Friday, April 11, 2008 City to get 250T bags of NFA rice By Grace L. Plata
THE National Food Authority (NFA) assured that the City Government of Davao would soon get its request for 250,000 bags of rice amid reports there is shortage of the staple.
In Thursday's I-Speak forum, Atty. Jessie Marvin Melodias, chief of the city's General Services Office, questioned NFA Provincial Director Lorenzo Camayang why the supply has been withheld and when would the city get its request.
Also, gone are the days when one gets to buy a full 50-kilogram pack of rice from NFA as the grains agency declared it will soon cease to release rice to retailers packed in bags or sacks.
Instead, NFA will repack the grains to one- and two-kilogram, which will be distributed to retailers.
Melodias explained that the city regularly buys 250,000 bags per quarter of the year for its Social Amelioration Program, better known as the Lingap Program, being implemented by the City Government.
The rice supply is distributed to the poor who come to City Hall to ask for food and/or financial help.
"If there is no rice shortage as what the NFA claims, why were we told recently that the NFA cannot provide for our normal request," Melodias said.
Camayang hastily explained that a directive has been issued from the national office to regulate the release of NFA rice to avoid hoarding.
"I already informed the office that Davao City is exempted and they already approved the release. I was informed through a phone call early this morning," Camayang said.
Melodias, satisfied with the answer, just said he had to raise the matter since there is already a long line of people in City Hall asking for food and the city does not have anything to give them.
Camayang, on the other hand, said repacking rice to one- and two- kilogram packs would prevent hoarding and alleged mixing of NFA rice with the commercial variety and sell the result at a higher price.
"We already ordered about 400,000 small bags and they will be delivered to the city soon. NFA personnel will do the repacking, if possible on a 24-hour basis so that there will be more supply," Camayang said.
Camayang, however, said the mixing of rice is not possible as far as Davao City is concerned.
"We have regular market watchers. They check how many bags were issued and will stay until those are fully distributed or until the stall closes. We have a set maximum of bags per retailer so we can monitor their distribution," Camayang said.
He added that the market watchers have been increased in the past week for more efficient monitoring.
"Yung mga fesh graduates at idealistic ang recruits naming (Our recruits are fresh graduates and idealistic). They are trained before being mobilized and we really emphasize the need to be honest in their work while explaining its impact to the people. We tell them na kung papabayaan nilang mandaya ang (if they allow the) retailer (to deceive others), its tantamount to depriving their families of food," Camayang said.
