US to continue sending financial aid to Phl

A senior State Department official underscored that funding assistance from the United States government should be spent with the highest degree of integrity and accountability.

- By PIA LEE-BRAGO

At a media roundtable at the US embassy in Manila on Thursday, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Jonathan Fritz said the review made on foreign assistance across the board after President Donald Trump assumed office took into consideration all sorts of factors.

While he does not foresee a halt to US funding assistance to the Philippines, Fritz stressed the crucial part of rigorously monitoring and evaluating foreign assistance.

He stated that Trump very clearly elaborated during the electoral campaign that "he wanted to make sure that US taxpayer dollars were being spent effectively fair enough."

He noted that it is part of the transition to a new and more focused foreign assistance program not just in the Philippines but around the world.

"Anytime we spend foreign assistance money we very rigorously monitor and evaluate how those funds were spent and the results that we expect to get from them," Fritz said.