This file picture shows a nurse holding a vial containing blood from an individual that will be sent for HIV testing in Manila. Noel Celis, AFP 

MANILA — The Trump administration's decision to freeze US foreign aid to partner countries hampers services for women, children, and LGBTQ+ people, an advocate group said Saturday, as they urged the Philippine government to "no longer be dependent" on the United States for healthcare funding.

In a statement, LGBTQ+ rights group Bahaghari decried the impact of the freeze on US foreign aid, which it said has disrupted social services, especially those linked to sexual health.

Foreign aid, sent directly to governments or through partner advocacy groups and NGOs, help provide services that the state might be unable to otherwise.

"Among the affected programs are youth-focused projects as well as health servicing including the distribution of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication which prevents the transmission of HIV and which is critical in epidemic control for countries such as the Philippines," said Bahaghari Chairwoman Reyna Valmores Salinas.

She said affected organizations are suffering worldwide from mass layoffs after an "overnight collapse of support".

US foreign aid freeze threatens efforts to curb HIV epidemic in PH

One of the affected organizations is LoveYourself, a sexual health clinic in the Philippines that helps curb HIV epidemic, one of the world's fastest growing epidemics. It said the delivery of PrEP and self-testing kits "now incur a fee" due to the changes in US policy.

Salinas said the Marcos Jr. administration must move to "fill the gaps" by increasing funding and support for healthcare.

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The DOH earlier assured the public that the effect of the funding freeze will be "minimal", with Health Secretary Ted Herbosa saying he had already been in talks for "multilateral arrangements with other middle-income countries"  even before Trump's order.

He stressed that the shortfall could be covered by the department's existing budget or through loans.

FOREIGN AID BENEFICIAL, CONDITIONAL

Valmores emphasized that while US foreign aid is beneficial, it is also "predatory and conditional" since it ties lower-income countries like the Philippines "to the fiscal and geopolitical whims of the US government".

She said crucial services like healthcare should not be left "dependent on the machinations of another country."

Meanwhile, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan president Renato Reyes Jr., whose group opposes what it sees as US interference in domestic policies, said the funding freeze underscores the need for an independent foreign policy.

"We cannot place our hopes on the US for all our needs, including national security and economic development. This dependence is what has made us weak for the past 80 years," he noted.

Valmores on Saturday challenged the government to pursue "national industrialization," which would include developing the manufacturing sector. 

"By developing our economy beyond the simple extraction of raw materials and semi-processing, and allowing for the production of goods and machines outside of the US monopoly, we can pave the way for the independent production of essential healthcare materials — including HIV commodities," she said.

Philippines faces alarming rise in HIV infections

The US policy shift came after US President Donald Trump sat in power and fulfilled his campaign that focused on conservative policies like wiping out LGBT-related programs and recognition.

Decrying so-called "woke culture", he unleashed a blizzard of divisive presidential orders and made sure to scrap Biden-signed executive orders that prevented "discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation."

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LGBT advocates and groups have remained defiant despite the setbacks presented by the funding freeze, saying they will work to find ways to continue their work for their communities. 

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