Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian and Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed on Saturday (December 14) a memorandum of agreement (MOA) formalizing the turnover of Php178.5M-worth of frozen mackerels to the DSWD.

Under the agreement, the donated frozen fish will be up for distribution to Filipino families in 17 local government units (LGU) in Metro Manila, 1 LGU in Region 3 (Central Luzon) and 1 LGU in Region 4-A (CALABARZON).

These were the imported mackerels intercepted by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) last October for lacking the mandatory sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance.

The goods were later tested by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and met all requirements to be declared safe for human consumption. (LSJ)