MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) signed a memorandum of agreement with another government agency to release funds that would provide immediate assistance to victims of typhoon Ondoy in Pasig City.

The DFA inked a supplemental Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the release of DFA’s additional amount of P15 million to be used for Phase II of the Emergency Employment Program in Pasig City under the Arroyo administration’s Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program or CLEEP.

In a press statement, the DFA said the additional amount will bring to P30 million the total amount funded by the agency for emergency employment in Pasig City under CLEEP.

A similar MOA was signed by the two government departments last December 12, 2008 for the release of P15 million for Phase I of the Emergency Employment Program that benefited 1,000 out-of-school youths in Pasig City.

This MOA stemmed from Memorandum Circular No. 168 dated 23 October 2008 directing all departments and national agencies of the Philippine government to draw up and prepare emergency work programs and mobilize all their remaining resources to finance pro-poor programs. The DFA was designated as steward of Pasig City.

The DFA said it shall immediately release the additional project funding to assist Pasig residents affected by the recent calamity.