EL SALVADOR CITY, Misamis Oriental (PIA)--"The ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Secretariat, together with the member countries, has been eager to help our Filipino friends get through the difficult time and wishes that the distribution of 400 MT of rice will support those affected by the flooding and landslides to get back on their feet soon."
General Manager of the APTERR Secretariat, Dr. Choomjet Karnjanakesorn, graced the ceremonial turnover of the rice donation by the Republic of Korea-Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (ROK-MAFRA) for the affected families in Regions 9, 10, and 11. The ceremony was held on March 21, here.
The APTERR Agreement, which the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry of ASEAN Plus Three signed in 2011, established the APTERR as a regional cooperation. The main goals of the APTERR are to improve food security, reduce poverty, and get rid of malnutrition among its members without getting in the way of normal trade.
The National Food Authority (NFA), as the Philippine representative to the APTERR parties, continuously works closely with the body to ensure a successful implementation of every rice donation in collaboration with its long-term partner, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and its mother agency, the Department of Agriculture (DA).
The said contribution is under Tier 3 of APTERR’s prepositioned program. The arrival of the latter’s emergency rice reserve to this country on December 5, 2022, came at a very fitting time as the shearline and low-pressure area later in the same month caused floods and landslides, majorly affecting the above-mentioned regions. The NFA then quickly made a request to the APTERR for the release of the Government of Korea’s 400 MT of rice that were stored at the NFA-owned warehouse in Davao City.
With the DSWD carrying out the distribution, 68 identified totally damaged houses in El Salvador City will receive a 40 kg sack of rice per household. The rest of the 10,000 sacks will be distributed to other beneficiaries in Region 9, 10, and 11.
"The contribution we are making today might only be a fraction of an overwhelming necessary effort, but I do hope these sacks of rice will give the affected people renewed hope and strength. Please remember that Korea, as a decades-long partner and friend, will remain in solidarity with the Philippines and extends its hand to the Filipino people whenever needed, like we do today," mentioned the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, Kim Inchul.
The turnover ceremony was attended by the heads of the national government agencies, including DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban; NFA Administrator Roderico R. Bioco; DSWD Disaster Response Management Group Usec. Marco M. Bautista; and the local chief executives, City Mayor Edgar S. Lignes and Misamis Oriental Governor, Peter M. Unabia. (NFA-10/PIA-10)
