‘Business as usual’ despite Trump win

Local businessmen have taken the election of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States in stride, expressing optimism and confidence that it will be “business as usual” under his term.

Some even opined that Trump’s victory might be key to the normalization of relations between the Philippines and the US, given what were perceived to be similarities between the American businessman and Philippine President Duterte.

In a text message, Makati Business Club (MBC) executive director Peter Angelo V. Perfecto said that the final results of the US elections need not have any adverse impact if we could just focus on pursuing mutual interests with the US and its new administration.

“Like the Philippines, the people of the United States are exercising their democratic rights and are apparently voicing out some real concerns through their ballots. The impact may be positive or negative depending on how the President, hopefully guided by his economic team, will engage the new US administration as well as their new ambassador,” Perfecto explained.

“We hope that these changes can be an opportunity for the Philippines and the US to improve and further enhance our relationship as equal partners in a world weary of conflict and with seemingly more and more people feeling left behind,” he added.

Separately, Management Association of the Philippines president Perry Pe noted that “business is business and business will stay wherever it can make money and profit for their shareholders.”

“I think (Philippine-US relations) will stay just the same. It might even be good. Since trump will be more concerned about domestic policies, his focus will not be on human rights nor extra judicial killings. On the business process outsourcing industry (BPO), that’s a pure business concern. It is for the US companies to decide (on their operations) and not the US government,” Pe explained.

Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis, president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport), noted that a Trump presidency might provide a positive spin in the current relations between the Philippines and the US. Both Trump and Mr. Duterte have been advocating for change and seemed to be “talking the same language.”

Dan Lachica, president of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc., noted that the impact of a Trump presidency on the Philippines was hard to tell as both presidents were “no-nonsense guys.”