DFA to work with US to assess impact of foreign aid suspension

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Joyce Ann L. Rocamora, Philippine News Agency

FILE: The Department of Foreign Affairs Building along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City, which used to be the headquarters of the Asian Development Bank. (Photo By Lawrence Ruiz, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) would coordinate with the United States (US) government to assess the potential impact of President Donald Trump’s temporary suspension of foreign assistance, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said on Saturday.

“The DFA is closely monitoring reports on the possible freeze of US foreign assistance,” the PCO said in a statement.

“[It] will work with partners in the US Department of State and the US government to determine how this will affect the Philippines,” it added.

In line with Trump’s directive, the US State Department issued a “stop-work” order for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid, according to a Reuters’ report.

Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance, pending a review of efficiencies and consistency with his foreign policy.

The US is the world’s biggest donor of international aid, with some USD68 billion obligated in 2023 for 204 countries, according to the official data from the US government.

The US is one of the Philippines’ top donors of the Official Development Assistance, contributing around USD147.7 million in 2023.

At the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose De Vega said the government will use all its diplomatic channels, adding that Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez is also active in engaging the American side.

“There is the regular aid that they provide. We’re still talking to the Americans about that. I can’t give the exact data about that, but freezing is not a permanent freeze,” he said.

“Now, the reason why Egypt and Israel are always exempted from that is because of the Middle East situation — because it’s very important that those two countries maintain the peace,” he added.

De Vega believes the freeze would not “severely affect us” since the US involvement in Philippine economy as a trade partner is “still very high.”

“Right now, economically, we have a lot of partners, and while the US involvement in our economy as a trading partner is still very high, I think even with the freeze, it’s not like it’s going,” he said.