World Bank Loans Philippines $600 Million To Support Economy

The World Bank hopes its new loan to the Philippines will help protect against the economic risk of natural disasters. Jam STA ROSA / AFP

The World Bank has approved a $600 million loan to the Philippines to support its post-pandemic economic recovery.

The funds will aim to stabilise the country’s financial sector and protect against the risk of natural disasters, the World Bank said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Financial inclusion can be a key enabler to speed up poverty reduction and strengthen recovery from the pandemic,” said Ndiamé Diop, World Bank country director for Brunei, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Also on AF: Analysts Surprised by China’s ‘Unexpected’ Economic Rebound

Only half of Filipinos aged 15 and above have a transaction account with a financial institution, below the East Asia and Pacific regional average of 80%, World Bank data shows.

The Philippine central bank is aiming for 70% of Filipino adults to be bank account holders by this year.

The World Bank said the loan also aims to develop a catastrophe insurance market in the Philippines to prevent people from falling into poverty following natural disasters.

The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,600 islands, is hit by an average of 20 tropical storms every year that cause deadly landslides and flash floods, and destroy crops and infrastructure. It is also prone to earthquakes as it sits on the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire”.