AMBASSADOR to Washington Jose Manuel Romualdez yesterday said the Philippines does not need to worry about the move of US President Donald Trump regarding a possible freeze in existing and new foreign assistance from the US.
Romualdez expressed confidence the 90-day pause ordered by the new Trump government, which is meant to review if aid allocation was aligned with his foreign policy, would not be made permanent.
“Wala namang dapat ipangamba dahil sa tingin namin, itong suspension na ito ay just in tough time for them para i-review ‘yung kanilang foreign aid (There is no reason to be worried because we think the suspension is just in tough time for the US to give them time to review their foreign aid), he told radio dzBB Sunday.
The Department of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said 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.”
A Reuters report quoting a cable drafted by the US Statement Department said the department issued a “stop-work” order on Friday for all existing foreign assistance and paused new aid. The cable drafted by the Department’s foreign assistance office and approved by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also said waivers have been issued for military financing for Israel and Egypt. No other countries were mentioned in the cable seen by Reuters.
Israel receives about $3.3 billion in foreign military financing annually, while Egypt receives about $1.3 billion
The Philippines was among other states identified for such financing in 2025. The others are Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Djibouti, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Israel, Egypt and Jordan, according to a request to Congress from former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Last year, then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US will provide $500 million in military funding to the Philippines.
Legislation is also pending in the US Senate seeking to provide $2 billion in military assistance to Manila until 2030 as the latter seeks to modernize its military amid Chinese aggressive activities in the West Philippines Sea in the South China Sea.
Immediately after Trump’s inauguration last week, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo met with Rubio, during which the latter affirmed the US “ironclad” commitment to the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty.
Romualdez said assistance being given to the Philippines “is not even considered aid.” He said it could be for US military operations in the Philippines, like at the EDCA sites.
He was referring to areas named in the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The EDCA sites are located inside Philippine military installations, where the US armed forces is allowed to establish facilities for prepositioning of assets for territorial defense and disaster response operations, among others.
“‘Yung aid na ibinibigay sa atin is not even considered aid, sa tingin ko, dahil ito’y mga military operations na ginagawa nila like ‘yung EDCA sites natin, that is an agreement that we have with the United States (The aid that they are giving to us is not even considered as aid, because there are military operations that they are doing like the EDCA sites, that is an agreement that we have with the United States),” he said. – With Reuters
Romualdez said the “aid” provided by Washington to Manila is “mutually beneficial” to the US and the Philippines, considering their shared interest in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“It is important for them that they have a presence in the Indo-Pacific Region at tayo naman (and for our part), we want them to be present because of our problem in the West Philippine Sea. So, that’s their biggest “aid’ that they are providing us,” he further said.
The US is the largest single aid donor globally, disbursing some $72 billion in assistance in 2023.
