SA halip pagbati at papuri, kantyaw ang tugon ng netizens sa ibinida ng Malakanyang na P14.5 billion investment na bunga umano ng biyahe ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa Japan.

Ayon sa ulat nitong Lunes, ang P14.5 billion ay kabuuang puhunan kasunod ng business event ng Department of Trade and Industry-led (DTI) sa idinaos na ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit sa Tokyo, Japan.

Sa ilalim ng bagong nilagdaang kasunduan at pledges updates, sinabi ng trade officials na ang investments commitments ay maaaring makalikha ng 15,750 job opportunities.

“I am delighted to know that the letters of intent signed last February 2023 and those signed today now aggregate P771.6 billion or about US$14 billion in pledges from Japanese investors – expected to generate approximately 40,000 jobs,” ang inanunsyo ni Pangulong Marcos Jr.

“Your interest in doing business with us will surely help achieve mutual economic growth between the Philippines and Japan,” dagdag na wika nito.

Sa kabilang dako, sinabi naman ni Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go na bahagi ng DTI-led event ang paglagda sa bagong memorandum of understandings (MOUs)— siyam na bagong MOUs—na may kabuuang halaga na P14 billion.

“But the more important thing is that more than 20 companies gave updates to the President on their pledges from his trip last February,” ayon kay Go.

Kabilang sa mga kompanya na sangkot ay ang Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) at Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corp. for Transport and Urban Development (JOIN), na sinasabing magtutulungan sa pag-aaral na may kaugnayan sa development ng New Clark City.

“They are investing for business process outsourcing (BPO) operation, expansion of furniture and home furnishing chain, as well as production improvement and replacement of aging Philippine facilities,” ayon sa Malakanyang.

“DMCI Project Developers Inc. is also forming a joint venture with Japan’s Marubeni Corp. for property development projects,” ayon pa rin sa Malakanyang.

Ngunit para sa netizens, wala pang natutupad sa mga naunang pledges kay Marcos sa mga bansang binisita niya.

Kaya naman, hindi pa rin anila nababawi ang mga ginatos ng grupo ni Marcos sa kanyang mga biyahe.

Kantyaw naman ng netizen na si Gunther Slade: Yung magdadalawang taon ka na sa pamumuno, pero pledges lang ang ambag mo… PLEDGES PA NG IBANG PINUNO

(CHRISTIAN DALE)