MANILA, Philippines, December 11, 2014 — The United States Embassy in Manila commends the Government of the Philippines on its extensive preparations leading up to Typhoon Ruby/Hagupit and its successful response in the wake of the storm. The United States also offers its condolences for the lives that were lost during the storm. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims.

In close coordination with the Government of the Philippines, the United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development’s Office for Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), will provide aid for emergency humanitarian assistance. This assistance totals $750,000 (PHP 33,408,750).

Building on a foundation of close bilateral coordination and cooperation with the Government of the Philippines, the U.S. Embassy in Manila helped track the typhoon before it made landfall, worked under the direction of our treaty ally in monitoring the storm’s trajectory and planning and preparing to respond to the storm’s aftermath as needed.

Almost immediately following the storm’s first landfall, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and U.S. Pacific Command assessment teams were available to augment U.S. Embassy Manila’s capabilities to monitor the storm’s impact. These teams also coordinated with government agencies and humanitarian organizations an emergency response on the ground. As President Obama stated last year in the wake of Super Typhoon Yolanda, “[W]hen our friends are in trouble, America helps.”

The successful response to Ruby featured close cooperation between representatives from USAID, the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, and the U.S. military, who worked with the Philippine government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines to conduct initial assessments of conditions and needs in the hardest hit areas. U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg stated that this coordination “clearly showed that the repeated humanitarian and disaster assistance training and exercises between our two countries is an important part of our relationship.”

The U.S government, through USAID, continues to work closely with the Government of the Philippines and communities in hazard-prone areas to better prepare for and respond to the effects of disasters. In Fiscal Year 2014, USAID/OFDA provided approximately $9.5 million (PHP 423,177,500) for disaster risk reduction programs in the Philippines that build community resilience and further strengthen national disaster management capacity. This includes $500,000 (PHP 22,272,500) in FY 2014 funding to the U.N. World Food Program to provide logistical support to the GPH’s Department of Social Welfare and Development to quickly deliver relief supplies to affected families during disasters such as Typhoon Ruby.

Executive Summary

Many humanitarian and military leaders noted that civil-military coordination during the Haiyan response in November-December 2013 was some of the best they had seen. The United States Agency for International Development Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA), the Department of Defense (DOD) United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) forces, and the US Embassy, Philippines demonstrated clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities as evidenced by their effective coordination. The United States Government (USG) response entities provided assistance reflecting their unique capabilities appropriately scaled throughout the response phase.

The USAID/ OFDA Disaster Assessment Response Team (DART) team coordinated with the humanitarian community. The team validated and transmitted requests for military assistance to the DOD responders on the ground. With the exception of a few days of water production in Tacloban, DOD mostly focused on large-scale operations using their unique capabilities to deliver “wholesale” transportation and logistics support. USAID/OFDA was one of the first donors to the World Food Program (WFP), enabling its role as the lead coordinator of the United Nations (UN) logistics and emergency telecommunications clusters and co-lead of the food security cluster with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

March 20, 2015, Manila -On March 9, the U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided an additional Php63 million and school equipment for post-disaster education needs in 19 municipalities in Iloilo, Capiz and Bohol.

USAID Mission Director Gloria D. Steele witnessed the signing of an agreement between the mayors, school principals and Synergeia Foundation, USAID’s implementing partner for the Education Governance Effectiveness (EdGE) Project, which will help elementary public schools in the target provinces get back on track towards improving learning outcomes.

“Hugpong sa Pagbangon,” Ilonggo vernacular for “rising up together,” is the post-disaster component of EdGE that will provide community incentive grants, disaster preparedness workshops, and teaching and learning materials. Over 450 schools, 3,800 teachers and 35,000 early grade students will directly benefit from the assistance.

“USAID is your partner in building back better. In addition, this supports our broader goal of strengthening local education governance towards improving early grade reading for at least one million Filipino children,” Director Steele said.

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. expressed his appreciation for the “sincerity and gesture of commitment of the American government to the Filipino people.”

EdGE seeks to improve education governance at the local level through strengthened government effectiveness, increased transparency and accountability, and increased participation of stakeholders in education policy formulation and implementation.

USAID also led the ceremonial handover of audiovisual equipment such as laptops, printers, televisions and projectors at the Dumangas Municipal Gymnasium.

Dumangas Mayor Rolando Distura remarked that the school equipment provided by the U.S. Government will improve classroom instruction and enhance the quality of education. PTA Federation President Serafin Deduro Jr. added that with the school’s inadequate resources, the teaching materials to be given by USAID will enhance students’ learning.

Overall, the U.S. Government’s support is estimated at approximately Php6.3 billion to help the people of the Philippines respond to, and recover from, the devastating effects of Typhoon Yolanda.

About USAID:

The United States Agency for International Development is the lead U.S. Government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. In the Philippines, USAID partners with the national government to create a more stable, prosperous and well-governed nation. For more information, visit http://www.usaid.gov/philippines or email infoph@usaid.gov.

The Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund is a partnership among the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the Asian Development Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation to help build resilience against the impacts of extreme weather events and weather-related changes that affect the urban poor in medium-sized Asian cities. The fund provides supplemental grants for investment projects, technical assistance and other support. Its total $150 million in grants is leveraging more than $1 billion in investments from public, private and municipal sources.

INCORPORATING ADAPATION MEASURES IN URBAN PLANNING

As cities in Asia grow, they become more vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change from population density, poor infrastructure and proximity to hazard-prone coastal and river areas. Targeting 25 cities in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam, the fund promotes inclusion of climate change as a key element in city planning and infrastructure development. This means considering objectives such as lowering greenhouse gas emissions and incorporating adaptation measures into city-wide and sectoral planning.

SUPPORTING PROJECTS THAT BUILD RESILIENCE

According to the Asian Development Bank, roughly 55 percent of Asia’s 3.7 billion people are expected to be living in urban centers by 2030. Secondary cities, which are seeing some of the fastest population growth, are among the least prepared to tackle new climate change challenges. Projects will focus on investments in solid waste management; drainage and flood management; ecosystems strengthening and services; water management; protecting livelihoods; educating and raising awareness; enhanced surveillance, early warning systems and emergency management; health systems and services; housing and transportation systems; and low carbon, resilient development.

PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR INVESTMENT PROJECTS

The Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund helps to prepare projects and receives input from the private sector so that project proposals are investment-ready. It also helps governments and civil society better use scientific and economic data at the sub-national level to assist in decision-making and support project development.

STRENGTHENING ADAPTATION KNOWLEDGE AND NETWORKS

The fund raises awareness on adaptation and resilience and promotes learning through peer networks in the selected cities. Activities encourage sharing lessons learned and instituting monitoring and evaluation systems for adaptation projects. With this network, participating cities are able to identify urban adaptation strategies, build related institutional capacity and enable multi-stakeholder engagement to implement initiatives and assess the local impacts of climate change.

PARTNERS

The United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, the Asian Development Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Simone Orendain
October 14, 2015 6:59 AM

MANILA— The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters, with a population spread across some 7,100 islands and about a quarter of its people living in poverty. That is why the nation routinely hosts international conferences aimed at addressing ways to mitigate the impact of disasters – wherever they may occur.

This week, ministers of the 21-member economies at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on energy resiliency are in the central city Cebu discussing ways to ensure power is up and running when disaster strikes.

And in Manila, disaster risk managers, are discussing how to address food shortages brought on by emergencies.

The World Food Program’s (WFP) Philippine Country Director Parveen Agrawal said in the Philippines keeping hunger at bay is a priority during crisis, especially when typhoons and other natural disasters hit.

“If you look at Pablo [Typhoon Bopha], if you look at before, Ondoy [Tropical Storm Ketsana], you look at other crises that have hit the country, Haiyan [super typhoon]; the first need is food to stabilize, to get lives back in order,” Agrawal told VOA in an interview on the conference sidelines.

According to the 2014 World Risk Index, the Philippines was second on the list of 171 countries most exposed to natural disasters. The South Pacific island nation Vanuatu was first.

Preparation starts with prediction

For the past four years, USAID, a United States government development assistance agency, has been giving the WFP $5 million each year for programs aimed at helping countries prepare for disasters. Some projects help predict weather events so the country can make ready ample food stocks ahead of emergencies.

There are also measures to help address the predictable logistical bottlenecks that can occur when huge numbers of people suddenly are without food.

In the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, hundreds of volunteers manually assembled tens of thousands of food care packages that needed to reach more than a hundred thousand families per day across the central Philippines.

The WFP has helped fund a project for a mechanized emergency food packing system for the Philippines social welfare department. The system can prepare up to 50,000 packages in a 24-hour period, a volume that officials said would come in handy after the experience of Haiyan.

The typhoon sliced through the central Philippines with 315 kilometer per hour winds and five meter storm surges, leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing. Days after it struck, communications and transportation links remained broken, keeping workers and food from reaching those most in need.

Following those experiences, Philippine Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman said her office has streamlined logistics and warehousing of goods for easier distribution, trained quick-response teams not in the affected areas that could mobilize immediately after disaster strikes and set up alternative communication methods. She said sharing the experiences from past disasters can help prepare for future ones.

U.S. Energy Deputy Secretary Liz Sherwood-Randall said there is also a need for governments to collaborate with the private sector, simulating disaster scenarios to help anticipate problems.

In an interview with VOA, she said countries like the Philippines should do a comprehensive assessment of their energy infrastructure so they could “identify risks and opportunities” and look at ways to mitigate power outages, or try to shorten periods when power is lost.

HIGHLIGHTS

• USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) transitions to a field office as the response shifts to early recovery programming
• The GPH launches its four-year recovery and rehabilitation plan, the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY)
• USAID/OFDA commits nearly $2.2 million in livelihoods and protection support

HIGHLIGHTS

• USAID/OFDA commits more than $3.9 million in additional protection, shelter and settlements, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support
• Recent heavy rains cause flooding in some typhoon-affected areas, contaminating water supplies, damaging or destroying emergency shelter materials, and hampering relief operations

HIGHLIGHTS

• Typhoon-affected households in Tacloban city begin moving into GPH-constructed bunkhouses; shelter needs remain

• Tropical Depression Lingling—locally known in the Philippines as Agaton—damaged shelters and crops in areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• Affected families continue to move into bunkhouses provided by the GPH; however, the number of transitional shelters built to date is insufficient to accommodate all of the displaced, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the absence of sufficient housing, many families are rebuilding and repairing their homes using salvaged materials, which could result in unstable structures vulnerable to future storms. Humanitarian organizations have expressed concerns and are providing trainings on safer building techniques.

• The Shelter Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian shelter activities, comprising U.N. agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders—cautions that displaced populations living under plastic sheeting, tents, and structures with damaged roofs are particularly vulnerable to the many tropical storms that affect the Philippines each year. In January, areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan were struck by both Tropical Depression Agaton/Lingling and Tropical Storm Basyang/Kajiki, which resulted in 70 deaths and six deaths, respectively, as well as localized landslides and flooding.

GUAM (USA) –TC EIGHTEEN

• Tropical Cyclone EIGHTEEN formed over the north-western Pacific Ocean approx. 50 km south of Guam (USA), on 11 September. On 12 September at 6.00 UTC its centre was located approx. 315 km west of Guam and it had max. sustained wind speed of 74 km/h (Tropical Depression).

• Over the next 24 h it is forecast to move north-west over open waters, strengthening.

Sources: GDACS, JTWC, Guam NOAA, Local Media.

USA– TC ORLENE

• TC ORLENE formed over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean on 8 Septembe. At 9.00 UTC its centre was located approx. 1 560 km west of the western coast of Mexico and it had max. sustained wind speed of 130 km/h (Category 1 Hurricane).

• Over the next 24 h it is forecast to continue moving west over open water strengthening.

Sources: GDACS, JTWC, NOAA, Local media

VIETNAM – TC NINETEEN

• Tropical Cyclone NINETEEN formed over the South China Sea on 12 September. At 6.00 UTC of the same date its centre was located approx. 224 km south-east of Quang Ngai province and it had max. sustained wind speed of 56 km/h (Tropical Depression).

• Over the next 24 h it is forecast to move north-west strengthening. It may make landfall over the province of Quang Ngai on 12 September evening, possibly as a Tropical Storm.
Heavy rain and strong winds may affect the central and southern provinces of the country.

• Local media, as of 12 September (UTC), reported that several flights have been delayed or cancelled from Tan Son Nhat international airport due to heavy rain and strong winds.

Sources: GDACS, JTWC,NCHMF, Local media.

PHILIPPINES, CHINA – TC MERANTI

• TC MERANTI on 12 September at 6.00 UTC its centre was located approx. 775 km south-east of Batan island (Philippines) and it had max. sustained wind speed of 241 km/h (Typhoon).

• Over the next 24 h it is forecast to continue moving north-west strengthening. It may approach the northern Batanes islands and southern Taiwan over 13-14 September, possibly as a very intense Typhoon. As of 12 September (UTC), PAGASA has issued a Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal for the Cagayan, Apayao, Batanes and Babuyan group of islands. CWB Taiwan has issued an Extreme Heavy Rain and Heavy Rain Advisory for the counties of Yilan, Taitung, Pingtung and for Kaohsiung city, as of the same date.
Sources: GDACS, JTWC, CWB, PAGASA, Local media.

BUTUAN CITY, Mar. 30 – In account to the vibrant economic relationship of the United States (U.S) and the Republic of the Philippines, U.S. Ambassador Sung Y. Kim conveyed the U.S. government’s wholehearted support to the country with emphasis on the commitment to Mindanao development.

Ambassador Kim had a friendly and productive meeting with Philippine president Rodrigo Roa Duterte in Davao City on Monday. They discussed the extensive ‎bilateral partnership over the years as well as cooperation on counterterrorism, child protection, piracy, and economic development in Mindanao. The ambassador highlighted U.S.-Philippine partnerships in the region that strengthen the local economy and promote peace and stability.

Also, in honoring Women’s History Month, ambassador Kim highlighted the Embassy’s U.S. Agency for International Development funding for a project of training women to weave nets that stop erosion and landslides along the roadways in Ramon Magsaysay, Zamboanga del Sur.

The U.S. government has pledged more than P3.5 billion for dozens of projects in Mindanao over the next few years, including the Roll-on, Roll-off, or RO-RO, nautical highway. On April 30, the route will connect the cities of Davao and General Santos to Bitung in the Sulawesi Island of Indonesia. This accomplishment will help U.S. and Philippine businesses operating in Mindanao increase their exports at great savings.

The ambassador also shared a few concrete examples of the close business ties between U.S. companies and Mindanao. Demand from U.S. clients generates an estimated 40,000 well-paying BPO jobs in Mindanao. Cargill, a U.S. agricultural corporation, exports P7.5 billion worth of coconut oil every year, much of which comes from Mindanao, supporting tens of thousands of Mindanao farmers. Together with its partners Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and BASF, Cargill has trained more than 1,000 coconut farmers since 2011 on improving agricultural practices. As a result, 300 small farmers from the region have been certified to produce the world’s first Rainforest Alliance certified copra, raising their incomes by 15 percent.

HIGHLIGHTS

• USAID/OFDA commits more than $3.9 million in additional protection, shelter and settlements, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) support
• Recent heavy rains cause flooding in some typhoon-affected areas, contaminating water supplies, damaging or destroying emergency shelter materials, and hampering relief operations

HIGHLIGHTS

• Typhoon-affected households in Tacloban city begin moving into GPH-constructed bunkhouses; shelter needs remain

• Tropical Depression Lingling—locally known in the Philippines as Agaton—damaged shelters and crops in areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

• Affected families continue to move into bunkhouses provided by the GPH; however, the number of transitional shelters built to date is insufficient to accommodate all of the displaced, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In the absence of sufficient housing, many families are rebuilding and repairing their homes using salvaged materials, which could result in unstable structures vulnerable to future storms. Humanitarian organizations have expressed concerns and are providing trainings on safer building techniques.

• The Shelter Cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian shelter activities, comprising U.N. agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders—cautions that displaced populations living under plastic sheeting, tents, and structures with damaged roofs are particularly vulnerable to the many tropical storms that affect the Philippines each year. In January, areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan were struck by both Tropical Depression Agaton/Lingling and Tropical Storm Basyang/Kajiki, which resulted in 70 deaths and six deaths, respectively, as well as localized landslides and flooding.

By: Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu

MANILA, March 31 (PIA) – The United States of America’s Haiyan disaster assistance totals to more than US$90 million. This was disclosed by US Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Philipp S. Goldberg during a recently held press conference at the US Embassy attended by Regional and National media representatives.

Teamwork among U.S. government agencies and the private sector was responsible for the speed and effectiveness of America's response to the devastation of Super-Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, Ambassador Goldberg said.

The devastation was so great, Secretary of State Kerry came to see first-hand how relief operations were going on in Tacloban, the Ambassador said.

Ambassador Goldberg turned over the microphone to the US Aid chief in the Philippines saying that the USAid is the lead U.S. government agency that works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their full potential.

US Aid helps societies to recover from conflicts; and provide humanitarian assistance in the wake of natural and man-made disasters.

When Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms on record, made landfall in the Philippines, USAID helped restore the municipal water system in the hardest hit city, distributed locally and region wide.

U.S. sourced food commodities to 3 million people, provided 20,000 families with emergency shelter materials, and made sure that 45,800 received hygiene kits. (PIA 8)

PHILIPPINES - Tropical Cyclone PEIPAH

• On 8 April, at 06.00 UTC, PEIPAH (locally known as DOMENG) was a tropical depression located approx. 500 km east of Mindanao.
• In the next 24h, it is forecast to continue moving towards Caraga, Eastern Visayas and Bicol Regions, roughly maintaining its intensity. It may approach these areas on 11-12 April.

AUSTRALIA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA - Tropical Cyclone ITA

• Tropical Cyclone ITA formed on 4 April, south of Solomon Islands. On 8 April, at 06.00 UTC, it had max. sustained wind speed of 121 km/h and it was located near the coast of Milne Bay province (southern Papua New Guinea). Heavy rains have already affected parts of this province. As of 8 April, there are no reports on damages or casualties.
• In the next 48h, it is forecast to move west-southwest over the Coral Sea, intensifying, away from the Papua New Guinea. It is expected to approach the north-eastern coast of Queensland on 11 April.

ARGENTINA – Severe Weather

• Heavy rains and floods affected several parts of Argentina over the past few days.
• 3 000 people in seven provinces had to evacuate their homes (media). Worst affected was the province of Neuquen.
• In the next 24h more rain is expected over the affected areas.

UNITED STATES – Severe Weather

• Severe weather with heavy rains and strong winds hit the south-eastern United States in the past two days.
• Flooding and wind damage by possible tornadoes were reported in Mississippi, North Carolina and Alabama. According to media, two dead (Mississippi, Georgia) and at least seven people injured.
• Heavy rains are expected to abate later on the day.

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

· In February, approximately three months after Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan caused widespread damage and destruction in the Philippines, the U.N. Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) began shifting its focus from emergency response to recovery, and announced plans to end all major humanitarian relief operations in May, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Each cluster—the coordinating body for humanitarian activities in a specific sector, comprising U.N. agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders—has developed a plan to guide the transition to early recovery and development while also continuing to provide emergency assistance to the most-vulnerable populations.

· The U.N. and humanitarian partners continue to prioritize shelter and livelihoods programming in typhoon-affected areas. Of the 4.1 million people displaced by Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan, nearly 24,000 people remained in 62 displacement sites as of April 11, according to the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster. Additionally, 1.4 million vulnerable agricultural workers and 1.1 million other vulnerable workers remained in need of livelihoods support as of December 2013, according to the GPH.

Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service. 02/10/2014

This 37-page document examines the impact of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), which struck the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, and the U.S., Philippine, and international response. It discusses U.S. humanitarian efforts from four federal agencies, U.S.-Philippine relations, and possible economic effects of the typhoon. It also looks ahead to related policy issues.

05 May 2014 - Vice President Jejomar C. Binay said on May 02 that the new defense cooperation agreement between the Philippines and the United States will not only deter aggressors and provide a quick response mechanism to disasters but will also help the Philippine Government achieve its goal of improving the lives of the Filipino people.

Speaking before the Banyan Tree Leadership Forum at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington D.C., the Vice President said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that was signed in Manila on April 28, 2014 is an important pillar of the country’s regional security policy as well as an effective response mechanism to humanitarian and natural disasters.

“A stronger American military presence in the Philippines and greater interoperability between our respective armed forces dramatically increases our individual and collective defense capabilities, providing a dramatic deterrent against external aggression,” the Vice President told his audience that included Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., diplomats, business leaders and members of the Filipino-American community.

“Through the EDCA, we have effectively upgraded our own security platform, without shifting a significant portion of our limited resources to support an arms race and procure weapons systems that exceed our normal defense requirements,” he said.

“It will soothe and calm the investment climate in the Philippines. It enables us to focus better on developing a solid economic base to combat poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and disease.”

Vice President Binay also pointed out that EDCA does not signal a shift in the Manila’s core strategy for regional security. “We have always believed and will continue to hold ourselves to the principle that the future of mankind lies not in conflict nor war, but in dialogue, cooperation, development and peace,” he stressed.

The Vice President said the Philippines will continue to pursue a peaceful solution to the disputes in the South China Sea by opting for arbitration as provided for in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and supporting efforts towards the conclusion of a binding Code of Conduct between ASEAN and China.

“Let me stress, nonetheless, that our support for EDCA does not reflect a freezing of ties with China. Nor do we view the disputes in the South China Sea as the totality of our bilateral relations with China,” he said, citing the increase in trade with Beijing that made it the country’s largest trading partner as well as the historic and people-to-people ties.

“In the end, trade, as well as the deep filial ties that bind our peoples will prevail over the issues of territory and boundaries that are currently threatening our relationship,” the Vice President said.

In his speech, Vice President Binay also said the Philippines must further liberalize its economy to improve the country’s competitiveness and allow it to attract local and foreign investments in manufacturing and other sectors.

“We must harmonize local and national laws to ensure investors of orderly business operations,” he said. “We must cure the policy and infrastructure misalignments that emerge as we cascade our gains to the grassroots.”

He said a true open skies policy with an aggressive airport development program must be undertaken alongside reforms in the electric power industry as well as the modernization of the agriculture sector.

“And we must keep our promise to maintain a clean and transparent government with a stable policy regime into 2016 and beyond,” he told his audience. END

Flexibility gets food to vulnerable following massive storm

“I’m really grateful for the food that saved our lives after Yolanda hit.”

May 2014—A once-in-a-generation typhoon made landfall in the Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013, leaving a trail of devastation. Category 5 typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, affected 14 million people, or 17 percent of the population. Yolanda killed 6,000 people, displaced 4.1 million others and caused billions of dollars in damages to local infrastructure and livelihoods.

Three days after the storm, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) issued an appeal for emergency food assistance targeting 2.5 million people identified as most vulnerable in terms of food security. Many living on the islands of Leyte, Cebu and Visayas who relied heavily on fishing and agriculture for food had their fish stocks decimated and crops destroyed by Yolanda’s trail of destruction.

USAID was the first international agency to meet the call, authorizing a contribution of $10 million on the same day as the WFP appeal. USAID designed an innovative approach that combined traditional food aid with cash-based models.

Within three weeks of the storm’s landfall, USAID provided WFP and the Government of the Philippines with the tools to provide lifesaving assistance to the nearly 3 million people needing food. The approach combined the flexibility of cash-based assistance—which allowed for the immediate purchase of local rice as well as cash transfers in areas with properly functioning markets—with U.S. in-kind food.

“I’m really grateful for the food that saved our lives after Yolanda hit,” said Alberto*, a local fisherman in Guiuan whose family was among the many who lost homes and livelihoods.

USAID’s cash assistance enabled WFP to immediately purchase 2,400 tons of rice directly from the Government of the Philippines and to airlift from Dubai 40 tons of high-energy biscuits, which are nutrient-dense meal supplements that do not require cooking. Both commodities were part of the first family food packs distributed on Nov. 13 by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In less affected areas with functioning agricultural markets, USAID provided unconditional cash transfers for the purchase of basic food items before initial harvests came in.

"Our rice harvest will be less than half its normal size,” said Silvia, a rice farmer in Roxas. “We really appreciate receiving both rice, which is not available locally, and the money that has allowed us to buy other food from the shops."

USAID also provided more than $2 million in U.S. in-kind food as part of its initial contribution to WFP’s emergency operation. Two days after the typhoon struck, USAID authorized an airlift of 55 tons of nutrient-dense, meal-replacement food bars and paste as well as the immediate shipment of 1,020 tons of rice from its prepositioning warehouse in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The emergency food products arrived on Nov. 13, followed by the rice on Dec. 3.

As the humanitarian response shifted from emergency relief to early recovery in mid-December, USAID announced its second contribution of $10 million for an additional purchase of 5,000 tons of U.S.-purchased rice and $3.7 million for food- and voucher-for-assets activities. Through these activities, agricultural assets such as irrigation canals and farm-to-market feeder roads are rehabilitated in exchange for either food or vouchers. The rice arrived on Feb. 20, 2014, in time to support food-for-assets activities and targeted unconditional distributions to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled.

The situation in the Philippines highlights the importance of putting forth a multifaceted disaster response. By having the ability to respond both with food purchased locally and from the United States, USAID was able to respond quickly and efficiently to meet the most urgent food-related needs of one of the worst storms in recorded history.

**Last names not available.*

MANILA, 21 July (PIA) – The United States Government recently partnered with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to build community resilient to floods and other disaster events in Metro Manila.

The US Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided an additional P107.5 million (US $2.5 million) to CRS for disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Philippines.

The support will provide training and support to communities in 15 high-risk, flood-prone barangays in Metro Manila and nearby province of Rizal, directly benefiting an estimated 43,200 people.

According to U.S. Embassy, CRS will provide training to barangay officials and community members on areas including risk assessment and mapping, participatory disaster risk reduction and management, and contingency planning.

The program will also build community resilience by undertaking preparedness and mitigation projects, such as waterway and community clean-up campaigns and improvements to evacuation centers and early warning systems, helping to lessen the impact of future flood events.

Since 2012, the U.S. Government through USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided nearly P868.6 million (US $20.2 million) for DRR programs in the Philippines. (U.S. Embassy Manila/RJB/JEG/PIA-NCR)