World Bank Group President to Visit Leyte on Monday

Tacloban City (PNA) — World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim will visit typhoon Yolanda-devastated areas in Leyte on Monday as part of his two-day trip to Philippines.

In a media advisory by World Bank, Kim will visit several communities in Leyte Monday morning before a 30-minute media interaction in the afternoon at Tanauan town hall.

“The visit aims to strengthen support for the country’s reforms to address poverty and improve resilience to disasters and the impact of climate change,” the World Bank statement said.

World Bank has provided a USD 479 million loan for the National Community Driven Development Project (NCDDP), which covers all towns in Eastern Visayas.

The funding support aims to fast track the recovery of storm-ravaged areas through building infrastructure and social services including water, schools, health facilities and local roads and bridges.

The amount is on top of USD 500-million budget support loan to help finance overall recovery and reconstruction efforts.

“We have been encouraged by the resilience of the Filipino people and the determination shown by President Aquino and his team as they work to recover from a disaster of unprecedented scale. The World Bank Group is committed to supporting the government’s efforts to rebuild people’s lives no matter how long it takes,” Kim said in a statement.

On the second day of his visit, Kim will also deliver a speech at the Daylight Dialogue: The Good Governance Challenge, a conference organized by the Office of President of the Philippines.

Aside from visiting Yolanda-affected communities, Kim will also meet with officials from the government, civil society organizations, private sector and youth organizations.

This will be Kim’s first visit to the country as a World Bank Group President. He took office on July 1, 2012. (PNA) LAP/PGL/SQM/EGR

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