Obama may visit Philippines

Obama’s visit may cancel trip to the Philippines.

The reported shutdown of the US government owing to a budget stalemate in Congress might affect the scheduled visit of President Barack Obama to Manila next week, Philippine Ambassador to Washington Jose Cuisia Jr. Said.

Cuisia told radio station dzBB there is a possibility that Obama might put off foreign trips until the deadlock is resolved. Obama is set to visit the Philippines on Oct. 11 and 12. “I hope Obama’s visit to the Philippines will not be affected by the shutdown, but we can’t be sure of that. The US President may think that he should be in the US,” Cuisia said. The Philippine embassy has not been advised by the US State Department of any change in Obama’s plan to visit the Philippines. Obama has included the Philippines in his tour of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It will be his first visit to the Philippines. Cuisia said the partial shutdown could result in the layoff of civilian federal employees, but will not affect critical services such as the military, security, and air traffic controllers. However, he said there should be no effect on social security and Medicare benefits. He also said the shutdown will have no immediate effect on Filipinos in the US. However, he said Filipino-Americans working in government offices included in the shutdown might be affected. Surely the DFA will update us should any notice be given,” Valte said. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said “Obama would be in Manila after he and Aquino attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bali, Indonesia and the ASEAN meeting in Brunei”. Carandang said he could not discuss yet, however, the details of the Obama-Aquino meeting, since he does not have a copy of their schedule, but admitted part of the agenda is the “rotational presence” of US forces in the country, as well as trade. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima warned that a prolonged shutdown of the US government followed by a possible default on the federal debt would have serious implications on global economic recovery and generate significant anxiety in world financial markets.