logo
Firms lining up for Luzon Economic Project, envoy says

Firms lining up for Luzon Economic Project, envoy says

GMA Network7 days ago
A lot of companies have lined up to participate in the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC), Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel ''Babe'' Romualdez has said.
''There are already a lot of companies that are lining up into working on projects and also locally, it will boost the economy in those areas,'' Romualdez told the Philippine media delegation in Washington D.C.
The envoy, however, did not specify the companies that expressed intent to participate in the project. He said President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. would meet with the potential investors as part of his official visit to the US.
The LEC is a partnership with the United States and Japan, which was announced during the Trilateral Leaders' Summit in the United States in April of last year.
This program seeks to connect Subic Bay, Clark, Manila, and Batangas with high-impact infrastructure projects including ports and railways.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto earlier said this project is envisioned to become a prime location for export-manufacturing firms, positioning the Philippines as Asia's top destination for cutting-edge production and innovation. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

US trade deal will boost food PH supply, cut prices — DA
US trade deal will boost food PH supply, cut prices — DA

GMA Network

time13 hours ago

  • GMA Network

US trade deal will boost food PH supply, cut prices — DA

Locally-produced agricultural goods such as rice, corn, sugar, chicken, fish, and pork will be protected in the ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture on Sunday. 'Secretary Frederick Go and Trade Secretary Cristina Roque have assured us that the top priority for Philippine trade negotiators is protecting our local producers,' said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. in a statement said. Earlier, President Donald Trump had announced that the Philippines has agreed to a 19 percent tariff on its exports to the US, while granting duty-free access to American goods entering the country. However, Malacañang clarified that a final trade agreement is still being finalized by trade negotiators. According to the DA, Go, Special Assistant to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for Investment and Economic Affairs, 'assured the Philippines has not made any concessions that would harm local producers. His remarks come amid growing concern over the potential impact of a tariff deal on key Philippine industries.' 'Secretary Go has maintained that any trade agreement must strike a balance between improving market access and safeguarding the livelihoods of Filipino workers and farmers,' the DA said. — RF, GMA Integrated News

GMA Integrated News gears up for extensive multi-platform coverage of State of the Nation Address 2025
GMA Integrated News gears up for extensive multi-platform coverage of State of the Nation Address 2025

GMA Network

timea day ago

  • GMA Network

GMA Integrated News gears up for extensive multi-platform coverage of State of the Nation Address 2025

On July 28, GMA Integrated News will deliver its comprehensive multi-platform coverage of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s (PBBM) fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), reaffirming its commitment to 'Mas malaking misyon, mas malawak na paglilingkod sa bayan!' Titled "State of the Nation Address 2025: The GMA Integrated News Special Coverage," it will be anchored by award-winning broadcast journalists Pia Arcangel and Atom Araullo. It will air live on GMA, GTV and will also be available on radio, online, and social media platforms. As the 'News Authority ng Filipino,' expect GMA Integrated News to provide the public with unparalleled, comprehensive updates and in-depth reports in the days leading to PBBM's SONA on Monday. Spearheading the coverage is GMA's flagship newscast, 24 Oras, offering a comprehensive report of the speech's highlights and a compelling series of special reports. Unang Hirit's Unang Balita will kick off the morning with an essential overview and anticipation of PBBM's report to the Filipino people. Late-night newscast Saksi, and GTV's Dobol B TV, Balitanghali and State of the Nation will provide continuous updates, rounding up the day's biggest stories and analyses. Online, the live stream of 'State of the Nation Address 2025: The GMA Integrated News Special Coverage' will be available on and GMA Integrated News' official accounts on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok for bite-sized updates. Viewers can also visit GMA News Online for a comprehensive coverage of SONA 2025 – from pre-SONA special reports on the economy, health, security, agriculture, infrastructure, and education to PBBM's speech, reactions, and rally coverages. Netizens may download the GMA News Online app in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for a blow-by-blow live blog and end-of-day summary. Across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, GMA Regional TV (RTV) is geared to ensure viewers remain updated thru its flagship local newscasts: One North Central Luzon, Balitang Bisdak, One Western Visayas, and One Mindanao. The SONA 2025 coverage is also accessible via its official website and on GMA RTV's Facebook page and Youtube channel. The Network's flagship AM radio station, Super Radyo DZBB 594khz, and its Super Radyo stations nationwide are primed to deliver the biggest news and latest information via 'Super Radyo DZBB Special Coverage: State of the Nation Address 2025.' Coverage will commence early at 3 a.m. via Markado and will continue until 6:30 p.m. Listeners of Super Radyo Cebu, Super Radyo Davao, Super Radyo Iloilo, Super Radyo Palawan, Super Radyo Gen. Santos, and Super Radyo Kalibo can also access dedicated local coverage from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Further, 'Super Radyo DZBB Special Coverage: State of the Nation Address 2025' will simulcast via Dobol B TV from 5:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. on GTV. Global Pinoys can stay informed during SONA 2025 with live, real-time coverage from GMA Integrated News—airing across GMA Network's international channels: GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV.

Salceda optimistic about PH entering into FTA with US
Salceda optimistic about PH entering into FTA with US

GMA Network

timea day ago

  • GMA Network

Salceda optimistic about PH entering into FTA with US

Economist Joey Salceda on Saturday expressed optimism that the Philippines will enter into a free trade agreement with the United States following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s White House meeting with US President Donald Trump earlier this week. Salceda made the statement after Marcos negotiated a zero tariff plan for some American goods entering the country in exchange for a lower tariff rate for Philippine exports to the US. 'When Marcos said we are offering you zero tariffs, that is an invitation we can do an FTA,' Salceda said at a news forum in Quezon City. The economist added that now that Trump is more open to bilateral trade talks instead of forming multilateral partnerships, 'it is no longer that impossible that we can work out a free trade agreement.' The former lawmaker recalled that the Philippines was not able to join the Obama administration-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) since there was a requirement to allow foreign ownership of land, which the Philippine Constitution prohibits. 'So when Marcos said, 'We are offering them zero [tariffs],' he was trying to [persuade] the US administration into a Free Trade Agreement,' Salceda said. Early morning on Wednesday (Philippine time), Trump announced a new 19% tariff rate for Philippine goods entering America. This is lower than the 20% announced in a letter earlier this month but higher than the 17% rate announced last April on what the US president referred to as Liberation Day. The US chief executive initially said the Philippines is going "open market" with the United States with zero tariffs, while the Philippines would pay a 19% tariff. Marcos, however, has since clarified that the zero tariffs on US products would only apply to certain markets, such as automobiles. The President also committed to increasing imports of soy, wheat, and pharmaceuticals from the US. Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs of the Philippines Frederick Go bared that American agri-fisheries commodities, considered 'sensitive' for the local sector, entering the country are not included in the zero tariff scheme offered to the US. Salceda, meanwhile, explained that only 31% of Philippine exports are subject to Trump's 19% tariff, while the rest—such as electronics, wood, metals, fuels, and chemicals—are covered by multiple trade agreements for exemptions. For Salceda, the effective rate was actually 6.3%, in favor of the Philippines. The lawmaker said the Philippines will benefit mostly from an FTA with the US, as it would result in cheaper products and an increase in investments from American firms. 'Definitely, from tariff savings alone there will be higher consumer welfare aside from the creation of jobs from new investments in manufacturing,' he said. Data from the US Trade Representative showed America's goods trade with the Philippines totaled $23.5 billion in 2024. Broken down, the US goods exports to Manila stood at $9.3 billion, while its imports amounted to $14.2 billion, resulting in a trade-in-goods deficit with the Philippines of $4.9 billion in 2024, up 21.8% year-on-year. Meanwhile, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed the US was the country's top export destination in 2024, accounting for 16.6% or $12.14 billion of the total export receipts of $73.27 billion. — VBL, GMA Integrated News

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store