Mandaue buys 6 mobile kitchens

CEBU, Philippines — The Mandaue City Government has purchased six mobile kitchen vehicles worth P9-million, which will serve as disaster-response support system in times of calamity.

City Social Welfare Services chief Jessie Perez said the six units are equipped with a generator set, emergency wires and tanks that store about 50 gallons of water. He said it was the first time that the city government has procured mobile kitchen for disaster response.

He explained that through the mobile kitchens, the CSWS can immediately respond to calamities like fire.

The CSWS personnel will no longer rush to their office to pick up items intended for catering hot meals since they can make it now inside the mobile kitchen, Perez said.

Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing in a separate interview said the city bought these units to serve as "mobile relief centers" and to ensure that those Mandauehanons in need will be provided with basic needs.

Apart from fire incidents, the mobile kitchen can also be used to respond flood and earthquake incidents.

"These will be mobile relief centers for CSWS so that during fires, flood, (and) evacuation, we will have facilities and a well-lit center to coordinate efforts," Quisumbing said.

"The generator hitch can be switched out to haul rescue equipment such as chainsaws, ropes, shovels, floodlights and pick axes among others," Quisumbing explained. (FREEMAN)