Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday (October 23) affirmed that the agency is working double time to address the immediate needs of stranded passengers during disasters including those stranded due to Tropical Storm (TS) Kristine.
Secretary Gatchalian said the ready-to-eat food (RTEF) will also be prepositioned in the DSWD’s regional offices so that the RTEF can also be distributed to families and individuals affected by fire incidents and other emergencies.
“Right now we augment the hot meals pero we’re about to come up with DOST (Department of Science and Technology) ready to eat food (RTEF) in a box. It’s a day box na lahat… kakainin mo na lang. There are protein bars and all those stuff, kakainin mo na lang galing sa DOST. We are about to launch it next month. So, ‘yon po ang mas systematic of doing it,” Secretary Gatchalian said during the situation briefing with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on the effects of Typhoon Kristine held at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Office inside Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
The ready-to-eat food (RTEF) and snacks will be distributed on top of the hot meals being provided by local government units (LGUs) to strandees during disasters, according to Secretary Gatchalian.
During the situation briefing, the DSWD chief welcomed the President’s suggestion to have these boxes prepositioned across piers and ports nationwide, adding that it was already a part of the agency’s plans.
“When we procure that [the RTE food]…patapos na po. It’s coming, these ready to eat boxes, we will preposition sa mga piers nationwide,” Secretary Gatchalian told the chief executive.
In July, Secretary Gatchalian announced the DSWD’s partnership with the DOST’s Food and the Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) for the formulation of ready-to-eat meals to families and individuals that will be affected by disasters.
Nutritionists from the DOST-FNRI have already developed ready-to-eat meals consisting of nutritious food items such as ready-to-eat noodles and protein bars.
“(N)ag-uusap na kami (ni DOST Secretary Renato Solidum, Jr.) at ipaprocure na namin yung ready-to-eat boxes kung tawagin. Kasi right now, what we are using is the family food pack (FFP), yung good for three to five days na mga de lata, packed rice. Ang gusto naman natin now and in the coming days, pino-procure na and we are in the process of it, yung ready-to-eat meals,” Secretary Gatchalian said at the 2024 Post-SONA Discussions at the Hilton Hotel in Pasay City last July 23.
The DSWD chief said the ready-to-eat meals will be provided to families affected by the disaster while the local government units (LGUs), the first responders during disaster situations, are in the initial stage of their disaster response.
Secretary Gatchalian had said this initiative on the RTEF was in response to the whole-of-government approach directive of President Marcos. “Yan ang bilin ng ating pangulo, na hindi pwedeng operating in silo. Dito pa lang, pati yung research nila, nagagamit na natin sa disaster response,” he said.
As of press time, the DSWD, in coordination with concerned LGUs, has so far provided hot meals to 645 stranded passengers in Tabaco Port in Albay province; more than 700 stranded individuals in Matnog Port in Sorsogon province; and, 628 stranded passengers in Pio Duran Port also in Albay.
