This increased capacity is made possible by the Mechanized Production System (MPS) at the DSWD’s Visayas Disaster Resource Center (VDRC) in Barangay Tingub, Mandaue City, Cebu, which President Marcos Jr. inspected on Thursday, Feb. 26.President Marcos Jr. said the five new MPS lines at the VDRC were specifically designed and built for the Philippines.
This upgraded system not only accelerates production but also features state-of-the-art, machine-operated vacuum packaging lines that seal food packs to extend their shelf life.
“Ito ang unang panahon na ang national government ay nagbibigay nitong klaseng food pack (This is the first time that the national government is giving out this kind of food pack),” Marcos told reporters after the inspection.
Previously, calamity victims received food packs from various sources, he said. Now, the national government will be able to provide for their needs directly.
Marcos said that when relief goods were produced manually at the VDRC, the facility could only produce 5,000 to 8,000 family food packs (FFPs) per day.
With mechanized production, the facility can now produce 30,000 FFPs per day, strengthening relief operations in the Visayas and Mindanao, he added.
Faster production
The P117-million upgraded MPS was completed in July 2025 and was funded through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.
It aims to expedite production and distribution of relief goods, strengthening disaster response and preparedness across the Visayas and Mindanao.
The President said VDRC currently has four million food packs in storage, ready for distribution, but will continue producing until the facility’s stock reaches five million FFPs.
FFPs in the storage that are nearing expiration date will be distributed to those in need as part of the government’s aid system, he added. At present, the facility is supporting response efforts for several fire incidents and other ongoing disaster efforts, including areas affected by volcanic activity in the Visayas.
The upgrade of VDRC is in line with Marcos' directive to the DSWD to ensure faster and adequate delivery of assistance to families affected by calamities.
Mindanao hub
The Visayas hub complements services provided by the Luzon Disaster Resource Center in Pasay City.
It also serves as a temporary hub for Mindanao, the President said there are plans to build a permanent Mindanao Disaster Resource Center in Butuan City.
During the inspection, Marcos toured the raw material storage, family food pack storage and both manual and mechanized production facilities.
He also witnessed the loading of food backs onto trucks bound for prepositioning at DSWD field offices in Iloilo City and Butuan City.
Before inspecting the new MPS in Mandaue, Marcos was in Liloan town, northern Cebu for the launching of the Pag-Abot Processing Center, the first outside Luzon.
Temporary shelter for the homeless
The facility, located in Barangay Tayud, Liloan, provides temporary shelter to homeless individuals, referred to as “families or individuals in street situations” (FISS), while they await transport back to their hometowns.
The program provides health services, food, clothing, psychosocial and livelihood support, temporary housing, and family reintegration to help beneficiaries move toward stable and dignified lives.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and local government units, is reaching out to families in street situations to ensure their inclusion in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and other social protection initiatives, under the Pag-Abot Program. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
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