Bill Gates was right to defend USAID under the attacks of Elon Musk – take it from someone who experienced their influence

In 1961, US President Johnon F. Kennedy create a new federal agencyInternational Agency for Development of the United States (USAID). That is The goal was “To extend aid to disaster -recovering countries, trying to escape poverty and get involved in democratic reform.” Among the 100-plus countries USAID has helped around the world over the next 64 years was mineThe Philippines.

Last week, USAID Officially stopped operations. Only the previous day, prominent British Medical Journal Lancet published a study A warning about the potential consequences now penetrating. The elimination of USAID, the study discovered, could contribute to 14 million additional deaths over the next five years. Researchers have described the impact of some countries as “similar to the scale of a global pandemic or a major armed conflict” based on “conscious and avoiding a policy selection”.

I was born in the Philippines, once an American colony, just after World War II. But even from afar, I always felt kinship with the United States. So, in 1977, I decided to perform my ambitions – and a master’s degree – in America. The day I swore to the oath of allegiance to the Federal Court in Manhattan and became an American citizen will always rank among the pride in my life.

At that time, I had no idea how much USAID achieved in the Philippines, much less that it would be personally involved.

The battle over USAID

In February for the truth social, President Donald Trump declared that USAID spends “It’s totally inexplicable … Close it.” He claimed that the agency was managed by “Radical left lunatics.” Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk – designated by Trump to lead the newlywed Department of Government Efficiency and Reduce Federal Fraud, Waste and Abuse – has previously called the agency, “out of repair”, “corrupt” and “criminal organization”. “It’s time to die,” Musk Posted on x.

In a short order, Microsoft Co -founder and philanthropist Bill Gates intervened and met with President Trump at the White House to defend her – and to advocate for support for USAID. Gates called USAID “the best” of all development agencies around the world. In May, he Accused Musk for “Killing the poorest children in the world.” But by then dying was thrown like Trump triumphant characterized the budget reductions and staff Already inflicted on USAID as “fatal”.

Even so, other prominent opponents of controversial reductions have stepped into the breach. In a private video conference, shown by USAID employees around the world in late June, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, along with the U2 singer, Bono, delivered cordial farewell to the agency. “Guting USAID is Travers,” Obama said, “and that is a tragedy.” Bush asked USAID employees to attend: “Is it in our national interests that 25 million people who would die now live? I think so, and so you.”

USAID achievements

As I learned from returning to 2000 to live in the Philippines, USAID did, with any measure, absolutely henomal work. Food from American farmers feeds on hungry families and hungry refugees. His staff distributed drugs for malaria, HIV and other infectious diseases that saved lives. Allow communities Combat poverty and develop economicIn the process establishing new consumer markets for US products.

In the 1960s, with the country still recovering from World War II wilderness, USAID helped establish national government agencies and educational institutions. Later, USAID focused on Strengthen democratic institutions.

In 2012, a major new USAID program to eradicate tuberculosis Improved success rates in treatment by 92%.

Hitting at home

In my country, from 1995 to 2013 USAID trained 28,000 former fighters with skills and tools for agricultural land and otherwise earning a living, helping to reintegrate these civilians into society, lifting the economy in the southern part of the Philippines still spoiled by war.

Thanks to USAID’s hand, our mothers’ mortality rate during the 23-year period was reduced almost to half, from 209 to 100,000 live births in 1993 to 114 to 100,000 live births in 2015. More than 1.5 million Filipinos benefited USAID’s support for sustainable management for coastal fishermen to stop overcoming environmental degradation.

But it is difficult. USAID trained more than 19,000 teachers in the Philippines in English, mathematics and science. As a result, the percentage of USAID -assisted pages who met with national benchenance and understanding benchmarks Almost fourFrom 20% in 2013 to 76% in 2016.

In Destructive awakening of Typhoon Hayan In 2013, one of the biggest storms ever to make land, USAID rebuilt schools, health clinics and aquatic systems and helped survivors to rehab their stores and businesses. Recently, she began with programs that strengthened the economies of cities outside Manila to promote sustainable growth.

Today, the Philippine economy rows like 32 The largest world in GDP – and the ninth largest in Asia, according to the International Monetary Fund. This year Said the World Bank“Its economic dynamics reflects increased urbanization, large and young population and strong consumer demand, supported by the picturesque labor market and stable remittances, which have increased revenue from the most vulnerable.” The case can be made that USAID’s funds and volunteering have contributed significantly to the current socioeconomic status of the Philippines.

As the head of the Disaster Management Organization in the private sector, I worked with USAID of numerous projects in the last 10 years. Together, we helped communities and municipalities Get ready for accidentsIt allowed the Ministry of Energy to upgrade the energy sector during frequent storms, to strengthen the elasticity of key provinces and lead the Civil Defense Office in partnership with private companies to allow disaster -affected areas.

I also had the opportunity to go to the side with USAID as a leadership for two beginner opportunities. We teamed up with the forces in the Stride program that strengthened entrepreneurship and innovation.

“From the American People”

The result is that USAID has embodied America’s best ideals, creating an aura of goodwill among our countries. More tangible, it helped the most vulnerable of the vulnerable, as long as they were building demand for American knowledge and products.

All of these programs ended this year, and almost all I knew in USAID were packed and headed home. About 1,600 USAID employees, as a first step in “reducing strength”, were put on “administrative leave globally”.

Last month, Mericay Carlson, US Ambassador to the Philippines, officially overthrew the curtain of this long life expectancy between our two countries. She hosted a farewell party at her residence with members of local USAID staff to celebrate the partnership. I attended what felt less like a divorce than waking up.

After the party and all his speeches, someone gave me a bag filled with memories of the role of USAID in the Philippines – pen, mug, calendar, a book that attracted many achievements, all written with the USAID motto, “from the American people”. As I went out on the wet tropical night, I fastened my bag with a tight grip, feeling the biggest gratitude to America and all Americans.

Even in the face of this disappointment, as someone with a bilateral perspective whose life has spoiled both countries, I still hope the United States and the Philippines will remain in friendly – and more tangible, that the US State Unit will continue with the heroic crusade of USAID.

In Address of the Congress for Foreign AssistancePresident Kennedy said: “We only have the obligations to fulfill them, we have great opportunities to realize them.” Months later, As USAID launchedHe repeated these words with a message that we would make good care today. He said: “People who oppose help need to realize that this is a very powerful source of strength for us … allows us to influence freedom … Because we do not want to send American troops in many areas, we send you.”

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