The Department of Agriculture (DA) has received 10,000 bags of milled rice from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs of South Korea, as aid to calamity-stricken families in the country.

In a statement Monday, DA Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban expressed gratitude to South Korea for its support.

“The immediate provision of emergency food aid is critical at all stages of disaster response. This provision ensures food security at the earliest time possible,” he said.

He also emphasized that the move further signifies the value of food security amid challenges.

“Our Philippine President as Secretary of Agriculture strongly emphasizes the importance of ensuring food security for all, especially for the most vulnerable calamity-affected communities in the country… We are not only accepting the goodwill of tested ally but also recommitting ourselves to our common objective for food security and the future,” he added.

The DA added that the supply shall be distributed in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region.

“The Department of Agriculture (DA) welcomed the Republic of Korea – Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (ROK-MAFRA)’s donation of 400 metric tons of milled rice, which will be distributed to 10,000 families affected by flooding and landslides,” the DA said.

Beneficiaries include those who suffered from the combined effects of low-pressure area, the northeast monsoon, and the shear line.

This batch, meanwhile, is the third batch under the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Program.

“The assistance is the final batch of interventions from ROK. The first two donations were granted in 2020 for families affected by typhoons in Luzon and Mindanao,” the DA said.

Under the APTERR, member states from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) strengthen regional stability through cooperation to achieve food security and combat poverty and malnutrition.

Besides the Philippines, other members of the program are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan and South Korea. (PNA)