It’s official: the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has terminated an ongoing UST ecotourism project in Siquijor, as the agency reels from US President Donald Trump’s sweeping cuts to foreign aid in line with his “America First” approach.
The Varsitarian has learned that the USAID-funded project, which received P16.5 million through the Gerry Roxas Foundation, was scrapped on Feb. 26 or nine months left before its scheduled completion.
READ: Resumption of P16.5-M UST ecotourism project up to ‘business-minded’ Trump
It was part of the Gerry Roxas Foundation’s “Investing in Sustainable Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems” (Inspire) program, a $20-million initiative funding 10 other research projects.
The foundation is named after the late senator Gerardo Roxas Sr., son of former president Manuel Roxas and father of ex-cabinet secretary and ex-senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. Gerry Roxas’s spouse Judy Araneta Roxas is the president while Mar Roxas is honorary chairman, a check of the foundation’s website showed.
Trump, who views US foreign aid as wasteful, returned to the White House on Jan. 20 and immediately placed the agency under “comprehensive review,” subsequently freezing funding for 90 days and booting out thousands of its employees.
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On Feb. 27, his administration announced the termination of 10,000 USAID contracts and grants — amounting to 90% of its foreign commitments or roughly $60 billion — effectively dismantling the agency.
The decision sent shockwaves worldwide as USAID, the leading humanitarian donor globally, lost its capacity and manpower to support food security, health, development, and democracy initiatives abroad.
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The UST project sought to improve environmental protection in Siquijor, a prime tourist destination in Central Visayas, through regulations on the use of trees and medicinal plants and fishing activities, conservation education, and community-based sustainable livelihood.
Prof. Moises Norman Garcia, the project’s technical team leader, previously identified three possible outcomes for the study: continuation with an extended timeline, resumption with revised objectives, or complete termination.
Garcia had said the decision depended on Trump’s outlook.
“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 told the Varsitarian in a Feb. 20 interview.
“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.”
With USAID pulling out, the project still lacked 30% to 40% of its P16.5 million budget for completion. Garcia said the team would 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 Siquijor project team included former UST grants office director Fr. Maximo Gatela, O.P. and five researchers from the Faculty of Arts and Letters and the College of Science: Prof. Maria Cobar-Garcia, Prof. Arlen Ancheta, Assoc. Prof. Alain Santos, Asst. Prof. Arnold Distor and Asst. Prof. Racquel Layco.
Trump’s directive faced legal challenges, with a federal judge ordering the release of billions in frozen foreign aid after lawsuits from nonprofit organizations. Trump didn’t budge despite a two-week deadline.
His push to shrink the government had the backing of tech billionaire and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, whom he appointed to lead the newly created “Department of Government Efficiency.” with reports from Amador Denzel M. Teston
