Locsin pledges renewed partnership with USAID on its 60th year in PHL
WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Philippines and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) explored opportunities to further expand the collaboration between the country and the American aid agency, which are marking 60 years of ties this year.
During his working visit to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and US, Secretary of Foreign Affairs (SFA) Teodoro L. Locsin Jr. thanked USAID Administrator Samantha Power on September 8 for the assistance of the US government and private sector to local pandemic response and recovery efforts.
USAID has helped facilitate the country’s procurement of personal protective equipment and other medical essentials which aided Filipino health workers through online training; expanding community access to water, sanitation and hygiene information, services and commodities; strengthening supply-chain management; as well as the delivery of cash relief through digital solutions.
The SFA and the USAID administrator exchanged notes on current vaccination efforts in the Philippines and the US, as the former emphasized the need for a stable and regular supply of vaccines especially from America.
They also discussed cooperation to address the climate crisis and the need for the US to diversify its supply chain for the manufacture of solar-powered products. Locsin, for his part, urged USAID to work closely with the Philippines to mitigate the effects of climate change.