CenPEG Press Statement
Issued on Feb. 14, 2025

Trump’s USAID Threats Expose Its True Role in the Philippines

Manila, Philippines – U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent statement threatening to shut down the US Agency for International Development (USAID) brings to light what has long been veiled in diplomacy—that USAID is not about genuine development and humanitarian assistance, but about political control.

According to Prof. Bobby Tuazon, Director for Policy Studies and Vice Chairperson of CenPEG (Center for People Empowerment in Governance), Trump’s remarks confirm what many critical voices have long suspected:

“Indeed, USAID is not here to help the Philippines develop, but to curb social dissent among people who have been lingering in poverty and social injustices for decades.”

“The agency constitutes America’s soft power in contrast to its hard power the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)”, Tuazon also stressed.

CenPEG has long questioned the true motives behind U.S. foreign aid, particularly in the Philippines, where USAID funding has often been tied to anti-insurgency programs rather than genuine economic and social progress. The agency’s involvement in governance, security, and economic projects often aligns with U.S. geopolitical interests rather than the real needs of the Filipino people.

Prof. Tuazon further stressed that:“The long-standing issues of poverty and inequality in the Philippines will not be solved by foreign aid programs that serve as mere tools for political influence. The real path to national development lies in self-determined policies that uplift the marginalized, not in externally dictated agenda.”

CenPEG calls for a critical reassessment of foreign aid programs like USAID and urges policymakers to focus on genuine, independent national development strategies that truly serve the Filipino people.###