USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn handed over a mobile storage unit that can store 50,000 food packs to Cagayan Provincial Administrator Atty. Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor.  The mobile storage unit will allow the provincial government to store food and non-food items so they can rapidly deliver 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.”

During the turnover, USAID also formalized a partnership with 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.  This 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.”

USAID also handed over mobile energy systems (MES) to Lal-Lo and Santa Ana municipalities. The MES units will 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.

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.

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 regional programs and visited Santa Teresita municipality to see the Emergency Operations Center that USAID helped construct more than a decade ago.

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.