The South Korean government has donated 950 metric tons of rice to the Philippines for the thousands of Filipino families adversely affected by natural disasters in 2019. In a statement, the Department of Agriculture said the beneficiaries include earthquake victims in Mindanao, particularly in North Cotabato and Davao del Sur, and other areas in Davao Region and Soccsksargen, and flood victims in Cagayan Valley last year. “On behalf of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, we would like to thank President Moon Jae-in and the people of the Republic of Korea for their generosity in helping our countrymen who suffered and survived a series of earthquake in Mindanao and flooding in Cagayan Valley,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar. The rice donation is part of the emergency food assistance of South Korea’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA). In his letter to MAFRA Minister Kim Hyeon-Soo, Dar said “South Korea’s donation is a manifestation of your country’s dependable support and concern [for] the Filipino people, and rest assured, the rice will go beyond its initial intended purpose.”
