The US government has officially announced the donation of 7,000 metric tons (MT) of rice and 680 MT of non-fat dried milk worth $8.4 million (P386 million) for the victims of tropical storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng.

These commodities would be sourced from the stockpile of the US Food for Progress Program and drawn from the excess production of US farmers.

US Embassy estimates that the food would be enough to feed 438,000 people for 60 days.

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack confirmed the donation during Monday’s courtesy call on President in Malacañang.

Vilsack is in town for the official US Agriculture Trade and Investments Mission from October 26 to October 30.

He heads a mission of executives from leading US agribusiness companies seeking trade and investments opportunities that met with more than 200 Filipino businessmen.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap thanked Vilsack on behalf of the Philippine government.

“We would like to express our sincerest thanks to the Obama administration for donating 7,000 metric tons of rice and another 680 MT of dried milk worth $8.4 million combined to our typhoon victims,” Yap said.

Yap said the donations will be processed into Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk and biscuits, which have long shelf lives, and distributed to the flood victims.

The Philippines is the largest recipient of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) food aid program in Asia, with programs dating back to 1995.

For this year alone, USDA signed Food for Progress agreements with the Philippines valued at $25 million.

After a press briefing at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel last Monday, Vilsack was preceeded to the Sagad Elementary School in Pasig City to oversee the donation of milk and cookies for a thousand grade schoolers.