President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday inspected the upgraded Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Mandaue City, highlighting the government’s expanded capacity to deliver relief supplies to disaster-affected communities in the Visayas and Mindanao.
The P117-million upgrade of VDRC’s Mechanized Production System (MPS) enables the facility to produce up to 30,000 family food packs per eight-hour shift, more than tripling its previous daily output of 5,000 to 8,000 packs when operations were done manually.
Marcos said this is the first time the national government has been able to provide this type of standardized food pack directly.
In the past, disaster victims had to source assistance from various channels, but the upgraded facility now allows the government to supply aid itself
He noted that when production was manual, the center could only produce 5,000 to 8,000 packs a day.
With the new machines operating at full capacity, output can reach 30,000 packs daily.
The President added that the mechanized lines were commissioned and designed specifically for the Philippines.
The system uses machine-operated vacuum sealing to extend shelf life, keeping food packs infestation-free and suitable for long-term storage and prepositioning in disaster-prone areas.
VDRC currently has four million food packs in storage. Production will continue until the total exceeds five million.
Food packs nearing expiration are being distributed free to communities in need.
Marcos expressed hope that there would be no storms or disasters that would require the use of the stored supplies.
During the inspection, he toured the raw material storage area, family food pack storage, and both manual and mechanized production facilities.
He also observed the loading of food packs onto trucks bound for prepositioning at Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) field offices in Iloilo City and Butuan City.
The Visayas hub complements the Luzon Disaster Resource Center in Pasay City.
A permanent Mindanao Disaster Resource Center is being constructed in Butuan City and is expected to operate by the end of the year or early next year.
In the meantime, relief supplies for parts of Mindanao will be dispatched from the Visayas facility.
The government also operates 17 mobile kitchens to provide hot meals in evacuation centers and 16 mobile command centers to improve coordination during disasters nationwide.
DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian briefed the President on VDRC operations, noting that mechanization allows the government to respond more quickly and efficiently, including reaching remote and vulnerable communities.
Photo by Jacq Hernandez
