DSWD gets P10-M worth of rice from Korean gov’t

About P10 million worth of locally-produced and well-milled rice was received by the  Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) from the government of the Republic of Korea, which is intended for poor and vulnerable families in Metro Manila and neighboring areas who have been affected by the community quarantine.
 
It is the second rice donation conducted through the Emergency Rice Support Project (ERSP) of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
 
The rice stocks were sourced from Filipino farmers from Western Visayas, which include KOICA’s partners, namely the municipal government of San Miguel, Iloilo; San Miguel Farmers Agriculture Cooperative; Iloilo Rice Processing Complex in Pototan, Iloilo; and other local farmer cooperatives.
 
DSWD Secretary Rolando Bautista received the US$200,000 worth of rice equivalent to 200 metric tons of rice from Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Han Dong-man in a simple turnover ceremony last July 17.
 
DSWD's National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City received the rice donation in four tranches last month.
 
The first batch composed of 40 metric tons or 800 bags of rice arrived on October 1; the second batch on October 3 with 80 metric tons or 1,600 bags of rice, and the third and fourth batches, composed of 80 metric tons or 1,600 bags of rice, arrived last October 22 and 25, respectively.
 
The rice donation will be repacked by DSWD and will form part of the Department’s family food packs, which are being provided as resource augmentation support to local government units to help them respond to the food needs of their constituents.
 
A total of 33,334 family food packs, with six kilograms of rice each, will be produced through the rice donation. 
 
The food packs will be distributed to the same number of households or to 166,670 individuals who have been affected by the pandemic.
 
Bautista has expressed his gratitude to the government of the Republic of Korea for the aid, noting that the donation reflects the South Korean people’s utmost consideration and thoughtful concern to Filipinos in need.
 
The department assured that all efforts will be exerted to ensure that the donated rice will reach the intended beneficiaries to help them cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.