
MANILA – The United States government provided an additional USD11.3 million (about PHP563 million) to help the Philippines’ vaccination rollout and national response to identify, manage, and treat patients experiencing coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
The aid will be channeled through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), with a focus on the most underprivileged communities.
According to US Embassy Acting Press Attaché Paul Thomas, the additional help extends the US government’s Covid-19 support to the Philippines to more than USD39 million (approximately PHP1.94 billion) since the pandemic began in March 2020.
The US has already supplied over six million doses of several Covid-19 vaccines to the Philippines.
It also helped around 44,000 front-line health care workers and fortified over 800 hospitals and clinics through USAID, as well as acquired vital commodities such as personal protective equipment, medicines, and hygiene kits.
Renewed partnership
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Philippines’ partnership with USAID, as well as the 75th anniversary of Philippine-US diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty.
During a meeting with USAID administrator Samantha Power in Washington DC on September 8, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. renewed Manila’s vow to enhance its partnership with the aid agency.
They discussed immunization initiatives, with Locsin highlighting the importance of a consistent and reliable supply of vaccines, particularly from the US.
Power spoke about the need to increase communities’ capacity to recover from the pandemic’s health and economic impacts, while Locsin emphasized climate crisis collaboration and the necessity for the US to diversify its supply chain for the manufacture of solar-powered items.