The Philippines will be seeking  an amount at least $1 billion from worldwide donors for restoration after shocking back-to-back storms highlighted the country’s vulnerability to climate change, officials said Wednesday.

“The underlying doctrine is that the Philippines is a victim of climate change, not a culprit,” President Gloria M. Arroyo told an economic conference for investors and diplomats.

She blamed the extreme weather for the most terrible flooding in 40 years that struck the rice-growing northern Philippines late last month when a typhoon after a storm dumped heavy rains that triggered landslides and swamped towns.

According to the officials, at least 712 people were killed and 7 million affected, while the cost of damage to crops and fisheries was estimated at $396 million. Another $114 million of infrastructure was destroyed, officials said.

The government said the donor meeting may take place in late November or early December, after the UN and the World Bank review total damage from the storms. World Bank team would be arriving in the Philippines within a month.

The country was looking for grants to finance restoration, followed by concessional loans and commercial borrowings, Arroyo added. The Philippine reconstruction commission may suggest issuing of special bonds to sponsor the project, she said.