MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday assured the public that the government has sufficient funds to support its response to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and to assist Filipinos in the region.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the administration currently has no plans to borrow from international lending institutions to finance its efforts.
Speaking during a briefing, Castro said the government confirmed with Frederick Go that borrowing has not been considered at this time.
“As of now, nothing has been mentioned regarding that,” Castro said in Filipino. “We spoke with Secretary Go of the Department of Finance, and at present, there are no plans. Borrowing has not yet been considered.”
Earlier, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is arranging two flights to repatriate overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from the Middle East.
One flight will depart from Riyadh to bring home Filipinos working in Saudi Arabia, as well as those arriving from Kuwait and Bahrain. Another flight will leave Fujairah for OFWs currently in Dubai.
Marcos also ordered the immediate release of a ₱5,000 fuel subsidy for public transport drivers affected by rising oil prices linked to the regional conflict.
