The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is the principal agency responsible for managing U.S. Government assistance programs in more than 100 developing countries around the world. Under the overall foreign policy direction of the Secretary of State, USAID helps build and sustain democratic, well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty, and conduct themselves responsibly in the international system.
The United States has a long-standing and successful development partnership with the Philippines. USAID/Philippines’ current programs seek to accelerate and make economic growth more inclusive and sustainable through the Partnership for Growth (PFG), efforts to foster peace and stability in six conflict areas in Mindanao, and by supporting measures to improve the Philippines environmental resilience. Through PFG, USAID will support the Philippines increase employment opportunities that will be accomplished by working with the Government of the Philippines (GPH) to improve governance, expand its fiscal space, increase needed infrastructure, and strengthen its human capacity. In Mindanao, improved peace and stability will foster growth through improved local governance and strengthened community engagement in social and economic activities. Finally, efforts to mitigate the impact of global climate change through improved natural resource management and disaster risk reduction will make growth more sustainable.
Our assistance programs in the Philippines link directly to U.S. Government global foreign assistance priorities:
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TRADE – USAID activities under the U.S.-Philippines PFG promote trade and investment, greater competition, increased transparency, and improved fiscal policy and management. USAID supports efforts of second-tier cities to become effective engines of growth that improves the quality of life. The Philippines has made great progress in making its regulatory environment more business friendly, ranking in this area as the world’s fourth top reformer in the World Bank and IFC’s Doing Business 2014 report.
DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE – USAID supports measures to improve corporate governance and prevention of corruption. Under Partnership for Growth, USAID strengthens the rule of law through a more efficient court system and promotes a more transparent legal and regulatory regime. USAID is helping to reduce the estimated 600,000pending court cases by half by the end of 2016. USAID improves local governance and delivery of basic services in Mindanao’s conflict-affected areas, while promoting civic engagement and developing youth leaders. USAID also strengthens efforts against human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
EDUCATION – USAID improves reading skills for 1million children, strengthens local governance to improve education outcomes, and addresses gender disparities, particularly the high male dropout rate, as well as the needs of 19,000 out-of-school youth in conflict-affected areas. USAID improves research capacity and faculty development; supports science, research and technology partnerships to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship; and strengthens linkages with industry to ready students for jobs.
HEALTH – USAID supports the Philippines’ goal to increase access and quality of health care to improve the lives of all Filipinos, especially the poor and marginalized communities. USAID improves access to maternal and child health care, family planning information and services, and tuberculosis prevention and control services using innovative approaches to promote healthy behaviors, such as through social media. USAID health programs cover 45 provinces and 25 cities with an estimated population of 74 million potential beneficiaries, representing approximately 80percentof the country’s population.
ENVIRONMENT AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE – As one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, the Philippines typically loses up to $5 billion each year to natural disaster-related causes. USAID provides emergency relief and early recovery and rehabilitation support. USAID also reduces the risks of disasters, strengthens local natural resource management and biodiversity conservation, and improves the capability of local governments to implement low-emission development strategies and climate-change mitigation measures.
Ryan Washburn, Mission Director
USAID/Philippines
Annex 2 Building, U.S. Embassy, 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita
Manila, 1000 Philippines
Tel: (632)53016000
Fax: (632)53016213