The link below indicates that your $35 M is inaccurate according to the Philippine government. I'm curious where you came up with that number.

Foreign Aid Transparency Hub - Full Report

 

I wonder what happens if the Philippines can't pay back the low interest loans (is it billions of dollars, yuan or php) from China. It's interesting that only 15M is going toward the drug issue. I think it highlights the relatives size of the drug issue compared to other economic issues.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/10/20/world/asia/ap-as-china-philippines-the-latest.html?_r=0

 

Hey Cabb, military aid to the Philippines from the US from the below website.. Current figure is probably significantly different, hopefully much higher. And of course we realize that the internet information is always accurate, un-biased, never skewed, never spun.....

My figure was, i now realize, from 2012, the website: http://us-foreign-aid.insidegov.com/q/139/1590/How-much-money-does-the-U-S-give-to-Philippines

<<
How much money does the U.S. give to Philippines?
According to our research engine:
The U.S. Government gave a total of $197,036,510 to Philippines in 2012:

The aid was broken down in the following manner:
Economic

• Child Survival and Health: $-420

• Department of Defense Security Assistance: $75,490

• Development Assistance: $79,721,515

• Economic Support Fund/Security Support Assistance: $456,217

• Global Health and Child Survival: $34,153,032

• Millennium Challenge Corporation: $4,439,091

• Narcotics Control: $4,286,840

• Nonproliferation, Anti-Terrorism, Demining and Related: $9,549,582

• Other Active Grant Programs: $6,403,834

• Other Food Aid Programs: $11,824,000

• Other State Assistance: $2,746,441

• Other USAID Assistance: $8,619,065

• Peace Corps: $3,388,723

Military

• Military Assistance, Total: $31,373,100

 

China is already drilling and pumping Filipino oil in Cebu as I write this !

 

If they are then Aquino invited them in. Geological survey, securing the rights, moving in a rig, wildcat drilling of a well where you drill, stop, analyze, drill more, plug back, fracture or other completion technique, bring in storage tanks for oil and salt water, doesn't happen in just a few months. Totally leaving aside other logistical needs like disposal of drilling waste and disposal of the waste water. I never looked into whether the Philippines has refineries, from all I've ever heard they import refined fuels. The joke would be on whoever drilled an oil well. Natural gas would need to go to a gas plant to strip out the various parts, propane, butane, pentane, hexane, ethane and their iso counterparts.

Next thing that comes to mind is which senator is partner in this well?

 

I was talking all aid....still not close to your numbers though. Odd that the Philippines gov't would so grossly inflate things. Assuming the PI gov't doesn't know what its talking about and using your numbers, $220M is still a lot of money in my book. I'm happy to take your numbers, which still makes the point.