USAID gives P170 million assistance to Metro Manila communities

MANILA, Philippines — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will assist communities in Metro Manila, Northern Samar and Maguindanao in protecting their communities that are vulnerable to natural disasters with the US government’s new assistance of P170 million ($3.5 million).

The US government, through the USAID, provided an additional P170 million to strengthen the Philippines’ capacity to help protect high-risk communities against the impact of natural disasters, the US embassy said yesterday.

The USAID will empower community leaders and local government units in mitigating disaster effects, improve early warning systems and develop better protocols for more rapid disaster responses.

The assistance will also help train evacuation center managers to organize safe shelters, including safeguards and social distancing in the wake of COVID-19.

USAID partners will augment the Philippines’ disaster response and logistics capabilities, particularly in delivering relief assistance when disasters strike.

“Through this assistance, we hope that Filipino communities are able to prepare, mitigate and recover quickly from the negative impacts of natural disasters,” US embassy Chargé d’Affaires John Law said.

“As a friend, partner and ally of the Filipino people, we are proud of our partnership with the Philippine government and the great strides we have made to boost the country’s resilience against natural calamities,” he said.

The announcement coincided with the commemoration of the International Day for Disaster Reduction on Oct. 13, which encouraged citizens and governments to take part in building more disaster-resilient communities and nations.

The 2019 Asia Pacific Disaster Report revealed that the Philippines’ multi-hazard average annual loss was estimated at $20 billion, with 75.8 percent of the Philippines’ total population living in high-risk areas.

Since 2010, USAID has provided P16.5 billion ($340 million) in disaster relief and recovery assistance tp more than 100 cities and municipalities in the Philippines.