By ANTHONY IAN CRUZ
Dec. 12, 2007
Despite global criticisms of the Arroyo government’s massive corruption and widespread human rights violations, the European Commission (EC) and Australia have announced increases in economic assistance to the Philippines.
In separate announcements, the EC and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) said that they will give the country aid worth P880-million and P4-billion, respectively, in 2008.
The EC approved on Monday its 2007 Action Program of development cooperation funding for the Philippines amounting to 14 million Euros (Php 880 million) in grants.
But in a statement, the East Asia and Oceania chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) said that it will ask European and Australian legislators and people’s organizations to seek clarifications from their governments regarding the aid packages to the Arroyo government.
Weeks after a United Nations rapporteur slammed the Philippines over extrajudicial killings, a new poll said that about half of Filipinos view Arroyo as the most corrupt president, surpassing even the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The ILPS-East Asia and Oceania said that “EC and Australia should use their aid programs to help effect positive change in the Philippines, and not to prop up a corrupt and brutal government.”
EC reaffirms support
Ambassador Alistair MacDonald, head of the EC delegation to the Philippines said the decision “reaffirms EU’s continued commitment to further boost efforts of the country to promote poverty reduction through equitable growth”.
MacDonald said that the 2007 Action Program is the first contribution under the EC’s Indicative Program for assistance to the Philippines for 2007-2010, amounting to 61 million Euros (P3.8-billion).
“These programs have been developed in consultation with the government and with civil society to support the Philippines Medium Term Development Plan 2004–2010,” said MacDonald.
The EC aid is divided into three parts:
MacDonald said that the EC aid will go to: Strategic Projects Facility (P410-million) for improved governance to enable the Philippines to attain the Millennium Development Goals; Trade-Related Technical Assistance (P410-million) to enhance capacity of the country to integrate into the international trading system; and Mindanao Trust Fund (P60-million) to support the reconstruction and development of conflict-affected areas in Mindanao.
Meanwhile, AusAID said that Down Under’s P4-billion aid to the Philippines for 2007-2008 has grown by 45 percent from the previous year, making Australia one of the country’s biggest aid donor.
About 40 percent of Australian aid has been earmarked for basic education programs.
AusAID said that it now runs the largest basic education program in Mindanao, with a P1.4-billion project across 15 provinces in Southern Philippines. Another P800-million is allotted to help improve students performance in English, science and mathematics in the Visayas.
Other areas where AusAID will allot its resources are the Mindanao peace initiatives, scholarships, health programs for children, disaster and emergency response, direct assistance to communities, and the control of foot and mouth disease.