Philippines | World Bank

Environmental impact statement

2012-02-22T05:00:00.000Z

The overall development objective for the Manila Water and Wastewater Improvement Project for Philippines is to improve wastewater services in Metro Manila. Negative impacts include: air quality, noise, wastewater, traffic, land acquisition, and debris. Mitigation measures include: 1) the contractor formally agrees that all work will be carried out in a safe and disciplined manner designed to minimize impacts on neighboring residents and environment; 2) demolition debris shall be kept in controlled area and sprayed with water mist to reduce debris dust; 3) during pneumatic drilling/wall destruction dust shall be suppressed by ongoing water spraying and/or installing dust screen enclosures at site, and the surrounding environment (side walks, roads) shall be kept free of debris to minimize dust; 4) the site will establish appropriate erosion and sediment control measures such as e.g. hay bales and/or silt fences to prevent sediment from moving off site and causing excessive turbidity in nearby streams and rivers; 5) waste collection and disposal pathways and sites will be identified for all major waste types expected from demolition and construction activities, and mineral construction and demolition wastes will be separated from general refuse, organic, liquid, and chemical wastes by on-site sorting and stored in appropriate containers; 6) before being discharged into receiving waters, effluents from individual wastewater systems must be treated in order to meet the minimal quality criteria set out by national guidelines on effluent quality and wastewater treatment; and 7) traffic management system and staff training, especially for site access and near-site heavy traffic, provision of safe passages and crossings for pedestrians where construction traffic interferes, and active traffic management by trained and visible staff at the site, if required for safe and convenient passage for the public.

Environmental assessment for Pasay Sewage treatment plant

2012-02-22T05:00:00.000Z

Environmental assessment for Talayan Sewage treatment plant

2012-02-22T05:00:00.000Z

Environmental and social safeguards framework

2012-02-22T05:00:00.000Z

Resettlement completion report

2012-02-20T05:00:00.000Z

The objective of the Metro Manila Water and Wastewater Improvement Project for Philippines is to improve wastewater services in Metro Manila. Negative measures include: loss of land, loss of asset, loss of income, loss of crops, and loss of livelihood. Mitigation measures include: a) effects on income and resources will be avoided or minimized in assets acquisition that result in displacement of people; b) displace persons (DPs) are provided with sufficient compensation and assistance for lost assets, income sources, and livelihood that will assist them to improve, or at least maintain their pre-sub-project standard of living; c) special attention is given to affected vulnerable groups, such as poverty groups, the handicapped, women-headed households, people with weak or absent tenure rights, etc; and d) where relocation is considered necessary, the lot owner of the proposed relocation site will also be entitled to compensation for his/her land, and depending on his/her choice, the compensation may be in cash or in the form of replacement land, of the same value, within or outside the relocation site.

Talayan STP

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000Z

Pasay STP

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000Z

Philippines quarterly update : sustaining growth in uncertain times

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000Z

After a strong rebound in 2010, Philippine economic growth slowed by more than half to 3.6 percent in the first three quarters of 2011. Slower third quarter (Q3) growth of 3.2 percent was the result of significant contractions in exports and public investment. The contraction in exports largely reflected weaker demand in advanced economies while public investments continued to shrink in part because of measures to improve accountability of public spending. On the production side, industrial and agricultural activities were sluggish, leaving the services sector to buoy growth. To improve growth outcome in the remainder of the year, the government announced a PHP 72 billion (about 0.7 percent of GDP) disbursement acceleration plan to ensure that budgeted items are spent by year end. After a strong rebound in 2010, Philippine economic growth slowed by more than half to 3.6 percent in the first three quarters of 2011, bringing year to date growth below the government's revised target of 4.5 to 5.5 percent for 2011. Q3 growth of 3.2 percent was driven by private consumption and inventory build-up, which grew by 7.1 and 147.7 percent respectively. The country's slower expansion places it behind its neighbors with Indonesia, Vietnam, and Singapore growing above 6 percent, Malaysia at 5.8 percent, and Thailand, which was devastated by massive flooding in recent months, at 3.5 percent.

PHILIPPINES: Integrating Flood Risk Management into Local Planning Saves People’s Lives — WB

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000Z

Contacts:
In Manila: David Llorito (632) 917-3047
E-mail: dllorito@worldbank.org
Kitchie Hermoso (632) 917-3013
E-mail: comphilippines@worldbank.org
In Tokyo: Carl Hanlon 202-460-8526
Email: chanlon@worldbank.org
In Washington: Chisako Fukuda 202-473-9424
Email: cfukuda@worldbank.org
For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik 202-458-9369
E-mail: ncieslik@worldbank.org

MANILA, FEBRUARY 13, 2012—Urban flooding is a serious and growing development challenge for countries in East Asia including the Philippines, underscoring an urgent need to build flood risk management into regular planning of cities and towns, says a new World Bank guidebook released today.

Titled “Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk Management for the 21st Century,” the book provides operational guidance on how to manage the risk of floods in the face of urbanization, growing populations and long-term climate change trends.

“Urban expansion often creates poorer neighborhoods which lack adequate infrastructure and services, making them more vulnerable to floods. The poor are hit hardest, especially women and children,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President, East Asia and Pacific Region who led the launch of the guidebook through a videoconference from Tokyo. “But rapid urbanization also means we have the opportunity to do things right the first time, so cities and towns can support sustainable development, saving lives and money.”

In the Philippines, floods are a perennial challenge, usually triggered by a combination of factors including typhoons, tropical depressions, prolonged heavy rains, clogged waterways and improper street drainage.

In December 2011, Tropical Storm Sendong triggered flash floods and mudslides that claimed the lives of more than a thousand people in Northern Mindanao and destroyed crops and properties. In 2009, Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng unleashed massive floods in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, affecting 9.3 million people and causing the deaths of close to a thousand. Total damage and losses reached more than US$4 billion or 2.7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

As developing countries like the Philippines transition to largely urban societies, the concentration of people and assets has made urban flooding increasingly costly and difficult to manage. In addition to direct economic damage, floods also have long-term consequences such as loss of education opportunities, disease and reduced nutrition which may erode development goals.

According to the guidebook, the most effective way to manage flood risk is to take an integrated approach which combines both structural and non-structural measures. This includes:

Building drainage channels and floodways;
Incorporating “urban greening” such as wetlands and environmental buffers;
Creating flood warning systems; and
Land use planning for flood avoidance.

The key is getting the balance right, says the guidebook. While hard-engineered structures are effective when used appropriately, they can be overcome by natural disasters beyond their design capacity. They may transfer flood risk, reducing risk in one location only to increase it in another.

Implementing an integrated strategy effectively requires cooperation between different levels of government, public sector agencies, civil society, educational organizations and private sectors, as well as strong decisive leadership from national and local governments.

Many tools are available to help us better understand flood risk and its hazards. Web-based flood forecasting systems are an effective way to disseminate hydrological and hydro-meteorological data to a range of users. Mapping risk and vulnerability can be invaluable in directing resources appropriately to protect people as well as empowering them to take actions towards better disaster preparedness.

As flood risk cannot be eliminated entirely, planning for a speedy recovery is necessary, using reconstruction as an opportunity to build safer and stronger communities which have the capacity to withstand flooding better in the future.

"Recent large-scale disasters such as the tsunami and earthquake in Japan and the floods in Thailand, Philippines, and Australia emphasize the need for a new approach to disaster risk management and resilience,” said lead author of the guidebook Abhas Jha, Lead Urban Specialist and Program Leader, Disaster Risk Management, World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region. “We need to design systems that recognize the complex and uncertain nature of flood risk management and its impacts. Design should be comprehensive, flexible and iterative, being careful to avoid an over-reliance on any one given solution which may not be enough to counter the dynamic nature of risk.”

“In the context of the Philippines, it is vital to link urban flood risk management with poverty reduction and climate change adaptation initiatives, and specific issues of urban planning and management, such as housing provision, land tenure, urban infrastructure delivery, basic service provision, and livelihood,” said World Bank Country Director for the Philippines Motoo Konishi.

Following Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, the Philippines enacted the Republic Act No. 10121 (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act) and Strategic National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction containing the country’s framework for disaster risk reduction and management. The government, with World Bank support, is also set to complete the preparation of the Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan early this year.

“The Philippines has drawn up a comprehensive framework for dealing with natural disasters and has done great strides in addressing the risk of floods. This guidebook is a great contribution to efforts at making sure that people’s vulnerabilities to calamities are reduced significantly,” added Mr. Konishi.

The guidebook was produced with the financial support of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Partners include the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Risks Rise from Urban Flooding in East Asia and Pacific

2012-02-13T02:00:00.000Z

World Bank offers practical Guide to reduce losses

Tokyo, February 13, 2012 - Urban flooding is a serious and growing development challenge for fast growing low and middle-income countries in East Asia, underscoring an urgent need to build flood risk management into regular planning of cities and towns, says a new World Bank guidebook released today.

Titled “Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk Management for the 21st Century”, the book provides operational guidance on how to manage the risk of floods in the face of urbanization, growing populations and long-term climate change trends.

“Urban expansion often creates poorer neighborhoods which lack adequate infrastructure and services, making them more vulnerable to floods. The poor are hit hardest, especially women and children,” said Pamela Cox, World Bank Vice President, East Asia and Pacific Region. “But rapid urbanization also means we have the opportunity to do things right the first time, so cities and towns can support sustainable development, saving lives and money.”

Floods are the most frequent among all natural disasters, and the East Asia and Pacific region, along with South Asia, is particularly vulnerable. In the past 30 years, the number of floods in Asia amounted to about 40 percent of the total worldwide. More than 90 percent of the global population exposed to floods lives in Asia.

As developing countries in the region transition to largely urban societies, the concentration of people and assets has made urban flooding increasingly costly and difficult to manage. In addition to direct economic damage, floods also have long-term consequences such as loss of education opportunities, disease and reduced nutrition which may erode development goals.

According to the guidebook, the most effective way to manage flood risk is to take an integrated approach which combines both structural and non-structural measures.

This includes:

· Building drainage channels and floodways;

· Incorporating “urban greening” such as wetlands and environmental buffers;

· Creating flood warning systems; and

· Land use planning for flood avoidance.

For example, the World Bank is working with partners to support meteorological services in the Lower Mekong Basin. This will assist cities in Vietnam and Indonesia develop a medium term resilience plan that takes into account the uncertainties and risks from natural hazards.

Communications also plays a significant role in raising awareness and reinforcing preparedness. The guidebook warns that less severe disasters can be forgotten in less than three years.

As flood risk cannot be eliminated entirely, planning for a speedy recovery is also necessary, using reconstruction as an opportunity to build safer and stronger communities which have the capacity to withstand flooding better in the future.

"Recent large-scale disasters such as the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the floods in Thailand and Australia emphasize the need for a new approach to disaster risk management and resilience,” said lead author of the guidebook Abhas Jha, Lead Urban Specialist and Program Leader, Disaster Risk Management, World Bank East Asia and Pacific Region. “We need to design systems that recognize the complex and uncertain nature of flood risk management and its impacts. Design should be comprehensive, flexible and iterative, being careful to avoid an over-reliance on any one given solution which may not be enough to counter the dynamic nature of risk.”

The guidebook was produced with the financial support of the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). Partners include the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Contacts:

In Tokyo: Carl Hanlon, (202) 460-8526, chanlon@worldbank.org

Tomoko Hirai, +81-3(3597)6650, thirai@worldbank.org

In Washington: Chisako Fukuda, (202) 473-9424, cfukuda@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik,(202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

For more information, please visit: http://www.worldbank.org/eapdisasters

To download the report, please visit: http://www.gfdrr.org/urbanfloods

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Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank

For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

Initial environmental examination report for collection, transport, treatment and disposal of sewerage

2012-02-09T05:00:00.000Z

The World Bank and Fotopedia Launch New App; “Women Of The World” Now Available on your Iphone or Ipad

2012-02-08T14:00:00.000Z

Washington DC, February 8, 2012 – The World Bank and Fotopedia, the publisher of popular iOS apps and winner of the Best Tablet App of the Year Crunchies Award, today announced their collaboration on a new free app titled “Women of the World” for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. “Women of the World” takes users on an eye-opening tour and educational look into the lives of women all across the world.

Through the app, users will encounter women from every corner of the globe and witness their fighting spirit in the face of human, political, and religious events. The app explores the stunning images of a bride at her wedding in Singapore, a woman whose daughter had just been saved from malaria, women minesweeping the fields of Cambodia, nuns in the convents in France, girl-soldiers in Mozambique, which are just a few of the hundreds of moving scenes composing this magnificent sociological study.

The app showcases the work of professional photographer Olivier Martel, who traveled to more than 75 countries to assemble these images. “Women of the World” is updated weekly with Visual Stories to provide insight into the lives of women from cultures spanning the globe.

Olivier Martel said: “These topics require a persistent but discrete approach, determination, and a lot of patience. This work is about giving women the opportunity to share their hopes or daily struggles, and give them their dignity in a photographic homage that takes the form of a search for beauty.”

This collaboration also highlights the World Bank’s #thinkEQUAL campaign that aims to increase awareness of progress and obstacles in gender equality around the globe. Today, more girls go to school and more women receive maternal healthcare than ever, yet only 15 percent of landowners and only one in five lawmakers are women..

“We hope these images inspire people to act,” said Jeni Klugman, the World Bank’s Director of Gender and Development. “Much has improved, but in many parts of the world, women's rights and opportunities remain very constrained. This inequality is very unfair and it is bad economics. It hampers poverty reduction and limits development. The World Bank has major programs to support girls and women to become more educated, gain better access to health care, water, start businesses and access credit. These are becoming an increasingly important aspect of our work around the world.”

About “Women of the World”

Women of the World is packed with hundreds of professional, moving photos, social media sharing tools, powerful slideshows and wallpapers.

Additional features of the app include:

A collection of hundreds of photos
Visual stories, updated every week
Complete navigation with smart tags, search and interactive maps
Instant Slideshows
Free Wallpapers for your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Favorites to create your own personalized photo albums
Photo sharing via email, Facebook and Twitter
This app requires an Internet connection, WiFi recommended.

Pricing & Availability

“Women of the World” is available for free for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, in the App Store. You can find it here.

About Fotopedia

With more than 7 million downloads to date, Fotopedia is the publisher of the Fotopedia Magazine and a suite of iOS apps, including “Fotopedia Heritage”, one of Apple’s Hall of Fame best 50 apps of all times. Fotopedia is also the recent recipient of the 2011 Best Tablet App of the Year Crunchies Award. Fotopedia provides new ways to discover, explore and share the beauty of the world. The company was founded by Jean-Marie Hullot, who was previously CTO at NeXT and CTO of Apple’s Applications Division and a team of Apple veterans. Fotopedia has offices in San Francisco and Paris.

About The World Bank

The World Bank Group’s goal is to fight poverty. It provides loans and grants to developing countries.

The World Bank is helping eliminate persistent gender barriers to accessing quality social services, entering the job market, and building resilience the to shocks and volatility. Our work includes expanding access to family planning and reproductive health services, promoting gender parity in education, providing social safety nets and insurance, and helping people acquire the resources and skills to secure decent jobs and provide for their families.

Getting to equal is a smart investment. By closing gender gaps in human development, the Bank is helping developing countries reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), enhance productivity and growth, and promote the well-being of all their people. You can get involved at http://thinkequal.worldbank.org/ Also, to learn more about our work on gender, please visit www.worldbank.org/gender

Contacts:

Fotopedia: Lisa Gonzales, (415) 848-7169, lisa@sutherlandgold.com

World Bank: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

Philippines - Support for Strategic Local Development and Investment Project : P064925 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 08

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000Z

Philippines - Climate Change Adaptation Program : P101076 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 03

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000Z

Philippines - National Program Support for Environment and Natural Resources Management Project : P096174 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 09

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000Z

Philippines - National Roads Improvement and Management (APL) Phase 2 : P079935 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 07

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000Z

Environmental assessment report

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000Z

Philippines - PH-Social Welfare and Development Reform : P082144 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 03

2012-02-05T05:00:00.000Z

2011 Philippines development report : generating inclusive growth to uplift the poor

2012-02-03T05:00:00.000Z

The theme of the 2011 Philippines development report is 'generating inclusive growth, uplifting the poor and vulnerable'. This theme is follows from the priorities set in President Aquino's Social Contract and the emerging 2011-2016 Philippines Development Plan (PDP). The PDP details the vision of inclusive growth and poverty reduction that underlies the social contract (chapter one). Accordingly, the PDP focuses on three strategic objectives: (1) attaining a sustained and high rate of economic growth that provides productive employment opportunities, (2) equalizing access to development opportunities for all Filipinos, and (3) implementing effective social safety nets to protect and enable those who do not have the capability to participate in the economic growth process. While the country's development agenda remains broadly the same over the last decade, the Aquino government is focusing on stepped-up implementation and delivery. The pressing development issues confronting the Philippines in 2011 are not radically different from those of previous years. The critical difference is the new government's focus on effective implementation and delivery of public goods and services, starting with a firm approach to fighting corruption and improving governance.

Strengthening Rural Livelihoods Through Cross-Regional Knowledge Sharing

2012-02-03T02:00:00.000Z

Community Driven Development and Livelihoods Workshop

VIENTIANE, Lao PDR, February 3, 2012 – The Government of Lao PDR, jointly with the World Bank Group, organized a regional workshop focusing on community driven development and improvement of rural livelihoods. During this two-day event, participants from eleven Asian countries discussed regional experiences in improving economic opportunities in the rural areas, expanding road access and improving living conditions and empowerment among the rural poor.

Community Driven Development (CDD) is an approach which gives direct control over planning, decision making and investment resources for local development projects to community groups. In livelihoods programs, social capital created by the CDD approach will be transformed into economic capital, through a robust institutionalization of the poor on the premise that such institutions can push for better services, better financial terms and more jobs. By 2010, the World Bank Group support for CDD related projects had amounted to approximately US$ 7.8 billion, of which the CDD component was estimated to be US$5.1 billion all over the world.

While each country in the region has been enjoying a rapid economic growth in the past decade, there are emerging social and economic challenges such as rural-urban inequality or youth unemployment. CDD and work on livelihood improvement are increasingly recognized as important and effective approaches to address such issues.

The objective of the workshop is to share achievements and challenges from the past experience, and also to discuss future regional collaboration in the area of CDD and rural livelihood development. Among the participants were more than 40 representatives from the government of 11 countries in the region: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Timor Leste, China, and Mongolia.

The agenda includes a series of presentations from participating countries highlighting on-going programs in the region which support strengthening of rural livelihoods, as well as panel discussion on innovative features, especially from South Asia countries which have advanced successful implementation of development programs in this area.

The event is part of a exchange program called “Learning from CDD models for Better Economic and Social Development Outcomes”, supported by the South-South Experience Exchange Trust Fund (SEETF). The programs have been enhancing mutual learning between South Asia and South East Asia countries since early 2011 and also included a knowledge exchange visit to India with delegations from Lao PDR and Vietnam, in August 2011.

This regional workshop will be the final event of the program, which is expected to leverage knowledge exchange on the subject of more efficient support to rural communities and region-wide friendship by extending the invitation to neighboring countries that are also willing to improve their CDD and Livelihoods initiatives.

Contacts:
In Washington DC: Mohamad al-Arief, (+1 202) 458-5964, malarief@worldbank.org
In Vientiane: Meriem Gray, (+856 21) 450010, mgray@worldbank.org
Souridahak Sakonhninhom, (+856 21) 450010, ssakonhninhom@worldbank.org

For more information, please visit the East Asia and and Pacific CDD and Livelihoods website

PHILIPPINES: Government, World Bank Sign Financing Agreement to Improve Delivery of Services to Poor Towns and Provinces

2012-02-02T05:15:00.000Z

Contacts:
In Manila: David Llorito (632) 917-3047
E-mail: dllorito@worldbank.org
Kitchie Hermoso (632) 917-3013
E-mail: comphilippines@worldbank.org
In Washington: Mohamad al-Arief 1 (202) 458-5964
E-mail: malarief@worldbank.org

MANILA, FEBRUARY 2, 2012—The Department of Finance (DOF), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), and the World Bank signed today a tripartite loan agreement for a project designed to promote investments in local public infrastructure and services.

Approved by the World Bank Board of Executive Directors on December 1, 2011, this new US$50 million financing will fund the Regional Infrastructure for Growth Project (RIGP) designed to stimulate physical and economic integration among a number of local government units (LGUs) as well as support post-disaster initiatives through improved access to finance.

According to DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Francisco F. Del Rosario Jr., RIGP builds on DBP’s existing support for improved physical and economic integration through inter-modal systems—such as the roll-on-roll-off (RORO) network under the DBP’s CRUISE (Connecting Rural Urban Intermodal Systems Efficiently) Program—by encouraging LGUs to work with each other and with private sector partners to improve connectivity and access to better infrastructure development and services, especially to poor communities.

“RIGP will finance a wide array of local public infrastructure and services that will promote physical and economic integration among LGUS. Priority projects include those that are identified in LGUs’ local development and physical framework plans,” Mr. Del Rosario said.

DBP will on-lend the US$50 million loan to LGUs, public utilities or eligible local government-owned and controlled corporations, and private sector enterprises in developing local infrastructure as well as providing services through public-private partnerships (PPP).

In addition to offering direct retail sub-loans, DBP will also channel financing through wholesale loans to eligible private financial institutions (PFIs) for on-lending to local service providers.

Signing for the Government of the Philippines, DOF Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said that “RIGP is also a timely response to the needs of LGUs in calamity stricken areas, such as those damaged recently by typhoon Sendong, for which I congratulate DBP, the World Bank and all those who collaboratively worked to make the facility available at the time when it is needed most.”

“RIGP’s objectives are aligned with the general thrusts of the Government to support LGUs and communities in many parts of the country that continuously face development challenges such as inadequate infrastructure and basic services,” said Secretary Purisima.

Among the eligible projects for financing include disaster risk mitigation (sea walls, flood protection, slope protection); environmental infrastructure (water supply, solid waste facilities, drainage systems); agriculture support systems (irrigation, small impounding reservoirs, supply chain infrastructure); social (school buildings, hospitals, health centers); transport (provincial and local roads, local ports, public transport facilities); and tourism support (eco-parks, convention centers, heritage sites, resorts).

During the signing of the loan agreement, Mr. Motoo Konishi, the newly designated World Bank Country Director for the Philippines reiterated the World Bank’s commitment to support inclusive growth in the Philippines through its various financing and technical assistance programs.

“RIGP is a product of the continuing partnership between and among the World Bank, the Philippine Government and DBP in supporting local government units as they fulfil and balance their mandate as local development managers and providers of basic services,” said Mr. Konishi.

“The World Bank recognizes the potential impact of RIGP on growth and economic development as it helps the provision of facilities that will promote accessibility, connectivity, economic opportunities and job creation, especially for lower income LGUs,” Mr. Konishi added.

Quarterly Food Prices Decline, but Remain Volatile

2012-01-31T14:00:00.000Z

Price Index 24 percent higher on average than 2010

WASHINGTON, January 31, 2012—Global food prices declined 8 percent between September and December of 2011 due to increasing supplies and uncertainty about the global economy, but still remain volatile and high with the 2011 annual index 24 percent higher than its average in 2010, according to the World Bank Group’s latest Food Price Watch.

While the first quarter of 2011 witnessed sharp increases, five consecutive months of decreases at the end of the year drove the World Bank Food Price Index 7 percent below the December 2010 levels, and 14 percent lower than its February peak. Nevertheless, global prices remain high with the 2011 annual index averaging at 210 points against 169 points average in 2010.

According to the quarterly Food Price Watch report, despite the downward trend over the last few months, global prices of key staples continued experiencing volatility, and the average annual prices of wheat, maize and rice well exceeded averages for 2010.

Domestic food prices also experienced sharp increases in many countries from December 2010 to December 2011. Wheat prices were up 88 percent in Belarus and 23 percent in Ethiopia; rice prices increased 81 percent in Uganda and 56 percent in Malawi; maize was up 117 percent in Kenya and 106 percent in Mexico; and sorghum increased 57 percent in Burkina Faso and 28 percent in Ethiopia.

“The worst food price increases may be over but we must remain vigilant,” said Otaviano Canuto, the World Bank Group’s Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM). “Prices of certain foods remain dangerously high in many countries, leaving millions of people at risk of malnutrition and hunger. Governments must step up to the plate and implement policies to help people cope.”

Unseasonal increases in cereal prices threaten to deteriorate food insecurity conditions, especially in conflict-affected areas in Africa and across southern Somalia. In addition, the adoption of some coping mechanisms in poor homes—from eating cheaper meals to taking children out of school—could have negative, long-lasting effects on the health and well-being of millions of families in already difficult situations. Therefore, more and well-targeted support to help people cope is needed, such as school food programs, conditional cash transfers, and food-for-work programs.

Looking ahead

Prospects for decline in 2012 food prices remain favorable, due to weaker consumer demand as a result of a sluggish global economy, expected declines in the price of energy and crude oil, and strong forecasts for 2012 food supplies.

Nevertheless some upward price pressures still remain. These include a possible increase in demand for biofuels if oil prices pick up again, very low stock-to-use levels for maize, volatility in oil prices as a result of unrest in producer countries, and weather changes. La Niña, for instance, has already made its presence felt in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to affect the growing season of maize and soybeans in Argentina and Brazil.

How the World Bank Group (WBG) is helping to put food first

In response to drought in the Horn of Africa, the WBG is providing $1.88 billion to save lives, improve social protection, and foster economic recovery and drought resilience.

A first-of-its-kind risk management product, provided by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), will enable up to $4 billion in protection from volatile food prices for farmers, food producers, and consumers in developing countries.

The Global Food Crisis Response Program is helping 40 million people in 44 countries through $1.5 billion in support.

The WBG is boosting spending on agriculture to some $6 to $8 billion a year from $4.1 billion in 2008.

Supporting the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), set up by the WBG in April 2010 at G20’s request. Seven countries and the Gates Foundation have pledged about $1.1 billion over 3 years, with $612 million received.

The WBG is coordinating with UN agencies through the High-Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis and with NGOs.

The WBG is supporting the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), which in 2008 – with the support of the World Bank and other donors – launched a reform process that culminated in the adoption of a strategic framework that sets out common goals, objectives, and results for the CGIAR’s new research programs, and the establishment of a multi-donor trust fund, which is administered by the World Bank. The new funding model enables the CGIAR to absorb and attract vastly more program funding, with a target annual budget of $1 billion by 2013, to which the World Bank contributes some $50 million per year. With agriculture production needing to rise by at least 70 percent to meet global food demand by 2050, and with significant time lags between the development of new agricultural technologies and their adoption by farmers, increased funding from the international community for global research is critically and urgently needed.

Contacts:

In Washington: Alejandra Viveros, (202) 473-4306, aviveros@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Mehreen Sheikh, (202) 458-7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

To access Food Price Watch, please click here.

Food Price Watch author, Jose Cuesta will take part in World Bank Live online discussion about global food prices on Thursday, February 2 at 10:00 am EST (15:00 GMT) in English and at 2:00 pm EST (19:00 GMT) in Spanish. Participate and submit questions in advance here:

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Philippines - LAND ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT II PROJECT : P073206 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 15

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000Z

Philippines - ARMM Social Fund Project : P073488 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 15

2012-01-28T05:00:00.000Z

World Bank Approves Program-for-Results - New Financing Instrument Ties Lending Directly To Verified Development Results

2012-01-24T19:50:40.000Z

WASHINGTON, January 24, 2012 - The World Bank Board of Executive Directors today approved Program-for-Results (PforR), an innovative new financing instrument for the World Bank’s client countries that links the disbursement of funds directly to the delivery of defined results. Money will flow once the results have been delivered and verified.

PforR would support government programs in a diverse range of countries and sectors. In some countries, PforR would help deliver and improve the coverage of antenatal care for mothers and newborns or increase immunization coverage for children. In others, PforR would help provide sustainable water supply and sanitation services; strengthen the coverage and quality of early childhood and primary education; or contribute to a government program to reduce the number of rural households living below the poverty line.

“Enhancing development effectiveness by helping developing countries achieve results is central to the mission of World Bank,” said Robert B. Zoellick, President of the World Bank Group. “Program-for-Results financing demands greater accountability from partner countries and in turn will help these countries continue to deliver sustainable results long after the Bank’s involvement has ended. The time is right for this innovative development approach.”

PforR will also help improve the transparency and accountability of developing country programs, and strengthen systems to fight fraud and corruption. Under the new instrument, the Bank will provide part of the overall funding for a larger, developing country-financed program but will be able to provide its technical expertise to the larger government program. For example, the Bank’s commitment to openness and transparency will be applied to the entire program supported – including through the application of the Bank’s Access to Information policy to PforR operations.

Key assessments – fiduciary, environmental & social - of program systems are an important feature of this new instrument and will help provide assurance that Bank financing is used appropriately and that the environmental and social impacts of the program are adequately addressed. These assessments will all be publically disclosed.

PforR financing will also help partner countries improve the design and implementation of their development programs, strengthen institutions, and build capacity.

Says Joachim von Amsberg, World Bank Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services, "Building effective and accountable institutions in partner countries is key to achieving better development outcomes and results. We believe that with this new instrument, the World Bank jointly with others – government, development partners, civil society, the private sector and others - will be a better partner focused on results, focused on institution building and focused on better partnerships."

Feedback from an extensive global consultations process, held in two phases over the last twelve months, in 34 client countries and seven donor countries with a broad range of stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, the private sector, and academics has informed the design of PforR.

Contacts:

In Washington: Geetanjali S. Chopra, (202) 473-0243, Gchopra@worldbank.org;

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

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World Bank Projects Global Slowdown, with Developing Countries Impacted

2012-01-18T02:00:00.000Z

Beijing, January 18, 2012 – Developing countries should prepare for further downside risks, as Euro Area debt problems and weakening growth in several big emerging economies are dimming global growth prospects, says the World Bank in the newly-released Global Economic Prospects (GEP) 2012.

The Bank has lowered its growth forecast for 2012 to 5.4 percent for developing countries and 1.4 percent for high-income countries (-0.3 percent for the Euro Area), down from its June estimates of 6.2 and 2.7 percent (1.8 percent for the Euro Area), respectively. Global growth is now projected at 2.5 and 3.1[1] percent for 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Slower growth is already visible in weakening global trade and commodity prices. Global exports of goods and services expanded an estimated 6.6 percent in 2011 (down from 12.4 percent in 2010), and are projected to rise by only 4.7 percent in 2012. Meanwhile, global prices of energy, metals and minerals, and agricultural products are down 10, 25 and 19 percent respectively since peaks in early 2011. Declining commodity prices have contributed to an easing of headline inflation in most developing countries. Although international food prices eased in recent months, down 14 percent from their peak in February 2011, food security for the poorest, including in the Horn of Africa, remains a central concern.

“Developing countries need to evaluate their vulnerabilities and prepare for further shocks, while there is still time,” said Justin Yifu Lin, the World Bank’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics.

Developing countries have less fiscal and monetary space for remedial measures than they did in 2008/09. As a result, their ability to respond may be constrained if international finance dries up and global conditions deteriorate sharply.

To prepare for that possibility, Hans Timmer, Director of Development Prospects at the World Bank, said: “Developing countries should pre-finance budget deficits, prioritize spending on social safety nets and infrastructure, and stress-test domestic banks.”

While prospects in most low-and middle-income countries remain favorable, the ripple effects of the crisis in high-income countries are being felt worldwide. Already, developing country sovereign spreads have increased 45 basis points on average and gross capital flows to developing countries plunged to $170 billion in the second half of 2011, compared with $309 billion received during the same period in 2010.

“An escalation of the crisis would spare no-one. Developed- and developing-country growth rates could fall by as much or more than in 2008/09” said Andrew Burns, Manager of Global Macroeconomics and lead author of the report. “The importance of contingency planning cannot be stressed enough.”

The full report and accompanying datasets are available at www.worldbank.org/globaloutlook

Contacts

In Washington: Merrell Tuck-Primdahl +1 (202) 473-9516, +1 (202) 476-9897, mtuckprimdahl@worldbank.org;

Indira Chand +1 (202) 458-0434, ichand@worldbank.org

In Beijing: Li Li +86 (10) 5861 7850, lli2@worldbank.org

For TV/Broadcast: Mehreen A. Sheikh +1 (202) 458-7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

While the East Asia and Pacific region recovered quickly from the March 2011 Tohoku disaster in Japan, flooding in Thailand and the turmoil in Europe, have started to affect regional growth. After expanding by 9.7 percent in 2010, regional GDP grew an estimated 8.2 percent in 2011, but growth is projected to ease to 7.8 percent for both 2012 and 2013. In China, which accounts for about 80 percent of regional GDP, growth eased from 10.4 percent in 2010 to an estimated 9.1 percent in 2011 and is expected to dip to 8.4 percent in 2012 as authorities continue to dampen “overly-fast” growth in particular segments of the economy.

GDP growth in Europe and Central Asia increased marginally from 2010 outturns to 5.3 percent in 2011, despite the global financial turmoil since August 2011 and weakening external demand, especially from the Euro Area. However, the expected slowdown in high-income Europe, still troublesome inflationary pressures in the region, and reduced capital flows due to the Euro Area crisis may slow regional growth to 3.2 percent in 2012, before firming to 4.0 percent by 2013. Close trade and financial ties to high-income Europe will make regional outturns particularly sensitive to developments in the Euro Area.

Latin America and Caribbean grew by an estimated 4.2 percent in 2011, but this is expected to ease to 3.6 percent growth in 2012, before picking up to 4.2 percent in 2013. Weaker global growth, uncertainty arising from the Euro Area debt crisis, slower growth in China, and a policy-induced deceleration in domestic demand are weighing on growth prospects. Brazil’s economic growth came to a halt in the third quarter and growth is forecast to be 3.4 percent in 2012, up slightly on 2011 but well below the 2010 growth of 7.5 percent. Several countries in the region could be hard hit, if international commodity prices were to weaken sharply.

Dramatic political changes in the Middle East and North Africa have disrupted economic activity substantially, but selectively, across the region, while a deteriorating external environment is beginning to amplify adverse effects on trade, commodity prices, tourism and other revenues. Developing oil exporters and the high-income GCC economies benefitted substantially from the rise in oil prices but they remain vulnerable to a sudden fall in these prices. GDP for the developing countries of the region grew by an estimated 1.7 percent in 2011 and is expected to remain subdued in 2012 (2.3 percent), rising to an expected 3.2 percent gain by 2013.

GDP in South Asia slowed to an estimated 6.6 percent in calendar year 2011, from 9.1 percent in 2010, reflecting a sharp slowdown in the second half of the year in India as well as external headwinds. Exports are negatively affected by weaker foreign demand and remittances have grown only modestly. Domestic demand is down sharply due to rising borrowing costs, high input prices, worries over the global slump, and delay in reforms. The region’s GDP growth is projected to ease further to 5.8 percent in 2012, before strengthening to 7.1 percent in 2013. High inflation and fiscal deficits remain concerns going forward.

Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa remained robust in 2011 at 4.9 percent. Excluding South Africa, which accounts for over a third of the region’s GDP, growth in the rest of the region was even stronger at 5.9 percent in 2011, making it one of the fastest growing developing regions. Increased investment flows, rising consumer spending, and the coming on stream of new mineral exports in a number of countries should accelerate Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth to 5.3 percent in 2012 and 5.6 percent in 2013. Nonetheless, merchandise exports, tourism receipts, commodity prices, foreign direct investment and remittances are all susceptible to a Euro Area recession.

[1] Using purchasing power parity weights, global growth would be 3.4 and 4.0 percent for 2012 and 2013, respectively.

World Bank Statement on the Philippines Judicial Reform Support Project

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000Z

MANILA, January 17, 2012—The World Bank supports the Government of the Philippines in implementing World Bank-financed projects and achieving project development objectives. The Bank has rigorous processes for monitoring the management and use of project funds for intended purposes with due regard to economy and efficiency. This monitoring includes routine implementation review missions to help the Government assess the progress of implementation, review achievements against project development objectives, identify implementation issues, and agree on next steps.

The Aide Memoire is a project monitoring and management tool that captures the World Bank's implementation review findings and recommendations. Through the Aide Memoire, the Bank informs the appropriate country authorities and works with them to address implementation issues. Given the deliberative nature of information, the Aide Memoire is usually not disclosed to the public.

Between October 24 and November 12, 2011, the World Bank conducted an implementation support mission for the Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP). The mission discussed the preliminary findings and recommendations with the implementing agency and on December 28, 2011, submitted the Aide Memoire to the implementing agency and copied oversight agencies, in accordance with the regular procedures. The Aide Memoire summarized the findings and recommendations of the mission, pointing out implementation issues that included some ineligible expenditures. The project is scheduled to close on June 30, 2012 and the focus for the remaining period is to bring the project to a closure.

A World Bank loan of US$21.9 million to support the Philippine Government’s Action Program for Judicial Reform was approved by the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on October 2, 2003. The project (Judicial Reform Support Project) was intended to assist the Philippine Government in developing a more effective and accessible Judiciary that would foster public trust and confidence, through the implementation of reforms under four components comprising: (a) improving case adjudication and access to justice; (b) enhancing institutional integrity; (c) strengthening institutional capacity; and (d) supporting the reforms of the judicial system and the Project Management Office.

All official statements and media releases, reports and public documents about the Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP) are posted on the World Bank's website, www.worldbank.org/philippines.

Contacts:
In Manila: Leonora Aquino-Gonzales (632) 917-3003, lgonzales@worldbank.org
Moira Enerva (632) 917-3112, menerva@worldbank.org
In Washington DC: Carl Hanlon (+1-202) 473-8087, chanlon@worldbank.org

Philippines - Integrated POPs Management : P106885 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 04

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000Z

World Bank and Google Announce Map Maker Collaboration

2012-01-16T15:22:51.000Z

Mapping social infrastructure for development results and disaster preparedness

Washington, January 16, 2012 – Today, the World Bank and Google announced an agreement aimed at improving the ability of developing countries to access a web-based community mapping tool and data to help better monitor public services, and improve disaster and humanitarian response efforts. Most developing countries do not have basic local data about where schools, hospitals, or water points are located, and the data they do have is often out of date or incorrect. One way to collect this information is to ask citizens directly, and crowdsource the locations of public infrastructure.

Under this agreement, Google will provide the World Bank and its partner organizations - including governments and UN agencies - with access to Google Map Maker underlying geospatial data that includes detailed maps of more than 150 countries. Through this tool, citizens are able to directly participate in the creation of maps by contributing their local knowledge, and those additions are then reflected on Google Maps and Google Earth. These maps include locations like schools, hospitals, roads and water points that are critical for relief workers to know about in times of crisis, and will help NGOs, researchers, and individual citizens to more effectively identify areas that might be in need of assistance.

Crowdsourced mapping platforms have the potential to move beyond mapping individual projects, as in the World Bank Mapping for Results Initiative, which has mapped 2,500 projects in more than 30,000 geographic locations in all 143 partner countries. By combining the locations of all social infrastructure and citizens’ feedback, all development partners could better track the contribution they are making towards improving local public services and disaster preparedness in developing countries.

“A global community of Google users have been volunteering their time to improve maps, making them more comprehensive and ensuring that they remain accurate as the world around them changes. This is particularly important in vulnerable locations and for disaster preparedness and recovery as it helps citizens and governments to better prepare emergency response plans and act effectively when a crisis hits," said Shona Brown, Senior Vice President, Google.org.

This agreement also builds on previous joint mapping efforts. In April 2011, more than 60 members of the Southern Sudanese Diaspora joined a World Bank and Google event to help map schools, hospitals and other social infrastructure in this new country.

“The remarkable success of the South Sudan ‘Mapathon,’ and our new collaboration with Google Map Maker represents an unprecedented opportunity to harness one of the most sophisticated mapping technologies. Being able to crowdsource data of schools and hospitals will create both transparency and accountability for citizens,” said Sanjay Pradhan, Vice-President of the World Bank Institute.

Initial World Bank country offices that plan to pilot the Map Maker agreement include Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria, DRC, Moldova, Mozambique, Nepal, and Haiti. These countries are where governments have a strong interest in supporting the use of technology and data for decision-making and community monitoring, and in encouraging projects that support government and citizen engagement in geospatial mapping.

The World Bank-Google collaboration is complementary to the Open Aid Partnership (OAP) which is being facilitated by the World Bank Institute and has been endorsed by the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia, and Finland. The OAP’s goals are to develop a joint Open Aid map to visualize all donor-funding programs at the local level to enhance aid transparency; pilot its use in certain countries to better monitor the impact of development programs on citizens; and empower citizens to provide direct feedback on project results.

For more information, please click here:

- World Bank and Google Join Hands to Support Development in South Sudan with “Mapathon”

- Map Maker

- List of countries where the World Bank will have access to Map Maker data

- Open Aid Partnership

Contacts:

In Washington: José-Manuel Bassat, (202) 458-8486, Jbassat@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank

Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank

For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

OPED: Empowering Citizen Cartographers

2012-01-13T19:32:29.000Z

*As first appeared in The International Herald Tribune on Friday, January 13, 2012

The International Herald Tribune

Empowering Citizen Cartographers

January 13, 2012

By CAROLINE ANSTEY

From cave drawings to navigational charts to GPS, people have created and used maps to help them define, order and navigate their worlds. Four hundred years ago, in the Age of Exploration, it was cartographers, often working alone, who used the stars, mathematics and early attempts to represent longitude to map the New World. Today, in the Age of Participation, it’s crowds, not scholars, who are charting their own New World.

A combination of the old art of mapping with the relatively new art of crowdsourcing — the open calls for action via the Web — offers the potential to open up a new path for the developing world: helping citizens map their own country’s facilities and thereby have a greater say in charting the future.

Citizen cartographers can be a powerful force. In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, rescue workers used real-time data uploads on Open Street Map, via text and cellphone messages, to help create up-to-date maps of Haiti and find the injured. Engineers from around the globe gathered “virtually” to assess the damage.

Last October, the World Bank and its partners staged the first ever global “water hackathon,” with volunteer tech experts in London devising a system to allow Tanzanians to report water problems through SMS messages, and tech experts in Lagos devising new applications for reporting broken pipes.

Or take Dar es Salaam, where the local authorities engaged students to map roads, drains and streetlights in anticipation of an urban upgrading project, not only generating transparent planning data but also providing a platform for community consultation and a space for dialogue on development between citizens and leaders.

It’s a simple but harsh reality that most developing countries don’t have basic local data about where schools or hospitals are located. A recent mapping study of 100 health facilities and schools in Kenya found that only 25 percent of the clinics and 20 percent of the schools matched official data. Nearly 75 percent of locations needed to be updated.

Lack of knowledge of social infrastructure like schools and hospitals makes it more costly when natural disasters strike, setting back recovery efforts, sometimes by months. And lack of data, in general, makes it harder — both in government and in the community — to argue for improved services or increased funding.

The answer? A good start would be scaling up the use of modern mapping technology with crowdsourcing. It’s just this potential that’s been the driving force behind a new partnership between the World Bank and Google. Under the agreement, the bank and its development partners — developing country governments and U.N. agencies — will be able to access Google Map Maker’s global mapping platform, allowing the collection, viewing, search and free access to data of geoinformation in over 150 countries and 60 languages.

Simply put, it means that up-to-date maps of social infrastructure used by nearly a billion people around the globe can be created using crowdsourcing tools, partnering with volunteer mappers using GPS enabled phones and other devices.

Success will hinge on using local expertise to break new ground — finding an active community of passionate citizen cartographers from civil society organizations, local governments, public service providers and universities who can plug in the data that makes its way to publicly available online maps.

Where once charts were vital to guide mariners to safe harbors, today's interactive maps can guide development to the places it is needed most. Crowdsourced mapping platforms can serve as a foundation allowing citizens not just to map but to give feedback on the reach and quality of the services in their community. And that information can be used to improve service delivery, fight corruption and track resources. Citizen cartographers, yes, but also citizen monitors, citizen evaluators, citizen-driven development.

Development agencies can also benefit. At the World Bank, we’ve mapped 2,500 projects in more than 30,000 locations in our partner countries. Building on this success, the World Bank, Britain, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia and Finland have endorsed an Open Aid Partnership that will map development projects of all partners for better local development coordination. Adding citizen feedback can be a valuable addition to the bank’s quest to ensure development dollars are well spent.

In the 17th century, imperial cartographers had an advantage over local communities. They could see the big picture. In the 21st century, the tables have turned: Local communities can make the biggest on the ground difference. Crowdsourced citizen cartographers can help make it happen.

Caroline Anstey is a managing director of the World Bank.

Pamela Cox Appointed as New World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific

2012-01-03T14:53:29.000Z

Washington, D.C. January 3, 2012 – Pamela Cox, a development professional with more than 30 years experience, has been appointed the World Bank’s Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, effective this week.

The appointment, by World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick, will see Ms. Cox lead the Bank’s advisory and lending operations in the region and oversee strategic engagement with middle income country partners.

Ms. Cox previously worked as Vice President for the Latin America and Caribbean Region of the Bank, playing a leading role in supporting inclusive growth in emerging economies and providing innovative and practical financial and knowledge services to meet developing country needs. In the past, she has also worked as Chief of Country Operations in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, and Korea.

“I am very excited to be back working in the East Asia region,” said Pamela Cox. “After making the fastest progress in growth and poverty reduction of any region around the world in the last fifteen years, the global economic weight and influence of East Asia and the Pacific has increased significantly. We are focused on supporting countries in the region as they work to achieve higher income status and promote growth and opportunity for those in need.”

Ms. Cox brings with her considerable expertise in disaster risk management, in which Latin America and the Caribbean has been particularly successful, and which is extremely relevant for East Asia, a region that faces very high risks from natural disasters.

“Rapid growth and urbanization in vulnerable areas are creating a need for countries in East Asia to build innovative and disaster-resilient cities and to ensure environmental sustainability, and adaptation to the effects of climate change. Primarily investments in disaster risk management can save lives, but they also make good economic sense,” said Ms. Cox.

In her new role, Ms. Cox will continue to deliver Bank support to Pacific Island countries, which face some of the most serious challenges related to disaster risk and climate change.

As Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, Pamela Cox will manage staff working across 22 countries and a US$ 29.7 billion lending portfolio. Projected IBRD (International Bank for Reconstruction) and IDA (International Development Association) lending for the region in the 2012 financial year is US$ 6.7 billion. Ms. Cox is replacing former East Asia Pacific Vice President, James W. Adams, who is retiring from the Bank after more than 3 decades of distinguished service.

Contacts:

In Washington: Mohamad Al-Arief, (202) 458-5964, malarief@worldbank.org;

For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, (202) 458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

The project TF Philippines Local Government Grants for Sanitation Pilots has changed to Closed

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000Z

The project TF Philippines Local Government Grants for Sanitation Pilots has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project National Program Support for Tax Administration Reform. has changed to Closed

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000Z

The project National Program Support for Tax Administration Reform. has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

This Restructuring Paper (RP) introduces changes to the National Program Support for Tax Administration Reform (NPSTAR) and its accompanying legal document: loan agreement. The changes are to: i) include the revised results matrix with revised/reformulated project indicators and targets; and ii) extend the closing date from December 31, 2011 to June 30, 2013. The revision of some of the project indicators is to ensure that the performance of project interventions is properly captured by relevant and available data sources. Currently, actual disbursements stand at US$ 3.28 million. However, adding the disbursed amount as of the end of 2010 and the contracted amount by end of 2011, the total of disbursements and commitments as of end-December 2011 is projected to be US$7.28 million, amounting to 66 percent of the loan amount of US$11 million. The remaining uncommitted amount for the extension period up to June 2013 would be about US$3.72 million or 34 percent of the loan amount. The team is satisfied with the performance of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) procurement system and is confident that it will be able to complete the remaining packages as enumerated in the revised procurement plan projected to June 2013. The project components remain as they were: a) tax compliance; b) tax enforcement and control; c) human resource development and management; and d) BIR management, change management and project management.

The project Supplemental Project to the Rural Power Project has changed to Closed

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000Z

The project Supplemental Project to the Rural Power Project has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Rural Power Project for Philippines is to mitigate global climate change caused by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through wider user of clean energy technologies. With the re-allocation, the physical condition of the solar systems will be restored; complementing this activity, the Department of Energy (DOE) is undertaking a series of institutional strengthening workshops to ensure that local governments can manage contractors or perform maintenance themselves (if they own the systems directly). Additionally, DOE is working with electric cooperatives that are piloting solar system services to households by the cooperative; again, the main focus of this pilot is on the sustainability aspects. This set of activities should help to reduce sustainability risks after the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project closes at the end of 2011. As of end-September 2010, the grant had disbursed US$5.69 million (63 percent of the total grant amount). The objective of the proposed re-allocation, in part, is to allow the balance of the grant proceeds to be fully committed and ultimately disbursed by the grant closure date of Dec. 31, 2011. There are no outstanding safeguards, financial management or procurement issues. There are no outstanding audits for this project.

The project Disaster Risk Management Development Loan with a CAT DDO has changed to Closed

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000Z

The project Disaster Risk Management Development Loan with a CAT DDO has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Disaster Risk Management Policy Loan with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option Program is to enhance the capacity of the government of the Philippines to manage the impacts of natural disasters. This objective will be achieved by supporting the following aspects of the government's Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) framework: (a) strengthen the institutional capacity for disaster risk management efforts; (b) mainstream disaster risk reduction measures into development planning; and (c) better manage the government's fiscal exposure to natural disaster impacts. This program document states a US$500 million program with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (CAT-DDO) as budget financing for the Government of the Philippines (GOP) for an initial period of three years. The current administration, which was elected in May 2010, has noted disaster risk management as a key priority, which was mentioned as part of the President's state of the nation address. Disaster risk reduction and management issues were also broadly discussed during the Philippines Development Forum held on February 26, 2011; as per these discussions, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation measures have been integrated into key sector chapters of the 2011-2016 Philippine Development Plan (PDP) approved by the Government on March 28, 2011. In terms of international cooperation, the Philippines is a signatory country and an active member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, coordinates programs with the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), and supports other member countries in preparing for and responding to natural disasters. This operation is complementary to other ongoing programs supporting disaster risk management. The policy actions place greater emphasis on risk reduction as opposed to emergency response.

World Bank Releases US$500 million to Assist Philippine Government Address Impacts of Devastating Storm

2011-12-30T00:30:00.000Z

Funds will help affected communities recover and restore, and help the country prepare

MANILA, DECEMBER 30, 2011—The World Bank today announced the immediate release of US$500 million to assist the Philippine government’s recovery and reconstruction efforts in the wake of tropical storm Washi, locally known as Sendong, which devastated parts of the country during December 17-18, 2011.

An estimated 720,900 individuals have been affected by the storm, with 4,620 injured and the death toll reaching almost 1,260 persons. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has estimated the damage to infrastructure, agriculture and school buildings at over Php1.3 billion.

World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda expressed sympathies to the Filipino people at this very difficult time. “In natural disasters, it is the poor, including many women and children, who are particularly vulnerable. We hope the funds will give the Philippine Government flexibility to help families and communities recover, reconstruct vital infrastructure, and restore basic social services, as well as enhance the country’s preparedness for natural disasters in the future,” said Ms. Kanda.

Ms. Kanda, who went to the affected area last month for a project site visit—including Iligan and Cagayan de Oro that were heavily damaged by the storm—reinforced the Bank’s commitment to continue working with the government and other development partners in the short, medium, and long term, to build the resilience of affected areas and other parts of the country.

The funds come from the Disaster Risk Management Development Policy Loan with Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat-DDO), approved by the World Bank’s Board of Directors in September 2011. The Cat-DDO is a line of credit for the Government of the Philippines to enhance its capacity to manage the impacts of natural disasters. The release followed President Benigno S. Aquino’s declaration of a State of National Calamity during his visit to areas affected by the storm and a request from the Philippine Government to access the US$500 million liquidity facility.

The Cat-DDO is one of many forms of assistance available from the World Bank Group to help borrowers plan efficient responses to natural disasters. It gives a government immediate access to funds after a major natural disaster, a time when available funds are often not adequate to meet the needs for reconstruction and recovery. The US$500 million liquidity facility for the Philippines is the first of its kind in the East Asia and Pacific region. Other Cat-DDOs approved by the World Bank are in the Latin America and Caribbean region, for Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama and Peru.

The $500 million funding is complemented by a technical assistance program from the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) to support implementation of Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, as well as its Strategic National Action Plan for Disaster Risk Reduction (SNAP), which serves as the road map in the coming ten years to improve disaster risk management.

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima expressed appreciation for the quick response of the World Bank and the flexibility of the facility. “The Cat-DDO is a quick and flexible source of financing for a country like the Philippines which is vulnerable to natural calamities,” Secretary Purisima said.

DPL with Cat-DDO

The Development Policy Loan with Catastrophe Risk Deferred Drawdown Option (DPL with Cat-DDO), is a form of contingent financing that offers immediate liquidity of up to US$500 million or 0.25 percent of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (whichever is less). Funds are disbursed upon request when a country suffers a natural disaster and declares a state of emergency. Eligible recipients must have an adequate macroeconomic framework in place at inception of the Cat-DDO, and a disaster risk management program that is monitored by the World Bank.

Cat-DDO Widely Used in Latin America

Like the Philippines, Latin American countries are highly exposed to natural disasters. Costa Rica was the first country to sign a Cat-DDO with the World Bank. Just months after signing a $65 million Cat-DDO, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck 20 miles north of San José. More than 120,000 people were affected. Costa Rica drew down $24 million of the Cat-DDO to rebuild damaged infrastructure. A year after Guatemala requested and received a $85 million DPL with a Cat-DDO (April 2009), two major natural disasters—eruption of the Pacaya Volcano and tropical storm Agatha—caused damages worth $982 million (approximately 2.6 percent of the 2009 GDP). The Government disbursed the full balance of the Cat-DDO to finance part of the reconstruction and other expenses. Colombia too had prepared for this kind of natural disaster by signing a $150 million Cat-DDO on June 11, 2009. On December 28, 2010, Colombian authorities disbursed the full balance of the Cat-DDO to address a crisis caused by floods and landslides in the country’s worst rainy season in decades.

For more information on World Bank-assisted projects and programs in the Philippines,
visit www.worldbank.org.ph

Contacts:
In Manila: Dave Llorito, (63) 917-582-6477, dllorito@worldbank.org
Kitchie Hermoso, (63) 917-513-0314, comphilippines@worldbank.org
In Washington: Mohamad al-Arief, +1-202-458-5964, malarief@worldbank.org
For Broadcast Requests: Natalia Cieslik, +1-202-458-9369, ncieslik@worldbank.org

Philippines - PH - Chiller Energy Efficiency Project : P114119 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 03

2011-12-28T05:00:00.000Z

PHILIPPINES: Structural Reforms Needed to Boost Growth at Above 5 Percent-World Bank Report

2011-12-20T19:00:00.000Z

MANILA, DECEMBER 20, 2011—Reforms to address structural bottlenecks in the economy—including measures to raise revenue for higher spending on infrastructure, health, education and social protection as well as simplifying business regulations to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation—will enable the country to achieve sustained growth at rates above 5 percent in the years to come, according to the Philippines Quarterly Update released today by the World Bank.

“A stronger structural underpinning would allow the country to deal with shocks more effectively, achieve more inclusive growth, and reduce poverty at a faster rate,” said Mr. Karl Kendrick Chua, World Bank Country Economist, who led the preparation of the PQU.

Titled “Sustaining Growth in Uncertain Times,” the report projects the Philippines’ economic growth to moderate at 3.7 percent in 2011, weighed down by weak global demand as well as low public spending in the first three quarters of the year.

“Our projection hinges on the successful implementation of the government’s disbursement acceleration program and an acceleration in private consumption and investment, which have begun to grow faster in the last quarter,” Mr. Chua said.

Growth in 2012, the PQU says, is projected to improve to 4.2 percent in line with regional forecasts. Higher 2012 growth hinges on improvement in exports, acceleration of public-private partnership (PPP) projects and private sector investment, and a full recovery of public spending.

“The Government is instituting important measures to improve transparency and accountability in public spending. Once these institutional reforms are in place, spending is expected to fully recover at cost-effective levels with more resolute impact on the country’s growth and development,” said Mr. Chua.

The PQU highlights the continuing risks posed by the global economy to the Philippines’ growth prospects.

The external environment, it says, has become much weaker in recent months. Japan fell into recession in 2011 due to the effects of the earthquake and tsunami. Growth in the United States was sluggish in the first half. Output in the Eurozone has weakened sharply in the second half and there are fears that the region may go into recession in early 2012.

Growth in East Asia is projected to slow down from 8.1 percent in 2011 to 7.7 percent next year. While a number of countries are expected to enact fiscal stimuli to buoy growth, these are likely to be limited given narrower fiscal space.

Nevertheless, the PQU notes that the Philippines is relatively well-positioned to weather shocks emanating from the current global turmoil because of its strong macroeconomic fundamentals, regulatory reforms and prudential measures instituted following past crises and slowdowns.

Overseas Filipino workers’ large remittance inflows have insulated the country from external imbalances. The financial sector’s conservative stance throughout the preceding decade has helped to ensure healthy balance sheets. The corporate sector also exhibited no systemic vulnerabilities.

World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda said the Government can support growth by appropriate fiscal expansion given ample fiscal space. “Improving revenue performance is vital to supporting an effective stimulus program while keeping the deficit within sustainable bounds,” she said.

The PQU notes that the Government has initiated several reform measures for 2012 including raising excise taxes of alcohol and tobacco, pushing for the enactment of the fiscal responsibility and fiscal incentives rationalization bills to plug future leakages in tax revenues, and improving equity and efficiency of the tax system. Ensuring the enactment of these measures would be critical to raise spending in infrastructure and human capital to support medium-term growth prospects, says the report.

“These reform measures are steps in the right direction. An acceleration of these reforms, in particular raising excise taxes of alcohol and tobacco as proposed by the Administration, would help secure the much needed revenues to increase public spending especially for infrastructure development, health and education that should benefit the poor,” said Ms. Kanda.

PHILIPPINES: WB, Philippines Launch Formulation of a National Slum Upgrading Strategy

2011-12-19T17:00:00.000Z

MANILA, DECEMBER 19, 2011—The Philippine government launched today the formulation of the country’s National Slum Upgrading Strategy (NSUS) that will guide the efforts of national and local government units in upgrading the slum communities and improving the living conditions of informal settlers in the cities.

To be implemented by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the project supports the country’s thrust toward developing sustainable communities, especially in major cities, by addressing urban issues related to housing, resettlement, infrastructure, social services and job creation in poor urban communities.

“Slum communities in the Philippines endure poor living conditions such as cramped living spaces, lack of proper housing and insecure tenure, inadequate access to basic services such as water and sanitation, and exposure to health risks,” said Vice President Jejomar C. Binay who also chairs the HUDCC. “The formulation of a national slum upgrading strategy will boost our efforts to alleviate the plight of informal communities and improve the livability as well as the global competitiveness of our cities.”

Vice President Binay led the launching of the NSUS at his office in the Coconut Palace, Manila.

Funding for this project will come from a US$455,000 (about Php20 million) grant from Cities Alliance administered by the World Bank (WB). Cities Alliance is a global coalition of cities and their development partners committed to scaling up successful approaches to slum upgrading, city development strategies, and poverty reduction.

Members of Cities Alliance include local government units, governments (including Australia, Brazil, Chile, Ethiopia, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and the United States); non-government organizations including Slum Dwellers International and Habitat for Humanity International; and multilateral organizations including the European Union, United Nations Environmental Protection Agency, UN-HABITAT, and the World Bank.

Vice President Binay said that the national slum upgrading strategy will help local government units identify policy and program options for local slum upgrading that will be integrated into the local planning process.

“The resulting investments in housing, urban infrastructure, and social services for upgraded communities will redound to creating job opportunities and improved delivery of social services, thus contributing to local economic development,” Vice President Binay said.

As part of the process of developing the NSUS, the project will come up with a comprehensive assessment and database on the condition, issues, opportunities, and risks confronting slum communities. This assessment will form the basis for interventions related to slum upgrading.

“Community empowerment is at the core of any slum upgrading initiative,” said Vice President Binay. “We will ensure that informal settlers are empowered by involving their organizations in the preparation of the strategy. They will be engaged in the process, as well as be able to collaborate with the concerned LGUs in designing a strategy that responds to their needs and aspirations.”

The Philippines is among the rapidly urbanizing countries in Asia with 60 percent of its population living in urban areas. At its current urbanization rate, its urban population is expected to account for 75 percent of the total national population in 25 years.

“Many of the Philippines’ poor are informal settlers in urban areas who live in hazardous areas such as waterways, seawalls, and low-lying areas, making them vulnerable to natural disasters like floods and typhoons,” said Mr. Mark Woodward, World Bank’s Sustainable Development Leader. “Alleviating their plight, as well as improving the delivery of social services to these communities, forms a very important component of our Country Assistance Strategy in the country. I am pleased that Cities Alliance is involved in this slum upgrading strategy. This is a very important initiative.”

Currently, there are no firm estimates on the number of informal settlers in the country based on an identifiable data set or statistically valid estimating methodology. Estimates depend on the agency or the organization counting and tend to focus on government-led interventions.

For instance, the 2000 census estimated around 239,000 informal households for the entire country. In the same year, other estimates placed it at around 727,000 informal households in Metro Manila alone. The approach used by some non-government organizations and government agencies to estimate informal settlers as 30% of the total urban population will give a figure of about 3.1 million informal households in the country.

The comprehensive assessment to be done under the Project will address this information gap.

PHILIPPINES: Government, WB Agree to Work Closely to Accelerate Inclusive Growth

2011-12-14T19:45:00.000Z

MANILA, DECEMBER 14, 2011—The Philippines expects to receive continued support from the World Bank (WB) for priority programs and projects in the next three years after the institution reaffirmed its commitment to the country’s development strategy during a programming discussion held at the office of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) yesterday.

The programming discussion brought together government agencies and the WB to update and validate the Bank’s financing program for fiscal year 2012, firm-up its program of support for fiscal year 2013, and discuss new project ideas for consideration in the following years.

“The World Bank’s reaffirmation of support to the country’s development plan is timely because the Government is now accelerating public spending and infrastructure development to boost growth, increase productivity, and create more jobs,” said NEDA Deputy Director General Rolando Tungpalan.

Projects and programs discussed at the programming meeting are in the areas of poverty reduction through improved service delivery (e.g., health, education, and community-driven development projects); improved investment climate through infrastructure development (e.g., urban transport systems, road networks, wastewater management, renewable energy,) including through public-private partnerships; reducing vulnerabilities through support to social protection (e.g., additional financing for conditional cash transfers) and rural development, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation; and support for policy reforms for more inclusive growth, among others.

Mr. Tungpalan said that in view of the challenging global economic environment, “support from the WB and other development partners will boost our efforts to spur more economic activities and create more jobs.”

“On the part of the Philippine government, NEDA has just completed the country’s Public Investment Program (PIP) that will put on faster track the implementation of the country’s infrastructure program, among others,” Mr. Tungpalan said. “Our program is not just about addressing poverty; it’s really about creating more economic opportunities, and ultimately, prosperity for the country.”

Government agencies that participated in the discussion with the WB include the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Under its current Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) that covers up to June 2013, the World Bank committed an expanded program of support in response to the Government’s request for larger lending operations. The project line- up considered during the programming discussion, and subject to further processing, runs up to US$1.5 billion for 2012.

“Our program of support for the country for 2012-2013 is guided by our Country Assistance Strategy with a firm commitment to support inclusive growth in the country,” said Acting World Bank Country Director Chiyo Kanda. “We are pleased that the programming discussion has validated our programs for the next few years, which will help expedite preparations for these development initiatives."

Country programming discussions are conducted once a year and serve as the venue for discussion between the Government of the Philippines and WB regarding the Bank’s lending program for a three-year rolling period as defined by its CAS.

The project 20 MW Palinpinon II Geothermal Optimization Project has changed to Closed

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000Z

The project 20 MW Palinpinon II Geothermal Optimization Project has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The objective of the Nasulo Geothermal Power Project for Philippines is to help mitigate global climate change by facilitating the use of market-based mechanisms sanctioned under the Kyoto protocol through support to clean energy projects in the Philippines. The project components include: the project is located in the Second Palinpinon geothermal production fields in the Southern part of Negros Island, central Philippines. The Second Palinpinon field already supports existing power plants (totaling 80 MW) owned and operated by the National Power Corporation (NPC). The project will 'optimize' reservoir utilization within Second Palinpinon by tapping excess steam for additional power generation capacity amounting to 20 MW. The new power plant, to be owned and operated by Philippine National Oil Corporation-Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC), will contribute to meeting the growth in energy demand in the Visayas grid over the medium and longer term. The project comprises: (1) development of a 20 MW geothermal field, including the drilling of 1 production well, and re-injection wells, as well as the construction of the corresponding fluid collection and re-injection system (FCRS); (2) construction, installation and commissioning of a 1 x 20 geothermal power plant with H2S gas abatement facility; and (3) construction of a switching station in Nasuji to connect to NPC's 138 kV transmission line. Once the power plant is operational, power sales are estimated at about 150 GWh annually.

The project PH - Regional Infrastructure for Growth has changed to Active

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000Z

The project PH - Regional Infrastructure for Growth has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The development objectives of the Regional infrastructure for growth for Philippines are: (1) to stimulate integrative investment within regions by improving access to finance for local public infrastructure and services, and (2) to contribute to the economic recovery of participating local government units by improving access to local public infrastructure and services. The project has three components. First component is to support for regional infrastructure investment: to support improved physical and economic integration within participating provinces or regions by increasing access to finance for an open menu of local public infrastructure services. Second component is to support for post disaster reconstruction: to assist local governments with their post disaster rehabilitation and reconstruction needs. The third component is institutional support and strengthening of local service providers: to improve prioritization, planning and implementation of investments and enhance efficiency in sub-project implementation.

World Bank Launches “Apps for Climate” Competition

2011-12-02T15:43:03.000Z

New Bank climate change data book also released in margins of Durban conference

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, December 2, 2011 – Software developers and development practitioners are being brought together by an “Apps for Climate” competition launched today by the World Bank.

The competition, launched at the Durban climate conference, is asking entrants to use open data to create innovative software applications that can help solve some of the development problems that climate change poses.

“The competition aims to discover new and extraordinary ways to use open climate data,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change. “We hope to unleash the creative energy out there which will make “apps” that help create solutions to weather-related disasters, risks for agriculture, food and water supplies, rising sea levels and other climate related challenges.”

“This latest challenge builds on our earlier “Apps for Development” competition which also drew some very creative ideas related to adaptation,” Steer continued. “One called “save the rain”,” calculates how much rainwater you could save based on your geographic location and the surface area of your roof! We’re hoping for similar ‘out of the box’ ideas this time around, too.”

The “apps” for this latest competition can be created for the web, for mobile devices, for sms, for a desktop, or a tablet. The competition includes cash prizes to the winning entries. Apps must be submitted by March 16, 2012 (go to: http://www.worldbank.org/appsforclimate)

At the launch of the competition today, Steer also released the latest edition to the World Bank’s Little Data Book series, The Little Data Book on Climate Change (http://data.worldbank.org/products/data-books/little-data-book-on-climate-change).

This pocket size book provides summary national, international and regional data that cover the gamut of climate-relevant topics, including current and projected climate conditions, exposure to climate impacts, resilience, greenhouse gas emissions, climate finance, and current national and international efforts to take action.

The book is available in print or online via PDF. A free companion “app” allows users to browse the climate data collection on iPhones and iPads.

The data book and Apps competition are the latest offerings from the Bank’s new Open Data Initiative on Climate Change. (http://data.worldbank.org/climate-change)

The initiative will provide easy access to a first batch of high-quality data sets and analysis. In the coming months, as the Initiative develops, more data and other critical climate information will be rolled out.

The materials will be open, free, and accessible to all via a Climate Change Knowledge Portal (http://climateknowledgeportal.worldbank.org/). The Portal is a core component of the Bank’s new climate initiative and will also provide access to rainfall and temperature information.

For those confronted with the challenge of adapting to climate change, the portal aims to be a powerful tool to visualize in the medium and long term how changing patterns of rainfall and temperature can affect vulnerable countries and communities.

“Governments need access to climate data to make the best use of their water resources and also to plan for the extreme floods, cyclones and droughts that afflict our country on a regular basis,” said Ana Chichava, Mozambique’s deputy environment minister who joined Steer at the launch of the competition and data book in Durban today.

“Local people also need access to this data - and in forms that they can use, so they can make the right choices over when to plant, when to harvest and when it is safe to go to sea to fish,” she said. We strongly support efforts to make climate data open and accessible for public use.”

Also present at the launch today, Stephen Zebiak, Director-General of International Research Institute for Climate and Society, Earth Institute, Columbia University, recognized the Bank as a critical facilitator on the issue of access to climate data, use and delivery.

Zebiak, who is leading the Climate Services Partnership, noted “These recent steps by the World Bank on the data initiative are absolutely in the right direction and will unleash the tremendous power of climate and other data and information towards realization of innovative climate solutions.”

Contacts:

In Durban: Robert Bisset, + 27 76 392 8202, rbisset@worldbank.org

In Washington: Karolina Ordon, +1 202 458 5971, kordon@worldbank.org

For Broadcast Requests: Mehreen Sheikh, +1 202 458 7336, msheikh1@worldbank.org

More about the work of the World Bank on climate change: http://climatechange.worldbank.org/

Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/worldbank

Be updated via Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/worldbank

For our YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/worldbank

Philippines: World Bank Approves New Funding to Improve Delivery of Services to Poor Communities

2011-12-01T23:00:00.000Z

WASHINGTON DC, DECEMBER 1, 2011—The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved today a new loan to the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for a project designed to support investments in local public infrastructure and services.

The new financing amounting to US$50 million will fund the Regional Infrastructure for Growth Project (RIGP) which aims to improve physical and economic integration within and across local government units in participating provinces and regions by increasing access to finance for an open menu of local public infrastructure and services.

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Francisco F. Del Rosario Jr. welcomed approval of the loan saying, “This project will build on DBPs existing support for improved physical and economic integration - such as the Roll-on-roll-off (RORO) network - by encouraging LGUs to work with each other and with private sector partners to improve connectivity and access to better infrastructure development and services, especially to poor communities.”

DBP will on-lend the US$50 million loan to LGUs, public utilities or eligible local government-owned and controlled corporations, and private sector enterprises developing local infrastructure as well as providing services through public-private partnerships (PPP). In addition to offering direct retail sub-loans, DBP will also channel financing through wholesale loans to eligible private financial institutions for on-lending to local service providers.

“The project will finance a wide array of local public infrastructure and services that meet the objective of improving physical and economic integration,” said Mr. Del Rosario. “These projects will typically be among the priorities identified by a provincial agency or by a regional body or authority through their development and physical framework plans.”

In 1991, Congress enacted the Local Government Code to promote local autonomy and accountability as well as empower LGUs to improve public services and stimulate local development. The Code has devolved significant responsibility for the delivery of key services, and has provided annual transfers to LGUs through Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) to support core operations. Moreover, the Code has given LGUs the mandate to raise additional funds for investment in infrastructure and services through taxation and borrowing.

While significant strides have been made to improve local infrastructure and service delivery in many parts of the country, a number of LGUs and communities continue to face development challenges, including inadequate infrastructure and inefficient services due to limited access to finance. “RIGP aims to help address these challenges,” said Mr. Del Rosario.

“Many poor communities in the Philippines do not have access to adequate physical and economic infrastructure and services that promote integration such as vital link roads and bridges, and critical inputs such as electricity and water supply, among others,” said World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda. “That is why the World Bank is committed to work with development banks, LGUs and other stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of these provincial and regional priorities.”

“Projects like RIGP are important for achieving inclusive growth or growth that works for the poor,” Ms. Kanda added.

Philippines - Regional Infrastructure for Growth Project

2011-12-01T21:53:56.000Z

WASHINGTON, December 1, 2011 - The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors today approved the following project:

IBRD Loan: US$50 Million Equivalent

Terms: Maturity = 30 years Grace = 10 years

Project ID: P108904

Project Description: The project will help stimulate integrative investment by improving access to finance for public infrastructure and services. It will also contribute to the economic recovery of participating local governments by sustaining financing for infrastructure and services.

Contact:

Marilene B. Montemayor

(202) 473-4709

mmontemayor@worldbank.org

For more information, please visit here: http://web.worldbank.org/external/projects/main?pagePK=64283627&piPK=73230&theSitePK=40941&menuPK=228424&Projectid=P108904

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

Philippines: WB Approves New Funding To Improve Delivery Of Services To Poor Communities

2011-12-01T20:30:00.000Z

Project to Fund LGU Infrastructure for Greater Economic Integration and Connectivity

WASHINGTON DC, DECEMBER 1, 2011— The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors approved today a new loan to the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) for a project designed to support investments in local public infrastructure and services.

Among the eligible projects are environmental infrastructure (water supply, solid waste facilities, drainage systems); agriculture support systems (irrigation, small impounding reservoirs, supply chain infrastructure); disaster risk mitigation (sea walls, flood protection, slope protection); social (school buildings, hospitals, health centers); transport (provincial and local roads, local ports, public transport facilities); and tourism support (eco-parks, convention centers, heritage sites, resorts).

In 1991, Congress enacted the Local Government Code to promote local autonomy and accountability as well as empower LGUs to improve public services and stimulate local development. The Code has devolved significant responsibility for the delivery of key services, and has provided annual transfers to LGUs through Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) to support core operations. Moreover, the Code has given LGUs the mandate to raise additional funds for investment in infrastructure and services through taxation and borrowing.

While significant strides have been made to improve local infrastructure and service delivery in many parts of the country, a number of LGUs and communities continue to face development challenges, including inadequate infrastructure and inefficient services due to limited access to finance. “RIGP aims to help address these challenges,” said Mr. Del Rosario.

“Many poor communities in the Philippines do not have access to adequate physical and economic infrastructure and services that promote integration such as vital link roads and bridges, and critical inputs such as electricity and water supply, among others,” said World Bank Acting Country Director Chiyo Kanda. “That is why the World Bank is committed to work with development banks, LGUs and other stakeholders to accelerate the implementation of these provincial and regional priorities.”

“Projects like RIGP are important for achieving inclusive growth or growth that works for the poor,” Ms. Kanda added.

Contacts:
In Manila: Dave Llorito (632) 917-3047, dllorito@worldbank.org
Kitchie Hermoso (632) 917-3013, comphilippines@worldbank.org
In Washington: Mohamad al-Arief 1 -202- 458-5964, malarief@worldbank.org

For more information on World Bank-assisted projects and programs in the Philippines,
visit www.worldbank.org.ph

For more information, please visit the Projects website.

The project Developing A Knowledge Management and Exchange System for City Managers is now in the pipeline.

2011-11-18T05:00:00.000Z

The project Developing A Knowledge Management and Exchange System for City Managers is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Disaster Risk Management Development Loan with a CAT DDO has changed to Active

2011-09-14T04:00:00.000Z

The project Disaster Risk Management Development Loan with a CAT DDO has changed to Active. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Philippines Development Policy Loan to Foster More Inclusive Growth has changed to Closed

2011-08-13T04:00:00.000Z

The project Philippines Development Policy Loan to Foster More Inclusive Growth has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

This program document describes a single-tranche development policy loan (DPL) to the Republic of the Philippines for US$250 million. It is being proposed as the first of a programmatic series of three DPLs to support the Philippines' efforts to foster more inclusive growth by consolidating fiscal discipline, improving competitiveness, strengthening governance and promoting human capital accumulation. The need for more inclusive growth was made evident over the last decade, when the Philippines experienced a resurgence of economic growth that did not, however, translate into greater progress in poverty reduction. Recent analytical work suggests that an important obstacle to poverty reduction in these circumstances has been the country's high degrees of inequality in the distribution of income and in the access to public social services. At the same time, shortcomings in the provision of public infrastructure and social services undermine the sustainability of growth and the Government's ability to reduce inequality.

The project Developing a National Slum Upgrading Strategy for the Philippines is now in the pipeline.

2011-07-19T04:00:00.000Z

The project Developing a National Slum Upgrading Strategy for the Philippines is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Improving Livelihood Opportunities for Vulnerable Urban Communities is now in the pipeline.

2011-07-19T04:00:00.000Z

The project Improving Livelihood Opportunities for Vulnerable Urban Communities is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project PH Judicial Reform Support Project has changed to Closed

2011-07-02T04:00:00.000Z

The project PH Judicial Reform Support Project has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The development objective of the Judicial Reform Support Project for Philippines is to support an accessible judicial system that would foster public trust, and confidence. For the financing of a total project cost of US$24.4 million, the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loan comprises US$21.9 million and the government contribution US$2.5 million. The project could not be completed by the original closing date of December 31, 2009, and the closing date was extended by 18 months, to June 30, 2011. However, this extended period has not been sufficient to complete the project, due to (i) limited implementation and coordination capacity in the implementing agency; (ii) lengthy procurement processes; (iii) changes in the judiciary leadership (although the pace of implementation has picked up under Chief Justice Renato Corona's leadership more than $1.3 million has disbursed in the first half of calendar 2011 alone) and (iv) the very severe 2009 tropical storm Ondoy which set back implementation into early 2010 due to damage to courts and records. The modifications comprise (i) a one-year extension of the closing date from June 30, 2011 to June 30, 2012, (ii) reallocation of loan proceeds, (iii) cancellation of an amount of US$0.5 million from the loan proceeds, and (iv) dated covenants for cancellation, at the Bank's discretion, of activities and associated loan proceeds if agreed implementation milestones are not met. There are no changes to components but there are modifications to some activities within components, as indicated in the procurement-cum-implementation plan. These changes have no implications for the development objectives. The allocations for contracts to be entered into during the extension period are summarized below these are in line with agreed priorities.

The project PH-Support for Basic Ed. Sector Reform has changed to Closed

2011-07-02T04:00:00.000Z

The project PH-Support for Basic Ed. Sector Reform has changed to Closed. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The development objective of the Support for Philippines Basic Education Reforms Project is to support the implementation of the Philippine government's Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) which in turn aims to contribute to the achievement of the Philippines' basic education goal of improving quality and equity in learning outcomes. The changes to the project include: a) extension of closing date to December 31, 2012; and b) reallocation of grant proceeds among expenditure categories. The reallocation is intended to build more classrooms in areas with acute shortage; procure more technical assistance on critical areas of the reform program; conduct trainings and/or capacity building activities for regional, division and school-level personnel; provide more school-based management grants and provide for more incremental operating cost for travel, project monitoring and meetings and other operating costs incurred by the staff in the course of implementing the project activities.

The project National Program Support for Basic Education 2 is now in the pipeline.

2011-06-17T04:00:00.000Z

The project National Program Support for Basic Education 2 is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Disaster Risk Management Development Loan with a CAT DDO is now in the pipeline.

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project Disaster Risk Management Development Loan with a CAT DDO is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project National Sector Support for Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (Universal Health Care) is now in the pipeline.

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project National Sector Support for Kalusugan Pangkalahatan (Universal Health Care) is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Philippines Development Policy Loan to Foster More Inclusive Growth is now in the pipeline.

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project Philippines Development Policy Loan to Foster More Inclusive Growth is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Demonstration Project is now in the pipeline.

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project The Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Demonstration Project is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Traffic and Transport Management for Philippine CDS Cities is now in the pipeline.

2011-06-15T04:00:00.000Z

The project Traffic and Transport Management for Philippine CDS Cities is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database

The project Encouraging More Resilient Communities in Conflict-affected Areas of the Philippines is now in the pipeline.

2010-07-29T04:00:00.000Z

The project Encouraging More Resilient Communities in Conflict-affected Areas of the Philippines is now in the pipeline. To see more information, see the project information in the World Bank project database