Manila: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) have formalized an agreement to preposition ready-to-eat food (RTEF) packs at seaports across the country in anticipation of disasters.

According to Philippines News Agency, the agreement was signed by DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian and PPA General Manager Jay Santiago during a ceremony at the Manila North Port. This collaboration is aimed at enhancing the efficiency of relief operations when disasters occur, especially when passengers are stranded due to disruptions in sea transport.

Santiago highlighted that the partnership is crucial for delivering immediate relief to vulnerable populations during emergencies. The ports will serve as strategic access points for food distribution, ensuring that stranded or displaced individuals receive necessary sustenance.

Historically, the PPA has conducted 'lugaw' (porridge) distribution using donations from PPA employees to support stranded passengers. The current initiative builds on this by introducing RTEF packs, which were developed in conjunction with the Department of Science and Technology - Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) over the past year.

The RTEF packs include a variety of ready-to-eat items, such as tuna paella, chicken pastil, arroz caldo, champorado, high-protein biscuits, and complementary infant food, designed to meet immediate nutritional needs of disaster-affected individuals.

These food packs are part of DSWD's relief strategy, which aims to deliver aid to affected families within 24 to 48 hours following a disaster. Currently, the DSWD has produced 120,000 boxes of RTEF. These will be strategically prepositioned not only in seaports but also in other warehouses and storing facilities managed by various agencies nationwide, ready for deployment to disaster-stricken areas as needed.