MANILA, Philippines – The European Union (EU) recently approved grants worth 2.1 million euros (P125 million) for seven disaster risk reduction projects in the Philippines.
EU Ambassador Alistair MacDonald said the Union has long supported global disaster risk reduction efforts by helping local communities cope with natural disasters.
The Ambassador welcomed the recent approval of a Disaster Risk Management Bill in the Philippines, and of a Strategic National Action Plan (SNAP) for disaster risk reduction.
“The EU is proud to have contributed, through its local and international partners, to models now institutionalized by the Bill, such as the Disaster Risk Management Offices, and to the elaboration of the SNAP itself,” MacDonald said.
The funding was made available through the European Commission’s 7th Action Plan for Disaster Preparedness in South East Asia.
The plan was launched in February 2010 and allots 10 million euros available for disaster preparedness measures in the region.
The projects would be managed by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department.
The projects will be carried out in the next 15 months, and would include capacity building activities for local government units, the strengthening of early warning systems, and public information campaigns.