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The Philippine Coast Guard’s Bicol District opens its headquarters to serve as an evacuation center for some 150 residents of Varangay Rawis in Legazpi City affceted by Tropical Storm Paeng on October 28, 2022. Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard/File

The Philippine Coast Guard’s Bicol District opens its headquarters to serve as an evacuation center for some 150 residents of Varangay Rawis in Legazpi City affceted by Tropical Storm Paeng on October 28, 2022. Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard

Article (news)

Tropical Storm Paeng

Arra Perez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172171965262120221029-paeng-pcg-bicol-evac-center-HO-3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The Philippine Coast Guard’s Bicol District opens its headquarters to serve as an evacuation center for some 150 residents of Varangay Rawis in Legazpi City affceted by Tropical Storm Paeng on October 28, 2022. Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard/File"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Philippine Coast Guard’s Bicol District opens its headquarters to serve as an evacuation center for some 150 residents of Varangay Rawis in Legazpi City affceted by Tropical Storm Paeng on October 28, 2022. <em>Photo courtesy of Philippine Coast Guard/File</em></span></span></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">MANILA -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will procure and eventually launch &quot;ready to eat boxes&quot; within the year, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Tuesday.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Speaking to reporters at the sidelines of the 2024 Post-SONA Discussions, Gatchalian said the boxes will consist of &quot;nutritious food&quot; that will complement family food packs that are being distributed to evacuees during calamities. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Iyong existing food packs natin kasi kailangan mo ng abrelata para buksan muna iyon. Kasi stages ng isang disaster, mayroon iyang stage na ang local government units, nagse-setup pa sila ng mga corresponding na evacuation centers. So meaning, sine-set up pa iyong mga community kitchen, sineset up pa iyong mga wash facility,&quot; he said. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;So in the interim, meron kang tintingnan mo normally from the incident all the way to around 8 hours siguro or even mga 6 hours. Habang nag-aantay iyong mga victims, kailangan meron silang susubo ka agad, lalong-lalong na pag inabutan ng tanghalian or ng hapunan,&quot; he added. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Gatchalian explained the boxes are a mix of ready-to-eat noodles, protein bars and ready-to-eat meals. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;We had to test and make sure na hindi lang siyang masustansya kundi kaaya-aya rin iyong lasa. Kasi alam naman natin na pag mga biktima ng isang sakuna, e, mababa na ang moral. The last thing you want to tell them is, &#x27;Okay &#x27;yan kainin kahit na walang lasa.&#x27; Hindi tama yun. So we want to make sure na nutritious, delicious, and affordable, and proudly made by Filipino companies,&quot; he said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;We&#x27;re procuring it. So siyempre, the procurement process will take 90 days. Pero in the time being, we&#x27;re using our existing family food packs. All year long naman ang pag-iimbak natin niyan. We have close to 2 million family food packs spread across the entire country in different cities, municipalities, hanggang sa mga liblib na pook, iyong tawag naming last mile municipalities. But rest assured, the DSWD will not procure any type of product that is not certified by FDA, by FNRI, and in this case, yung sa Ready to Eat Meals, DOST,&quot; he added.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is in charge of developing the food for the ready-to-eat boxes, ensuring their nutritional content. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The agency will then help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) adapt their technology, which will then be tapped by DSWD to supply the meals for the agency for distribution to those in need. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Itong mga ready-to-eat meals ay inaral nang mabuti kung anong sustansya ang mayroon. Example niyan, arroz caldo. May arroz caldo tayo na pwedeng initin o pwede nang kainin. Ito ay tinest natin kung gaanong katagal pwedeng ma-store bago kainin at iyong iba dyan ay 6 buwan o 1 taon na. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng tamang packaging at pagluluto,&quot; he said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align:justify;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:10pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">&quot;Marami na pong na-develop ang DOST Food and Nutrition Research Institute ng mga noodles na galing sa gulay. So may mga kalabasa at may mga halo-halo pa. Para iyong vitamins na nagmumula mismo sa mga vegetables ay maihalo, hindi lang galing sa rice,&quot; he added. </span></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will procure and eventually launch "ready to eat boxes" within the year, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Tuesday.</p>

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will procure and eventually launch "ready to eat boxes" within the year, Secretary Rex Gatchalian said Tuesday.

DSWD eyes rollout of 'ready to eat boxes' for evacuees this year

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DSWD eyes rollout of 'ready to eat boxes' for evacuees this year

Arra Perez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 23, 2024 03:35 PM PHT

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Department of Social Welfare and Development

DSWD

relief goods

DOST Food and Nutrition Research Institute

Rex Gatchalian

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