Real estate agency KMC Savills Inc. said over the weekend the reelection of Donald Trump as the 47th US president could influence the Philippines in terms of immigration, foreign policy and trade.
“The 45th and now 47th president of the United States is poised to have a more significant impact on the world during this administration compared to his previous one,” said KMC Savills chairman Michael McCullough in his latest Instagram post.
He said the tighter US immigration measures could reduce remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the United States, considered a lifeline for countless Filipino families.
Lower remittance flows may impact household spending, dampen real estate investments and challenge the country’s economic stability, he said.
The real estate advisor said the Trump administration’s stance on China could be pivotal for the Philippines, particularly regarding the West Philippine Sea.
“A confrontational US approach could embolden the Philippines to assert its territorial claims, but an unpredictable or diminished US presence might embolden China, potentially destabilizing regional trade and security,” McCullough said.
“Trump’s antiwar attitude and focus on Greenland and the Panama Canal might reduce or stop some of the defense budget spending towards building new bases in the Philippines,” he said.
He said Trump’s “America First” strategy, focused on job reshoring and reduced dependence on foreign labor, could disrupt the Philippines’ business process outsourcing (BPO) industry.
With nearly $40 billion in annual revenue and millions of Filipino jobs tied to US clients, any decline in outsourcing demand would pose a serious economic challenge, the firm said.
Low US unemployment rates and limited AI-driven job losses may mitigate some of the risks, it said.
