Ambassador Sung Kim remains bullish on US-PHL ties

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 4): Ambassador Sung Kim remains bullish on US-PHL ties

United States Ambassador Sung Kim voiced optimism Tuesday about sustained relationship between the Philippines and their country despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy that is less dependent on the US.

Speaking to hundreds of officials and residents during a school project visit at the Anahaway National High School campus here, Kim vowed to continue the support of the US government to various development programs in the country.

“US friendship with the Philippines will always be there. The future belongs to you, the students,” he told the crowd who waited for hours despite the rain showers.

The school building has nine classrooms. Each room has a toilet and equipped with educational materials for each learner. The US government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), also distributed raincoats to learners.

The classrooms, which can withstand a 360-kilometer per hour wind and Magnitude 8 earthquake, will be completed before the opening of the new academic year.

As of today, USAID has already built 310 classrooms, 12 health facilities, 30 agri-fishery support facilities, 1,029 small community stores and other livelihood programs. This is part of the PHP7.2 billion assistance to help super typhoon "Yolanda" survivors in Central Philippines.

“The classrooms and other support of the USAID is a testament to the strong alliance of the Philippines and US,” said the US envoy, who turned down media interviews during his brief visit.

Last week, USAID inaugurated rural health units, hospital improvement projects and schools in Dagami and Carigara towns in Leyte.

In many instances, President Duterte repeatedly hit the US government for criticizing his anti-drug war. The President publicly pronounced that the country could survive even without the US government’s assistance.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=977508