Expenditure Program, the DSWD has sufficient funding for only 4,152 distressed and undocumented overseas Filipinos next year.
In contrast, last year, the DFA was able to assist only 72,206 overseas Filipinos using the Assistance to Nationals Fund and the Legal Assistance Fund.
Marcos meanwhile emphasized the need for the Philippines to take a leadership role in ASEAN and foster strengthened partnerships within the region to manage potential shifts in U.S. foreign policy.
