Asian Development Bank president Masatsugu Asakawa and Finance Secretary and ADB Governor Carlos Dominguez III on Friday discussed how ADB can scale up its support for the Philippine response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Asakawa commended the Philippine government on its decisive action to implement strong and necessary social distancing measures to stop the spread of COVID-19. He said ADB stands ready to provide further support.
“ADB is fully committed to supporting the Philippines’ efforts to overcome these unprecedented, extraordinary, and challenging times. We will be ready with a large assistance package within weeks to help the government carry out a response with maximum impact. We have already approved a $3 million grant to procure medical supplies. A new innovative facility will be launched within days to deliver food to the poor, with participation by the government and the private sector,” the ADB chief said.