The Manila city government on Wednesday launched its COVID-19 Food Security Program (FSP), an initiative that will allow 700,000 families to receive a monthly food subsidy and help curb hunger and mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the economy.
Manila City Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso said that the monthly food subsidy comes in the form of a box filled with three kilos of rice, 16 pieces of canned goods, and eight sachets of coffee.
"May mga bagay na hindi na muna natin tutugunan pero ito yung mga bagay na sa tingin kong makapaghihintay dahil naniniwala ako na ang tao ay may kumakalam na sikmura, ang kalsada'y wala. Uunahin na muna natin ang tao sa lungsod ng Maynila (There are things that we will not address first but these are the things that I think can wait. I believe that people are hungry. We will put people first in the city of Manila)," Domagoso said on Wednesday.
About P3 billion have already been allocated for the implementation of the food security program.
Domagoso is hopeful that the COVID-19 FSP will help curb hunger among poverty-stricken families in the city, with the pandemic rendering thousands of Filipinos jobless and homeless.
"Pipilitin natin sa lungsod na walang pamilyang magugutom. Sa Maynila, kakain tayo (We will see to it that no one will go hungry in the city). It may be a bold dream, but iniiwasan natin yung inevitable at sana nga hindi dumating yung mga susunod na buwan ng kahirapan ng mamamayan (We have to avoid the inevitable and hopefully the next few months we will not experience extreme poverty)," the city Mayor said.
The local chief executive assured that the city government’s ongoing housing projects will continue amid the pandemic.
"We will continue to achieve our goal, aspirations, and visions while others makapaghihintay naman (the others can wait). Kaya kung ano man ang gagawin pang malalaking bagay o maliliit na bagay, ay sinisigurado namin na ito'y kapakinabangan ng tao. Tao muna sa Lungsod ng Maynila. Iyan ang magiging direksyon ng ating 2021 (No matter what we do, small or big things, we will make sure everyone will benefit from it. People first in the city of Manila. That will be the direction of our 2021)," Domagoso said.