Palace: US aid agency conditions should be aligned with Duterte priority agenda

Malacañang on Sunday welcomed the inclusion of the Philippines in the list of candidate-countries to receive grants from the Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) for 2018, but will study the conditions set by the United States aid agency.

"While we are happy with this new development, our economic managers would study the conditions set by the MCC if these are aligned with the President’s priority agenda," presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

Abella said that the inclusion of the Philippines in the list of countries that may receive a $433 million in grants from the MCC is a "recognition of the efforts of the Duterte administration."

He said that among these efforts, through the administration's 10-point socioeconomic agenda, is to "continue and maintain macroeconomic policies while investing in human capital development in health and educational systems and improving social protection programs to protect the poor."

The MCC on Wednesday released the list of candidate-countries under the "low income" category eligible to receive aid next year.

The US aid agency deferred a vote on the re-selection of the Philippines in December last year.

The re-selection of the Philippines by the MCC was supposed to succeed the first grant or compact of $434 million that expired at the end of May 2016.

The MCC had cited that the Philippines was "subject for a further review of concerns around rule of law and civil liberties."

Last May, Malacañang said it rejected an aid offered by the European Union because it may allow the international organization to "interfere with the internal policies of the Philippines." —ALG, GMA News