SOME UST projects funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) face uncertainty as reelected US President Donald Trump moves to shut down the agency, the world’s leading humanitarian donor.
On Jan. 20, Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on USAID funding while the department undergoes “comprehensive review.” Since then, dozens of its employees have been placed on indefinite leave.
Among the projects potentially affected by this is the US-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning (UPSKILL) project, which received $30 million in funding and was initially set to be implemented until July 2028.
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UST partnered with USAID, RTI International, and Arizona State University to launch the initiative in 2024.
According to a USAID document, UPSKILL aims to “strengthen the capacity of higher education institutions in innovation and entrepreneurship through faculty and staff training, improving curriculums, and increasing and improving community extension and technology transfer activities.”
Also at risk is the “Siquijor Island Conservation and Restoration: Toward a Regenerative Ecotourism Destination” action research project of the UST Research and Endowment Foundation Inc. (REFI).
USAID and the Gerry Roxas Foundation granted P16.5 million to the project under the “Investing in Sustainable Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems” or INSPIRE program.
The project supports environmental protection through regulations on the use of trees and medicinal plants and fishing activities, conservation education, and community-based sustainable livelihood.
It is led by former UST grants office director Fr. Maximo Gatela, O.P., with technical team leader Moises Garcia from the Department of Biological Sciences and five researchers from the Faculty of Arts and Letters and the College of Science.
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Meanwhile, the Samar Fortification Project of the UST Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (USTGS-CCCPET) is expected to be unaffected. It is funded through the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation.
“[As] per the US Embassy, the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, as of this moment, is not affected by this development in the US,” said Beverly Bautista, USTGS-CCCPET officer in charge and project director.
The grant is valued at $245,000 or over P14 million.
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UST had mounted several USAID-funded projects in the past.
In 2019, the UST Innovation and Technology Support Office was selected as one of the mentors for the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office development project of the USAID Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for Development.
In 2021, researchers from the UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education received a grant from USAID and EcoWaste Coalition for their study on plastic material balance flow along Manila Bay.
The USAID funding freeze has also disrupted Philippine government programs that are dependent on Washington’s foreign assistance, including those under the Department of Education.
USAID is one of the largest donors for health services, disaster relief, anti-poverty efforts, and other programs, having spent $38 billion in assistance in 2023. Since its establishment in 1961, it has provided funding for war relief, vaccination efforts, and HIV prevention, among others.
Trump, who returned to the White House on Jan. 20, accused USAID of widespread corruption and fraud before halting its funding. The decision was supported by tech billionaire Elon Musk, whom Trump appointed head of the “Department of Government Efficiency.”
The freeze is just one of Trump’s controversial and radical moves since being reelected. He has also proposed shutting down the Department of Education and the US taking over war-torn Gaza.
