THE FUTURE of a UST ecotourism project in Siquijor worth P16.5 million hinges on US President Donald Trump, as uncertainty continues to loom over initiatives backed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
In 2023, the UST Research and Endowment Foundation Inc. (REFI) won a research grant for “Siquijor Island Conservation and Restoration: Toward a Regenerative Ecotourism Destination,” slated for completion by November 2025.
However, the project, along with another USAID-backed UST partnership, was brought to a standstill when Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on USAID funding and operations immediately upon returning to the White House on Jan. 20.
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Trump had planned to scale back overseas spending in line with his “America First” approach.
Prof. Moises Norman Garcia, the technical team leader of the UST-REFI project, said the initiative’s fate depended on whether the “business-minded” Trump saw its economic potential.
“Kung matutuloy ‘yan, nakikita ni Trump, [ng] Trump administration, na mayro’ng potential pala [na] magkaroon ng economic development dito sa atin through tourism — sustainable tourism,” Garcia, a researcher at the UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education (RCSSED), told the Varsitarian.
“Kung nakikita lang ito as environmental, there’s a 50-50 chance na hindi na magpatuloy o magtuloy pa rin,” he added. “There is a connection. If you maintain, if you rehabilitate this degraded environment, or about to be degraded, puwede kang mag-attract ng more investments sa tourism.”
The Siquijor project was granted USAID funding through the Gerry Roxas Foundation under the “Investing in Sustainable Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems” (Inspire) program.
The initiative bats for environmental protection through regulations on the use of trees and medicinal plants and fishing activities, conservation education, and community-based sustainable livelihood.
Garcia said the project still needs 30% to 40% of the total P16.5 million funding for its completion. If the USAID completely halts funding, the team will have to turn to other non-government organizations (NGOs) for support.
Options include Oxfam, a British-founded confederation of 21 independent NGOs, and EcoWaste Coalition, which had already co-funded a UST study on plastic material balance flow along Manila Bay together with USAID in 2021.
The USAID freeze leaves only three potential outcomes for the UST ecotourism study: continuation with an extended timeline, resumption with revised objectives, or complete termination.
Garcia reiterated that this hinges heavily on Trump’s outlook.
“Si Trump, iba mag-isip. [Ang] iniisip niya, kumita. Economic,” he noted. “Noong first term niya as president, marami siyang mga binitawan na mga statement na hindi raw siya naniniwala sa climate change. Pangalawa, hindi siya ‘yong science-minded na tao.”
Stop-work order
USAID Philippines on Jan. 27 issued a stop-work order to beneficiaries as the agency undergoes reevaluation and realigning, which Trump had ordered to recalibrate Washington’s foreign assistance programs.
Inspire grantees were directed to immediately suspend implementation until the USAID agreement officer notifies them that the funding freeze has been lifted.
USAID-backed projects were also told not to commit to new projects and disburse payments for new projects, activities, travel, or procurement.
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While the contractual and output-based personnel in Siquijor still received compensation in January, Garcia is uncertain as to how long this situation will last.
Despite the 90-day funding freeze, salaries for full-time and part-time project staff with management, technical, and management functions were still permitted to be disbursed.
USAID, however, instructed researchers to be prudent in their expenses, specifying in a letter the “allowable costs,” which were limited to administrative expenses like rent for office space and payment for utilities.
Trump, a casino and real estate tycoon before venturing into politics, has drawn flak for ordering the USAID freeze, a decision backed by tech mogul and billionaire Elon Musk and accompanied by blanket layoffs of agency workers.
