Compared To China, US Trade, Investment Offers Laughable
On the other hand, the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) donations of China alone that are reality– Chico River Irrigation Pump, Davao Bucana Bridge, Estrella-Pantaleon and Binondo-Intramuros Bridge, the ongoing Kaliwa Dam Project that would provide 600/mld (million liters per day) to drying Metro-Manila and hundreds other projects– already count billions of dollars, not to mention private investments like DITO Telecoms’ $ 3.9 billion investment in our telecom sector.
Related:
USD 1 billion Investment to Philippines “Peanuts” compared to US Investments in other SEA Countries
As one of my Page’s Followers once said, “Act like a Doormat and you will be treated like one“, and this illustrates best how the Philippines is acting towards the US, and how the US treats the Philippines.
13 less NEDA Priority Projects as BBM distracts People from it by constantly provoking China
So in effect the BBM Administration is refusing to spend more Money on Infrastructure which is using more transparent Procurement Laws, but is spending more Money to prepare for War which uses much less transparent Methods.
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In effect also this just goes to show that BBM is willing to sacrifice this Country’s Infrastructure Projects just so he could continue to push the Philippines instead closer into a possible War with China.
Rise of US-PH militarization, fall of PH-Sino development?
$8B in missed opportunity costs
Recently, the Senate finally ratified the largest trade bloc in history, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Former president Duterte signed the deal in September 2021. Without a timely ratification, the Philippines has already lost billions of dollars and the strategic early-mover advantages.
In the early 2020s, the RCEP accounted for some 50 percent of Philippine exports and 68 percent of Philippine import sources, as estimated by Dr. Henry Lim Son Liong, president of the Filipino Chinese Chamber.
In terms of its impact, the RCEP could increase the Philippine GDP by up to 2 percent, according to some analysts. Since the country’s nominal GDP was $402 billion in 2022 and is estimated at around $425 billion for 2023, that could amount to up to $8.3 billion in missed opportunity costs.
Nonetheless, with further militarization and EDCA sites, the Philippines’ largest trading partner and largest source of imports could fade into history. And so could the country’s second-largest export market. What’s at stake annually is almost $12 billion in total trade.
Investment: $23 billion at stake
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In the past decade, the total bilateral trade did triple, thanks mainly to the Duterte government. As long as President Marcos builds on those policies, the expansion will prevail. But the reverse applies as well.
The first signals came last week when NEDA chief, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan allayed concerns that Philippine infrastructure projects under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) may be stalled due to the geopolitical tensions in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
In other major Asean countries, which shun militarization and push development, the BRI ties are thriving. By contrast, those emerging economies that align themselves with the ailing Western economies will face more inflationary, monetary and currency pressures in the near future (“Is Philippines sleepwalking into economic and geopolitical minefield,” TMT, March 20, 2022).
Philippines counts the cost of tough South China Sea stance against Beijing
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
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