As part of the U.S. government’s continuing commitment to help the people of Leyte recover from the destruction caused by Typhoon Yolanda, the U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID) turned over to Tacloban City the Rapid Feasibility Study for the Tacloban City North Bulk Water Supply Project. The turnover ceremony was led by Hon. Alfred Romualdez, Mayor of Tacloban City, and Ms. Gloria D. Steele, Mission Director of USAID Philippines.

"Clean water supply had always been a priority on the list after Typhoon Yolanda ravaged our City. This project by USAID is an incomparable response to the people's need of a sustained safe water supply. This will be a huge support for Tacloban's continuous recovery," Mayor Romualdez said.

Leyte Province was especially hard hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in late 2013, which affected 16 million people and damaged infrastructure including water systems and left thousands of people with no access to clean water.

The U.S. government supports the people of Leyte Province by increasing access to sustainable water supply and wastewater treatment services, rehabilitating typhoon-damaged water systems and strengthening resilience to climate change impacts.

"Water is a vital and important natural resource. Clean potable water is critical for the health and wellbeing of everyone and we must ensure its availability at all times. USAID programs have a long history of using innovative advances in technology and partnerships with the private sector to increase water availability and quality," said Director Steele.

USAID, through its Water Security for Resilient Economic Growth and Stability Project, is facilitating a bulk water supply project under a public-private partnership scheme (PPP) for Tacloban City that will provide water access through a piped network distribution system that will benefit 100,000 people in Barangay New Kawayan, Tacloban North, a new development area in the northern portion of the city where housing is being built for about 20,000 families. USAID developed the rapid feasibility study for the city to enable the implementation of the PPP scheme.