The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), in partnership with the government of New Zealand, broke ground on Tuesday for a PHP30 million warehouse facility in this city designed to strengthen disaster preparedness and humanitarian response across Eastern Visayas.

New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Catherine McIntosh led the groundbreaking ceremony alongside PRC secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang and local chapter officials headed by vice chairperson and Leyte Board Member Ina Larrazabal-Gimenez.

The New Zealand government contributed PHP20.6 million through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s International Development Cooperation Program.

Strategically located in Tacloban City, the facility will serve as a vital logistics hub for humanitarian operations in a region frequently hit by typhoons, floods, storm surges, and other climate-related emergencies.

Once completed, the warehouse will be equipped with 52 racking systems and maintain relief stocks capable of supporting up to 1,500 individuals. It will also enhance logistics and inventory management for neighboring PRC chapters in Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, Hilongos, Ormoc, and Southern Leyte.

“As New Zealand and the Philippines commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations, we are proud to partner with the Philippine Red Cross in advancing resilience-building initiatives and reinforcing our longstanding commitment to humanitarian cooperation and disaster risk reduction,” McIntosh said.

Pang emphasized the importance of investing in preparedness to strengthen humanitarian response.

“With each item that will be prepositioned or stored in this warehouse, there is a family that may one day need help recovering from a disaster. This facility strengthens our ability to stand with communities in their most difficult moments, ensuring that assistance arrives faster, reaches farther, and provides hope when it is needed most,” she said. (PNA)