Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Friday led guests — including Senator Joel Villanueva and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) country director Regis Chapman — at the ceremonial launch of disaster response vehicles at the National Resource Operations Center in Pasay City.

The emergency response vehicles include mobile kitchens, mobile water treatment units, water tanker trucks, forklifts and a reach truck.

“These mobile kitchens, water tanks and other equipment which we are launching are part of the new DSWD initiatives that provide appropriate and quality services to families,” said Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group.

The mobile kitchens are designed to provide hot meals to internally displaced persons and families during emergencies and is seen to become beneficial during long-term displacement of IDPs in evacuation centers.

Meantime, the mobile water treatment units and water tanker trucks are designed to transport large quantities of water to evacuation centers or areas affected by water shortages.