THE US has exempted security assistance to the Philippines worth $336 million from its foreign aid freeze, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday.

“The Philippines has been informed of the waiver issued to a portion of the US foreign military financing for the Philippines,” Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ma. Teresita C. Daza told reporters in a WhatsApp message.

US President Donald J. Trump’s government would continue to provide funding for security and counternarcotics programs to other countries, including $336 million of such aid to the Philippines, Reuters reported last week.

Mr. Trump earlier ordered a 90-day pause on existing and new foreign development assistance pending review to ensure they are aligned with his “America First” policy.

Last year, the US extended $500 million in aid for the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine Coast Guard.

“Both countries are committed to the treaty alliance and to efforts to further strengthen our defense cooperation and interoperability,” Ms. Daza said. “We will continue to engage the US government on the importance of our bilateral work in supporting our shared goals and priorities.”

Earlier, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio to discuss bilateral coordination in addressing Chinese actions in the South China Sea.

The Philippines has signed foreign defense agreements with countries like the US, Japan and Canada amid frequent clashes with China at sea.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vital waterway for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce, putting it at odds with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

The DFA said other topics discussed included increasing economic cooperation on infrastructure, critical minerals, information technology and energy, including through civil nuclear cooperation. — Adrian H. Halili