USAID shutdown to hit P4-B projects - DepEd

Metro Manila, Philippines - A major foreign aid policy shift in the United States may impact billions of pesos in projects for the learning sector, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Wednesday, Feb. 5.

The shutdown of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), as ordered by US President Donald Trump, would mean cutting off P4 billion in assistance to projects, said Roger Masapol, education assistant secretary.

In a radio interview, Masapol said the US agency’s temporary closure may paralyze the implementation of the Advancing Basic Education (ABC+) program, which was extended until 2026.

The program aims to improve reading abilities of Kindergarten to Grade 3 students.

He also said the aid freeze will affect projects for alternative learning systems, as well as for learners with disabilities.

The closure will also hit gender-development projects, Masapol said.

“Kapag naghold po itong mga interventions na funded ng US government, may effect po siya doon sa ano sa speed no’ng process ng pag-a-achieve no’ng reform process ng DepEd,” he said.

[Translation: When these interventions funded by the US government are implemented, it has an effect on the speed of the process of achieving the reform process of the DepEd.]

Masapol said DepEd will find alternative means to continue the programs.

“Halimbawa ay mga continuing funds kami, titingnan namin kung kaya ituloy yung iba sa mga critical activities noong mga programa,” he said.

“Nakakapanghinayang lang po kasi nakatake-off na po yung mga activity natin sa DepEd, funded by the US government, kaya lang mayroong ganitong order,” he added..

[Translation: For example, with our continuing funds, we will assess if we can continue some of the critical activities of those programs… It's unfortunate because our activities in DepEd, funded by the US government, have already taken off, but now there is this order.]

Trump earlier ordered to freeze foreign aid and shut down the humanitarian agency as an independent entity, merging it instead with the State Department.

NewsWatch Plus correspondent Lance Mejico contributed to this report