US donates P196 million to typhoon victims

MANILA, Philippines —  An additional P196 million ($3.5 million) in aid to victims of Severe Tropical Storm Kristine in the Philippines has been provided by the US government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The funds will augment the P84 million ($1.5 million) donated by the US last month shortly after Kristine’s onslaught, which claimed the lives of at least 159 people in the Bicol region and northern Luzon provinces.

Around 2,430,237 families or 9,626,456 people affected and displaced by the cyclone are receiving government assistance.

Clean water, shelter and cash assistance for residents of Bicol and Batangas will be provided by the USAID through the additional funds. Logistics and sanitation support are also covered.

The total value of US support for the Philippines’ disaster response is now at P280 million ($5 million).

“As your friend, partner and ally, the United States is committed to working with the Philippine government and people as they rebuild and recover,” said US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson.

Since Oct. 25, the US has been working with humanitarian partners to deliver lifesaving assistance to communities affected by tropical cyclones and flooding.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) earlier distributed 1,500 shelter-grade tarpaulins and 1,500 kitchen sets funded by the USAID to disaster-affected families in Albay and Camarines Sur.

These relief items were pre-positioned at the OCD humanitarian relief depot at Fort Magsaysay, an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement site in Nueva Ecija.

The US embassy in Manila said the USAID and IOM are working together to assist more than 4,000 families in Bicol, the Ilocos region and Batangas by providing shelter-grade tarpaulins, shelter repair kits and WASH kits.

Through USAID funding, the UN World Food Program also mobilized 92 trucks that supported the country’s Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in delivering more than 150,000 family food packs and other relief items to Albay, Benguet, Camarines Sur, Ilocos Norte and La Union.

“This new assistance builds on the United States’ previous support to the Philippine government’s disaster response efforts, including during catastrophic flooding in Mindanao in February, Super Typhoon Carina in July and Super Typhoon Julian in October,” the US embassy said.

Since 2010, the embassy said the US government has provided more than P22 billion ($393.6 million) in disaster relief, preparedness and early recovery in the Philippines.

The USAID said it works the entire year to help communities build resilience in preparing and responding to the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters.

Meanwhile, President Marcos has directed agencies to encourage local government units to use geohazard maps to mitigate the impact of natural disasters.

“I have ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Department of Environment and Natural Resources to encourage local governments to use the geohazard map of the DENR Mines and Geosciences Bureau so it can serve as a guide for landslide-prone and flood-prone areas,” Marcos said yesterday.

The Chief Executive distributed more than P88 million worth of assistance to cyclone-affected farmers, fisherfolk and their families in Oriental Mindoro and Cavite.

Of the amount, P46.14 million was given to 4,546 beneficiaries in Oriental Mindoro while P42.33 million was turned over to 4,233 residents of Cavite.

Each beneficiary received P10,000.

The Department of Agriculture also handed out P24 million in indemnification to farmers in Mindoro.

Indemnity checks to insured farmers and fisherfolk were distributed by the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC).

Around 918 beneficiaries in Occidental Mindoro received a total of P16.046 million.

The PCIC allocated P8.684 million for 519 affected farmers in Oriental Mindoro.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the compensation will help them recover from damage to crops, fishing equipment and other livelihood assets impacted by cyclones.

Interventions worth P261 million have been delivered in Mimaropa, the DA said. This includes financial assistance, hybrid rice seeds, hybrid and open-pollinated variety corn seeds, fertilizer discounts and hauling trucks.

QRF replenished

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P875 million to replenish the DSWD’s quick response fund (QRF) for calamity and disaster relief operations.

As of end-October, the DSWD’s available QRF balance reached below the 50-percent threshold, at P557.77 million or 31.87 percent of its current appropriations.

The QRF replenishment is intended for the procurement of family food packs and non-food items, for the stockpiling of relief resources at DSWD warehouses.

It will also be used to implement the agency’s cash-for-work program for families affected by Julian in Ilocos.

First-response agencies are allocated QRFs in their annual budget. They may request replenishment from the DBM after their QRF reaches 50 percent or lower.

The DBM earlier said it is ready to tap contingent funds as the budget allocated for calamity response and disaster relief operations is almost depleted.

If contingent funds are insufficient, Pangandaman said the government can utilize unprogrammed appropriations.

Unprogrammed appropriations provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collection exceeds targets and when additional grants or foreign funds are generated.

Typhoon Nika

As of yesterday, 54,221 families or 216,077 people in Cagayan Valley were affected by the onslaught of Typhoon Nika, the DSWD said.

The number quadrupled from the 13,000 families recorded earlier.

Isabela tallied 37,341 families or 160,413 people from 497 barangays affected by Nika.

Cagayan recorded 14,077 families or 46,780 people from 208 barangays affected.

Quirino tallied 2,138 families or 6,648 people from 77 barangays, while Nueva Vizcaya recorded 665 families or 2,236 people from 69 barangays affected.

The DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation had an initial distribution of P40,000 to typhoon victims in the region, according to DSWD Disaster Response Management Group Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao.

Around 11,782 family food packs amounting to P7.336 million, 765 non-food items worth P1.715 million and 1,116 bottled water totaling P72,216.36 were also distributed. – Alexis Romero, Louise Maureen Simeon, Artemio Dumlao, Romina Cabrera