Manila, Feb. 5 -- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday expressed optimism about the continued development cooperation between the Philippines and the United States (US).

This, as DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo declined to comment on the US government's internal discussions on its ongoing review of the work of various agencies, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

"We value our development cooperation work with the United States, especially in critical areas like education, global health, and disaster risk reduction or response. The projects have positively impacted the lives of many Filipinos and their communities," Manalo said.

"We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the US Governm...