Philippine Air Force gets drones worth P200 million from US
MANILA, Philippines (Corrected 9:25 p.m.) — The Philippine Air Force (PAF) has received four ScanEagle unmanned aerial systems from the US military.
The Air Force received the drones worth P200 million ($4 million) during a ceremony at the Clark Air Base in Pampanga on Wednesday.
The drones will be used to boost the Armed Forces of the Philippines' domain awareness and border security capabilities.
The US Embassy in Manila said the new systems will provide "additional capabilities in unmanned Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and in support of counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts."
“We remain committed to our promises on helping modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and we hope this will further strengthen our combined capabilities in working together towards a free and open Indo-Pacific,” US Embassy US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Heather Variava said.
Variava led the turnover ceremony with Philippine defense officials, including Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Lt. Gen. Allen Paredes, commanding general of the PAF.
US Indo-Pacific Command Adm. John Aquilino and representatives from the US Embassy's Joint US Military Assistance Group were also present during the turnover.
The US Embassy noted that the Philippines is the recipient of the largets US military assistance in the Indo-Pacific region so far.
"Since 2015, the United States has delivered more than P50.6 billion ($1.06 billion) worth of planes, ships, armored vehicles, small arms, and other military equipment to the Philippines, while training side-by-side with our Filipino allies," the US Embassy said in a media release. — Patricia Lourdes Viray
(Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that the ScanEagle UASs are worth P200 million and not P20 million as reported in an earlier version.)
The US government establishes a five-year grant worth P800 million to promote natural resource conservation, and ecosystem and community resilience, by supporting civil society organizations in advocating for, and participating in, good natural resource governance.
The grant will be launched through the Investing in Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) project.
“Through the INSPIRE project, USAID is pleased to support the Philippines’ efforts to conserve the country’s rich biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change while making sure that the environment continues to benefit many Filipinos whose incomes depend upon these natural resources," USAID Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan says.
The United States Embassy in the Philippines launches a livelihood program for those who are recovering from substance abuse order.
In partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the US Embassy's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is providing PhP5 million ($100,000) to support the "Ako ang Saklay" program.
“Livelihood programs, such as those facilitated by Ako ang Saklay, can result in quality-of-life changes for persons who use drugs, their families, and their communities,” INL representative Mark Everson says.
The US Peace Corps, in partnership with the DepEd, concludes a series of virtual trainings for educators on using newly developed distance training materials.
The training ran from October 12 to 29, which involved 1,000 teachers, principals and supervisors from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
“Studies show that high-quality instructional materials significantly increase academic outcomes by allowing students to engage more deeply and meaningfully with their learning. This has never been more important than now, with students still schooling online due to the ongoing pandemic,” DepEd Bureau of Learning Delivery Director Leila Areola says.
USAID launches a five-year project worth P750 million ($15 million) to build climate resilience in the Philippines.
The Climate Resilient Cities project will help cities in the country to mitigate, and endure the impacts of climate change by increasing their access to climate financing and tools to build resilience, the US Embassy says.
"Addressing the climate crisis, and particularly the vulnerability of cities, is crucial to helping build a more prosperous, resilient Philippines for current and future generations," USAID Philippines Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan says.
US military service members on Tuesday delivered ICU beds and COVID-19 cold storage units wort P758,750 to the Palawan provincial government.
The donation was made in response to the request of the Palawan provincial government amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in the province, the US Embassy says in a media release.
“This donation will help the people of Palawan a lot by upgrading our ability to fight against the pandemic. It comes at the perfect time due to the surge of new cases and will help us face this new challenge," Palawan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office director Jeremias Alili says.
- Latest
- Trending
