The Philippine government has said the country needs 361 billion pesos (8.17 billion USD) for rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas devastated by super typhoon Haiyan, which caused damages amounting to nearly 13 billion USD.

Presenting the reconstruction assistance plan before donors and development partners, President Benigno Aquino III said the government will give priority to public infrastructure, shelter and resettlement, the resumption of education and health services, and agriculture and industry.

The building of shelter and resettlement alone will cost an estimated 183.3 billion pesos (4.15 billion USD).

Meanwhile, Philippine Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the government has already allocated 34 billion pesos (769 million USD) for "critical immediate actions" and another 100 billion pesos (2.26 billion USD) will be budgeted for reconstruction in 2014.

According to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) of Philippines, the total damage and loss from Haiyan was at 571.1 billion pesos (12.9 billion USD).

It said the damage may reduce the country's economic growth rate by 0.3 percentage point in 2013 and by another 0.3 percentage point in 2014.

President Aquino III has also called for assistance from the international community as well as private sector not only in reconstructing typhoon-hit areas but also enhancing these localities’ capacity to respond to natural disasters and climate change impacts.

(Source: VNA)