DSWD Inaugurates Mechanized Production System Relocated to Visayas Disaster Resource Center

As the Vice Chair of the Disaster Response Cluster, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and its partner international organizations inaugurated on June 22 in Tingub the Mechanized Production System (MPS) of the Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC), Mandaue City, Cebu.

The MPS is expected to boost the capacity of the VDRC to rapidly produce 50,000 Family Food Packages (FFPs) in one day, which is enough to feed 250,000 people for three days. It is made up of the following equipment: rice baggers; case fitters; packaging conveyor lines; pallet building and loading system; and a pallet racking system that improves storage, accessibility, mobility and tracking of goods inside the VDRC warehouse.

From 2016 to May 2022, the VDRC has already produced more than 2 million FFPs and distributed 1.9 million FFPs to localities in Visayas and Mindanao that have been affected by various disasters such as typhoons and the COVID-19 pandemic. 19.

The improvement of the MPS is a continuation of the strategic partnership between DSWD and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to further strengthen the Philippine government’s emergency response and supply chain capacity. .

The inauguration was attended by DSWD Under-Secretary Felicisimo C. Budiongan, Philippines Country Director Ms. Brenda Barton, DSWD Field Office VII Deputy Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero, DSWD National Logistics and Resource Management Office (NRLMB) Director Emmanuel P. Privado.

In his message, Undersecretary Budiongan thanked DSWD’s international partners for their support. He said, “I would like to express our gratitude to UNWFP for helping us set up Disaster Response Centers or DRCs in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to improve and decentralize government response. Filipino during disasters and calamities. The placement of DRCs has enhanced the ability of the Philippine government to produce and store FFPs in several strategic locations easily accessible by land, air, and sea.

DSWD will continue to strengthen its partnerships with other agencies and institutions to strengthen the Philippine government’s emergency response capacity.