Rev. Dave Christopher Cantillas blesses the new Visayas Disaster Response Center in Mandaue City. (CONTRIBUTED)
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) spearheaded the blessing of the Visayas Disaster Response Center (VDRC).
The blessing was officiated by Rev. Dave Christopher Cantillas.
It was attended by staff from the DSWD Central Office and the DSWD-7 headed by Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre and United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP).
The VDRC, which is located in Barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue City, houses the custom-built mechanized production system designed to rapidly put together 50,000 family food packs per day. Each food pack is enough to feed 250,000 people in three days.
The VDRC also features a pallet racking system for improved storage of food packs and warehousing of food and non-food commodities, guaranteeing quality stockpiles of family food packs and other humanitarian assistance ready for distribution.
The VDRC is a continuation of the strategic partnership between the DSWD and UNWFP to enhance the emergency response in the Philippines. It is funded by the governments of Australia and the United Kingdom.
The inauguration of the center was held a day after the blessing.