A total of 3,000 ready-to-eat food (RTEF) packs have been prepositioned in four ports in Negros Occidental, ready to be distributed to stranded passengers during sea transport disruptions.
The RTEFs were turned over by Department of Social Welfare and Development- Negros Island Region (DSWD-NIR) Regional Director Arwin Razo to Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Port Manager Rodel Lagmay in a ceremony held at PPA Port Operations Building in Bacolod City on Wednesday, August 21
.
“This highlights the strengthened partnership between the DSWD and the PPA with a unified goal of ensuring the availability of food packs in ports to assist stranded individuals during emergencies,” the DSWD-NIR said in a statement.
Out of the 3,000 RTEFs, 1,380 packs were allocated to Banago Port in Bacolod City.
The rest were distributed to the Terminal Management Offices in San Carlos City, which received 820 packs; Pulupandan Port, 600 packs; and Danao Port in Escalante City, 200 packs.
In June DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and PPA General Manager Jay Santiago signed an agreement allowing the DSWD to preposition RTEFs in PPA-managed facilities nationwide.
The RTEF packs were developed through a year-long collaboration between the DSWD and the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
Each food pack contains tuna paella, chicken pastil, arroz caldo, champorado, high-protein biscuits, and complementary infant food.*PNA