Climate change, disinformation not US aid priorities in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — Climate change and counter-disinformation programs will not be priorities under the United States' new approach to foreign assistance for the Philippines, a senior US diplomat confirmed on Thursday, September 4.
Jonathan Fritz, principal deputy assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific affairs at the US State Department, said the Trump administration has adopted a different approach to these issues compared to previous administrations.
"Climate change per se is something that this administration is taking a different approach to than the previous administration," Fritz told reporters during a roundtable at the US Embassy in Manila.
Fritz confirmed that counter-disinformation programming is also not among Washington's current aid priorities in the Philippines.
"I don't know that we're doing much assistance funding in that particular space," he said when asked about media resilience programs. "That is not really one of our key focus areas for foreign assistance here in the Philippines."
Trump administration dissolved the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in July and folded its functions into the State Department, cutting thousands of projects worldwide, including programs focused on democracy and civil society.
Before that, Trump had ordered a sweeping freeze on all its foreign assistance programs in January as part of a 90-day review and realignment of projects.
The freeze had affected dozens of projects in the Philippines, and available data showed that a large chunk of USAID funding in the country went to environmental protection programs.
Under the new aid program under Trump, Fritz said some climate-related activities continue through different programs.
He said $24 million of the $63 million in fresh aid pledged to the Philippines will target the resilience of its energy sector, including renewable and nuclear sources “less vulnerable to supply disruptions.”
Washington is also funding disaster preparedness programs such as pre-positioning relief supplies in typhoon-prone provinces.
For countering disinformation, Fritz explained the US relies on the work of its foreign missions rather than dedicated aid programs.
"Other parts of our mission here in the Philippines and around the world, our public affairs sections in particular, track disinformation," the senior US diplomat said.
"But it is not necessarily a focus of our foreign assistance, at least in this current round," he added.
Instead, the US has prioritized three main areas for its restructured aid to the Philippines: energy sector resilience, combating illegal fishing in Philippine waters, and promoting private sector development through the Luzon Economic Corridor.
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Health and humanitarian assistance also remain key priorities, Fritz said.
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