Seeking to augment its “Hot Meals on Wheels” fleet, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has procured seven additional food trucks to address hunger in the country, especially in communities affected by disasters and calamities.
The additional food trucks are on top of PRC’s existing 16 food trucks, which are immediately deployed to disaster-stricken areas to provide hot meals to hundreds of people.
“Kaagad natin binili at ipinagawa ang mga food trucks na ito upang mabigyang lunas ang kagutuman na nangyayari sa ating bansa. Ang mga bagong food trucks ay may kakayahang magpakain ng 100 katao kada oras at isa ito sa mga unang ipinapadala sa panahon ng sakuna (We immediately bought and built these food trucks to alleviate hunger that is happening in our country. The new food trucks are capable of feeding 100 people per hour and are the first to be deployed during disasters),” PRC Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Senator Richard Gordon said in a statement on Sunday, August 1.
The PRC’s “Hot Meals on Wheels” fleet is a first of its kind in the country.
The country’s premiere humanitarian organization said currently, the food trucks are stationed in key strategic areas nationwide to hasten relief operations in times of disaster. The food trucks are stationed in Metro Manila, Albay, Nueva Ecija, Manila, Pasay, Quezon City, Iloilo), Aklan, Davao City, and Bacolod.
It noted that the initiative first started in 2005, through the leadership of Gordon to provide food to the country’s most vulnerable sectors.
PRC’s food trucks have so far extended food relief to over a million people. These include victims of the Bohol earthquake and Zamboanga siege in 2013, the Mindanao earthquake in 2019, Typhoons "Rolly" and "Ulysses" in 2020.
Those affected by ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have also been catered to by the “Hot Meals on Wheels” fleet.
"The food truck has played a vital role in PRC’s emergency response thru the delivery of hot meals in evacuation centers. Each food truck is equipped with industrial size burners, steamers, and other cooking equipment,” the PRC said.