MANILA – The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), handed over a mobile storage unit and mobile energy systems, worth approximately Php11.6 million (USD208,000) to boost Cagayan Province’s disaster risk reduction capacity.
USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn formally turned over a mobile storage unit that can store 50,000 food packs to Cagayan Provincial Administrator Atty. Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor, the U.S. Embassy said in a news release.
According to the U.S. Embassy, the mobile storage unit will allow the provincial government to store food and non-food items, allowing for the rapid delivery of life-saving assistance in the immediate aftermath of disasters.
“For many years, USAID has dispatched teams to Cagayan and other provinces in Northern Luzon to support local government units in providing life-saving assistance during calamities,” said Mission Director Washburn.
“As your friend, partner, and ally, the U.S. government remains committed to strengthening our partnerships and working with the Philippine government to rebuild and restore lives following disasters,” Dir. Washburn added.
A partnership was also formalized between the Cagayan Province and the World Food Programme to strengthen Cagayan’s emergency response efforts through the Preparedness and Response Excellence in the Philippines or PREP project.
According to the U.S. Embassy, the project will help reduce disaster risks by improving irrigation canals, water systems, and water-harvesting facilities; set up community flood-control dikes; introduce climate-resilient crops; construct community evacuation centers; and provide cash-for-work training so communities can bounce back from natural disasters.
“People’s empowerment is at the heart of the disaster preparedness and good governance program of the governor,” said Provincial Administrator Mamba-Villaflor.
“The governor extends his gratitude on behalf of the people of Cagayan,” Mamba-Villaflor added.
USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn (fifth from left) and Cagayan Provincial Administrator Atty. Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor (fourth from left) with provincial government staff stand in front of a mobile storage unit handed over by USAID and the World Food Programme (Photo and caption courtesy of U.S. Embassy in the PH)
Also receiving equipment are the municipalities of Lal-Lo and Santa Ana, as USAID handed over mobile energy systems (MES) that are expected to provide clean and reliable power to support relief operations and essential services in the aftermath of disasters, as well as help restart the power grid, the Embassy stated.
“Because the systems are mobile, they can be deployed anywhere they are needed, particularly in remote and off-grid areas. Unlike traditional generator sets, they only require sunlight to recharge,” the Embassy emphasized.
While in Northern Luzon, Mission Director Washburn also discussed USAID’s work to support Tuguegarao City’s solid waste management system with OIC City Administrator Juanito Calubaquib and city councilors.
He also spoke with Cagayan Vice Governor Melvin Vargas Jr. about USAID’s programs in the region and visited Santa Teresita municipality to see the Emergency Operations Center that USAID helped construct more than a decade ago, the Embassy mentioned.
Since 2010, the U.S. government, through USAID, has provided around Php19.6 billion ($344 million) in disaster relief and recovery aid, as well as boosted the disaster risk reduction capacity of over 100 cities and municipalities in the Philippines, the U.S. Embassy stated.
