The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has partnered with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to preposition ready-to-eat food boxes in key ports across the country ahead of disasters, particularly during typhoons that disrupt sea travel.

Under the agreement signed on June 27, food packs will be stored in PPA-managed facilities nationwide to ensure faster distribution of relief assistance to stranded passengers.

“Kapag ikaw ay naipit or stuck at ports, ang pangunahin mong iisipin ay, ‘ano ang aking makakain?’ So ang DSWD at PPA ay nagkaroon ng kasunduan upang mag-preposition tayo ng mga ready-to-eat food packs sa mga major and critical ports natin nationwide (When you're stuck at ports, your first thought is, ‘what will I eat?’ So the DSWD and PPA agreed to preposition ready-to-eat food packs at our major and critical ports nationwide),” DSWD spokesperson Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said during a televised briefing on Tuesday, July 1.

“Ito ay para matiyak na ang mga kababayan natin na hindi makapaglayag ay mabibigyan ng immediate relief assistance (This is to ensure that our fellow citizens who are unable to travel by sea receive immediate relief assistance),” she added.

Dumlao noted that the ready-to-eat food packs differ from the usual family food packs as they do not require heating or preparation.

“Ito pong ready to eat food natin ay iba sa mga family food packs, because as the name suggests, ready-to-eat food na po ito hindi na kailangan na ipainit, hindi kinakailangan ng mainit na tubig. Pupunitin mo lang yung packs, or i-open mo lang yung tin cans and you can consume it already. Meron na rin pong mga kutsara na nakapaloob sa mga food boxes natin (These ready-to-eat foods are different from the family food packs. As the name suggests, they don’t need to be heated or require hot water. You just tear open the packs or open the cans and they’re ready to eat. Each food box also includes spoons),” Dumlao said.

Each food box contains five cans of tuna paella, one can of chicken pastil, one can of giniling (ground meat), two packs of arroz caldo (rice porridge), three packs of champorado (chocolate rice porridge), two protein biscuits, and one complimentary food item for infants. The packs are designed to feed a family of five for an entire day.

DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured during the signing of the agreement that every item in the boxes was carefully selected in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute.