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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider ASEAN moves to secure supply of basic needs amid Covid-19, Ukraine-Russia crisis — DFA exec

ASEAN moves to secure supply of basic needs amid Covid-19, Ukraine-Russia crisis — DFA exec

Published Jul 28, 2022 01:33 pm

The Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have put in place measures to ensure unimpeded supply of basic needs amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)-Office of ASEAN Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu said that measures first taken at the height of the pandemic remain being implemented and "there are still a lot of progress in it."

DFA spokesperson Tes Daza, DFA-OPCD Asec. Ed Menez, and DFA-Office of ASEAN Affairs Asec. Daniel Espiritu (from left to right) hold a media briefing on Thursday, July 28, 2022. (Photo by Noel Pabalate/MANILA BULLETIN)

Among these include the Covid-19 ASEAN recovery fund, which is still being disbursed to cover the purchase and the distribution of the vaccines and other medical supplies.

"In fact, also corollary to this, there's a lot of this program on the ASEAN reserve on regional supplies," Espiritu said during DFA's first press briefing under the Marcos administration on Thursday, July 28.

"These are preposition relief medicines fund vaccines for the Covid pandemic that are placed in individual ASEAN countries," he added.

Espiritu assured the Philippines and the ASEAN will also ensure that "livelihood economic activities will not be paralyzed in ASEAN."

Meanwhile, the food and energy security concerns, the DFA official said, "are constantly also being discussed in the ASEAN" in the wake of the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

"Conferences are being done under the economic pillar to address these things harmonization of policy measures and activity to further economic activities and relax our food security issues, especially in the face of food shortages because of the shortage of supply from that area," Espiritu said.

In fact, he asserted, there are also "some unconcluded proposal in ASEAN which will be further addressed" in the current ministerial meeting.

"China is proposing a statement on energy security and also a separate statement from food security. And other external partners are proposing the same measure," he added.

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