PRESS RELEASE
WDC-36-2021
08 SEPTEMBER 2021
08 SEPTEMBER 2021, WASHINGTON D.C. –Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power met this afternoon to explore opportunities to further expand the partnership between the Philippines and USAID. Secretary Locsin was accompanied by the Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez and other Foreign Affairs officials.
The Philippines and USAID are celebrating 60 years of partnership this year, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of Philippines-United States diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty.
Secretary Locsin thanked Administrator Power for the U.S. government’s and private sector’s assistance to the Philippines’ pandemic response and recovery efforts.
USAID has helped facilitate the Philippines’ procurement of PPE and other COVID-19 essentials, empowering Filipino health workers through online training, expanding community access to water, sanitation and hygiene information, services and commodities, and strengthening supply chain management and the delivery of cash relief through digital solutions.
Secretary Locsin and Administrator Power exchanged notes on ongoing vaccination efforts in the Philippines and the United States, respectively, with Secretary Locsin stressing the need for a stable and regular supply of vaccines especially from the United States.
They also discussed cooperation to address the climate crisis and the need for the United States to diversify its supply chain for the manufacture of solar-powered products. Secretary Locsin urged USAID to work closely with the Philippines to mitigate the effects of climate change. ###