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The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has assured the public that the food items inside the Family Food Packs (FFPs) and ready-to-eat food (RTEF) boxes comply with the nutritional requirements for internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by disasters. “Na-mimeet naman po niyan [FFPs at RTEF] yung nutritional requirements ng ating mga internally displaced persons (IDPs),” Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) said on Monday (November 3). Asst. Secretary Dumlao, who serves as the DSWD’s spokesperson, said the food assistance provided by the Department was developed in collaboration with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), an attached agency of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) The partnership ensures that the food items meet the energy requirements of the IDPs and comply with the nutritional standards set by the National Nutrition Council (NNC). “Ang nilalaman po ng ating FFPs, ‘yung brown na box ay 6 kilograms na rice. Meron din po iyang 10 assorted na tin cans. Sa sampu na iyan, apat niyan ay tuna flakes in oil, ang apat po ay corned beef at dalawa lamang ang sardinas. Gayundin po ay may limang sachets ng instant coffee at lima ang choco malt,” Asst. Secretary Dumlao said. Each FFP is designed to feed a family of five for two to three days, according to the DSWD spokesperson. To complement the FFPs, the DSWD also distributes RTEF consisting of Halal-certified meals intended for evacuees or stranded passengers at ports. An RTEF box contains five cans of tuna paella, one can of chicken pastil, one can of giniling, two packs of arroz caldo, three packs of champorado, two protein biscuits, and one infant food item. “Wala pong noodles iyon,” the DSWD spokesperson said. Asst. Secretary Dumlao said the DSWD also provides hot meals to locals affected by disasters through its mobile kitchen. “Meron din po tayo yung mga hot meals, prepared and served through our mobile kitchens to complement the food boxes that we provide our internally displaced persons,” the DRMG official pointed out. The development of FFPs and RTEF contents, along with the deployment of mobile kitchens, is an innovation by Secretary Rex Gatchalian aimed at prioritizing the health and nutrition of families affected by disasters. These innovations are aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that no internally displaced person will go hungry during times of disaster. (AKDL)
