(PNA File Photo)
MANILA – More than 3,000 pieces of “Pack of Hope” (POH) or ready-to-eat food were distributed by the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) to help augment the need for relief during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), it announced on Monday.
At least 3,000 pieces were already distributed in five cities in the National Capital Region, while some ready-to-eat smoked fish rice meal and chicken arroz caldo were also distributed in Davao.
“(The) demand for the POH is high because it has a stable shelf life and it has passed the safety protocols set by both the local and international offices of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),” the DOST said in a statement.
Packed in a retort pouch, a POH has a shelf life of at least one year.
It was developed by the ITDI, and each pouch contains rice porridge.
Since 2015, the DOST already distributed 245,000 rice porridge or Pack of Hope, as well as 42,000 ready-to-eat smoked fish rice meals.
According to the DOST, Pack of Hope were also distributed as relief goods to those affected by the Taal eruption in January.
About 30,000 ready-to-eat rice porridge, smoked fish rice meal, and BigMo (bigas/rice – mongo) curls developed by the ITDI were also distributed to quake-hit areas in Mindanao late last year.