US Donates Emergency Relief Supplies to Nueva Ecija EDCA Site

[In photo: (L-R) U.S. Embassy Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché Col. Edward Evans, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson, International Organization for Migration (IOM) Philippines Head of Programs Euan McDougall, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn]

The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recently donated emergency relief supplies to Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site. This is part of U.S. efforts to boost the disaster preparedness of the Philippines. 

U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson handed over the emergency relief supplies to Philippine National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno. 

Supplies included emergency shelter-grade tarpaulins; shelter repair tools such as handsaws, shovels, ropes, hammers, and nails; and kitchen sets, including pots, pans, bowls, plates, and utensils. 

The supplies, which can support at least 10,000 people, will be stored at the OCD warehouse in Fort Magsaysay to facilitate the Philippine government’s rapid delivery of life-saving assistance.  

“Today’s donation demonstrates how EDCA sites like Fort Magsaysay strengthen the Philippines’ humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness efforts,” Ambassador Carlson said. “The U.S. government remains committed to supporting the Philippines as it builds its national and local capacity to prepare for and respond to disasters.”

For his part, Secretary Teodoro said, “The Philippines and the United States have a strong alliance.  This alliance is demonstrated not just through words but through concrete actions of cooperation.”

The United States also aids the Philippines’ disaster response efforts by bolstering its community-based disaster risk reduction, providing disaster response training, and strengthening collaboration between Philippine and U.S. civilian, military, and humanitarian agencies. 

Since 2010, the U.S. government, through USAID, has provided nearly PHP19.6 billion (USD344 million) in disaster relief and recovery aid and boosted the disaster risk reduction capacity across the country.