Recently in the city of Parañaque, two individuals were arrested by the local police for selling fake luxury bags, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. The law enforcers responded to a complaint filed by a victim.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
Police arrested two suspects in an entrapment operation for allegedly selling fake luxury bags on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 26.
The suspects were identified as Glen, 25, and Imel, 29, both residents of Barangay San Isidro, Parañaque City.
They were arrested at a dining establishment along Aseana Avenue in Barangay Tambo during an entrapment operation conducted by members of the Station Intelligence Section and the Investigation and Detective Management Section, in coordination with the AFP Army Intelligence Regiment.
Police said the arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by a 29-year-old call center agent, who reported that the suspects sold her a fake “Birkin” bag from Hermès worth P700,000 last Feb. 7.
The victim told police that the bag was confirmed to be counterfeit after it underwent validation and authentication.
Authorities conducted the entrapment operation after the victim reported that the suspects contacted her again, offering to sell a “Kelly 25” bag from Hermès worth P950,000.
During the arrest, police recovered from the suspects a white Kelly 25 bag and a black Kelly 25 bag, both branded as Hermès, as well as items bearing brands such as Chanel and Coach. A magnifying loupe glass was also seized.
Authorities likewise confiscated several mobile devices, including an iPhone 13, a Samsung Galaxy 11, a Tecno Go Spark 2, and an iPhone 6, along with P2,000 in cash and 98 pieces of boodle money.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you thankful that the local police officers were successful in arresting the suspects? Do you know anyone who was fooled into spending a high amount of money on fake products?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In a serious move against the selling of fake friendship route stickers online, the City Government of Las Piñas that it will pursue legal action against three online shopping platforms that constantly made such items available to customers, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. The City Government reiterated that using fake friendship route stickers constitutes penalties.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The Las Piñas city government has intensified its crackdown on the illegal sale and use of counterfeit Friendship Route stickers and is preparing to pursue legal action against three online platforms.
Las Piñas City Mayor April Aguilar said the three online platforms were reportedly openly selling counterfeit Friendship Route stickers.
Aguilar stressed that legitimate Friendship Route stickers are distributed free of charge to residents of Las Piñas City.
She warned that selling or using fake stickers is a violation ofCity Ordinance No. 715-06 and may result in fines and possible imprisonment.
Under the ordinance, violators will be fined P500 for the first offense, P1,000 for the second offense, and P3,000 for succeeding offenses.
Those found violating other provisions of the ordinance may face a fine of up to P5,000 or imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
While the Manila Bulletin report did not mention the names of the online shopping platforms, the City Government’s official announcement explicitly mentioned Shopee, Lazada and Facebook Marketplace.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Did you notice that fake Las Piñas friendship route stickers have long been offered for sale in online shopping platforms with prices in the hundreds of Pesos each? Do you personally know anyone using a fake friendship route sticker while driving within the city? Do you hope that City Government’s move will compel the online shopping platforms to crack down on the sellers of the fake friendship route stickers?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 Dead Rising Revisited – I can hardly believe that it will be twenty years since I first play Dead Rising on a rented Xbox 360 console. Released by Capcom in August 2006, Dead Rising is a zombie apocalypse adventure game developed by a Japanese team with Keiji Inafune (Mega Man) as producer. As its story was mainly set in a shopping mall, the game was easily compared with the Dawn of the Dead movies. When I first played it, I was hooked as the gameplay was pretty playable and the in-game action was entertainingly exaggerated. That said, now is a good time to revisit Dead Rising with the video below.
#2 The Binions In Las Vegas –I have toured Las Vegas twice in my life. Still, I never actually visited Binion’s Gambling Hall and Hotel which is located in Downtown Las Vegas on the Fremont Street Experience. Historically, it is know as the place where the World Series of Poker started and it had a unique gambling atmosphere with classic table games and low-limit slots. However, if you look even deeper into the history of the Binions place and the family that originally owned, there is something darker and intriguing to discover. Watch and learn from the video below.
#3 Night Of The Living Dead (1968) Revisited – What is there to say about the original Night of the Living Dead movie from 1968? The George Romero-directed zombie apocalypse movie has long been declared as the most definitive zombie horror movie and was considered as the turning point in horror film-making. As such, it is not surprising to see the movie (in public domain since the beginning) featured in multiple movie reaction videos and retrospective videos on YouTube. For your curiosity and enjoyment, watch the videos below.
#4 Notable Places Beneath Tokyo Tower – The last time I toured Japan was way back in 1997. During that same trip, I visited Tokyo Tower and enjoyed a fine view of the city several feet above ground. As our city tour moved on a somewhat tight schedule, I was not able to fully explore Tokyo Tower. That said, Nippon TV posted recently a video about the places to shop, visit and dine beneath the famous tower. Watch and learn from the video below.
#5 Street Fighter Alpha 2 SNES Version Examined – Back in 1996, I was an avid arcade gamer and Street Fighter Alpha 2 was my favorite among the many 2D fighting games available in local arcades. In late-1996, copies of Street Fighter Alpha 2 running on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) were displayed in game stores which caught my attention because I never expected the console to be capable of processing the game and making it playable (note: Street Fighter Alpha games of the time were prominently released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn). To examine closely the quality of the SNES port of Street Fighter Alpha 2, watch the video below.
#6 Democrats’ Chuck Schumer Proved Himself Pathetic – Do you have a high-ranking representative or leader in government who does NOT care about you and the nation at all? The Democrats of America today are a bunch of unhinged, twisted, wicked and unpatriotic people who do not really care about the American people. One of them is the Democrats’ leader in the US Senate Chuck Schumer who prioritized the rainbow pride flag over America. Watch the video below.
Now that the demonic Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been eliminated, the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran decided to attack not only America forces and Israel but also other Arab states with missiles and drones which easily caused travel and economic disruptions on the rest of the world. In response to what happened, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae urged Iran to solve its conflict with America and Israel diplomatically, according to a news report by Kyodo News. She also demanded Iran to stop destabilizing the region.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Kyodo News. Some parts in boldface…
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Monday urged Iran to seek a “diplomatic solution” amid an escalation in the Middle East conflict following U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Tehran.
At a parliamentary committee meeting, Takaichi demanded Iran stop any actions that “destabilize the region” including its nuclear weapon development, which she said is “absolutely unacceptable,” as well as attacks on its surrounding countries.
“We will work in coordination with the international community toward an early deescalation of the situation and continue to make every necessary diplomatic effort,” Takaichi said, without expressing her view on the weekend bombardment launched by the United States, Japan’s close security ally, and Israel.
Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at the Diet session that no Japanese casualties in Iran have been reported so far, while the government is preparing for a possible evacuation operation for Japanese nationals in the region.
About 200 Japanese citizens live in Iran and 7,700 reside in total in the nations that have been attacked by Iran’s attacks, Motegi added.
The Japanese Embassy in Israel is planning to operate a bus for an evacuation as early as Monday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference. Organizing a large-scale evacuation in Iran is difficult, however, because airports are closed and land routes are dangerous, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Due to its heavy reliance on the Middle East for crude oil, Japan, a resource-poor country that has traditionally maintained friendly ties with Iran, has a vital interest in stability in the region.
The Japanese government is watching the situation around the Strait of Hormuz, an oil shipping route vital for Japan, with the U.S. and Israeli strikes prompting Iranian attacks on other Gulf nations in addition to Israel.
At this stage, the Japanese stock market fell down by 2% over growing concerns about the global economic outlook following the joint US-Israel attacks on the terrorist state.
In what looked like a desperate series of moves, the Islamic terrorist government of Iran launched even more missiles in the Middle East causing more damage, injuries and deaths. Iran made it clear it does not care about the civilians in the region and they are willing to hit the Arab states recklessly. US President Donald J. Trump released a new video message telling the oppressed people of Iran to take back their country.
For updates about what happened lately, watch the videos below.
Let me ending this post by asking you readers to pray to the Lord for victory, for the protection of the American and Israeli forces, for the safety of civilians everywhere, for the end of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to happen soon, and for the liberation of the oppressed Iranian people. Pray to Him to also bless US President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as their respective administrations. Pray to God for more peace and stability in the Middle East.
Recently in the city of Parañaque, a wanted virtual assistant was apprehended by the local police for four counts of qualified theft, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. The police officers were armed with a warrant of arrest.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
A female virtual assistant facing four counts of qualified theft through falsification of private documents was arrested during an operation in Parañaque City on Feb. 24.
The suspect was identified as “Maria,” 28, a resident of Barangay San Dionisio, and was listed as the No. 6 most wanted person. She was arrested by members of the Parañaque City Police–San Dionisio Substation along Dr. A. Santos Avenue.
Maria was arrested after police served a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Regina Paz Ramos-Chavez of the Parañaque City Regional Trial Court, Branch 274. The court recommended bail of P130,000.
The suspect is now detained at the Parañaque City Police custodial facility pending the return of the warrant to the issuing court.
Southern Police District (SPD) Director Brig. Gen. Randy Arceo said the arrest is a clear message that no one can hide from the law.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be more people who worked as virtual assistants who could have committed theft? When doing transactions, do you do it over-the-counter or online?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
After decades of hatred towards the West, killing a lot of people and empowering Islamic terrorists, the head of the Islamic terrorist state of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been eliminated during the powerful airstrikes unleashed by Israel and America, and no less than US President Donald J. Trump confirmed it, according to a Newsmax report.
Even the Islamic regime’s own official media confirmed the death of their leader. Those who are loyal to the wicked Khamenei are openly grieving while the Iranians who craved for freedom are celebrating. The dead Ayatollah ruled Iran for decades and he was clearly a mass murderer, a human rights violator and committed so many other acts of evil comparable with what other evil dictators did. Khamenei is also the 2nd dictator to fall down during this current term of President Trump.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Newsmax report. Some parts in boldface…
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint Israeli-U.S. airstrikes early Saturday, President Donald Trump said.
“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Iranian state media confirmed the Supreme Leader’s death.
“This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS,” Trump continued.
“He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do,” Trump added.
“This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country.“
The president cited reports that many Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, security, and police forces “no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us.”
“As I said last night, ‘Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!'” Trump wrote.
“Hopefully, the IRGC and Police will peacefully merge with the Iranian Patriots, and work together as a unit to bring back the Country to the Greatness it deserves,” he continued.
“That process should soon be starting in that, not only the death of Khamenei but the Country has been, in only one day, very much destroyed and, even, obliterated,” Trump wrote.
“The heavy and pinpoint bombing, however, will continue, uninterrupted throughout the week or, as long as necessary to achieve our objective of PEACE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE EAST AND, INDEED, THE WORLD!”
Previously, Newsmax correspondent Zach Anders reported that Khamenei was killed, and Newsmax later confirmed the Iranian leader’s death.
In a televised address Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel eliminated Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, senior regime officials, and senior nuclear officials.
He added that in the coming days, “we will hit thousands of targets of the terror regime.”
“There are growing indications that [Khamenei] is no longer alive,” Netanyahu said, according to The Jerusalem Post. He did not provide additional details.
Netanyahu’s comments came after Israel and the U.S. launched attacks on Iranian military targets in what Israel has dubbed Operation Roaring Lion and the U.S. has called Operation Epic Fury.
Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that Netanyahu was shown an image of Khamenei’s body after Iranian authorities recovered it from his compound in Tehran, The Times of Israel reported.
Israel carried out a massive strike on the compound in the opening salvo of attacks on Iran early Saturday.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter updated American officials that Israel had succeeded in killing Khamenei, a source familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel, confirming earlier reporting by Axios.
Khamenei, 86, became Iran’s highest authority in 1989 following the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Israel long viewed Khamenei as a destabilizing force in the Middle East, citing his backing for terrorist groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
He had been the target of several assassination attempts since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Most notably, on June 27, 1981, a bomb exploded during a speech at a mosque in Tehran, severely injuring him and permanently paralyzing his right arm, according to The Jerusalem Post.
At this stage, the Islamic terrorist government of Iran has been severely weakened and are still operating, even vowing to keep retaliating against America and Israel. The Islamic regime already launched missiles at American facilities in Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait which only showed how evil they are and how much they disregard human life.
The Iranians who were oppressed by their government and want to be free now have new opportunities to band together again and put even more pressure on the remnants of the weakened terrorist regime. Already there are several reactions and developments that happened as a result of the currently successful (and powerful) US-Israel military operations on the terrorist state of Iran. Watch the videos below.
Let’s be clear here. Khamenei was a demon and he led the Islamic terrorist state of Iran since 1989. Many times has the demonic Ayatollah declared death to America and Israel, and he openly hated Western democracy and norms. That said, the elimination of Khamenei has opened up new opportunities for the oppressed Iranians to stand up and oppose once again the remaining Islamic government forces, and take their country back. Those loyal to Khamenei can decide if they want to keep on serving the weakened regime or surrender themselves to live on with immunity.
Will regime change happen in Iran? If it does, it will alter the balance of power in the entire Middle East and cause the remaining Islamic terrorists to stop or move out of the region.
Let me ending this post by asking you readers to pray to the Lord for victory, for the protection of the American and Israeli forces, for the safety of civilians everywhere, for the end of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran to happen soon, and for the liberation of the oppressed Iranian people. Pray to Him to also bless US President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as their respective administrations. Pray to God for more peace and stability in the Middle East.
Recently in the city of Parañaque, three men from Pakistan were arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) for selling fake medicine, according to a news report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Inquirer. Some parts in boldface…
Three Pakistani men were arrested at a Parañaque City subdivision for allegedly selling counterfeit medicine, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said on Monday.
The foreigners were tracked to a subdivision in Barangay Sun Valley on Sunday afternoon, the PDEA said in a statement.
The agency identified the arrested suspects as “Waseem,” 60; “Mohy,” 54; and “Salman,” 25.
“Seized evidence included 24 packages of Midazolam Injection IP, thousands of tablets and vials of Valium, Nalbin, NLB Injection, Bional Plus and Rivotril,” the agency detailed.
Authorities also confiscated “various counterfeit drugs such as Ibuprofen Medicol Advance, Rabies Vaccine (Human IP), Buscogast, Tuseran Forte, Testosterone Enanthate, Evitek-OCE and Provera Tablets among others,” PDEA added.
It estimated that the allegedly counterfeit medicines seized were worth an initial P120,000, but it noted that an inventory of the total quantity and value of other suspected drugs in the suspects’ possession was still ongoing.
“Non-drug items recovered included cash, accounting records, mobile phones, identification cards, passports, a barcode scanner, and machinery allegedly used in handling counterfeit drugs,” PDEA further said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that the city is getting infiltrated by foreign nationals who planned to commit criminal activities? Are there many Pakistani nationals staying within your local community right now? What do you think makes Parañaque an ideal city for illegal aliens and related criminal activities?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
A lot has happened so much over the past several hours. Israel and the United States attacked the Islamic terrorist state of Iran destroying several government and military sites. This was the result of the wicked Iranian government constantly refusing to make a deal with America during the rounds of negotiations they had. The Iranian government never intended to make a deal at all and all they did was wasting everyone’s time which they (and their cowardly Ayatollah) thought they were buying time for themselves.
The “no deal” tactic of the Islamic terrorist regime led to the combined Israel-America military operations against Iran. I am sure the Ayatollah and his officers are regretting their moves.
For insight, watch the speech of US President Donald Trump in the YouTube video posted below. Watch it entirely and pay close attention to the details.
Now, watch the YouTube videos below for a clear view of what happened over the past several hours. Don’t rely on the corrupted mainstream news media. You can trust TBN Israel and CBN News.
For insight, the joint US-Israeli military operations against Iran is not about total annihilation at all. It’s about crippling the wicked Islamic terrorist regime (in power since 1979) and liberating the millions of Iranian people who have long been brutalized by their own government. It is also about holding the regime accountable for its decades-long record of sponsoring terrorists, murdering people, causing regional instability, extensive human rights violations and more.
The Islamic terrorist regime has to fall down and it will be up to the freedom-hungry Iranians to band together to set up a new government and take part in reforming or modernizing their society and economy.
As mentioned earlier, so much has happened over the past several hours. The compound of Ayatollah Khameni got destroyed and according to The Jerusalem Post, the so-called supreme leader of Iran has been cut off from contact. It remains to be seen if the evil Ayatollah survived as of this writing. At the same time. It has been reported that Iran’s Defense Minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Revolutionary Guards commander Mohammed Pakpour are believed to have been killed in Israeli attacks. The headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was hit hard as well. Already, the people of Iran are celebrating the joint Israel-America strikes against the regime.
Of course, the evil regime retaliated by launching a heavy missile barrage across Israel. According to The Jerusalem Post report, there was a total of 125 missiles launched against Israel in the first barrage. 35 of those missiles entered Israel airspace while the rest were intercepted.
Going back to the pure evil of the Iranian regime, Iranian missiles were fired at Gulf Arab states in retaliation. Even Qatar – which has a government and the Islamic terrorist news network Al Jazeera – was a target of Iran. Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain were also Iranian missile targets!
Several Gulf Arab states said they were targeted by Iranian missiles on Saturday after Tehran pledged to retaliate against strikes by the United States and Israel, bringing conflict to a part of the Arab world that prides itself on relative safety.
State media in the United Arab Emirates said one person had been killed in Abu Dhabi, but gave no details.
In Qatar, a video circulating online showed the moment of impact of an Iranian missile on the Al Udeid Air Base.
Earlier, the Qatari military said in a statement that it had intercepted incoming Iranian missiles before they reached Qatari territory after “joint coordination.” Several successive waves of blasts were heard in the Qatari capital Doha.
Earlier, Kuwait, the UAE, and Jordan, all of which also have a US military presence, said they had intercepted Iranian missiles targeting their territory.
The terrorist regime of Iran did not really care about the Gulf Arab states at all! They wanted to retaliate against the Americans so much, they launched missiles at US military facilities in the Gulf Arab states completely disregarding each nation’s citizens. Not even the Islamist Qatar was spared.
With the joint American-Israeli operations against Iran ongoing, a lot could happen over the next 72 hours. Was the Ayatollah eliminated? Will the government of Iran surrender and give in to Trump’s demands to make the deal? Could Russia and China be feeling nervous as their ally Iran is crumbling under the might of America and Israel? A lot of possibilities could happen over the next few days, and I would not be surprised to see the Iranian people get liberated once the Islamic terrorist regime falls down.
Let me ending this piece by asking you readers to pray to the Lord for victory, for the protection of the American and Israeli forces, for the safety of civilians everywhere, for the fall of the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran, and for the liberation of the oppressed Iranian people.
The new 15% tariff on imports announced by US President Donald Trump after reacting to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) decision is already troubling exporters of the Philippines, according to a report by BusinessWorld.
There is concern that the new tariff may dampen the export recovery of the Philippines. It should be recalled that the American tariff on Philippine-made goods was set at 19% following the meeting between President Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. last year.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news report. Some parts in boldface…
THE United States government’s plan to impose a new 15% tariff on imports may dampen the Philippines’ export recovery and disrupt supply chains, according to analysts.
“Under a 15% tariff, there might be a disruption in the supply chain, because other countries might negotiate or diverge [to other markets],” Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. President Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, Jr. said in a phone call.
“Unfortunately, our competitors here in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) are supported by their governments, but we aren’t,” he added.
Mr. Ortiz-Luis said the Philippine government must resume negotiations with its US counterparts to ensure exports remain competitive.
Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera said the new tariffs could dampen export recovery, especially for electronics, garments, and agricultural sectors.
“The renewed threat of a 15% global tariff signals that protectionist risks remain and could dampen export recovery if implemented, especially for semiconductors and intermediate goods integrated into US supply chains,” he said in a Viber message.
US President Donald J. Trump said he wants to impose a new 15% duty on US imports from all countries, starting Tuesday, Reuters reported. (Read related story “Asian economies weigh impact of fresh Trump tariff, uncertainties” on S1/11).
This after the US Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program, ruling that Mr. Trump had exceeded his authority when he imposed higher tariffs under an economic emergency law.
Government officials emphasized that the US remains an important trading and investment partner.
“We will continue to engage with (the US). A stable and predictable arrangement with the US will be very beneficial to our stakeholders,” Trade Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty said in a Viber message.
Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go earlier said that the majority of the country’s exports — like semiconductors and key agricultural goods — were already exempted before the US Supreme Court’s ruling.
The US has long been the Philippines’ biggest export market. From January to December 2025, the value of Philippine exports to the US stood at $13.44 billion.
“We don’t know under what authority he (Mr. Trump) will impose those tariffs, and if these will last. We will have to wait until the dust settles to properly assess the impact of his new universal tariffs,” Foundation for Economic Freedom President Calixto V. Chikiamco said in a Viber message.
Reuters reported the new US tariffs are grounded in a separate but untested law, known as Section 122, that allows tariffs up to 15% but requires congressional approval to extend them after 150 days.
Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines President Robert M. Young said its members have been resuming talks with its US buyers.
“We have survived, for the last eight months, the US’ 19% tariff. So, I think we have to just go on with what we are doing, and we’ll try our best to just lower our price to be competitive with other ASEAN nations,” he said via telephone.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think Filipino exporters will do better with the new 15% tariff instead of the previous one set at 19%? If you are managing a company that makes products for export mainly to the United States, do you have any backup plans when dealing with new tariffs?
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
Manila is preparing to lead a unified Southeast Asian push for a preferential trade agreement with the United States (US) following Washington’s decision to impose a 15 percent global tariff on imports.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the government intends to leverage its 2026 chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to safeguard the region’s export competitiveness and navigate the sudden shift in American trade policy.
Roque added that the government will also raise this matter during the upcoming ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Retreat in the coming month.
“Definitely that will be one of the topics that we will be talking about,” she told reporters on the sidelines of the ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum.
She, however, said the government has yet to formally discuss the region’s position, given that the US’ new sweeping tariffs were just announced over the weekend.
Finance Secretary Frederick Go, on the other hand, said this is an issue that all ASEAN members “love to talk about when we’re together.”
“What it made clear to us is that we have to open new markets,” said Go.
The US Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20 that President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs implemented under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were unconstitutional.
In the aftermath of the ruling, Trump immediately slapped a 10 percent surcharge on imports to the US, later raising it to 15 percent.
The new global tariff brings another wave of uncertainty that may undermine the exports of ASEAN members and ultimately their respective economic growth.
The Philippines is taking an active role in calling for deeper regional integration to accelerate investment flows and future-proof the region.
As ASEAN chair, Roque said a major priority is to oversee the passage and entry into force of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
DEFA aims to set the region’s common rules on e-commerce, digital trade, cybersecurity, digital payments, emerging technologies, and cross-border data flows.
The agreement is seen doubling the value of ASEAN’s digital economy, which is already on track to reach about $1 trillion by 2030.
“We recognize the complexity of today’s global environment—geopolitical tensions, technological disruption, supply chain shifts, and climate risks. Yet we remain confident in ASEAN’s collective strength. ASEAN bonded together is a force that cannot be ignored,” said Roque.
For the year, Roque said priorities of the ASEAN chairship also include cross-border mobility of digital talent and industrial development of semiconductors and critical minerals.
By observing the attitude of the current administration and its diplomats, the Philippines is acting as if it is a major player on international affairs and world economics. Its chairmanship of the ASEAN is the latest example of this. Clearly the Philippines is afraid of the new global tariff implemented by Trump. Filipino exporters have endured the previous 19% tariff by America. When it comes to economic growth, the Philippines has weakened achieving only 4.4% growth in 2025 and the fallout of the flood control corruption scandal is still being felt socially and economically.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the Philippines will be a very effective leader of the ASEAN this year? Do you think the Philippines is truly standing up for the economic interests of each and every Southeast Asian nation when dealing with Trump tariffs? Is the Philippines leading ASEAN to a potential embarrassment on international affairs and economics?
Author Carlo Carrasco 