US Hands Over P11.6-M worth of equipment to boost Cagayan’s disasters response

USAID mission director Ryan Washburn (5^th from left) and Cagayan provincial administrator Atty. Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor (4^th from left) with provincial government staff stand in front of a mobile storage unit handed over by USAID and the World Food Programme.

Tuguegarao, Cagayan—On Sept. 9 and 10, 2024, the United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), handed over a mobile storage unit and mobile energy systems worth more than PHP11.6 million (US$208,000) to boost Cagayan province’s disaster risk reduction capacity.

USAID mission director Ryan Washburn handed over a mobile storage unit that can store 50,000 food packs to Cagayan Provincial Administrator Atty. Maria Rosario Mamba-Villaflor.  The mobile storage unit will allow the provincial government to store food and non-food items so they can rapidly deliver life-saving assistance in the immediate aftermath of disasters.

“For many years, USAID has dispatched teams to Cagayan and other provinces in Northern Luzon to support local government units in providing life-saving assistance during calamities,” said Washburn.  “As your friend, partner, and ally, the U.S. government remains committed to strengthening our partnerships and working with the Philippine government to rebuild and restore lives following disasters.”

During the turnover, USAID also formalized a partnership with Cagayan province and the World Food Programme to strengthen Cagayan’s emergency response efforts through the “Preparedness and Response Excellence in the Philippines”, or PREP, project.  This project will help reduce disaster risks by improving irrigation canals, water systems, and water-harvesting facilities; set up community flood-control dikes; introduce climate-resilient crops; construct community evacuation centers; and provide cash-for-work training so communities can bounce back from natural disasters.

“People’s empowerment is at the heart of the disaster preparedness and good governance program of the governor,” said Provincial Administrator Mamba-Villaflor.  “The governor extends his gratitude on behalf of the people of Cagayan.”

USAID also handed over mobile energy systems (MES) to the municipalities of Lal-Lo and Santa Ana.  The MES units will provide clean and reliable power to support relief operations and essential services in the aftermath of disasters, as well as help restart the power grid.

USAID mission director Ryan Washburn (3rd from left) hands over Mobile Energy Systems to Philippine Department of Energy assistant secretary Mario Marasigan (left) and Lal-lo Mayor Florante Pascual (3^rd from right) and Santa Ana Mayor Nelson Robinion (2^nd  from left).

Because the systems are mobile, they can be deployed anywhere they are needed, particularly in remote and off-grid areas.  Unlike traditional generator sets, they only require sunlight to recharge.

While in Northern Luzon, Washburn also discussed USAID’s work to support Tuguegarao City’s solid waste management system with OIC City Administrator Juanito Calubaquib and city councilors.  He also spoke with Cagayan Vice Governor Melvin Vargas Jr. about USAID’s programs in the region and visited Santa Teresita municipality to see the Emergency Operations Center that USAID helped construct more than a decade ago.

Since 2010, the US government, through USAID, has provided an estimated PHP19.6 billion (US$344 million) in disaster relief and recovery aid, as well as boosted the disaster risk reduction capacity of over 100 cities and municipalities in the Philippines.