US to give Philippines $250 million to tackle health needs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration plans to give the Philippines an additional $250 million to address tuberculosis, maternal health and the threat of emerging diseases, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

The move follows $63 million announced amid U.S. President Donald Trump's meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House in July, he added, citing Trump's new direct foreign aid approach following the shuttering of USAID and other foreign assistance pipelines.

The latest aid demonstrates "the comprehensive bond between the United States and the Philippines" and "the efficient, time-limited, and narrowly targeted approach of this new era of America First foreign assistance," Rubio said in a statement.

Representatives for the Philippine embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under Trump, the administration has sought to withhold billions in foreign aid dollars authorized by Congress as part of the president's effort to scale back U.S. assistance abroad under his "America First" agenda.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)