MCC CEO Ambassador Danilovich Meets with Philippine-American Community

New York, NY– The Consulate of the Republic of the Philippines and Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. H.E. Willy C. Gaa today hosted a roundtable with Philippine-community business leaders and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) CEO Ambassador John Danilovich to discuss the Philippines’ eligibility to apply for an MCC poverty-reduction grant, also known as a compact.

During the meeting Ambassador Danilovich explained the MCC eligibility process, the process to develop an MCC compact proposal through consulting with key stakeholders, and the importance of continued good policy performance in the areas measured by MCC’s 17 indicators.

“I was delighted to accept the Philippine Consulate’s invitation to meet with members of the Philippine community in the New York area,” said Ambassador Danilovich. “We had a productive dialogue about MCC’s results-driven approach to development and I encouraged the United States’ Philippine community to take part in the process.”

Ambassador Danilovich added, “The meeting provided a unique opportunity to explain to leading members of the Philippine community that the Millennium Challenge Account eligibility presents a great opportunity as well as a unique challenge. Being selected as an eligible country does not guarantee funding; nor will submission of a proposal guarantee a successful conclusion. To receive MCA funding, eligible countries need to continue to meet MCC’s policy performance criteria and develop a results-oriented proposal that demonstrates a commitment to achieving poverty reduction and economic growth. The Philippines must also continue to successfully implement its MCC Threshold Program which is addressing corruption and fiscal policy reform.”

“The quality of the proposal submitted by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines will be MCC’s starting point for evaluating when and how to begin substantive discussions on a proposed MCA program. We look forward to working in partnership with the Philippine Government to develop a comprehensive program that will improve the lives of its citizens,” concluded Ambassador Danilovich.

In the coming weeks, an MCC delegation will travel to the Philippines to meet with Government officials and other stakeholders. Discussions will include the need for the Philippines to maintain its performance on the MCC selection criteria and for the Philippine Government to undertake a broad-based consultative process with its people to develop a proposal that addresses the country’s barriers to poverty reduction and economic growth.

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The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a U.S. government corporation designed to work with developing countries, is based on the principle that aid is most effective when it reinforces sound political, economic, and social policies that promote poverty reduction through economic growth. For more information about MCC, visit www.mcc.gov.