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By Katrice R. Jalbuena, Reporter
The Philippines, along with Indonesia, is to
receive the bulk of the aid allotted by the US State Department for
the East Asia and Pacific region for the fiscal year (FY) of 2009.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo added
that the amount proposed by the State Department to the US Congress
for assistance to the Philippines in FY 2009 represents an increase
of 24% compared to the request for FY 2008. The US fiscal year
starts in October.
Romulo’s statement comes in the wake of claims
that there is a reported reduction by the State Department of its
assistance to the Philippines, based on US government’s concerns
towards human rights violations in the country.
He pointed out that the US State Department’s
2009 Congressional Budget Justification Report put the Philippines
in a very positive note.
In its report, the State Department said that
the Philippines, along with Indonesia, is “poised to lead the East
Asian and Pacific region towards economic prosperity and
democracy.”
Higher request for 2009
Over half of the budget request of the State
Department for FY 2009 for the East Asia and Pacific region has been
devoted to the Philippines and Indonesia.
Romulo added that for FY 2009, the State
Department’s budget request for the Philippines is actually higher
than the amount requested in FY 2008.
For FY 2008, the initial request of the US State
Department for assistance to the Philippines was $80.2 million. As
finally approved by the US Congress, the amount was adjusted to
$116.22 million, or an increase of 45% or about $36 million.
For FY 2009, the requested amount is $99.22
million, or a 24% increase from the original $80.2 million requested
by the US Congress for FY 2008.
“As the US budget debate is a continuing
process, it is unfair and misleading to compare the amounts
requested by the State Department for 2009 with the total amount of
assistance that was given to us by the US government in 2008,”
Romulo said.
According to the Foreign Affairs secretary, the
budgetary request made by the State Department is just part of the
beginning of the budget process.
“After this submission by the State
Department, we will make representations in Congress for increases,
“ he pointed out.
Romulo said that as was seen during the last
budget cycle, “we were able to score many points when Congress
virtually tripled our foreign military funding and increased our
economic support fund.”
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