DSWD: 70k families to benefit from rice donation from Taiwan

Some 70,000 poor families stand to benefit from a donation of 10,000 tons of rice from Taiwan for the Philippine government's anti-hunger efforts. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Tzu Chi Foundation chief executive officer Alfredo Li for the donation. "(Li said) the country will receive approximately 10,000 tons of rice from the Taiwanese government for the Food-for-Work and Food-for-the-Poor projects during the period 2011 to 2013," the Department of Social Welfare and Development said in a news release on its website Wednesday evening. Tzu Chi Foundation is a Taiwan-based non-profit and non-government organization operating in the Philippines. Soliman said an initial 500 tons of rice already arrived in the country and is now in the DSWD’s National Resource Operations Center (NROC) in Pasay City. Another 1,000 tons will arrive from Taiwan soon. Under the MOA, the Philippine government will defray taxes and duty exemption of the importation, and obtain the appropriate clearances from the concerned government agencies. The DSWD will also provide warehouse facility for the duration of the project to ensure the safety of rice from switching, pilferage, spoilage, and other elements. On the other hand, Tzu Chi Foundation will cover the actual transportation costs of the rice donation from Taiwan to the Philippines, port charges at destination, handling and hauling costs from the cargo terminal at the Bureau of Customs to the DSWD warehouse. The Foundation will also assist the DSWD in identifying beneficiaries and will help the Department deliver the rice to target distribution areas. “On behalf of President Benigno S. Aquino III and the Filipino people, we are very grateful to the Taiwanese government, Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen, founder of Tzu Chi, its staff and volunteers, for your generous donation. Beyond the material aid that you have brought to us today, this is a show of love and compassion to our less fortunate brethren," Soliman said. - VVP, GMA News