Pasig City, Philippines – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has shown a clear preference for solicited bids in the operations and maintenance of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) and Light Rail Transit Line 2 (LRT-2). Secretary Arsenio Balisacan highlighted this stance during a media training event in Pasig City.
According to Philippines News Agency, solicited proposals are more likely to yield optimal outcomes. He emphasized the uncertainty inherent in unsolicited bids, noting the difficulty in assessing their value without comprehensive comparison. The event, organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines at Wynwood Hotel, provided a platform for this disclosure.
Further, Balisacan mentioned that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has yet to submit a formal proposal to NEDA’s board for review but is actively considering this approach. The proposal, once submitted, will undergo thorough evaluation by the NEDA Board or its secretariat, weighing the pros and cons of each bid.
Currently, the MRT-3 is managed by the Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRTC), and the LRT-2 falls under the jurisdiction of the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA). The build-lease-transfer agreement between the government and MRTC is due to expire in 2025, prompting the exploration of new management options.
Earlier this year, the DOTr announced plans to unify the operations and maintenance of MRT Line 3 and LRT Line 2. Undersecretary for Railways Cesar Chavez disclosed that the proposed plan includes transferring MRT-3 management to the LRTA, aiming to streamline operations and maintenance across both transit lines.
Manila – The Philippines has achieved a milestone at this year’s China International Import Expo (CIIE), with total sales reaching USD1.1 billion.
According to Philippines News Agency, this figure surpasses the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) target of USD700 million and sets a new record for the country’s performance at the China expo. In the previous year, the Philippine pavilion at CIIE had reported sales of USD655 million.
CITEM, the export promotions arm of the DTI, detailed that of the total sales this year, USD900 million were from purchase agreements, while the remaining USD226 million comprised booked sales, sales under negotiation, retail sales, and business-matching activities. DTI Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo emphasized the importance of CIIE as a platform for showcasing top-selling Filipino food products and attracting potential Chinese investors, thereby creating new business opportunities and boosting the Philippine economy.
Held annually in China, the CIIE serves as a global stage for foreign enterprises aiming to tap into the world’s largest market. This year, the Philippines’ standout products at the fair included primary agricultural exports such as bananas, pineapples, specialty coffee, and durian. Notably, durian, often referred to as the ‘king of fruits’ and known for its strong aroma, gained access to the Chinese market this year.
Glenn Peñaranda, the commercial counselor at the Philippine Trade and Investments Center in Shanghai, highlighted the Philippine government’s ongoing efforts to enhance export capacities to China through partnerships with Chinese enterprises. He emphasized the significance of a collaborative, whole-of-nation approach in export development, involving various sectors to strengthen the entire value chain.
New Clark City, Philippines — Australian Samuel Mileham emerged victorious in the men’s elite category at the 2023 Asia Triathlon Duathlon Championships, held at New Clark City Sports Complex on Sunday. The Perth native completed the 10K run, 40K bike, and 5K run race in 1 hour, 53 minutes, and 7 seconds.
According to Philippines News Agency, the triumph in this year’s event marks a significant achievement, especially after finishing second in the 2022 edition in Bahrain. Bahrain’s Moussa Karich secured the silver medal with a time of 1:54:49, an improvement from his fourth-place finish last year. Karich expressed satisfaction with his performance, considering his recovery from a back injury.
Both Mileham and Karich are now focusing on the upcoming 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championship, to be held from August 15 to 25 in Townsville, Australia. Australian Matt Smith won the bronze medal in 1:55:19, followed by Cambodian Mickael Chaumond and Japanese Fumiya Tanaka, who finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Philippine team members Raymond Torio and John Chicano also performed impressively, securing places in the top 10. Torio, hailing from Lingayen, Pangasinan, finished sixth with a time of 1:56:05, while Chicano, a two-time Southeast Asian Games champion, placed tenth. Other notable finishers included Seyed Mohammad Hosseini from Iran, Saud Alzaabi from the United Arab Emirates, and Edward Langdon from Australia.
In the women’s elite category, the Philippines dominated with Erika Burgos winning the gold medal in 2:17:48 and Merry Joy Trupa taking the silver in 2:18:55. Indonesian athletes Maharani Azhri Wahyuningtyas, Zahra Bulan, and Eva Desiana secured the third to fifth positions, respectively. Iranian Hadis Nasr Azadani and Filipino Bea Quiambao also placed in the top seven.
The event, organized by Triathlon Philippines (TriPhil) under the leadership of Ramon Marchan, showcased a competitive field of athletes from various countries, underlining the growing prominence of duathlon in Asia.
Biliran, New Zealand – New Zealand’s Fear Youth clinched victory at the La Routa Adventure Race – Eastern Visayas championship, outperforming 13 other international teams. The grueling 96-hour contest, spanning from November 20 to 24, unfolded in the island province of Biliran.
According to Philippines News Agency, the New Zealand team, comprising Dean Stewart, Josiah Murphy, Sophie Shallard, and Flynn Goodger, demonstrated superior skill and endurance, overcoming competitors from Malaysia, Poland, India, and the Philippines. The race, a test of stamina, wit, strength, and determination, featured a diverse set of challenges including running, swimming, paddling, biking, and rappelling.
Poland’s Nonstop Adventure team secured the top position in the Elite Category. The Department of Tourism and the provincial government supported the event, selecting Biliran as the venue for its peaceful environment and its infrastructure, including circumferential and cross-country roads conducive for adventure racing.
Participants experienced Biliran’s diverse natural beauty, from waterfalls and rice terraces to dense forests, rugged mountains, small islands, and sandy beaches. Garido highlighted the unpredictability of nature as a significant aspect of adventure racing, emphasizing the athletes’ resilience in facing weather and climate challenges.
Heide Muller, chief executive officer of the Adventure Racing World Series, expressed gratitude to the Department of Tourism for their support. She underscored the race’s role in promoting Biliran and the Philippines as prime destinations for adventure enthusiasts. The winning team, Fear Youth, is set to represent at the Adventure Racing World Series in Ecuador in November 2024.
Shortly after being appointed Thailand’s new foreign minister in early September, Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara made a telling remark: “We want the Thai people to feel that the foreign ministry is contributing to their lives.”
Sok Chenda Sophea, Cambodia’s new foreign minister, appointed a few days before Parnpree, told his new ambassadors: “All of you should work to represent the nation and enhance the Kingdom’s prestige, especially in areas like diplomacy, economics, food, sports and the arts. These are the focus of the new government’s foreign policy.”
The two new foreign ministers bear a striking resemblance. Neither are career diplomats. Parnpree, whose father and grandfather were prominent in the foreign ministry, instead rose through the ranks of the commerce ministry under the Shinawatra sibling’s governments and then became chairman of the state oil company PTT.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara arrives at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Sept. 5, 2023, to take his oath of office. Credit: Sakchai Lalit/AP
Sok Chenda cut his teeth in the tourism ministry in the 1990s. Parnpree served as chairman of the Thailand Board of Investment. Sok Chenda was head of the Council for the Development of Cambodia, the country’s investment board, from 1997 until this year. Parnpree was head of a negotiation team for the creation of a free trade zone with India. Sok Chenda headed the Cambodian Special Economic Zones Board. Parnpree studied public administration at the University of Southern California. Sok Chenda studied economics at the University of Aix en Provence.
Moreover, both are unlike their predecessors. Don Pramudwinai, a career diplomat and foreign minister under the years of Prayut Chan-ocha’s military-run government, was often accused of putting geopolitics, chiefly relations with Beijing, ahead of more balanced, economics-focused policy, as well as for conducting “cowboy diplomacy” over the Myanmar crisis that badly dented ASEAN unity.
Another charge against Don was that, because he was appointed by a junta that had just taken power in a coup, he “spent a large part of his time explaining when, how, and to what extent his country would return, or has returned, to democracy.” As Benjamin Zawacki added, “His tenure has been marked by a conservative and defensive posture rather than one of enterprise or ambition.”
Similar accusations have been leveled at Cambodia’s former foreign minister. Prak Sokhonn, who was quick to lash out against the perceived Western interference in Cambodia’s domestic affairs, was more aligned with Beijing than some officials in the economic ministries liked, and, one hears, not entirely trusted by the former prime minister Hun Sen. Indeed, Hun Sen is believed to have ignored Prak and the foreign ministry by condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Economics at the center
Parnpree and Sok Chenda are new brooms, appointed to refashion their ministries away from a defensive posture on their relations with China and a fixation with stoking geopolitical tensions, and towards a more sustainable, front-foot policy that puts economics at the center. As one Thai newspaper put it, Parnpree is “expected to impart a new momentum to the country’s foreign policy with a strong emphasis on exploring economic dimensions of bilateral and multilateral relationships.”
A Cambodian analyst has argued, “To maintain economic development, Cambodia cannot become subject to US or Western economic sanctions. Maintaining economic development may be Cambodia’s main priority under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Manet. This appears to be the case with the appointment of Sok Chenda Sophea as the minister of Foreign Affairs.”
These ideas aren’t radical. Surakiart Sathirathai, Thailand’s foreign minister between 2001 and 2005, sought to create “CEO ambassadors”. Surin Pitsuwan, a predecessor, established a “Team Thailand” approach, with diplomats supposed to represent the nation as much as the foreign ministry. But the return to a more stable, stripped-down foreign policy makes sense as Thailand and Cambodia undergo political change.
Hun Sen speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly after a vote to confirm his son, Hun Manet, as Cambodia’s prime minister in Phnom Penh, August 22, 2023. It is said that Hun Sen did not entirely trust his foreign minister, Prak Sokhonn. Credit: Cindy Liu/Reuters
Thailand has its first civilian, democratically elected government again for more than a decade. Cambodia has just undergone a once-in-a-lifetime generational succession of its ruling elites, with almost the entire old guard resigning in August to make way for a younger generation, mostly the children of that old guard.
Neither Parnpree nor Sok Chenda are big characters. Indeed, they’re rather bureaucratic. And they are on the senior end of the age spectrum. At 66, Parnpree is one of the oldest in the new Thai cabinet. Sok Chenda, aged 67, is the oldest of Cambodia’s important ministers. (He’s 20 years older than the PM.) They are also excellent counterparts to their prime ministers. Srettha Thavisin, the Thai premier, is a businessman at heart.
Although Hun Manet rose through the ranks of the military, he studied economics and played a guiding role in the companies owned by his wife. Parnpree and Sok Chenda appear happy to defer much of the more razmataz foreign policy, such as showing up for international summits, to their prime ministers. Srettha, the self-styled “salesman”-in-chief, clearly likes traveling around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and posing for rather ingratiating and embarrassing selfies with them.
Cambodia’s ruling party obviously wants Hun Manet to be front-and-center of Cambodia’s engagement abroad, a role similar to the one played by his father. As such, having nose-to-the-grindstone foreign ministers makes sense alongside globetrotting premiers.
Experienced foreign policy thinkers
In part, too, the two new foreign ministers are also designed to appease the private sectors, especially as Cambodia and Thailand have untested and unsteady governments; Thailand in the form of an odd coalition and Cambodia with its dynastic succession of Hun Manet and almost the entire cabinet. It’s not quite the Biden administration’s evocation of a “Foreign Policy for the Middle Class” but it’s not far off.
How the new foreign ministers translate their briefs into action remains to be seen. In fact, we probably might not see too much of them. Sok Chenda hasn’t been as publicly active as one might have expected since his appointment in August. That may be because Hun Manet needed the limelight when he visited Beijing or New York.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin arrives for the leaders and spouses dinner during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 16, 2023. Credit: Josh Edelson/AFP
But it may also be, I hear, because he’s slowly purging the foreign ministry of those officials who felt their job was to play-act at geopolitics or who simply aren’t up to the job. He has brought in some experienced foreign policy thinkers as secretaries.
And he has proposed reforms to the institutional structure of the ministry, including higher wages for diplomats, which may go some way of ending the practice of people buying ambassadorships.
Call it boring, but it seems likely that Parnpree and Sok Chenda will steer their ministries and ambassadors away from controversy or grand statements. That means a greater respect for ASEAN and multilateralism, and a more convivial policy of boosting trade and investment.
David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS), the Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat, and writes analysis pieces for several newspapers and magazines. He has covered Southeast Asian politics since 2014. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of Radio Free Asia.
Manila, Philippines – The Philippines is set to experience varied weather conditions due to the influence of three different weather systems: the shear line, the northeast monsoon, and the easterlies. These systems are expected to bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers across the country.
According to Philippines News Agency, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in its 4 a.m. bulletin on Saturday, the shear line will affect the eastern section of Southern Luzon. This weather phenomenon is expected to cause cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms over Quezon, Laguna, and the Bicol region. PAGASA also issued a warning about the potential for flash floods or landslides in these areas during periods of moderate to heavy rains.
The northeast monsoon, locally known as ‘amihan’, will influence weather conditions over the Cordillera region, Cagayan Valley, and Aurora, bringing cloudy skies with light rains. Metro Manila, along with the rest of Calabarzon and Central Luzon, as well as the Ilocos region, will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated light rains due to the northeast monsoon.
The rest of the Philippines, encompassing the Visayas and Mindanao, will be under the influence of the easterlies. This will result in partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, and localized thunderstorms. PAGASA warns that severe thunderstorms in these regions may lead to flash floods or landslides, especially in vulnerable areas.
In terms of sea conditions, Luzon will experience moderate to rough winds and coastal waters, while the Visayas and Mindanao will have lighter to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas.
PAGASA also provided temperature forecasts for various cities across the Philippines. Metro Manila is expected to have temperatures ranging from 24°C to 31°C, Baguio City from 15°C to 25°C, Laoag City from 23°C to 32°C, Legazpi City from 25°C to 32°C, Metro Cebu from 26°C to 32°C, Puerto Princesa City from 26°C to 33°C, and Metro Davao from 25°C to 33°C.
