Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian thanked the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP) for the donation of a new mobile kitchen unit during a turnover ceremony held at the agency’s Disaster Response Command Center (DRCC) on Tuesday (April 22).
“The DSWD truly appreciates this gift of love. I know it’s not easy to come up with this kind of donation in light of budget cuts left and right, so I really want to focus on that and I believe that despite all these challenges, despite the new paradigm in global financing for development work, the DSWD and the WFP will keep their relationship strong,” Secretary Gatchalian said in his message.
The new mobile kitchen unit is the result of the continued collaboration between the DSWD and the WFP, which began in the last quarter of 2023.
The unit was developed through extensive consultation and co-creation processes to enhance its design and operational capacity, ensuring that it is more responsive to the needs of Filipino communities affected by disasters.
“I see this partnership between the WFP and the DSWD going from strength to strength,” WFP Country Director Regis Chapman emphasized in his message during the ceremony.
In addition to the 15 mobile kitchen units previously acquired by the Department, the newly donated unit will be used in delivering hot and nutritious meals to families affected by disasters and crises, particularly in regions where access to cooking facilities is severely limited.
This donation underscores the strong and collaborative partnership between the DSWD and the WFP, united by a common goal to achieve zero hunger and strengthen the adaptive and shock-responsive social protection for vulnerable communities in the Philippines.
With Bicol Region being one of the most disaster-prone areas in the country, frequently impacted by typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and other calamities, the newly donated mobile kitchen will be stationed at the DSWD’s Field Office-5.
This deployment will significantly bolster the FO-5’s capacity to respond to the immediate needs of families and individuals affected by disasters, reinforcing the region’s resilience in times of crisis.
Also present in the ceremony were Undersecretary Diana Rose Cajipe and Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG); Assistant Bureau Director Michael Cristopher Mathay of the Disaster Response Management Bureau (DRMB); FO-5’s Disaster Response and Management Division Chief Claudio Villareal Jr.; and WFP Programme Policy Officer for Emergency Preparedness and Response Harold Javier.