Obama cancels visit to Philippines due to US gov't shutdown

MANILA, Philippines -  US President Barack Obama has canceled his trip to the Philippines next week due to the partial US government shutdown, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

The DFA said in a statement the development was conveyed by Obama to President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday morning.

"[President Obama] regrets that he will not be able to push through with his visit to Manila this month. President Obama explains that this is because of issues relating to the US Government shutdown," the DFA said.

The agency said Aquino understands the decision of the US president. "Philippines-U.S. relations remain strong and forward-looking."

Obama is scheduled to leave Saturday night for what was originally a four-nation tour.

The White House says Obama will still travel to Indonesia and Brunei, but is calling off the final two stops in Malaysia and the Philippines.

The shutdown took effect early Tuesday after Congress missed its deadline to fund the government.

The trip is part of Obama's broader focus on boosting U.S. economic ties with Asia. Obama twice canceled trips to Asia in 2010, once to stay in Washington for votes on his health care law, and once because of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. -with the Associated Press