EL SALVADOR CITY, Misamis Oriental (PIA)--To address the country’s growing need for food and disaster support, the Department of Agriculture (DA)-10 attended the ceremonial turnover of 400 MT or 10,000 bags of milled rice from the Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (ROK-MAFRA) at the El Salvador City Hall, March 21.
"This assistance will be a great help to aid the Philippine government as it strives to recover and handle the families affected by the calamities in the provinces of Mindanao," Department of Agriculture (DA) Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban said.
Through the implementation of Tier 3 of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), the 10,000 sacks of rice shall be divided and distributed to the three regions, where 3,333 will be allocated for Region 9, 3,333 for Region 10, and 3,334 for Region 11.
Together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the National Food Authority (NFA), and the Local Government of El Salvador, the DA made it possible for 68 people in El Salvador City to get a sack of rice that weighed about 40 kilos.
DSWD-10 Disaster Response Information Management Officer Martesha Maive C. Veloso said 68 families in El Salvador received priority because their homes had suffered severe damage from the natural disasters.
"Naigo among balay atong December 24, [2022] sa dako kaayo nga mga balod. Siyempre dako among kalipay nga makasalbar mi sa pang-adlaw-adlaw labi na sa isa ka sako, ug makatabang sa pang adlaw-adlaw na gasto," rice assistance beneficiary Nia Mae P. Maglinte said.
(Our house was hit by big waves on December 24, 2022, of course, we are very happy that we’ll be able to make ends meet every day with the sack of rice; it’s a big help, especially when it comes to day-to-day expenses)
Kim Inchul, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, says ASEAN countries will keep working together and giving humanitarian aid to its members. This includes projects like the APTERR-Tier 3 program, which works to end hunger and malnutrition and reduce poverty. (PIA-10/GKND)
