The Manila City government's COVID-19 Food Security Program (FSP) acquired an additional fund amounting to P1,427,000,000.
Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso signed Ordinance No. 8739 allowing the release of supplemental budget to cover the expenses of the FSP for the month of May, June, and July.
"Nahanapan po namin ng pera. Hindi man po ito solusyon ng pangkalahatan, pero ang layunin namin ay maibsan man lang ang inyong buwanang gastusin. Pipilitin namin na maitawid ang ating mga kababayan (We found a budget. This is not a general solution, but our goal is to reduce your monthly expenses at least. We will insist on helping our fellow citizens)," said Domagoso on Friday, March 26.
As of Friday, March 26, the FSP food boxes for the month of March had already reached all six districts of Manila.
"Pangarap natin na walang magutom sa Maynila (Our dream is that no one will starve in Manila)," Domagoso said.
The FSP aims to give a monthly food subsidy to 700,000 families in the city and help curb hunger and mitigate the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Each food box contains three kilos of rice, 16 pieces of canned goods, and eight sachets of coffee.
Domagoso expressed his gratitude to the Manila City Council (MCC) for their continued support for the program.
Vice Mayor Dr. Maria Sheila “Honey” Lacuna-Pangan served as presiding officer in the deliberations over Ordinance No. 8739, while Councilor Atty. Joel Chua was the majority floor leader.
According to Domagoso, the City of Manila's budget had to be realigned to finance the FSP. Initially, a P3 billion budget had been allocated for the program.
The mayor added that he and the MCC decided to temporarily postpone some road projects in the city to fund the FSP.
"Pasensyahan na po ninyo. Pinagpapauna ko na po. Makakaramdam kayo ng paglubak ng kalsada ng Maynila. This may bring some level of discomfort. Pero ang kalsada na 'yan ay walang bitukang kakalam (Please be patient. I'm putting it first. You will feel the bumps on the streets of Manila. This may bring some level of discomfort. But that road has no stomach that will starve)," Domagoso said.
Barangays that are under lockdowns or are scheduled to be locked down should be prioritized in the delivery of FSP food boxes, the mayor added.