World Bank Capital-at-Risk Notes Program news

The Bureau of the Treasury of the Republic of the Philippines has issued a notice to the calculation agent of the World Bank issued IBRD CAR 123-124 catastrophe bond after the impacts of recent tropical storm Megi (locally known as storm Agaton), Artemis has learned.

The triggering and impending $52.5 million payout of the Philippines catastrophe bond by recent typhoon Rai (known in the Philippines as Odette), demonstrates a “tangible result” of the country’s disaster risk financing work, according to its Finance Secretary.

The Philippines government will make a recovery under the terms of its World Bank issued IBRD CAR 123-124 catastrophe bond, as the event calculation process has now run and super typhoon Rai (locally known as Odette) has breached the parametric trigger for wind, Artemis has learned.

The government of the Philippines has drawn $80 million to help in the recovery from super typhoon Rai (Odette) from the World Bank supported catastrophe contingent line-of-credit it has in place through a Catastrophe-Deferred Drawdown Option arrangement, dubbed the CAT-DDO 4.

The Philippines Government Treasury department has now issued a notice to the calculation agent requesting that an assessment be made as to whether recent super typhoon Rai (locally known as Odette) might have triggered its World Bank issued IBRD CAR 123-124 catastrophe bond coverage.

We understand that the World Bank has been put on notice as the Philippines government hopes to trigger the $500 million catastrophe contingent line-of-credit it can receive through its Catastrophe-Deferred Drawdown Option arrangement, dubbed the CAT-DDO 4.

Super typhoon Rai, or typhoon 28W which is known locally in the Philippines as Odette, is tracking towards the country’s central and southern islands and is expected to make landfall with sustained winds as high as 160 mph, putting holders of the World Bank issued IBRD CAR 123-124 catastrophe bond on alert.

The Council of Ministers of Finance of Central America, Panama and the Dominican Republic (COSEFIN) hopes to tap into the capital markets for disaster insurance protection through a joint catastrophe bond issuance, with the support of the World Bank.

Fitch Ratings has made an interesting observation related to the Jamaica’s first catastrophe bond, the $185 million IBRD CAR 130 transaction that came to market in July. It represents the largest World Bank facilitated cat bond, relative to the sponsor government’s GDP.

The fact foreign donors paid for the premiums associated with Jamaica’s first catastrophe bond does not mean it was a “handout” the country’s Minister of Finance has explained.