Reuters/Bangkok
The Philippines can provide 50,000 family food packs a day at short notice next time it is struck by a natural disaster, thanks to a new packaging system devised by the government and a United Nations agency.
A mechanised system can assemble the rations, consisting of rice, canned goods and coffee, and pack them quickly in a small box.
New rice bagging machines, a conveyor system and a pallet racking system have been installed at the National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City in Metro Manila, ready to be flown out to pack the rations and hand them to survivors.
"This will make a huge difference in the aftermath of a disaster as we are now able to significantly expand the number of people to whom we can provide immediate life-saving food," said Praveen Agrawal, Philippines country director of the World Food Programme, which set up the system with the government.
The government and aid agencies came under fire after Typhoon Haiyan tore through the Philippines in November 2013, killing more than 6,300 people, as survivors went for days without food.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said other projects to improve disaster preparedness included establishing a network of response facilities in other parts of the country, and running a training programme focused on emergency logistics.
The Philippines has consistently ranked among the five most disaster-prone countries because of its location on the western rim of the Pacific Ocean, one of the most active areas for tropical storms.
