More than 11 months after supertyphoon Yolanda devastated the Visayas regions, the United States government continues to partner with the Philippines on recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Last week, United States Agency for International Development (USAid) Mission Director Gloria Steele led the turnover of two school buildings to the Tacloban National Agricultural School (TNAS).
The new school buildings are designed to withstand winds up to 360 kilometers per hour and an 8.5 earthquake.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who was present during the ceremony, thanked the Americans for their support.
Angelica Dupa, an eighth grade student at TNAS, said “We will no longer be scared of typhoons and other calamities because the new classrooms are stronger than the ones we occupied.”
The reconstruction and recovery efforts are part of the USAid Rebuild project. Under the project, the US government is also working with Coca Cola and Procter and Gamble to reconstruct and restock 1,000 sari-sari stores.
Store owners will be trained in basic store management and micro-credit. Director Steele also gave assistance to the Barangay Basper Farmers Association, the TNAS General Parent-Teacher Association, the Tagpuro Women’s Seaweed Association, and the Old Kawayan Fisherfolks Association.
The US government’s support to the Philippines for typhoon Yolanda recovery is estimated at $142.5 million.
“The projects we see today are born from the strong partnership between the US and Philippine governments. As we work together in planting the seeds of recovery, we also direct our efforts toward ensuring that you will be stronger and better equipped to face future disasters,” Steele said.
Director Steele concluded her visit to the city by inspecting the ongoing construction of a USAID-funded school building with eight classrooms at the San Fernando Central School, and a tuberculosis clinic at the City Health Office.
She also went to Ormoc City to launch the US government’s “Preventing Trafficking in Persons through Sustainable Livelihood Recovery for Typhoon Affected People” project, which aims to reduce the vulnerability of typhoon-affected populations to trafficking-in-persons.
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