The Philippine government plans to spend nearly 4 billion USD to rehabilitate areas devastated by super typhoon Haiyan last year, senior adviser to President Benigno Aquino on Haiyan rehabilitation Panfilo Lacson told the media on August 1.

The Congress has already allotted some 3.1 billion USD for resettling displaced communities, rebuilding infrastructure, providing social services and creating jobs in the affected areas. The remaining will be sourced from the 2015 and 2016 national budgets.

About 80 percent of the project should be completed by the time when the Philippines elects its new leader in mid-2016, Lacson said.

Haiyan struck the central part of the Philippines on November 8, 2013 with its monster winds of up to 275 km per hour, leaving nearly 8,000 people dead or missing.

It destroyed 1.14 million houses and agricultural crops worth 456 million USD, according to the government data.

The Philippines is hit by about 20 storms and typhoons each year. Last month, typhoon Rammasun claimed 98 lives and left five others missing in provinces around Manila.-VNA