4 provinces get US aid

4 provinces get US aid
By Roy Mabasa
Tempo News
October 25, 2011

The United States Agency for International Development/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) has extended a $750,000 cash grant for the United Nations World Food Program’s (WFP) Disaster Preparedness and Response project in four of the most disaster-prone provinces of Northern Luzon.

The 12-month project in Benguet, Cagayan, Laguna and Sorsogon, which is already up and running, is being implemented in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and WFP’s local NGO partner the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

In a statement issued on Monday, WFP Philippines Country Director Stephen Anderson said the support extended by the US government is critically needed for “a country which is so vulnerable to natural disasters.”

“WFP highly appreciates USAID/OFDA’s timely and generous funding for a key government priority,“ said Anderson. “The recent floods and the damage to agriculture caused by typhoons Pedring and Quiel have highlighted once again how essential it is for us to work together to improve disaster preparedness and response.“

The participating LGUs have earmarked P13.9 million in counterpart funds for the projects, while DSWD is providing P3.9 million from its Disaster Fund.