United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson on Tuesday, Feb. 25, assured that while the Trump administration has ordered a 90-day suspension of all foreign aid, the Philippines will remain a very important partner of the US.
Carlson gave the assurance during a meeting with Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.
“She said do not be afraid about the suspension of assistance, it will come (back). It’s more of an assurance that the friendship, the bond between the United States and the Philippines will still be there,” Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz, who was at the governor’s meeting with the ambassador, said.
The USAID has been assisting Negros Occidental in its bulk water project, and in other projects that have been included in the freeze, he said.
The ambassador assured that the friendship between the Philippines and the United States will not diminish, but on the other hand it might even increase in terms of support, partnership and collaboration, Diaz said.
There is no clear statement on the continuation of the US water projects in Negros “but there is an assurance that we should just wait and that help will come,” Diaz said
Diaz said the ambassador wanted to know what the priority projects of the governor are and he informed her that they are water and sanitation.
The ambassador told the media she had a “great meeting with the governor talking about all of the issue areas where the United States and the Philippines are doing a lot together”.
Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, Secretary Francisco Benitez, Ambassador MaryKay Carlson , Reena Gamboa and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (l-r) at Casa Gamboa*
The ambassador also met with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Secretary Francisco Benitez, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez at Casa Gamboa in Silay City Monday evening.
The Victorias mayor said they “reinforced the deep US-PH partnership”.
“As US-educated leaders, we underscored the importance of regional security, people-to-people ties, and investment opportunities that will drive progress for our province and district,” he said.
The Bacolod mayor said the ambassador told them that they should verbalize that the US continuing its projects in the country, including Negros and Bacolod, will promote the best interest of the American people.
Benitez said he was told that 46 percent of the Americans are not aware of the importance of America in the global community.
Meanwhile, the US unfreezed security aid to the Philippines amounting to USD336 million, the Armed Forces of the Philippines announced on Tuesday.
The exemption of the country’s security assistance from the US global foreign aid freeze highlights the “strong relationship” between the two nations, it said.
The Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez also said on Tuesday that he is optimistic Washington DC would continue its humanitarian work in the country, specifically on health and education, after officially exempting its security aid to Manila from its foreign aid freeze.
The envoy said he believes the US sees value in its development assistance to the country as one of its closest partners in the region.*with a report from PNA