The Department of Foreign Affairs assures that the funding for Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites will not be affected by the United States’ freezing of its foreign aid programs.

In a new forum on Saturday, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega expressed confidence that the US is fully aware of the importance of the EDCA sites and it will never do anything to jeopardize their operations.

“In one sentence they know the importance of EDCA for both the interest of both the US and the Philippines,” he said.

When asked about reports that the US State Department has frozen all foreign assistance except for those in Israel and Egypt, De Vega said: “We are still talking to the Americans about that which I can’t give exact data but freezing is not a permanent freeze.”

He explained that the aid package to the Philippines does not include the EDCA sites and assured that the US will not suddenly abandon the EDCA sites.

De Vega also noted that the US move to freez international assistance will not severely affect the Philippines as the aid package to the country is small.

“The importance of relations is people to people ties and certainly the mutual defense treaty,” he said. DMS