09 December 2013  - Senator Loren Legarda and Congresswoman Henedina Abad met with European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response Mme. Kristalina Georgieva at the European Commission Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on November 29.                                                   

At the outset, the visiting Philippine parliamentarians thanked the European Union (EU) for its substantial contributions to the relief and rescue efforts in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Senator Legarda also thanked the EU for its pledge of support for the rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts, which she noted will be more challenging and will take time.

The parliamentarians and Commissioner Georgieva emphasized the urgent need to build more resilient and prepared communities since extreme weather events are slowly becoming the new norm. They cited Batanes province as a possible model for future storm resilient communities. Congresswoman Abad, who represents Batanes in the House of Representatives, took the opportunity to invite Commissioner Georgieva to visit the province the next time she visits the Philippines.

Commissioner Georgieva undertook an urgent visit to Tacloban and other affected areas on November 15 and 16 to personally assess the damage wrought by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) and monitor EU assistance to the affected areas. During her visit, she announced an additional seven (7) million-euro assistance package, which brought EU humanitarian assistance to a total of 10 million euros at that time. EU “rapid reaction teams” were also among the first foreign humanitarian teams to arrive in the affected areas.

Senator Legarda emphasized that it can no longer be "business as usual” after Typhoon Yolanda, and noted that all lessons learned during this-calamity must be incorporated into infrastructure planning, including retrofitting schools and other public infrastructure to make them more resilient.     

Commissioner Georgieva informed the parliamentarians that the EU is currently crating new legislation on civil protection, with "a strong emphasis on risk assessment, preparedness and prevention.” The Commissioner noted that the EU will soon announce new funding support for the Philippines, in particular focusing on the needs of children affected by typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). END