Sunday, June 15, 2008 NFA to deploy 2 rolling stores, 50 stalls next week
STARTING next week, the National Food Authority (NFA) will have two rolling stores and 50 Tindahan Natin in addition to the 65 earlier allotted for Cebu City in an effort to give the poor better access to government-subsidized rice.
The rolling stores’ route will be determined by the City Government, while 20 of the additional Tindahan Natin will be supervised by the barangays, said City Administrator Francisco Fernandez.
He said the 65 Tindahan Natin were distributed in at least 36 barangays with eight outlets located in Barangay Mambaling.
Supervision
Most stores are being supervised by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which makes official list of the beneficiaries who are allowed to buy the NFA rice at P18.25 per kilo.
Fernandez said the NFA decided to provide the rolling stores and the additional Tindahan Natin after their meeting with DSWD 7 Director Teodolo Romo and Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Eugenio Faelnar yesterday.
“The rolling stores will start tomorrow. In Tuesday, we’ll take charge on which barangays they’ll be brought to,” he said.
NFA 7 Provincial Manager Nestor Rey Alcoseba said aside from the P18.25 per kilo, their office will also distribute imported rice sold at P25 per kilo.
“Aside from the community-based outlets offering P18.25 per kilo, starting this week, we’ll be introducing in nine major markets, including Tabo-an and Carbon (Public Market), the P25 per kilo,” he told barangay captains attending a recent forum by Presidential Management Staff Chief Cerge Remonde on the country’s rice supply.
No shortage
Remonde and Alcoseba denied that there is rice shortage, saying there is enough supply and that what is causing prices to rise is the speculation that the country does not have enough supply.
Remonde had said that the government will “flood” the country with rice so that with supply higher than the demand for the commodity, prices are hoped to go down.
In response to the situation, the City Government was given authority to sell NFA rice in the barangays.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña earlier said he will tap the urban poor sector to do it to avoid the situation where barangay officials prioritize their supporters in availing themselves of cheaper rice. (RHM)
