US skipped in Duterte's 'thank you' list despite P768-million aid
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte, through spokesperson Harry Roque, expressed gratitude to several governments and groups that have provided assistance to the Philippines in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The president, however, missed the United States, which has so far donated more than P768 million ($15.2 million) to the country.
In a recorded video message, Roque thanked the governments of Australia, France, Japan, United Arab Emirates, European Union, as well as the UN humanitarian country team, UNICEF Philippines and UN Human Settlements Program.
Roque also mentioned the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, Philippine Red Cross, Philippine Stock Exchange, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia.
Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police who donated their salary were mentioned.
The Permanent Mission of China to ASEAN was also included in the list, along with the municipal governments of several Chinese areas. Even Chinese video-sharing app Tiktok made it to the list.
Just last week, the US Embassy announced an additional P298 million ($5.9 million) to help support the Philippines in its response to COVID-19, which has infected more than 4 million individuals across the globe.
The latest assistance from Washington, wherein the US Agency for International Development will partner with 18 local governments in the Philippines' hard-hit areas, sought to promote effective crisis management and implement response plans.
"Funding will support local governments to rapidly disburse emergency funding and supplies, and strengthen the capacity of local crisis response centers to disseminate accurate and timely crisis response information, manage quarantine measures, set up public handwashing facilities, ensure food supply, and support local business recovery," the US Embassy said in a statement.
US President Donald Trump himself offered additional assistance to the Philippines in a phone call with Duterte last month.
According to the US Embassy, Trump "expressed his solidarity and offered additional assistance" to the country as it continues to face the contagion, which has infected 11,086 in the country as of Monday afternoon. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
A thread of major developments in the bilateral relations between the Philippines and the United States from April to December 2020. (Photo by AFP/Mark Cristino)
US national security adviser Robert O'Brien affirms Washington's commitment to the Philippines in protecting its sovereign rights, offshore resources and rights consistent with international law.
Citing Washington's realignment of its position on the South China Sea with the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidate Beijing's expansive claims, O'Brien stresses that resources in the area belong to the Filipino people.
"They don’t belong to some other country that just because might, they may be big, and they may be bigger than the Philippines, they can come take away and convert the resources of the Philippine people," O'Brien says.
The US Embassy in the Philippines says the US government has turned over 150 laptop computers, printers, projectors and 80 sets of learning materials to the Department of Education through the United States Agency for International Development.
"This assistance is part of USAID’s Opportunity 2.0, a five-year, P1.9-billion ($37.5 million) project that works with DepEd, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and local governments to support their ongoing programs to provide relevant education, employability skills, and work experience to out-of-school youth," the US Embassy says in a statement.
The US government launches a new program to provide second-chance opportunities to at least 180,000 out-of-school youth in the Philippines.
Under the five-year "Opportunity 2.0" project, which is worth P1.9 billion, the USAID will partner with DepEd and TESDA to augment their ongoing programs that provide relevant education, employability skills and work experience.
"Through this new partnership, we can leverage a range of resources to maximize the potential of the Filipino youth, particularly those who are out-of-school or unemployed. With the right knowledge, attitudes, and skills, they will play a pivotal role in this great country’s growth and success over the long-term," US Ambassador Sung Kim says.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to discuss the recent change in US policy on maritime claims in the South China Sea, the US Department of State says.
The two foreign ministers also discussed US support for Southeast Asian coastal states upholding their sovereign rights and interests consistent with international law, as well as opportunities for further maritime cooperation between the two countries.
"The two secretaries also discussed the strong economic, security, and people-to-people ties that bind our two countries," the statement read.
The US Army and Marine Corps service members, in partnership with the Philippine Air Force, Army and Coast Guard, deliver an additional P11.4 million ($236,000) worth of personal protective equipment and medical supplies to hospitals in 11 cities in the Philippines.
The latest donation brings the total assistance of the US government to the Philippines' efforts against COVID-19 to P989 million (more than $20 million).
"This latest delivery of U.S. government assistance for Filipino frontliners in the battle against COVID-19 is a testament to our ongoing commitment to help the Philippines defeat the pandemic," US Ambassador Sung Kim says.
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