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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DFA monitoring reports of possible freezing of US aid

DFA monitoring reports of possible freezing of US aid

Published Jan 25, 2025 04:45 am

At A Glance

  • The PCO said the DFA will communicate with the US government to see how Trump's order will impact the Philippines.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is now monitoring how the United States of America's (USA) freeze order on foreign aid will affect the Philippines, Malacañang said.

President Donald Trump.jpg
US President Donald Trump (file)

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said this after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all US foreign assistance programs for 90 days to give way to a review to determine if they are aligned with his policy goals.

In a statement on Saturday, Jan. 25, the PCO said the DFA will communicate with the US government to see how Trump's order will impact the Philippines.

"The DFA is closely monitoring reports on the possible freeze of US foreign assistance and will work with partners in the US Department of State and the US government to determine how this will affect the Philippines," it said.

The US has a long history of providing aid to the Philippines, spanning various sectors such as security, disaster relief, economic development, health, and education, among others. The Philippines has been the largest recipient of US military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region, receiving over $1.14 billion in military equipment and training from 2015 to 2022.

The order, among many that Trump signed on his first day back in office, said the foreign aid industry and bureaucracy "are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values" and "serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries."

Trump declared that US foreign assistance shall no longer be disbursed in a manner not fully aligned with his foreign policy.

During his confirmation hearing last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said every dollar that the US spends should make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. Trump's order lets Rubio or his designee make such determinations.

Trump has long railed against foreign aid and he has been particularly critical of the amount shipped to Ukraine to help bolster its defenses amid Russia’s invasion.

A report by the Associated Press (AP) said the last official accounting of foreign aid in the Biden administration dates from mid-December and budget year 2023. It shows that $68 billion had been obligated for programs abroad that range from disaster relief to health and pro-democracy initiatives in 204 countries and regions.

Related Tags

Department of Foreign Affairs FOREIGN AID DFA PH-US Presidential Communications Office
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