European Commission Director General for International Cooperation and Development Stefano Manservisi says European Union aid to the Philippines will “go on as it is.” Jhoanna Ballaran/INQUIRER.net
Despite receiving serious tongue-lashing from President Rodrigo Duterte, the European Union (EU) would soon release its 3.8-million Euro (P242 million) aid to the Philippines in a bid to strengthen its drug rehabilitation projects, its aid and development chief said Friday.
European Commission Director General for International Cooperation and Development (Devco) Stefano Manservisi announced this during his two-day visit to the Philippines.
“We are now about to disburse to pay 3.8 million (Euros), now, which is part of our budget support which is precisely aiming at completing this program, this drug rehabilitation program ongoing,” Manservisi said in a press conference.
Manservisi said the aid would be released in the coming days, as the drug rehabilitation project is listed as an item under the 2018 General Appropriations Act or the national budget.
The aid chief said the project focuses on reintegrating former drug users back into society, which includes activities such as creation of rehabilitation facilities, and implementation of psychosocial and educational activities.
“We have a program which is called drug rehabilitation program in which we are addressing how to bring back to normal life people who have been into this segment,” Manservisi said.
“We are doing that in the framework or the program that the government is doing,” he added.
READ: Palace welcomes EU aid
Manservisi said that the EU-Philippine relations continue to move forward despite Duterte’s strong statements and criticisms of the powerful bloc.
He said that the EU development aid would continue even with the powerful bloc’s critical stance against human right violations linked to the administration’s controversial campaign against illegal drugs.
The aid covers a total of 170-million Euro worth of projects in resource-rich Mindanao and on renewable energy.
READ: EU aid to PH to ‘go as it is’