The Government of the Czech Republic is donating PhP6,666,666 for the rehabilitation of the settlements in the areas of Northern Luzon which were drastically hit by category 5 super-typhoon Ompong in September.
The 6-month project will be implemented by the local branch of the US-based NGO “Build Change” in the areas most affected by the typhoon particularly the Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the Ilocos Region where the typhoon damaged vital infrastructures, homes, and crops used for household consumption and for livelihoods.
Build Change, supported by the Philippines Shelter Cluster, will collaborate with affected communities and organizations carrying out shelter repair and rehabilitation programs by providing them with training and technical assistance to strengthen and improve the structural performance of houses affected by typhoon Ompong.
This is a highly cost-effective approach that leverage the resources that the communities and organizations spend on shelter recovery, shifting the response from risky to resilient. Thus, houses affected by typhoon Ompong will not only be strengthened, but also be able to better resist future disasters.
Ambassador Jaroslav Olša Jr. said: the “Czech people sympathize with those affected by natural disasters in the Philippines. Immediately after the devastating typhoon Ompong hit the Northern Luzon, the Czech Government expressed its readiness to provide assistance. We have identified Build Change NGO to implement our vision of making the vulnerable houses made from lightweight materials more stable and further resilient to disasters.”
The Government of the Czech Republic had already provided its humanitarian assistance to the Philippines in the past.
In the aftermath of the typhoon Yolanda in 2013, the Czech Republic provided humanitarian aid worth of PhP17 million to the most devastated regions of Eastern Visayas. While in 2016, the Czech Republic financed project of Ateneo de Naga University, focused on assistance to those affected by Typhoon Nina in the Bicol region.
