U.S. Provides P298 Million Assistance to PH for COVID-19 Efforts

The U.S. government is providing an additional P298 million to support the Philippines’ efforts against COVID-19, the United States Embassy in the Philippines announced on May 7.

According to the embassy, the total amount of assistance extended by the U.S. to the country is now at P768 million.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said “This latest assistance builds on our long-standing relationships with local government units across the Philippines, and represents our continued commitment to our Filipino friends, partners, and allies in this time of crisis.”

The U.S. Agency for International Development will partner with 18 local governments units in areas badly affected by the pandemic in order to boost effective crisis management and carry out response plans.

“Funding will support local governments to rapidly disburse emergency funding and supplies, and strengthen the capacity of local crisis response centers to disseminate accurate and timely crisis response information, manage quarantine measures, set up public handwashing facilities, ensure food supply, and support local business recovery,” the statement said.

The P298 million assistance includes P44 million from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration for the International Committee of the Red Cross to aid the country’s fight against the respiratory disease.

This amount will go to “increasing stocks of essential medical supplies, expanding hospital capacity, preventing the spread of disease in detention centers, and supporting resilience for vulnerable people and communities.” 

The United States has previously provided the Philippines with over P29 billion in health assistance, along with P228 billion in development assistance over the past 20 years.