Opening Remarks of

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro L. Locsin, Jr. 

for the Briefing on the Humanitarian Situation 

in the Philippines (Super Typhoon Odette Rai) for Member States

UN Headquarters, New York

02 February 2022 

Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, 

UN Resident CoordinatorGustavo González, distinguished panelists, Excellencies.       

We appreciate the convening of this virtual briefing after more than a month since Typhoon Rai wroughthavoc on our country and our people. 

The typhoon killed 409  and left US$669M worth of damages  to homes, agriculture, and infrastructure. Families still spent the Yuletide season together —  but in shelters, evacuation sites, and the livable parts of the wreckage of their homes and communities. 

Typhoon Rai was only the most recent addition to our country’s long record of being battered by climate change-aggravated disasters —  but we’ll save that for another time.  I was in Glasgow where well-intentioned talk achieved gale force but moved nothing. 

The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has led and coordinated government’s overall response.  

To date government - national and local - has extended US$24M worth of help to affected families. Over 900,000 dollars was sourced from NGOs and other partners.  More government resources are on standby,  including over 300,000 family food packs worth US$ 4.6 million,  non-food items valued at US$ 12 million, and US$ 39 million in reserved funding. 

To date,  the Philippines received cash donations amounting to over US$ 79 million from international partners. We officially accepted 18 of the 49 humanitarian assistance offered in various forms. This includes the Humanitarian Needs and Priorities-based response,  which has so far delivered in-country assistance to 11 regions and 31 provinces,  in coordination with 69 organizations and 145 partners. 

The HNP for Typhoon Rai was launched the day before Christmas  to fund the most urgent humanitarian needs of half a million people in the two worst affected areas  for the next six (6) months.  The HNP-based response is focused; it is a welcome supplement to the Government’s efforts.  In just over a month since its launching,  the HNP raised US$48.1 million, representing 29 percent of its new target funding. 

As we find ourselves now in more stable conditions,  several of our Response Clusters  are already downscaling their operations.  But others must be sustained,  including camp management and coordination;  health;  shelter;  logistics;  and distribution of cash aid.  We will continue to accept assistance based on these identified needs. 

We will continue to coordinate with OCHA and the HCT to scale up response work in the stricken areas.  The Philippine government will ensure that all our efforts, including those of UN agencies, bilateral and international partners, CSOs, and the private sector, all converge to achieve the common goal of recovery and healing.

Tragic as the disaster and its timing were, we have proven again how and what collective work can achieve. No challenge is too big to overcome, no burden too heavy to carry if we work together. 

Thank you for your solidarity with us. 

Good morning in New York. 

Good evening from Manila.