BY AARON RECUENCO
More than 250,000 boxes of frozen seafoods which were either abandoned from ports or confiscated by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) were donated to various local communities and frontliners in Metro Manila and four other regions, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said on Thursday.
But the OCD, in a statement, said the donated frozen seafoods were certified fit for human consumption by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The frozen seafood products were donated by the BoC.
“The donations were distributed to various local communities, hospitals, and uniformed forces in the frontline, in support of their basic needs amid the pandemic,“ the statement read.
The frozen seafoods were distributed to 28 health institutions and 17 Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police frontline units within the National Capital Region.
Local communities in Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) also received the donations, according to the OCD.
The distribution process was conducted with the help of the national and local government offices, especially in the identification of areas where food assistance is needed.
“The identification of the four regions as beneficiaries was based on the reported number of COVID-19 cases in the areas,” the statement read.
The OCD said Western and Central Visayas regions are also set to receive frozen seafood donations from the BoC to augment the food distribution in areas that are under strict quarantine due to high COVID-19 cases.
