The Department of Social Welfare and Development-Bicol (DSWD-5) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) turned over 35 community kitchen kits to local government units (LGUs) across the region to help provide hot meals to disaster-affected families and individuals stranded during emergencies.

In a report on Friday, DSWD-5 Director Norman Laurio said the initiative supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call for stronger disaster preparedness by bringing emergency food preparation closer to communities and enabling LGUs to respond without relying solely on mobile kitchens deployed by regional offices.

“The kits are intended to help LGUs prepare and distribute cooked meals to evacuees and locally stranded individuals (LSIs), particularly during disasters that disrupt transportation and leave passengers stranded at ports,” he said in a statement.

Laurio said the recipient municipalities were selected based on data from 27 disaster incidents, the frequency of LSIs, particularly in areas with ports, and the vulnerability of communities to recurring disasters.

Each kit contains essential cooking equipment and utensils, including gas burners, rice cookers, large cooking pots, preparation tables and other kitchen supplies.

Recipient LGUs are responsible for storing, maintaining, and deploying the kits during emergencies, while DSWD and WFP will provide monitoring and necessary augmentation support.

The recipient LGUs were Bacacay, Pio Duran, Malilipot, Rapu-Rapu, Tiwi and Tabaco City in Albay; Vinzons and Mercedes in Camarines Norte; and Gainza, Nabua, Pasacao, Siruma, Tinambac, Presentacion, Baao, Calabanga, Bula, Camaligan and Milaor in Camarines Sur.

In Catanduanes, the recipients were Virac, San Andres, Pandan and Gigmoto.

In Masbate, the kits went to Masbate City, Aroroy, Cataingan, Cawayan, Mobo, San Pascual, and San Jacinto.

In Sorsogon, the recipient municipalities were Bulan, Castilla, Irosin, and Matnog. (PNA)