A tropical storm left unprecedented devastation in its trail, which caused more than 1,000 people dead and 10,000 homes destroyed partially or fully. Close to 3000,000 people displaced.

Neeraj Jain, country director in ADB's Philippines Country Office, said: "A whole lot of agricultural crops have been damaged. And this devastation has occurred in southern Philippines, which is somewhat more poorer than the average of the country."

"The government must provide water to the people. Government must provide medical supplies to the people. It must provide shelters - tents, to the people. It must provide food to the people, it must provide hygiene kits to the people. Our assistance will supplement that. It will build up all those efforts of the country," he said.

"We are a partner - this is our home. It is incumbent on us when the country needs our assistance that we are there for the country, that we are there for the people," he added.

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