The United States government will extend P37.3 million in new assistance for families affected by Typhoon “Ompong” in Benguet and Cagayan provinces.
The funding from the United States Agency for International Development, the lead US government agency for international development and disaster assistance, will provide six months of emergency home rental assistance for 375 families in Benguet province displaced by landslides.
This will be implemented in partnership with Catholic Relief Services.
At a meeting with landslide-affected families in Itogon on Monday, the US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission John Law said, “The US government is honored to provide shelter, to support the reestablishment of livelihoods, and to walk alongside those in need on their road to recovery.”
The embassy official added the assistance would also be used to purchase seeds for 1,400 small-scale farmers in Cagayan province to help them plant new crops, in partnership with World Vision.
The assistance aims to ensure that displaced families have safe shelters and help farmers regain their livelihood.
This P37.3 million in new assistance brings the total US funding in response to Typhoon Ompong to P42.5 million.
Law was joined by Mayor Victorio Palangdan of Itogon municipality, Fr. Manny Flores of the Diocesan Social Action Center, and representatives from Catholic Relief Services.
The US government has been a key partner of the Philippine government in preparing for and responding to disasters. In the immediate aftermath of Typhoon Ompong, the U.S. government provided essential hygiene supplies for 5,500 people who lost their homes and livelihoods in Cagayan province and transported 1,000 metric tons of food to disaster-affected families, through a partnership between USAID, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the United Nations World Food Program.