22 December 2013
OPENING REMARKS OF THE SECRETARY
Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen.
Mr. Secretary-General, it was indeed an honor a matter of great satisfaction to have welcomed you and your delegation to the Philippines.
Your visit to our country at this time demonstrates the United Nations’ firm commitment to helping the victims of Typhoon Yolanda.
Throughout this tragedy, the United Nations has been steadfast in its support for the Filipino people in the devastated areas, as demonstrated by the very quick response of the UN and Humanitarian Country Teams in the immediate aftermath of the typhoon and the UN Flash Appeal. The Flash Appeal helped mobilize immediate international assistance through UN agencies, NGOs and foreign governments for the Philippines. The Flash Appeal has now evolved into the Strategic Response Plan which will supplement the Governments’ relief and recovery efforts for the next twelve months.
Your presence here, Mr. Secretary-General, is a manifestation of your personal leadership which has touched our hearts.
Allow me to take this opportunity to thank you, Mr. Secretary-General, as well as the UN Country Team led by Ms. Luisa Carvalho, for its commendable dedication in addressing the needs of our people in Central Philippines.
As you have seen in Tacloban during our trip yesterday, people are moving on, and steadily rebuilding their lives and communities. However, we are all too aware of the enormous task that lies ahead of us.
To this end, the Philippine Government has crafted Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda, known as RAY, to lead the great national effort to build back better from Yolanda. We welcome our continuing partnership with the United Nations and our other overseas friends in realizing our vision to make the Philippines stronger and more resilient in the face of multiple and more catastrophic disasters.
Under the leadership of the President Aquino, we will rise above the devastation brought about by Yolanda and overcome the challenges ahead. In this regard, the Philippine model of a country-led and UN-supported reconstruction effort will be an inspiring example for all of us.
We now know that Yolanda demonstrates the threat of extreme weather patterns that may be the new normal as a result of climate change. The Philippines calls on all nations, rich and poor, to come together to confront this challenge. For this reason, we fully support and will participate strongly in the Secretary-General’s proposed Climate Change Summit which will be held on 23rd September 2014, as well as the International Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction which will be held in Japan in 2015.
Let me further commend the Secretary-General for the UN’s contributions to find durable solutions to peace and security problems around the world. In this regard, let me recall that the Secretary-General praised President Aquino for the success of the peace process in Mindanao during their meeting yesterday.
In closing, let me pay tribute to the Secretary-General for his leadership and untiring efforts to promote international peace, development, and democracy, and the upholding of the dignity of all human beings.
Thank you, Mr. Secretary-General and thank you to the members of the press.
REMARKS AT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS SECRETARY
Manila, Philippines, 22 December 2013
Magandang umaga [“Good morning” in Tagalog].
I am pleased to be here with the Honourable Albert F. Del Rosario, Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Before I begin, I would like to say a few words about the current situation in South Sudan, which is a source of grave concern of the international community at this time.
I am gravely concerned about the deteriorating security situation in South Sudan. I demand that all political, military and militia leaders stop hostilities and end the violence against civilians.
Up to 40,000 civilians have taken refuge in the United Nations bases and other locations around the country.
I have condemned, in the strongest possible terms, the outrageous attack in our base in Akobo on 19 December, where two United Nations peacekeepers were killed while protecting civilians who had taken refuge there.
I call on President Salva Kiir of South Sudan and opposition political leaders, including former Vice President Riek Machar, to come to the table to find a political way out of this crisis. They are responsible to the people of South Sudan to end the crisis and find the political means of addressing their differences.
I call on them to do everything in their power to ensure that their followers hear the message loud and clear that continued violence, ethnic and otherwise, is completely unacceptable and poses a dangerous threat to the future of their young country.
Mr. Secretary, ladies and gentlemen,
I have come to the Philippines to show solidarity with the Government and people of the Philippines so hard hit by Typhoon Yolanda.
Yesterday I was deeply moved and also inspired by my visit to Tacloban.
People are working hard to recover.
We must not allow this to be another forgotten crisis.
The Government's Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda strategic plan for $8.17 billion over four years was launched on 18 December to guide the recovery and reconstruction in the affected areas.
The plan aims to restore the economic and social conditions of the affected areas at the very least to pre-typhoon levels and to create a higher level of disaster resilience.
We will fully support the Philippines Government's efforts.
To that end, the United Nations and partners have launched a one-year Strategic Response Plan for $791 million dollars.
I urge all donors to add to their already generous response so that we can help communities to build back better and safer.
This morning, I had a meeting with key ambassadors stationed in the Philippines and I explained about my visit to Tacloban and I urged the donor countries to provide their generous support to the Philippines and [to the] United Nations appeal.
The Philippines is among the most vulnerable nations to natural disasters.
But it is also showing leadership in improving preparedness and building resilience.
The United Nations stands firmly with the country in these efforts.
We were among the first responders when disaster struck.
I join the Government of the Philippines in thanking the armed forces of 25 nations which played a vital role in overcoming the initial logistical hurdles to delivering humanitarian assistance.
There has been excellent cooperation between the United Nations and its partners and the Philippines authorities at every level.
Aid deliveries have been scaled up significantly.
More than 4 million affected people have now received food assistance.
Some 100,000 hygiene kits and 65,000 water kits have been distributed, and 30 water treatment units are in place.
More than 200,000 households have received emergency shelter.
Cash assistance has also been provided to help people rebuild damaged and destroyed houses.
More than 180 foreign and national medical teams have provided emergency health aid and nearly 260 mobile clinics are now functioning.
More than 40,000 children have been screened for acute malnutrition.
Rice seeds have been distributed to more than 10,000 farming households so far.
Our aim is to ensure that at least 72,000 hectares can be planted, so the vital upcoming 2014 harvest is not lost.
In the longer term, the United Nations will continue to work with the Government on its development priorities.
While here, I have also been able to discuss with President Aquino and Secretary Rosario other issues of national importance.
I commend the Philippines Government’s efforts to promote peace and democracy and inclusive growth.
It is in this context that I congratulate the Government on progress in the Mindanao peace process, particularly the agreement reached between the parties in December.
I hope a final agreement will be reached soon.
Thank you.
Maraming salamat [“Thank you very much” in Tagalog]. END