USAID turns over school, health facilities

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – United States Agency for International Development officials Carla Koppel and Susan Brems on Friday were in this city for the turnover of the newly constructed building at Panalaron Central School and the Tuberculosis-Directly Observed Treatment and a birthing facility at the Di-it Health Center.

"It's all friendship and solidarity that we expect from the people of the storm surge Yolanda-hit areas in Eastern Visayas region," said Brems, USAID missionary director, during the turnover ceremony.

The birthing center and TB-DOTS facility at Barangay Di-it was the second that the USAID completed, out of 12 health facilities the agency will construct soon in Leyte. It was also intended to serve 42,000 people in this city’s northern barangay.

"A health facility is only useful if people use it. No government and no donor can make people healthy, if citizens do not take action themselves to protect and promote their health," said Brems, as she emphasized that the USAID rebuilding projects belongs to the people.

Brems and Koopell, USAID's chief strategy officer, also turned over a five-classroom at Panalaron, which was part of the agency’s partnership with the local government units in building 250 classrooms in Leyte Province to be completed by next year.

The inauguration of the new school building, which can accommodate at least 800 pupils, came after the P30-million eight-room school building at San Fernando this city and another at San Joaquin in Palo, Leyte, which were turned over months ago by US Ambassador Philip Goldberg.

Brems said the buildings were testaments to the commitment of partnership, support and friendship between the Filipino people and United States.

She said the US government had allotted a total of US$143 million in humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance to help the Yolanda-devastated areas recover and rise again.