The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) launched on Monday its newest initiative to ensure food security during disasters and calamities through the ready-to-eat food (RTEF) packs.
Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said the RTEF contains nutritious pre-cooked meals that will form part of the DSWD’s relief items, which will be distributed to affected families within 24 to 48 hours after the onset of a disaster.
“The DSWD collaborated with the Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) to create ready to eat meals to fill the critical gap when traditional cooking facilities or utensils are limited or unavailable in disaster affected areas,” Dumlao said.
She pointed out that the RTEF is a product of a year-long research by the DOST and its adopters. It was unveiled during a national convention on climate change mitigation held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City.
Later in the afternoon, the DSWD will hold the national convention of Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) and BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) to be attended by stakeholders, including local chief executives.
The national convention will serve as a platform to foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building of Project LAWA and BINHI implementers at the local and national levels.
The project’s accomplishments for the year 2024 will also be presented at the convention, which will be facilitated by Special Assistant to the Secretary (SAS) for Special Projects Isabel Lanada.
The projects are part of the DSWD risk resiliency initiatives aimed at building climate and disaster-resilient communities by assisting them to construct water reservoirs to meet the challenges of the dry spell and the rainy season.
“This national convention marks the culmination of Project LAWA at BINHI’s 2024 implementation and the official launch of the RTEF to the nation,” Dumlao said.
Projects LAWA and BINHI are designed to maintain agricultural productivity during dry periods and to manage excess water during periods of heavy rainfall associated with La Niña.
These are among the innovations in the DSWD that focus on mitigating the impacts of food insecurity and water scarcity caused by the El Niño while preparing for the potential effects of the cold event.
