PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning. Hi.

Q: Hi, sir. Good morning, Mr. President. You mentioned earlier that Kadiwa will continue beyond Christmas, ano po plano natin doon para sustainable siya both sa producer side tsaka sa consumer side? 

PRESIDENT MARCOS: No, for us what we are looking at — once we get to a point where it’s no longer necessary, where the prices in the markets are the same as what we can give in the Kadiwa, then we don’t need the Kadiwa anymore. 

Maybe, just for distribution para sa mga far-flung areas. Diyan na siguro papasok ‘yung dating programa na may mobile na Kadiwa. So maybe we’ll get — but we’re not yet  there at that point, pinapakalat lang natin around the country right now. 

As it stands right now, in terms of supply, we’re okay until at the very least, February, March of next year. Hopefully by then, the prices of commodities in the market will have “normalized”, is what I call it, na medyo hindi na masyadong papalit-palit. 

So I think we’re okay until then. That’s our best projection.

Q: Good morning, Mr. President. 

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning. 

Q: Sir, iniutos niyo daw po ang review ng Mutual Defense Treaty ng Pilipinas sa Estados Unidos?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, the Mutual Defense Treaty is continuously under negotiation and under evolution. I always call it it’s an evolution because things are changing. The request — there have been many requests and proposals from the Americans, especially under EDCA. So all of that is under study now to see what is really feasible and what will be the most useful for the defense of Philippine territory. 

Q: So kasama po ito sa napag-usapan ninyo ni VP Harris?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Ni?

Q: Ni VP Harris. 

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yes, yes. Yes, we covered that and many more subjects. But essentially, on the security ‘yun tinitingnan natin ‘yung kanilang pino-propose, ‘yung mga joint exercises, and EDCA, the use of our bases, all of these. We are in the middle of that. 

Palagay ko, by early next year, we will have something more concrete to tell you.

Q: Good morning and congratulations, Mr. President. 

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Good morning.

Q: Sir, ang tanong ko po ‘yung sa West Philippine Sea. May partner na po ba tayo sa joint exploration ng oil? China po ba, Amerika or Australia?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Marami na tayo actually naging partner. Ang problema is ‘yung problema kung bakit natigil ang negotiations. Maalala ninyo, nag-pronouncement si Foreign Affairs Secretary, si then Teddy Boy Locsin, at sinabi niya natigil ang negotiations dahil of constitutional problems. 

Ang talagang nangyari diyan is what? Kasi kini-claim ng China kanila ‘yun, eh atin naman talaga ‘yan. 

So sinasabi namin, sinasabi ng Pilipinas basta ‘yung batas kailangan masundan ‘yung sa Pinas. Ang sinasabi naman ng Chinese, hindi amin ‘yan eh kaya kailangan masundan is Chinese. So ‘yun talaga ang — ‘yun ang roadblock doon. Mahirap makita kung papaano natin aayusin ‘yun.

I think there might be other ways para hindi gawing G2G or I don’t know. We’ll have to find a way kasi kailangan na natin eh. We already need — kung may mahanap diyan, kailangan na talaga ng Pilipinas.

‘Yung China, hindi man, maliit na bagay sa kanila ‘yan eh. Sa atin, malaking bagay ‘yan. So kailangan talaga natin ipaglaban at mapakinabangan kung mayroon mang oil talaga.

Q: Mr. President, magandang umaga po. 

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Magandang umaga. 

Q: May we get an update to the appointment of several officer-in-charge assigned in several departments including DOH, DSWD, and Department of National Defense?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: What is — update on?

Q: Update sa appointment po nila. 

PRESIDENT MARCOS: ‘Yung? Wala, we just go to the process. Wala pa kaming DOH. Wala pa kaming inino-nominate. Usec. Vergeire is doing a fine job.

Let her do — kasi we are still not out of the pandemic, so we have to continue to be careful. 

Sa DA… Sa DND, no I think — I think happy ako with the situation as it is now. We’ll see. We always — these things are revisited especially every year at the end of the first year. I don’t think that’s any — that’s a secret to anyone that at the end of the first year, ‘yung mga ibang kandidato, they will now join the mix of possible nominees. 

So let’s be patient. Basta’t na… Ako, ang concern ko lang ‘yung kailangang gawin na trabaho, nagagawa. So far naman, nagagawa. 

Thank you. Salamat.

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