US Mission director to turn-over assistance to Comval towns

From the Philippine Information Agency (Jun 13): US Mission director to turn-over assistance to Comval towns

A United States Agency for International Development (USAID) official tomorrow will turnover aid assistance to victims of Typhoon Pablo.

Mission Director Gloria D. Steele of US Embassy in Manila will lead the turnover of planting materials for farmers and the groundbreaking of a trading center for them. He will also turnover education supplies and furniture to Cabinuangan Central Elementary School (CES) in the municipality of New Bataan.

These are part of USAID’s ongoing Disaster Recovery Assistance in the provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental which were severely affected by Pablo. 

Cabinuangan CES will receive USAID assistance with an estimated value of PhP1.2M ($31,443), which includes 1,586 student kits, 53 teacher kits, 53 blackboards, 540 student desks, 12 teacher tables and chairs, reference materials and 53 sets of books.

USAID will provide similar assistance to 29 other Typhoon Pablo-affected schools to help about 25,000 students and 680 teachers cope at the start of the new school year

In the Municipality of Compostela, Steele will lead the ground-breaking of the P2.5 million Trading Center located in Barangay Poblacion designed to withstand extreme weather conditions.

US Embassy press release said that the trading center will “benefit over 23,000 residents of Barangay Poblacion as well as farmers, traders and residents of barangays.”

The trading facility is seen to help restart the economic activity of the Poblacion as its old market building which used to serve as the hub of economic center of the Compostela, sustained heavy damage due to Typhoon Pablo.

Part of Steele’s itinerary is the turning-over of planting materials to farmers and ceremonial planting in Barangay Marapat in Compostela, Compostela Valley Province.

The activity is part of USAIDs effort to help accelerate the restoration of livelihood in Typhoon Pablo affected communities and to help increase climate change resilience through sustainable adaptation strategies.

USAID is providing funding and technical support for training activities on the production of alternative cash crops and inland aquaculture technologies, agriculture and aquaculture livelihood industry planning and diversification.

These assistance efforts are intended to benefit over 8,000 farmers and fisherfolk in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.

High-ranking officials of USAID and the Philippine Government are expected to participate in the ceremonies.

http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1591371102624