The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) received a food truck containing hot meals from the Australian Embassy on Friday.

The assistance, made through Australian Aid, can feed about 800 within the first eight hours of operation.

The PRC’s chair and CEO, Senator Richard Gordon, thanked the embassy for its relentless generosity, saying they would be able to reach more communities affected by disasters and conflicts.

“Australia will always be among the first (to) respond, to give to (the) Philippines in trying times,” Gordon said in an interview at the PRC national headquarters in Mandaluyong City.

“The power of providing hot meals as an immediate response to people who have been victims of natural calamities or accidents is sometimes overlooked. It calms their mind and makes them at peace while they are going through a not very good state in their lives.”

The support is part of Australia’s long-standing partnership with the PRC to deliver immediate humanitarian assistance.

“In the spirit of mateship and bayanihan (communal unity), Australia has always stood ready to deliver humanitarian assistance to our friends in the Philippines. Our quick response is made possible, in part, by our partnership with the Philippine Red Cross, one of our longest-standing and trusted humanitarian partners in the Philippines,” Ambassador Steven Robinson said.

In the immediate aftermath of any disaster, access to food is usually disrupted, with displaced families unable to prepare their food.

The PRC’s “Hot Meals on Wheels” program seeks to address this by having a fleet of food trucks that could be easily mobilized to provide food relief within 24 hours of a disaster.

“This food truck will go a long way in helping the people in need as PRC abides by its mandate to be always first, always ready, and always there where we are needed,” Gordon added.

Australia’s donated food truck is part of the PRC’s fleet of 15 food trucks stationed in Metro Manila, Albay, Nueva Ecija, Manila, Pasay, Quezon City, lloilo, Aklan, Davao City, and Bacolod.

In November 2020, Australia and the PRC provided relief items to 2,000 families affected by typhoons Rolly and Ulysses in the provinces of Catanduanes, Albay, and Isabela.

Australia had also previously assisted the PRC in ramping up its coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) testing and response capacity.

It supported the establishment of the largest molecular laboratory for Covid-19 testing in the country, part of the 4.1 million Australian dollars (PHP143.5 million) coronavirus response package from Australia to the PRC.

It also provided a specialized ambulance for transporting infected individuals, along wi