MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations has announced a P380 million donation to the Philippines to improve its response to the ongoing typhoon season.
Gustavo Gonzalez, UN's resident and humanitarian coordinator to the country, said this would be sourced from the organization's Central Emergency Response Fund mechanism.
News of the donation was made in a high-level meeting between Gonzalez and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, according to release.
The funding would be part of an "innovative pilot test for anticipatory actions," it added.
Others in that meet include UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as the ambassadors of Canada, Germany, European Union, and the United Kingdom.
These countries, per Gonzalez, are key contributors to the CERF and are also pioneer supporters of anticipatory action along with the World Bank.
The release said the funding would go on for two years, and would be implemented by various UN agencies.
A framework is also targeting to assist 270,500 of the most vulnerable in municipalities across Bicol and Eastern Visayas, "three days prior to a landfall of a Category 4 or 5 typhoon."
“This work would not be possible without international collaboration," said Gonzalez, "and I welcome the resource partners and recognize their commitment, both globally and nationally, in advancing humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction and addressing climate change."
UN said "anticipatory pilots" are led by CERF around the world.
It added: "There is a compelling amount of evidence that acting before the disaster hits, cuts the costs of humanitarian response, preserves people's dignity and allows for a faster recovery by protecting hard-won development gains that were already achieved."
The Philippines sees an average of 20 typhoons per year. So far in 2021, 13 have entered the country with Tropical Depression "Maring" currently inside its jurisdiction.
Thousands annually are displaced from their homes as a result of these storms, with losses in agriculture and infrastructure often amounting to millions or billions of pesos.