September 13, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The US introduced yesterday P13.8 billion ($250 million) in overseas help to the Philippines towards strengthening well being methods, enhancing illness detection and response capabilities and enhancing maternal and youngster well being companies within the nation.
Such measures, the US embassy in Manila stated, will make the US and the Philippines safer, stronger and extra affluent, because the funding helps key initiatives corresponding to provide chain administration, information and data methods and laboratory strengthening.
The brand new funding raises the full of lately introduced US overseas help dedicated to the Philippines to greater than P17 billion ($313 million), following an earlier announcement of P3 billion ($63 million) in overseas help funding to help Philippine power sector resilience, fight unlawful fishing within the South China Sea and deepen personal sector growth within the Luzon Financial Hall.
The US embassy stated the US dedication to enhance well being outcomes within the Philippines and the Indo-Pacific area focuses on important areas of tuberculosis management and prevention, international well being safety, maternal and youngster well being and diet and different areas essential to each nations’ well being safety.
“This funding underscores america’ unwavering dedication to the well being and well-being of the Filipino folks, and demonstrates our long-term partnership in addressing shared challenges,” US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson stated.
“Collectively, we’re constructing a more healthy, extra resilient future,” Carlson added, noting that the US embassy overseas help part will lead the implementation of initiatives in precedence areas.
In an earlier assertion, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the Trump administration, working with Congress, plans to allocate $250 million in new help to the Philippines to handle acute public well being challenges.
“Via this help, our governments will work collectively on tuberculosis and maternal well being whereas investing in preparedness, detection and response capabilities to cut back the specter of rising illnesses and defend our homelands,” Rubio stated.
“This programming builds on the $63 million in help introduced throughout President Marcos’ July official go to to Washington, which was the primary announcement of recent help for any nation following President Trump’s evaluation and realignment of overseas help. In the present day’s announcement is yet one more demonstration of the great bond between america and the Philippines. It additionally demonstrates the environment friendly, time-limited and narrowly focused method of this new period of America First overseas help,” he stated.
Japan backs P805.76 Philippines infrastructure tasks
The Japanese authorities continued its help for the nation’s infrastructure growth agenda, as financing pledges reached the majority of the full official growth help (ODA) portfolio as of March, in keeping with the Division of Finance.
The DOF, in a press release, stated growth commitments reached P805.76 billion, representing almost 40 % of the Philippines’ whole ODA package deal for the interval, reaffirming Tokyo’s sturdy infrastructure help.
“The Japanese authorities’s confidence can be invested correctly in the way forward for our folks. Each yen and each peso can be made to work more durable and go farther. We’ll meet your belief with transparency, predictability and supply,” Finance Secretary Ralph Recto stated throughout a gathering with Japanese officers on the 2025 Osaka Expo and the Philippine Financial Briefing.
For fiscal years 2025 to 2026, among the many main tasks recognized for Japanese funding is the Second San Juanico Bridge. The two.6-kilometer span is designed to attach Leyte and Samar via the municipalities of Babatngon and Sta. Rita.
The venture is predicted to shorten journey time, decrease transport prices and open recent financial alternatives for companies and employees throughout the Visayas.?
A part of the lineup is the Parañaque Spillway Development Venture, a flood management infrastructure designed to cut back lake water overflow by as much as 37 % throughout excessive climate, defending 1000’s of households and communities across the Laguna Lakeshore.?
The venture will divert extra water from Laguna Lake into Manila Bay via an underground drainage system traversing Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Las Piñas and Bacoor, safeguarding houses, livelihoods and whole communities from the devastating impacts of extreme flooding.
Lastly, the Philippine Coast Guard is about to determine a help facility in Subic Bay to spice up its operational capability, a venture geared toward strengthening maritime security and making certain safer seas for fisherfolk, passengers and coastal communities.
Among the many ongoing tasks funded are the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 rehabilitation venture, the North-South Commuter Railway venture and the Metro Manila precedence bridges seismic enchancment venture.