The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) has approved giving of assistance for infants and "nutritionally at-risk" pregnant women amid the coronavirus health crisis.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the IATF-EID adopted this policy in a meeting on Friday.

He said children ages 6-23 months and nutritionally at-risk pregnant women will be part of the "dietary supplementation program" and they will receive provision of cash or food packs. He did not give details.

"This forms part of improving healthcare of the citizens and a means to eliminating hunger which has been aggravated by the pandemic," Roque said.

The government previously undertook the largest cash assistance program through the Special Amelioration Program, providing over 18 million low-income households and vulnerable sectors P5,000 to P8,000 for two months when most parts of the country were under lockdown. Celerina Monte/DMS