How the 2016 US elections will affect the Philippines?

MANILA, Philippines - Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent anti-American remarks, the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential elections will affect the Philippines. After all, Duterte clarified that the country is not severing ties with its long-time ally, but merely pushing for a more independent foreign policy by improving its relations with China.

What awaits Pinoys around the world after America chooses its 45th President?
What awaits Pinoys around the world after America chooses its 45th President? PHOTO CREDIT: Salon

State Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton of the Democrats and business mogul Donald Trump of the Republicans are making a last-minute dash across swing states such as Florida, North Carolina and Pennsylvania to reach 270 electoral votes.

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A few hours before American voters decide who will be the 45th president of the United States of America, we take a look at some of the effects and implications of the US polls to the Philippines and Filipinos worldwide.

If Trump triumphs

In his article for the Philippine Star, Atty. Josephus B. Jimenez believes that Trump’s win will make it difficult for Pinoys both in the US and those aspiring to get the American dream. Jimenez revealed that Trump has once called our country a nation of “illegal immigrants and trouble makers.”

“He is abrasively against all colored migrants, equating the Filipinos to Mexicans whom he called rapists, criminals, and other very unsavory names. Thus, a Trump victory will close the doors to Filipino applicants for immigrant visas, hundreds of thousands who have waited for decades to be called by the US embassy,” Jimenez wrote.

Business-wise, experts believe that if Trump becomes the president of the most powerful nation in the world, prospects for the country’s outsourcing sector will weaken due to his protectionist and anti-immigration promises.

“The protectionist stand of a Trump administration on US outsourcing could put at risk the growth momentum of the country’s BPO industry, where eight out of the top 10 BPO companies are US based,” IFE Financial Advisers Inc. president Marvin Fausto told Inquirer.

If Clinton clinches victory

Based on latest polls, Clinton leads in states where there are a significant number of Pinoy voters.

Jimenez thinks that a Clinton victory would mean better US relations with our country. He also believes that with the help of her husband and former US President Bill, Clinton can win back Duterte.

“Clinton has better records of more amiable and harmonious interactions with Filipinos. During Bill Clinton's presidency, there were many Filipinos among the White House staff, including the house physician and chefs. The Clintons have high regard for our race and a track record of respect for our country and people,” Jimenez commented.

In a research note by American global banking giant Citigroup dated November 3, it was concluded that a Clinton victory would mean a continuation of the status quo that reduces uncertainties.

--Mini, The Summit Express



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