WFP Assistant Executive Director Pays Courtesy Call on DFA Acting Secretary

DFA Acting Secretary Enrique A. Manalo receives Ms. Elisabeth Rasmusson, World Food Programme Assistant Executive Director for Partnership, Governance and Advocacy, on 10 May 2017.

12 May 2017 MANILA – Ms. Elisabeth Rasmusson, World Food Programme (WFP) Assistant Executive Director for Partnership, Governance and Advocacy, paid a courtesy call on Acting Secretary Enrique A. Manalo on May 10.

Acting Secretary Manalo welcomed Ms. Rasmusson to the Philippines and underscored the good relations between the Philippine Government and WFP, noting the Government’s continuous commitment to work with its development partners in the UN System including the WFP.

He handed over to Ms. Rasmusson a letter addressed to Mr. David M. Beasley conveying the Philippine Government’s congratulatory greetings on his appointment as WFP Executive Director.

Ms. Rasmusson thanked Acting Secretary Manalo for receiving her and her delegation and noted the strong support the Philippine Government’s support to the WFP.

She mentioned that while WFP supports food aid operations in crisis situations, it is also pursuing a wholistic approach to support overall food security efforts, which include: social development, emergency, relief and recovery and special operations. At present, ongoing projects of WFP are worth over USD80 million aimed to enhance resilience in conflict- and disaster-affected communities as well as for capacity-building.

Ms. Rasmusson is in the Philippines from May 10 to 12 for the WFP Country Office in the Philippines’ official launch of the Food Security and Nutrition Strategic Review (FSNSR) – an independent study commissioned by the WFP to provide a comprehensive analysis of the food security and nutrition situation in the Philippines within the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 2 – to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. END.

From left to right: WFP Iligan Sub-Office Head Ms. Baicon Makaraya, WFP Deputy Regional Director/Bangkok Regional Bureau Ms. Parvathy Ramaswami,  WFP Country Director for the Philippines Mr. Praveen Agrawal, WFP Assistant Executive Director Ms. Elisabeth Rasmusson, DFA Acting Secretary Enrique A. Manalo, Executive Manager to the Assistant Executive Director Ms. Maria Jose Rojas, Senior Government Partnership Officer/Bangkok Regional Bureau Mr. Janne Suvanto, and Office of United Nations and International Organizations (UNIO) Economic Development Division Director Roberto G. Manalo.